John Wall: Is The Washington Wizards PG A Superstar?
By Evan Massey
Has John Wall taken the next step and firmly gripped the “superstar” title with his play this season?
The Washington Wizards are one of the more dangerous teams in the Eastern Conference this season, and franchise point guard John Wall is one of the big reasons for their success.
He has taken his game to a completely new level this season, and he has been listed as a “superstar” by quite a few fans. Wall was definitely a star coming into the season at the point guard position, but has he done enough to earn the title of “superstar” with the season that he has been having so far this year? Take a look at his numbers to this point in the season:
Provided by Basketball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 12/26/2014.
Obviously averaging a double-double with points and assists is huge for a point guard, but his defense has been extremely impressive. Wall hasn’t been thought of as a legitimate lockdown defender throughout his career, but he has turned himself into just that this season.
So does Wall have what it takes to be called a superstar now with his performance this season?
At this point in the season, the answer is yes. He’ll have to continue to prove that he deserves to keep the title with his play and being consistent for the remainder of the year. That being said, he has the perfect all-around game to earn this title, and has taken control of the Wizards as their franchise player after struggling a bit during the playoffs last year.
What makes Wall worthy of owning this “superstar” title?
One of the main issues that Wall had last season at times was his scoring consistency, especially during the playoffs against the Indiana Pacers. He was still able to average 19.3 points per game, but the consistency was an issue at times. That has changed this year, and he has become a much more complete offensive player.
He has raised his shooting percentage from 43.3 percent from the floor last season to 45.8 percent this season. Wall has also taken his point guard skills to a new level as well, averaging 10.5 assists per game this season as opposed to 8.8 last year. The Wizards needed him to be even more of a playmaker than he was last season, and he has been able to do that.
His biggest improvement has come on the defensive end of the court, where he has turned himself into a very dangerous perimeter defender. Wall is averaging 2.1 steals per game so far this year, and he is using his quickness and athletic ability to pester opposing point guards.
Becoming a two-way star in the NBA isn’t easy, and it requires a lot of hard work and dedication. Seeing him mature and decide to focus on becoming a better passer and defender is extremely impressive, and it makes his future look even brighter.
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There is still some work that could be done in the turnover category, as Wall is currently averaging 3.8 per game. Despite that number being high, he has done an excellent job of making sure that he makes up for those turnovers with his scoring, defense, and passing. Washington hasn’t had a superstar in quite some time, but they definitely have one growing up right in front of their eyes.
At just 24 years of age, Wall is just scratching the surface of what he is capable of becoming. The addition of his defensive game and improved all-around game is something that should excite the fans in Washington. There is still work to be done, but he has definitely proven that he is worthy of being included in the superstar category of NBA players.
Wall has proven himself this season to be the franchise player that Washington saw when they drafted him, and he is looking to lead the Wizards back to prominence in the Eastern Conference.