Strong start for Wall, but questions linger with other starters
When Wizards training camp concluded earlier this month, coach Flip Saunders said it didn’t teach him a thing.
“What I learned was what I thought we were, we are,” Saunders said.
Two weeks and seven preseason games later, his beliefs have been reinforced as the Wizards (3-4) gave a glimpse of what could be an up-and-down season by winning three of their first four contests before losing the last three.
Even so, the unveiling of 20-year-old point guard John Wall has been everything the rebuilding Washington franchise could have hoped. Wall delivered on the promise expected from a No. 1 overall draft pick, averaging 15.7 points, 7.9 assists, 2.1 steals and just under four turnovers a preseason game.
His breathtaking speed and influence at both ends of the court make him a favorite for NBA rookie of the year, although it’s a competition in which he may be at a disadvantage since his biggest rival could be 2009 No. 1 draft pick Blake Griffin, who missed last season with the Los Angeles Clippers because of a knee injury.
The Wizards have yet to decide who will be Wall’s main partner in the backcourt. The veteran presence of Kirk Hinrich (9.4 ppg, 3.6 apg) has been a welcome addition, but Gilbert Arenas (10.3 ppg, 2.3 apg), who missed the last two preseason games with a groin strain, also has shown the ability to complement Wall if he can keep his health — and behavior — in check. Meanwhile, Lester Hudson, despite shooting well in training camp, has had little opportunity to convince the Wizards they need to keep him around.
While Saunders is assured of relying on Andray Blatche (14.7 ppg, 6.3 rebounds per game) at power forward, lineup shuffles could last into the regular season as Yi Jianlian (8.7 ppg, 5.6 rpg) and JaVale McGee (9.9 ppg, 6.9 rpg, 2.4 blocks per game) assert claims at center.
The Wizards also didn’t appear to move any closer to establishing a pecking order at small forward while awaiting Josh Howard’s return from a knee injury. Nick Young (11.3 ppg) had 24 points against Atlanta, but an ankle injury has held back Al Thornton. Meanwhile, Adam Morrison and Cartier Martin have shown only flashes of potential.
At center, invitee Sean Marks didn’t play at all after injuring his hamstring during training camp and second-round draft pick Hamady Ndiaye’s biggest asset remains his personality; he played only 21 minutes over three preseason games.
“We’ve got to get more consistent with sharing the ball and more consistent playing together sometimes,” Saunders said after the Wizards committed 20 turnovers in Tuesday’s 98-92 loss to Detroit. “When you have a lot of young guys on the floor, they’re all trying to establish themselves, and so we’ve got to work on that trust factor over the next eight days.”
