Point guard spent the lockout improving his game John Wall hardly took a moment to rest during the NBA lockout as he crisscrossed the country in search of exhibition charity games. So after a tentative deal was struck between team owners and players over Thanksgiving weekend, the Wizards point guard carved out a little extra time to recuperate and recover.
But following a few more days with his family and a weekend stopover in Lexington to see alma mater Kentucky beat North Carolina, Wall was back in Verizon Center on Monday — first at 3:30 a.m. with rookie teammate Shelvin Mack. He came back during normal hours with a larger group of Wizards and others and picked up exactly where he left off during his barnstorming summer.
Recommended Stories
He tracked down former NBA player DerMarr Johnson with a block off the glass from behind. He split defenders for a spinning layup. He dunked with ease. He showed off his improved midrange jump shot as part of a full Wizards team with Mack, Andray Blatche, Chris Singleton and Larry Owens in a five-on-five, fullcourt scrimmage.
“My confidence is sky high right now,” said Wall, who’s coming off a rookie season in which he averaged 16.4 points, 8.3 assists and 4.6 rebounds. “The way I played this summer, I know it wasn’t serious games in the NBA, but it was against NBA-type players.”
Wall’s first year in the NBA was marred by nagging foot and knee injuries. The ailments didn’t help as he tried to adjust to the high level of competition he faced on a nightly basis.
“I think John coming in found it was a lot harder than he thought,” Wizards coach Flip Saunders said. “He knew he was going to play against great players but not every night.”
Said Wall: “I know when you’re a rookie, they’re especially going to attack you. They want to see if you belong here. I knew what to expect. They just played better at times, and they knew the game better than me.”
That inspired Wall to put in hours of film study to learn more about his own tendencies and those of his opponents during the offseason. He also read the new collective bargaining agreement that is expected to be ratified Thursday. The deal includes new incentives for young players such as Wall, who now can become eligible for a wealthier contract extension should he be named NBA MVP, All-NBA or to the All-Star team more than once.
But with three days to go before training camps open, Wall’s attention has shifted back to Washington following a summer of improving his own game.
“The main thing is playing in the playoffs,” Wall said. “It don’t get no better than playing in the playoffs. I went to playoff games last year, and it’s exciting seeing them play and see how different the atmosphere is in the games and how they foul and how they take it. It’s not fun just sitting there in the stands.”
