When the news broke this past week that John Wall might be lost for the season due to five non-displaced fractures in his left hand and wrist, many NBA fans were heartbroken considering the timing of this particular injury. The Washington Wizards are currently in a battle with the Eastern Conference’s No. 1 seed, the Atlanta Hawks, and cannot afford to lose their best player at this point in the season.
When he first came into the NBA as the No. 1 draft selection of the 2010 class, there was no doubt that Wall had all the potential in the world to become one of the best guards in the game. However, he struggled with his shot considerably in his first two years in the league, especially during the 2011-12 season when he shot a dismal 7 percent (!) from the three-point line. His assists were around eight per game, but people still wanted Wall to be a better distributor and leader on the floor.
After a shortened season in 2012-13 due to a hurt knee, Wall has rounded a corner during his last two years since the Wizards have become a playoff team in the East. He has elevated his play, especially how he runs the offense and allows spot-up shooters like Bradley Beal and Paul Pierce to have their open looks, while also maintaining a sharp focus to let Marcin Gortat and Nene get their opportunities to score off of pick-and-rolls and post-ups.
Wall has not only improved significantly on the floor, where he remains one of the quickest and cleverest penetrators in the game, but he has also become a much more vocal and demonstrative leader on and off the court, especially this year. I believe a lot of credit has to go to Pierce for instilling this confidence in him, as ever since Pierce signed with the team last summer you can tell that Wall has been taking mental notes of how to lead his team by example.
He is still just 24 years old, and if he continues to sharpen his mid-range and outside jump-shot, he has the ability to take the Wizards places they have not been since the days of Elvin Hayes and Wes Unseld, especially when you consider how weak the Eastern Conference is right now.
As Wall continues to elevate his game on the floor, he must also be ready to be the guy his teammates look to once Pierce eventually retires.
The Wizards are an exciting team given the youth they possess, and as they get more playoff experience in the coming years, it will ultimately be Wall who will be depended upon to take them where they want to go.
Dan Schultz is a Senior Writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on twitter @dschultz89. “Like” him on Facebook and add him on Google.