Washington Wizards’ Former Head Coach Randy Wittman Thinks John Wall Is Best Point Guard In NBA
By Ben Mehic
Washington Wizards star John Wall has turned heads this season, including Randy Wittman’s, who coached Wall for most of his career.
Averaging a career-high 23 points and 11 assists per game, it’s taken John Wall seven seasons to finally realize his potential for the Washington Wizards.
The four-time All-Star point guard has been the team’s best player since arriving to the nation’s capital as the first overall pick in the 2010 NBA Draft, but something was always missing.
Whenever it seemed like Wall was on the cusp of entering the top tier of point guards, which features Chris Paul, Stephen Curry and Russell Westbrook, a setback would occur.
After undergoing double-knee surgery in the off-season, Wall has played with an energy that can only be compared to his rookie season. He’s been explosive on both ends of the floor and his teammates, including Bradley Beal and Otto Porter, have elevated their respective games as a result.
From the start, Wall has been coached by former players – from the late, great Flip Saunders to Randy Wittman, who the Washington Wizards fired last season after missing the NBA Playoffs.
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His development could be linked to the close relationships he had with all of his former coaches, including former NBA point guard Sam Cassell, who was an assistant under Wittman for years.
Washington hoped that Wall would blossom into a legitimate franchise player, and despite leading the Wizards to two consecutive appearances in the Semifinals, he always lacked an extra gear.
This year, he’s found that missing gear.
The surgery and coaching change are primarily the reasons Wall’s increased his production.
In the past, Wall was told to take what the defense gives him, forcing him to settle for outside shots instead of utilizing his unmatched quickness in getting to the basket.
His scoring was also undermined by the team’s reliance on his passing. Often times, Wall relied on his teammates for scoring, allowing mismatches to go unnnoticed.
Brooks, partially because of the team’s lack of depth, is getting the most out of Wall’s scoring ability.
Wall is getting to the free throw line 6.3 times per game – a career high and close to 2 more times than last season. Brooks has emphasized a need for scoring and Wall has settled less for outside shots.
It’s not a coincidence that Wall has become an All-NBA quality player after the coaching change.
Ironically, his former coach, Wittman, thinks Wall has made the leap too.
"“John is, I think he’s the best point guard in the league right now with the way he’s playing, and that’s just not his numbers,” Wittman said. “He’s seeing things on the floor that nobody else can see, and you can’t teach it.” – via CSN Mid-Atlantic"
The roster, for the most part, is the same as when Wittman last coached the team. All five starters have returned, but they’ve also experienced career seasons. Porter is leading the NBA in 3-point percentage, Beal has become an elite scorer and the front court, Markieff Morris and Marcin Gortat, has meshed well.
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Wittman, who’s likely in a log cabin mysteriously watching NBA League Pass, has noticed the team’s improvement – none of which would’ve occurred if Wall didn’t reach his potential this season.