Hoops Habit
Fansided

2016-17 NBA Awards Season: Top 5 Fringe MVP Candidates

By Gerald Bourguet

Mar 8, 2017; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) drives in against Boston Celtics guard Isaiah Thomas (4) during the first quarter at Oracle Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 8, 2017; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) drives in against Boston Celtics guard Isaiah Thomas (4) during the first quarter at Oracle Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
3 of 6
Next
NBA Awards
Apr 19, 2017; Washington, DC, USA; Washington Wizards guard John Wall (2) reacts after making a three point field goal against the Atlanta Hawks in the first quarter in game two of the first round of the 2017 NBA Playoffs at Verizon Center. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports /

4. John Wall

When the Washington Wizards started the season 3-9, not many expected them to even sniff the playoffs, let alone win 49 games as the Eastern Conference’s fourth seed. And yet, thanks to John Wall and (finally!) a fully healthy season from Bradley Beal, here we are.

In his first season under head coach Scott Brooks, Wall posted a career-high 23.1 points, a career-high 10.7 assists, 4.2 rebounds and a career-high/league-leading 2.0 steals per game. He also shot a career-high 45.1 percent from the field. Sensing a trend here?

Though Washington’s defensive decline since the All-Star break has something to do with Wall’s effort during that span, he’s become a legitimate two-way star and clearly stated his case for the title of best point guard in the East this season.

The Wizards didn’t win enough to legitimately put him in the conversation, but he belongs somewhere in this conversation as one of the game’s premier offensive orchestrators, an improved scorer and the driving force behind one of the league’s better midseason turnaround stories.