NBA Rumors: John Wall Disappointed For Not Being Considered As A ‘Top-5 Guard’
Since entering the NBA in 2010, John Wall proved that the Washington Wizards made the right decision to use the No. 1 overall pick add him to their team. In his eight years in the league, Wall continues to establish an impressive performance, averaging 18.9 points, 9.2 assists, 4.4 rebounds, and 1.7 steals on 43.2 percent shooting from the field and 32.7 percent from beyond the arc.
Despite his outstanding performance almost every night, there are still some people who don’t recognize John Wall’s skills and talent. According to NBC Sports, Wall said that there are a “lot of guys” who still don’t consider him as a top-5 point guard in the league. When it comes to being the best point guard in the league, Wall is definitely not far from other elite point guards like Stephen Curry, Russell Westbrook, Damian Lillard, Chris Paul, and Kyrie Irving.
Wall didn’t mention any name, but he might have felt disrespected being overlooked. However, instead of being distracted, the 27-year-old point guard uses it as a motivation to become a better player every game.
“It’s just extra motivation for me. It don’t matter to me. A lot of guys don’t talk about me being a top-5 point guard and that’s cool. It’s just more motivation for me and for us as a team,” Wall said.
John Wall also doesn’t have any problem with the Wizards not being considered as a legitimate title contender in the Eastern Conference. After LeBron James joined the Los Angeles Lakers in free agency, the Toronto Raptors, Boston Celtics, and the Philadelphia 76ers emerge as the top favorites to become the new ruler of the East. Wall believes it is better to be considered as the underdogs and exceed the expectations than become a huge disappointment next season.
“It’s even better. When we were that team that was flying under the radar, we came out and showed people what we was capable of. Then, when we were the team that everyone was talking about and everyone had so much high expectations for, we kind of failed those expectations,” Wall said.
Things could have been very different if John Wall didn't approach Dwight Howard for a move to the Wizards https://t.co/eHBflfrF9S
— Intl. Business Times (@IBTimes) August 2, 2018
The Wizards have made a huge upgrade on their roster this offseason with the acquisition of Dwight Howard, Jeff Green, and Austin Rivers. Howard, who John Wall personally recruited in Washington, is expected to address the Wizards’ weakness at the center position and give them a boost on both ends of the floor. Meanwhile, Green and Rivers are set to solidify the Wizards’ second unit.
The Wizards may not be the top favorite to represent the Eastern Conference in the 2019 NBA Finals. However, Wall and the Wizards will surely do everything they could to prove their doubters wrong in the 2018-19 NBA season.
