Official John Wall Appreciation Thread 2.0

[dobrojim]

I don't think of Sam as a guy that relied on athleticism to produce.
He was all about knowing HOW to play...guile and skill.

[queridiculo]

Wall has publicly credited Cassell at least a couple times for working with him on his shot.

Loved Cassell as a player. He was one of those guys perpetually unhappy with his contract, though. He kept signing deals that a year or two later left him drastically underpaid.

And talk about defying the aging curve. His three best seasons were (in order): 2001-02, 2002-0
3 and 2003-04 -- ages 32, 33 and 34.

His 03/04 season was amazing.

Before Cassel's back gave out in the playoffs I thought the Timberwolves might win the title.

[hands11]

His TOV% improved 0.7 so he is now at 14th. If he can get that into the 14 to 14.5 range, that would be huge.

ORtg got better by 2. He is now at 104. If he can get that to 110 by the end of the year. Again, huge.

This I don't understand. Conley has a DRtg of 100 and it didn't change at all from that last game when Wall went for 46. How is that ?

Man, Tony Parker is a great value. All that and he is locked in at 12.5M for 2 more years.

His numbers won't improve that much. It's pretty much impossible for him to get that ORtg up to 110 in just 12 games. He'd need to average a ORtg of 128 on high usage. Basically, he'd have to outplay Lebron for the next 12 games. Same thing with turnovers. He'd have to post a TOV% of just 7% to meet your goal. He'd have to turn the ball over half as much as Chris Paul.

Your question about Conley points out the weakness of DRtg as a stat. Basically DRtg incorporates the few defensive box score stats out there (blocks, steals, defensive rebounds) and then looks at team defensive efficiency and assigns a portion of that to each player. Conley has a good DRtg because Memphis plays good D as a team and Conley gets a lot of steals. It has nothing whatsoever to do with his ability to shut down individual players. Giving up 107 points as a team (on a night when Conley himself got 3 steals) isn't going to affect his overall DRtg much. His DRtg will steadily get worse if he continues to play a lot of games without Marc Gasol though.

Good to know. So is ORtg just as flowed ?

[Dark Faze]

It's amazing how many of the little things Wall is improving at this month.

Heck, he's even doing a much better job of exaggerating contact on blocking calls. It's really helping him get to the line more. In the past he's just try to "peel off" of the contact, and end up hitting the ground or getting a bad shot off as a result. Now when he's touched he's really exagerrating that contact

[sfam]

It's amazing how many of the little things Wall is improving at this month.

Heck, he's even doing a much better job of exaggerating contact on blocking calls. It's really helping him get to the line more. In the past he's just try to "peel off" of the contact, and end up hitting the ground or getting a bad shot off as a result. Now when he's touched he's really exagerrating that contact

Its amazing what a little confidence will do for a guy. All the things he's been working on are finally showing up. Wall really does need another offseason of polishing though. I really hope he works just as hard this offseason.

[nate33]

His TOV% improved 0.7 so he is now at 14th. If he can get that into the 14 to 14.5 range, that would be huge.

ORtg got better by 2. He is now at 104. If he can get that to 110 by the end of the year. Again, huge.

This I don't understand. Conley has a DRtg of 100 and it didn't change at all from that last game when Wall went for 46. How is that ?

Man, Tony Parker is a great value. All that and he is locked in at 12.5M for 2 more years.

His numbers won't improve that much. It's pretty much impossible for him to get that ORtg up to 110 in just 12 games. He'd need to average a ORtg of 128 on high usage. Basically, he'd have to outplay Lebron for the next 12 games. Same thing with turnovers. He'd have to post a TOV% of just 7% to meet your goal. He'd have to turn the ball over half as much as Chris Paul.

Your question about Conley points out the weakness of DRtg as a stat. Basically DRtg incorporates the few defensive box score stats out there (blocks, steals, defensive rebounds) and then looks at team defensive efficiency and assigns a portion of that to each player. Conley has a good DRtg because Memphis plays good D as a team and Conley gets a lot of steals. It has nothing whatsoever to do with his ability to shut down individual players. Giving up 107 points as a team (on a night when Conley himself got 3 steals) isn't going to affect his overall DRtg much. His DRtg will steadily get worse if he continues to play a lot of games without Marc Gasol though.

Good to know. So is ORtg just as flowed ?

No. ORtg is a good stat because box score numbers do a pretty good job of capturing offensive performance. ORtg doesn't do all that estimation based on team offensive performance. It's more like PER, only ignoring defensive stats.

[hands11]

Though night for Wall and the Wiz being so short handed on the road.

But Wall still got them to foul him a ton. 15 FTAs. Nice. And 12 assists without his best shooters. Also nice.

As for the fouls. I think getting ejected has helped. Lets see if it lasts.

[Brenice]

How many Wizards are having career years playing with Wall?

Let's see:

Ariza
Webster
Temple
Okafor

None were doing anything special while Wall was out.

[nate33]

How many Wizards are having career years playing with Wall?

Let's see:

Ariza
Webster
Temple
Okafor

None were doing anything special while Wall was out.

Webster has been about the same with or without Wall.

If you ignore Okafor's extremely slow start in November, he has also been about the same with or without Wall.

The numbers suggest that Wall really has helped Ariza's performance.

[tontoz]

How many Wizards are having career years playing with Wall?

Let's see:

Webster
Temple

FYP

[Brenice]

I do agree Okafor improved after his slow start. and Webster did well pre-Wall, but he really exploded after Wall started playing.

To me it would be:

Ariza
Webster
Temple

[GhostsOfGil]

Just saw that the Wizards are 13 and 3 with these starters:

Wall
Beal
Webster
Nene
Okafor

[blazinskillz]

How Wizards’ John Wall worked to repair his jumper
http://www.johnwall2.com/blog/how-wizar ... is-jumper/


Going into last offseason, John Wall knew that the problems with his jump shot were both mental and mechanical. He was hesitant because he lacked confidence and was inaccurate because he lacked a consistent form.
A naturally explosive player, Wall used his speed and athleticism to give him an advantage in nearly everything he did on the court, except when he left the ground to shoot a jumper. Wall elevated in slow motion, as if he had taken is finger off the fast forward button. He would lean, kick out his leg or hesitate, which led to a hitch in his release.

“If I shot it, I shot like I was a lights out shooter, fadeaway, no follow through,” Wall said, shaking his head, as he discussed his career-high 47-point game on Monday in the Wizards’ 107-94 win over the Memphis Grizzlies.
Wall mixed in some fadeaways, and step-back fallaways against Memphis once he established a decent groove. But the reason he made 11 or his 13 field goals from the perimeter on his career night is because of the lessons he learned while working with trainer Rob McClanaghan and former Wizards shooting coach and New York Knicks assistant Dave Hopla last summer.

McClanaghan, who helped Derrick Rose ascend to MVP status by his third year and has also trained all-stars Russell Westrbook and Kevin Love, advised Wall to go straight up and down and follow through. Hopla did the same while getting Wall to remove his guide hand from the ball sooner.

“Main thing for me is using speed and shooting on the way up,” Wall said. “I used to shoot on the way down and if you want to become a better shooter, it doesn’t work that way.”

Before developing a workout program for Wall, McClanaghan watched film of the former No. 1 overall pick and noticed how teams would roll under screens and back off, daring him to take a jump shot.

“And with John, you probably should, because make or miss, it doesn’t matter, he wasn’t shooting it,” McClanaghan said in a telephone interview. “But he could blow by you.”

McClanaghan pointed out the problem to Wall and told him that he needed to be more assertive when teams left him open, because of what it would do to help his speed become more of a weapon and for his teammates to get better looks. “I said, ‘I know you can make the shot, but it doesn’t matter if you don’t shoot it. I don’t want you taking 30 shots a game, but if that elbow jumper is there, you’ve got to shoot it,’ ” McClanaghan said. “Even this year, he’s had games where he didn’t shoot it and I had to get on him about it. I said, ‘Listen, you put all this work in. It’s there, you can make it. You worked too hard not to shoot it.’ ”

McClanaghan sent Wall text messages and emails during his slump last February to remind him to have more confidence in what he had accomplished. The result has been a player who has no problem taking shots at the apex of his jump and catching defenders off guard. Memphis showed that it wasn’t prepared for Wall to defeat them from the perimeter early in the game, when Wall attempted a pull-up jumper and a Grizzlies player cursed and screamed his doubt that it would drop.

“Just confidence,” Wall said.”If I miss a couple, I don’t get down on myself. Teams are going to go under the screen to see if I could make them and after I made a few they had to change how they were guarding me.”
Wall’s two highlight moves — a behind the back, left-to-right dribble around Jerryd Bayless and dip around Ed Davis for layup; and a crossover around Tony Allen, followed by a split of Tayshaun Prince and Darrell Arthur for scoop layup — came as a result of the respect that the Grizzlies had to show Wall.

“He’s very tough cause obviously he’s one of the best at getting from end to end and getting to the rim and finishing,” Grizzlies Coach Lionel Hollins said. “So you’re already playing him for the drive, but when he’s making shots you have to honor his jumper, which makes it hard to stay in front of him.”

Since he can’t work out with McClanaghan during the season as he did last summer, Wall uses a similar program of midrange jumpers while working out with Wizards assistant Sam Cassell “because he knows and was a master of that shot.”

Wall continues to stay focused on finishing strong, but remains disappointed to have a “setback” delay him from showcasing what he had spent an offseason working on.

“I still don’t know where that [knee injury] came from. He was upset by it, because I know how hard he worked this summer,” said McClanaghan.

The work is starting to show.

By Michael Lee, Washington Post

------------------------------------------

Even though he misses a ton of shots the other day, I liked that he was confident shooting them. that shows he seriously committed to his jumper. Everybody have off nights but you miss every shot you don't take.

[Nivek]

Temple IS having the best year of his career. Unfortunately, he's still not much better than replacement level.

Webster's been the same guy since Wall's return whether Wall's been on the floor or not. Crazy efficient both with and without Wall.

Ariza seems to be helped by Wall.

Unfortunately, Wall's "making his teammates better" thing hasn't worked on Vesely, Singleton or Seraphin.

[deneem4]

wall is learning how to draw fouls when taking it in...the 1 reson hes been lookin and playing better...

[B-easy]

Is wall untouchable in terms of trading? Even for a guy like Chris paul?

Only a few weeks ago he looked very tradeable.

[TheKingOfVa360]

Is wall untouchable in terms of trading? Even for a guy like Chris paul?

Only a few weeks ago he looked very tradeable.

Why would you trade a 22 year stud for a 28 year old Paul with a history of knee problems? Paul is amazing but he wouldn't make us contenders overnight. It's better that we let Wall and Beal grow together and hopefully add another young franchise corner stone in the draft. Wall has never looked tradeable except for a few frustrated short sighted fans on this board.

[Chocolate City Jordanaire]

Is wall untouchable in terms of trading? Even for a guy like Chris paul?

Only a few weeks ago he looked very tradeable.

Why would you trade a 22 year stud for a 28 year old Paul with a history of knee problems? Paul is amazing but he wouldn't make us contenders overnight. It's better that we let Wall and Beal grow together and hopefully add another young franchise corner stone in the draft. Wall has never looked tradeable except for a few frustrated short sighted fans on this board.

In the words of Lee Corso, "Not so fast, my friend."

Before March 12, 2013, which by that time was well into the third year of his rookie deal, Wall didn't look any better than slightly above average. (His WS/48 was well below average and his PER was about average). As a #1 overall pick who looked nowhere near a max player Wall looked imminently tradeable. Wall had shown no leadership ability, he had made precisely 4 of his last 59 three point shots. Wall had persistently struggled with turnovers at the end of close games. Because he was no threat to hit the big shot Wall was a liability at the end of games. Frequently, small guards like Isaiah Thomas, Will Bynum, and Darren Collison torched him at the end of games. Young PGs Jrue Holiday and Kyrie Irving, and not John Wall were named all stars. Another young PG, Damian Lilliard, came into the league arguably playing better than Wall. Wall trade ideas for players like Terrell Lawson and Kyle Lowery were feasible before Wall flipped the switch. Once Wall did flip the switch, however, the difference was like night and day.

NOW JOHN WALL CAN HIT THE THREE. He has also shown both the competitive fire in his play but he's also taken responsibility to lead. Wall has led verbally and he has put in the work. He communicates a lot better all of a sudden, almost like he grew in confidence overnight. He's confident and playing with a certain swagger. What Martell Webster called glimpses of greatness is now bursting forth like sunshine through passing clouds and overcast. I'm sold in THIS JOHN WALL. (So are NBA referees who have allowed Wall to go to the FT line almost 40 times in the past couple games.) The other thing I have to mention is for the most part Wall's defense has even been better. (That will only improve if he gets to defend like a superstar with few fouls called on him.)

TKOV360, Wall is a player who skipped being merely good and started playing great right around March 12th. If you're keeping track that is two and one-half weeks ago. Until under three weeks ago Wall was a player I wanted to trade.

I was not shortsighted in coming up with Wall ideas because for two and one-half years Wall looked like nothing special since his first few games as a pro. If his production falls off (which I rather doubt) I will start posting trade ideas again. I don't have anything against John Wall. I have grown to really admire the passion he plays with and his recent confidence that borders on a healthy bit of cockiness. I LIKE John Wall, but it's all about how a player plays IMO. He is playing well and that is what matters. Still, any player can be traded...

If you look at the PGs in this draft, one or two of them might be destined for stardom FWIW.

[hands11]

I would not take any rebuilding ideas off the table.

This team is still in a rebuilding mode. The future configuration of a top winning team is not clear.

Wall has broken out but as other have said, it hasn't been for all that long and the season is almost over. Why take risks or pay more then they need to ? He could get hurt over the summer. Anything can happen. They still can't win on the road. And you have no idea what he will look like in an actual playoff game.

They don't have to do anything. He is signed. And if I understand it correctly, waiting it out, they can sign him for a little less for 4 years and keep their 5 year extension option powder dry. And he would still be making like 15.5M in his 4th year. That's some damn good money. Why would a team choose to pay more then they have to ?

Mostly I would prefer not signing players for more then 3 years on a rebuilding team. I can live with 4. No way I do 5. Not unless its to my advantage such that I am getting a discount on the last year.

If he wants 5 at 12.5 a year, fine. He will likely always be worth that.
If he wants 4 at 13.5, I would do that.

Look around the league. Their are a lot of good PGs getting paid that or less.

Parker is one of the best and he makes 12.5 for two more years. I don’t think he is upset.

Ty Lawson will be making 13M in 2016/17

Conley will make 9.6M in 2015/16

You have to put an entire team together and extra millions a year start to add up.

[hands11]

Not hating on Wall but just as a reminder,

11-28 FG with 5 PF and 4 TO and only 2 assists is not very efficient nor is it winning basketball. They lost to ORL.

And before anyone says his AST were low because he had no one to pass it to, he had 12 the game before with even less players to pass it to and against OKC ... one of the best teams in the league and in that game he was 3-18

Now I love all the FTA and Wall has had some monster games this month. but I wouldn't count either of these last two games in that group. They fall more into a category of .. mixed bag. Some things were impressive, some kind of sunk.

Hell, as good as some of his numbers looked against ORL, Tobias was better and Beno Udrih had 9 assists and 1 TO