Point guard still trying to work his way back
He got burned with an 8-second violation, and later he got his pocket picked when he did get the ball over half court. He got a touch foul on defense but no 3-point play opportunity when he smoked the opposition, drew contact and got to the rim himself.
Wizards practice wasn’t easy for John Wall on Tuesday. Then again, Wall’s first NBA season hasn’t been either, and unlike his only year at Kentucky, after 32 games Washington still has another 50 to play — not a mere six.
“He’s like a rookie in his first month of the season because he got hurt, and then he’s coming back practicing,” Wizards coach Flip Saunders said. “Now what happens is that teams have seen him so they adjust. They’re being aggressive with him. He’s getting somewhat frustrated at times with that aggression. But he’s a competitor. He’ll keep on going and go through the learning process.”
The Wizards (8-24) have beaten Philadelphia twice, but both wins came in overtime at home. Despite a combined 54 points and 19 assists in those contests, Wall knows the Sixers (13-21) — including Evan Turner, who was picked second in last June’s draft right behind Wall — will be more determined than ever to stop him.
| Up next |
| Wizards at 76ers |
| Where » Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia |
| When » Wednesday, 7 p.m. |
| TV » Comcast SportsNet |
“It’s going to be a learning experience to see what I can do when I play a team two or three times,” said Wall, who maintains he isn’t bothered by the physical approach that defenders have taken.
Wizards forward Josh Howard, in his eighth year, realized in his second season that he’d become a different type of player when teams change how they defended him.
“They’re already playing John differently,” Howard said, “and coming into this league as a point guard, that’s a whole other situation. You have to run a team and take care of yourself out there on the court.”
Despite starting the year 0-16 on the road (the last remaining NBA team without at least two wins away from home), Saunders — who had all 15 players on his roster healthy and practicing Tuesday for the first time this season — is encouraged by his team’s recent strides.
“I feel good where we’re at,” Saunders said. “I think we’re excited going in to play them because we know it’s going to be a good challenge, but I think we’re better than we were two weeks ago. We’re better than we were prior to making the trade as a team, and I think that we’re much better defensively.”
