2017-18 Washington Wizards Report Card: John Wall

John Wall

Height: 6-4

Weight: 195 lbs

Age: 27

NBA Experience: 8 years

Nicknames: Point Gawd, Optimus Dime, Wall Star

By the Numbers:

Games Played: 41

Games Started: 41

Minutes: 34.4

Points: 19.4

Rebounds: 3.7

Assists: 9.6

Steals: 1.4

Blocks: 1.1

Turnovers: 3.9

Field goal shooting: .420

Three-point shooting: .371

Free throw shooting: .726

Net Rating: -3 (105-108)

PER: 19.1

In a season that came in with much promise after the Washington Wizards were one game away, a few plays away from the Eastern Conference Finals, it was all but taken away when John Wall banged knees early in November. He was never the same player and the Wizards were in limbo trying to find their way without their franchise player. An underrated ‘what if’ in Wizards history could be if Wall never gets hurt.

Season Takeaways

• It is hard to judge Wall’s season because it is unknown how healthy he was for much of the season between the PRP injection and knee surgery that cost him half of the regular season with much of the other half being played on one leg.
• Washington is absolutely worse without Wall, but it was clear that he was frustrated with the team. At times he would take plays off on defense or go hero ball too much on offense, which is a bad look and worse example to set for the team. In a season where terrible habits were formed in the regular season, Wall played a part.
• Despite his worst shooting percentage since his rookie year, there are still many positives from Wall’s body of work this season. Wall shot a career-high 37.1 percent from beyond the arc after shooting numerous deep balls over the offseason. The five-time All-Star would have finished second in the NBA in assists per game (9.6) behind Russell Westbrook’s 10.3 if he had qualified with enough games. The point guard became the youngest active player in the NBA with 10,000 points and 5,000 assists in his regular season career.

Grade: B-

National pundits can debate whether the Wizards should trade John Wall in order to avoid life in NBA purgatory, but the fact remains that he is under contract for the next five seasons for $189 million. It will be hard to move him even if Washington wanted to and Ted Leonsis will likely have none of it because Wall is the only attraction to put fans in the stands. Wall will have a repeat of his 2017 wolf season summer of training and hope that he can avoid a fluke knee injury next season. The franchise player has put the ball in the front office’s court with a cry for help in his exit interview with the media and now we will see where the chips fall.

The Best of John Wall Off The Court

https://www.instagram.com/p/Ba5AyHKgWB2/?taken-by=johnwall

https://www.instagram.com/p/BeHbxNAA6GG/?taken-by=johnwall

https://www.instagram.com/p/BhQX_ScgFx_/?taken-by=johnwall

The Best of John Wall On The Court

https://twitter.com/HoopDistrictDC/status/930990843128942592

https://twitter.com/HoopDistrictDC/status/988216005389357056

https://twitter.com/HoopDistrictDC/status/987509143878631424