Is John Wall Ready To Take On Elite Status?

The point guard position has been the most intriguing position in the NBA since the early 2000s. Throughout the history of basketball, point guards have been known as the quarterback, if you will, on the court. Their job has always been to facilitate the offense and to be sure the other four players are getting the ball in positions where they are most effective. In many situations, the point guard’s first priority is to get the star of the team involved the most.

In today’s game, the priorities of point guards remain the same in the sense that they still have to distribute and create scoring opportunites, but with players in this era of the game such as Russell Westbrook, Kyrie Irving and Stephen Curry, the outlook of what a point guard has to do in order for their team to be successful has changed.

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Last season Westbrook, Irving, and Curry averaged 28.1, 23.8, and 21.7 points per game respectively. Compared to the 1990s point guard such as John Stockton, Gary Payton and Jason Kidd, those scoring averages were unheard of. Although they did have the ability to score, the first thing that came to mind when scanning the floor in any situation was how they could create a scoring opportunity for one of their teammates.

It has been a battle of generations with the argument that the 90s point guards were better than the point guards of today, simply because they had a higher basketball IQ in terms of being sure they made every person on their team better.

But the point guards of today aren’t all like Westbrook in terms of having a score-first mentality. There are still a select few left in the NBA that can score when their team needs it, but their intentions are primarily to distribute the basketball at an efficient rate.

One player that immediately comes to mind is Chris Paul. Paul has been the prime example of an elite all-around point guard who can score at an alarming rate when his team is in need, average double-figures in the assist category, and be one of the top defenders the league has to offer. He’s been doing so since he was drafted in 2005 and that’s why he is regarded as still being the best point guard in the NBA.

Although he still has a good three strong years left where he can be regarded as the best at his position, Paul is entering the final stages of his career. With that being said, it looks as if there is another point guard ready to take on the same expectations as Paul, and his name is John Wall.

The No. 1 pick of the 2010 NBA Draft has put up impressive all-around numbers since he was chosen to be the savior for the disastrous Washington Wizards. Wall has consistently averaged 16-19 points and 7.5-10 assists per game for his career while also being arguably one of the best defenders in the league as well.

It’s time more people start to consider Wall as being the next elite point guard in the NBA. Let’s take a look at why these considerations should begin ASAP.

Next: Offensive Abilities