If the Wizards’ training camp and preseason went by the theme of “Back to Basics,” the first two games of the regular season showed the goals might need to be scaled back even further. “A-B-C’s and 1-2-3’s” might be more appropriate.
After the way Washington was embarrassingly trounced in Thursday’s season opener at Orlando, even the smallest steps forward were welcome ones Saturday night at Atlanta, where consolation was again the most the Wizards had going for them after a 99-95 loss.
“I’m kind of happy, I’m kind of proud,” Wizards forward Andray Blatche told reporters after the game. “We stepped up, and a lot of guys showed what they was capable of doing.”
They also showed how much they may have to lean on rookie point guard John Wall, especially until Gilbert Arenas and Josh Howard return from injuries. But Wall showed he’s up for the challenge. After missing 13 of 19 shots in his NBA debut, he took his frustrations out on the practice court, signing himself up for early shootarounds on consecutive days.
The dividends were immediate in Atlanta, where Wall scored 22 of a game-high 28 points in the second half on 9-for-17 shooting, including a pair of 3-pointers late in the fourth quarter. But more than his higher shooting percentage from the floor, Wall’s leadership and composure bubbled to the surface.
With each basket he scored, including the Wizards’ final 12 points of the third quarter, Wall was even more vocal afterward, imploring his teammates to be ready defensively.
Wall also has registered nine assists in each of his first two games, but the number could have been higher in both contests if not for his teammates’ missed shots. Four different players failed to help Wall earn his elusive 10th assist over the final 6:28 in Atlanta. Wall dished the ball to Yi Jianlian on the final play of the game — which was out of reach by then — but Yi was fouled on his layup and couldn’t convert.
“He plays with a great amount of enthusiasm,” Wizards coach Flip Saunders said of Wall. “He’s very confident in his ability to do things and make plays. He doesn’t get too rattled, and he’s almost too much of a perfectionist at times. He’s a competitor, so we expected him to play how he played.”
