In a matter of weeks, Kentucky’s John Wall will become one of the most popular men in Washington, D.C. — a town where public opinion decides your fate.
Yes, nothing is official until the NBA Draft arrives June 24. But when the Washington Wizards won the NBA Draft lottery a few weeks ago — despite finishing only tied for the fourth-worst record in the regular season — Wall’s future home was all but decided. For the past two years, nearly every expert has pegged Wall as the No. 1 pick in the 2010 draft, almost regardless of team need. Wall is supposed to be that good.
In just one season at Kentucky, Wall certainly teased NBA executives into a giddy state of optimism. The freshman point guard averaged 16.6 points, 4.3 rebounds and 6.5 assists per game. Those numbers would have made Wall the Wizards’ leading man for scoring and assists by the end of the regular season — discounting players no longer with the team, for one reason or another. And Wall tallied those numbers while playing in 40-minute college games.
For Wizards fans who just can’t embrace their good luck — and the professional sports legacy in Washington justifies a healthy amount of skepticism — there are a few reasons to tone down the optimism surrounding Wall. Despite leading the Wildcats in scoring, Wall proved to be an inconsistent shooter. He shot 46.1 percent from the field and just 32.5 percent from three-point range. And there was some concern about Wall’s potential to be a prima donna after he publicly complained that coach John Calipari criticized him following a poor performance in a loss to South Carolina.
The source for Calipari’s criticism was Wall’s propensity for turning over the ball — another chink in Wall’s seemingly impenetrable armor. Despite finishing as one of the best passers in college basketball, Wall also had 4.0 turnovers per game. He cannot afford to play sloppily and shoot poorly in the NBA or else he’ll be considered a bust.
However, the Wizards will focus on Wall’s undeniable upside. He is an electric player who can attract fans to the Verizon Center. Washington figures to undergo a massive overhaul this season. The team is dedicated to trading Gilbert Arenas, who Wizards execs reportedly labeled a cancer. They don’t want the young, impressionable Wall to come within shouting distance of their banished star. With nine unrestricted free agents and three restricted free agents on the roster, the team could be completely different next season. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, especially considering the huge number of big name free agents who will be looking for a new home. Washington will be able to use Wall as the centerpiece for its marketing pitch.
And that includes selling Wall to a fan base that is desperate for a reason to embrace a floundering franchise.
