Washington Wizards: 3 takeaways from their first loss of the season

1) John Wall fails to deliver on the national stage

Many critics would say John Wall got the best of Lonzo Ball in their first of many matchups to come but, not so fast. Wall did have 18 points, but he did it on 22 shot attempts.

Ball finished with six points on 2-of-11 shooting, but considering he’s a rookie, it’s a more acceptable stat line for him. For Wall, it’s hard to say the same.

Wall went 7-for-22 from the floor and 1-of-5 from the 3-point line to end the night, leaving a lot to be desired after 40 minutes of playing time. He finished with an offensive rating of 77 and a defensive rating of 97.

On the final shot of the game in regulation, Wall had Beal wide-open in the corner for a shot. He noticeably pointed that out after the fact during the game.

If Wall wants the Washington Wizards to be the best team in the Eastern Conference, he has to trust his teammates more going forward.

He did a lot of penetrating in the game but looked to the officials to bail him out while not once considering he predicted to show “no mercy” against Lonzo Ball and the Lakers. “No mercy” performances tend to come without help from outside influences.

Next: 10 potential Eric Bledsoe trades

There shouldn’t be any need for trash-talk this Friday when 3-1 Washington visits the Golden State Warriors.  Wall should have a better performance or it could be a long night for the Wizards.