After 5 years of putting in work John Wall is finally getting the credit he deserves. The former UK guard is the fan favorite for the All-Star Game. Wall is leading all the Eastern Conference guards in votes. So why has Wall been so effective this year?
1. Wall has become a supreme defender.
Its taken a few years for John Wall to start to get any recognition, but it has always been apparent that he could be one of the elites. Playing the point guard position at 6'4 along with remarkable speed and a 43in vertical makes for a vicious defender. It would be hard to find a point guard in the league that Wall wouldn't match-up well with. He has the reach on smaller guards and he's quicker than majority of the guards his size. Wall's length makes it easy to deflect passes and create easy opportunities for the Wizards. This season Wall is 2nd in league in the steals category, behind Steph Curry. Wall's performance has helped Washington raise their level of play on the defense end of the court. The Wizards are 5th in total defense. This is a major jump compared to the prior three seasons.
2. Wall's game is constantly evolving.
John Wall with his supreme athleticism has continued to get better over the course of 5 years. He came into the league an exceptional athlete with a lot of hype surrounding his game. Wall didn't understand how he'd have play to be successful in a point guard driven league. His first couple years were full of speed bumps. Wall played way too fast. As a result, he suffered in the assist to turnover ratio. In the 2012 season he averaged 8 assist and 3.9 turnovers. However over time Wall has learned how to play. His game has evolved and he is now averaging 10 assist per game and 3.7 turnovers. This seems like a bunch of turnovers, but its not when you're handling the ball as much as John Wall is during a game. Wall's field goal percentage has risen also. In his rookie season he shot just 40% from the field. Currently Wall is shooting 45% from the field. Wall is proving the doubters wrong and becoming more of an outside threat. At this rate he may be ready to take the crown for being the best point guard in the NBA.
3. Wall makes his team and teammates better.
Averaging 17 points and 10 assists Wall is becoming a primer player playing on a winning team. The Wizards association are finally back being competitive. Some analyst really think that the Wizards have a legit shot at holding up the championship trophy at the end of the post season. Wall is a big reason why Washington is seeing so much success. In his first year as a Wizard they only won 23 games. In Wall's sophomore year they won 20 games. By his 4th season as NBA starter they had won 44 games; 21 games more than when he was first drafted. They even advanced to the second round of the playoffs. Wall was the catalyst for their playoff run in 2014. He distributed the ball well and made dazzling finishes at the rim. The one thing that really started to raise his level of play is him learning how change gears and controlling the pace of a game. Since Wall's minor adjustments he has lead the current Washington Wizards to a 29-14 record. His style of play is definitely taking Washington to new heights. Wall deserves all the credit he's getting and should be known as a superstar. The sky is the limit for this young superstar on the rise.
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