Questions: During training camp, Beal publicly committed to replacing long two-point shots with threes or drives to the basket. Still, Beal remains a fan and media favorite, and I believe he has elite potential, even though the numbers suggest otherwise. While the full group didn't actually improve much from the point in their careers most similar to Wall's, they also didn't experience significant drop-offs for several more seasons.īradley Beal: Assertions that Wall and Beal comprise the NBA's second-best backcourt, behind Golden State's Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson, are premature, in no small part because Beal 1.) has been average and 2) hasn't improved much since entering the league. The list is a good one, including Deron Williams, Isiah Thomas, Andre Miller, Terrell Brandon, Chris Paul, and Kevin Johnson. What to Expect: While improvement would seem a given considering Wall's youth, his historical comparables peaked young (average age: 24.7). Will the team's new offense give him more room to operate? If so, he could get better shots and reduce his turnovers, both of which would make him even more effective. Questions: Wall's defense, passing, and transition offense already are strengths. In other words: Wall deserved being an All-Star, isn't an elite player, and probably deserves more consideration than he's gotten for Team USA. John Wall: A phenomenal talent who's just 25 years old, Wall has managed to walk a seemingly impossible path of receiving well-deserved honors, being somewhat overrated, and simultaneously getting dissed. Let's look at Washington's presumptive starters: Given that teams have roughly the same number of possessions in a game, what matters is relative efficiency: How does a team perform during its possessions compared to its opponent? Moreover, while "upping the pace" sounds good, it means little in a vacuum. During the preseason, the entire NBA played faster and shot more threes, and Washington was actually below average in three-point attempts. While all this may feel like radical change to Wizards fans, this offense doesn't actually qualify as innovation it's adoption of the new orthodoxy. Predicated on playing fast, spreading the floor, and shooting more threes, Washington's new look looked good in the preseason: 27.8 percent of the team's field-goal attempts were from three-point range, up from just 20.3 percent last season, and the team's pace factor (possessions per 48 minutes) rose from 93.6 to 101.5. Pierce is gone, but the Wizards' newfound commitment to "pace and space" remains. As a result, head coach Randy Wittman was fired and replaced by former Oklahoma City Thunder head coach Scott Brooks.After receiving heavy criticism for running an offense seemingly stuck in the 1980s-two lane-clogging big men on the floor at the same time a inefficient diet of long two-point jump shots-Wizards coach Randy Wittman moved Paul Pierce to power forward and unleashed a small ball offense during last year's playoffs that nearly carried Washington to the Eastern Conference Finals. The team won 41 games last season, but missed the playoffs. But despite showing promise during these seasons, the Wizards have again stagnated. Both appearances, in 20, resulted in second-round departures. The Wizards have managed just two playoff appearances in Wall’s time in Washington. He posted 16.4 points and 8.3 assists per game as a rookie and ever since has continued to establish himself among the game’s premier point guards. Wall joined the Wizards after just one season at Kentucky and hit the ground running. However, with Wall now in his seventh season in D.C., the waiting game continues. Since the arrival of John Wall in 2010, the Washington Wizards have at stages threatened to break through in the Eastern Conference. However, a good portion of the blame lies elsewhere. Mandatory Credit: Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports Despite having another stellar season, John Wall is still no closer to propelling the Washington Wizards to the next level.
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