never a cool "holding my jersey up" picture
If you’re not staying up on John Wall’s journey this year, you probably like shows like this, and probably shouldn’t be reading this blog (because you probably don’t like basketball very much).
John Wall was born in 1990. He’s not quite old enough to drink. He also should be a Sophomore at Kentucky University, where I think they party, but maybe they just scream Miley Cyrus lyrics in the dark. Instead, he entered the NBA draft and is the starting point guard for the Washington Wizards, thus earning himself the glamorous position of “Miami Heat sideshow” for the 2010-2011 season.
Seriously, as much attention as the Miami Heat get, I think just about equal focus should go to John Wall and what he is able to do this year with a struggling Washington franchise.
In my mind there are two great reasons to watch the Wizards this year:
1) John Wall has some pretty sick individual talent, and he might even be able to give this Washington franchise a shot at a playoff run (I’m counting my ducks way too early here).
John Wall: Feeler of All Senses
Wall has made a pretty serious statement in the first two games for the Wizards. The rookie sensation pulled nine assists out of his hat in both games, and is averaging 21 points thus far. It’s obviously too early to predict his stat lines for the rest of the season, but I think it’s safe to say that this kid is on high-alert watch mode for the next few weeks.
It also might be safe to say that Wall’s performance (and hops) in the league thus far is blogomatic. Has someone coined that yet? (yes… all these guys)
2) Gilbert Arenas is going to be back from injury… And what the heck is going to happen when he is?
Arenas gave us a little song and dance recently about how he has essentially passed over the keys to the team to Wall, and concedes that he is indeed a member of John Wall’s team, but will that hold up?
After all, a seasoned (multiple-time top 5 scorer) in the NBA would not just bow off his duties as “I’m gonna put this team on my shoulders and take us to the playoffs,” would he? I guess if anyone is up to the challenge… It’s Gilbert.
John Wall: An Academic Success Story
Arenas has a bigger chip on his shoulder than anyone in the league (maybe anyone in the world). He talks a big game in the off season, but is he really ready to pass the torch to some 20 year old hot shot from Kentucky? After all, #0 earned his way from nothing to something. He controlled his own destiny. He fought all odds… Zero to hero! Why would he take the passenger seat now of the car he’s been driving for close to a decade?
I am not convinced that we won’t see some serious antics in Washington this season. Our man Gilbert is currently riding the bench with a short term ankle injury (he is even considered “doubtful” for the game on November 2), but he’s just days away from making his 2010 debut with the Wizards and John Wall. How is he actually going to handle the changing of the guard?
Similarly, how will this reflect on Wall’s stat line for the remainder of the season? I’ve set
up some scenarios and made some predictions:
1) Arenas comes back next week, has a sluggish start as he tries to get re-assimilated in the league with a rusty ankle, and spends more time floating around the perimeter than he should. Less attacking of the rim + slightly less conditioning = a Gilbert Arenas averaging 15 points per game.
This scenario lends itself to Wall’s continued success, but Washington’s ultimate demise. I could see them winning maybe 46 games and bowing out before the playoffs.
John Wall: Contemplative
2) Arenas returns, paces himself to full recovery, concedes to Wall’s offensive presence, but gets crafty about where he gets his points. In other words, Gilbert Arenas matures. While this seems entirely unlikely, we have to keep in mind that he’s almost 30 years old. Maybe the years of carrying guns into locker rooms, faking injuries, and self proclaiming himself as being better than Lebron are behind him…
I doubt it, but at any rate, were this to be the case we’d see the Wizards win closer to 56 games and earn a spot in the playoffs. It’d be a great building year for Wall as he would average close to 10 assists and 20 points per game. Maybe that would inspire the Wizards to go after a legitimate post threat in the next few years.
3) My favorite scenario… Arenas gets back next week and the Wizards suffer two or three straight losses to non-contenders. The locker room is sort of in shambles, but Wall is still carrying the torch and averaging numbers out of this world (maybe 28 points per game, 12 assists, and 6 rebounds). Arenas, on the other hand, is struggling, and finds that he really doesn’t even have the support of Washington behind him.
John Wall practices class Kentucky cocky, passive aggressive behavior and never really defuses any spite that Arenas is building up for him, and in the ensuing weeks a civil war breaks out between the Wizards. First it’s Josh Howard and Al Thornton building separate alliances with Andray Blatche and Hilton Armstrong. The two pairs decide not to pass to each other, nor to Wall or Arenas.
John Wall: Ready For Class
The next thing you know the entire team is holding out from their teammates, creating the most awesome display of one on one basketball that anyone has ever seen.
All of a sudden everyone would be saying, “Holy crap! Who are all these guys that I have never heard of and why are they strong arming each other on the court?”
Assistant Coach Sam Cassell would have a one on one conference with John Wall, taking him under his wing and pleading with him to “rise above the bullshit.” He’d go on to explain how he and Hakeem never really got along, but he had to do what he had to do to win a championship.
John Wall: "College Can Be Fun"
John Wall and Gilbert Arenas would then hold a team meeting (open to the public. I hope it looks something like this) where they would set terms on how to band together and become the best team that they could possibly be with a bunch of dudes that no one has ever heard of. (Kirk Heinrich would not attend the meeting, convinced that a bunch of people had heard of him).
And that would be it… The Wizards would get back together, start playing as a team, and go on to win maybe 48 games this year.
For the sake of fiction let’s just say that if that scenario played out… John Wall would have gotten hurt and not played in the final 60 games.
Ok. In all seriousness, I’m predicting that John Wall will win the rookie of the year by averaging 24 points and 9.6 assists per game.
Arenas will win no awards, and average 16 points and 2 assists per game.
The Wizards will win 48 games, and not make the playoffs.
Sam Cassell will have several heart to heart’s with Wall, that will end up being virtually useless, though Wall will cite them in at least two post season interviews.
Trap the Corners 
Never bet against Gilbert Arenas: