Wall beyond his years

With media day and midnight madness festivities finally out of the way, the Wizards got down to business with their first true practice on Tuesday. Wall, the No. 1 pick in June’s NBA Draft and the youngest player on the roster, appears primed to deliver on his potential.

“[He was] probably one of the most serious [players] and probably knows what we’re doing as well as anybody,” Wizards head coach Flip Saunders said.

The 20-year-old face of the franchise got a bit of a head start over the summer, impressing Saunders with his basketball acumen as much as his athleticism during a three-day trip to Minnesota. Wall doesn’t hesitate to say that Saunders has a father figure-like influence on him.

“I was working out with Coach Saunders and his son [Wizards assistant coach Ryan Saunders],” Wall said. “He was teaching me the plays that I need to learn and what he expect of me. He’s not going to put any pressure on me, because I’m getting used to the NBA level.”

Wall also has veterans in the backcourt with him for support. After Tuesday’s scrimmage-less workout, Saunders singled out Wall and Kirk Hinrich for their serious and communicative approach.

“I think we can make each other better,” Hinrich said. “John’s a good kid. I’ve enjoyed being around him in the short time that we’ve been playing together.”

Saunders has wiped the slate clean for the rest of the team with the training camp theme of “Back to Basics.” A subtle banner bearing the name and a picture of a metal-netted playground basketball rim will hang from the stands at Patriot Center during camp.

“Back to fundamentals, back to execution basketball, it’s also back to having fun,” Saunders said. “You think about when you were a kid playing.”

Apparently, the Wizards’ kid handled his first day of the serious stuff just fine, too.

“John is a well-spoken rookie,” Wizards forward Andray Blatche said. “He’s aggressive. He let his voice be known. He’s a leader, a point guard, and that’s what we need.”

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