Energetic rookie ready to begin first season
John Wall has already been through the ritual microscopic scrutiny that every player undergoes at the University of Kentucky — so Wizards head coach Flip Saunders hasn’t seen a hint of nervousness in the rookie ahead of his regular-season professional debut Thursday night in Orlando.
Still, an extra bit of adrenaline might’ve been at work as Wall took part in an impromptu dunk contest with teammates Nick Young, Lester Hudson and Al Thornton on Monday. On Tuesday, Wall emphatically ended the working portion of practice by taking an inbound pass and posterizing a late-arriving Young.
“Where you at, Nick Young?” hollered Wall with a grin.
Saunders can be forgiven if his fatherly impulses over his prodigious young point guard continue right up until tipoff on Thursday.
“You always worry about him, rookies like that being too hyped,” Saunders said. “Especially, you’re playing opening night against a team that was in the finals two years ago, has been an elite team in the league. They’re in a new building. They’ve got a lot to prove by all the talk of another team in Florida.”
A nationally televised showdown in the inaugural game at Amway Center couldn’t be more appropriate for Wall, who has effortlessly embraced each increasingly quick step forward he’s taken since his basketball career went into hyperdrive after the Reebok Breakout Camp in 2007.
Getting a foe like the Magic in his first NBA game, however, is a fast-forward to the pinnacle of the sport — a glimpse of where the Wizards hope to be in the future. The league’s premier defensive player, Dwight Howard, will anxiously be waiting for Wall to venture into the lane.
“Wall is a special rookie,” Wizards forward Andray Blatche said. “He’s young, but he’s mature on the court. I feel he’s going to do a great job. I just want him to take his time and don’t get frustrated.”
Wall’s biggest adjustment may be that he’s no longer in a dormitory environment. He said he loved being around the Wizards constantly during training camp and that it helped foster team chemistry.
But he’s also drawn to the spotlight that comes with having the ball in his hands when it’s time to make plays.
“At Kentucky, I was the guy, so I want to be one of the guys,” Wall said. “Sometimes they’re going to deny me the ball so you gotta have somebody else to go to, but I want to be one of those top guys that want the ball at the end of the game.”
