John Wall almost joined a very exclusive club Wednesday night in the Wizards' close win against the Magic. He finished with 22 points, seven rebounds, six assists, three steals and a whopping five blocks, coming extremely close to the rare 5-by-5 game. Instead, he had to settle for leading Washington in three-pointers, assists, steals and blocks while ranking second in points and third in rebounds.
John Wall in the Wizards’ new up-tempo system is a sight to behold
The Wizards’ guard not only stuffs the stat sheet, he also comes up big when his team needs it most.
Yet the numbers, as gaudy as they are, don’t accurately represent how important he was for the Wizards, especially in crunch time. He carried his team in the fourth quarter, scoring 12 of Washington’s 23 points on 5-for-7 shooting. Whenever it looked like the Magic would pull away, Wall did something -- a bucket, a block, a steal -- to change the momentum and keep his team in it.
Then with 15 seconds to go in the game and Washington down one, he used a Marcin Gortat screen and abused Nikola Vucevic for what became the game-winner after a weird ending sequence.
This is the type of all-around impact Wall can have in the Wizards’ new fast-paced offense. Even against a Magic team hellbent on making the game ugly, Wall’s talent powered Washington’s attack and his athleticism and anticipation gave them the boost they needed on defense to offset their lack of height when they go small or with just one rim protector.
Wall thrived even when the system and the personnel around him were not well suited for his skill set. Now that coach Randy Wittman seems determined to surround him with more shooting and unleash him on the break, he should reach another level as a player and carry the Wizards with him.
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