Wiz of Awes
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Washington Wizards Should Improve Their Roster or Trade John Wall

By Ben Mehic

Nov 11, 2016; Washington, DC, USA; Washington Wizards guard John Wall (2) pushes the basket pads prior to the Wizards
Nov 11, 2016; Washington, DC, USA; Washington Wizards guard John Wall (2) pushes the basket pads prior to the Wizards /
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Washington Wizards star John Wall is in his seventh season and the organization hasn’t done much to propel his status among the league’s elite.

On June 24, 2010, John Wall put on a blue Washington Wizards hat, hugged his mom, Frances Pulley, and walked across the NBA Draft stage to officially begin his career as a pro.

The first overall pick out the University of Kentucky was a symbol of hope for a franchise that had underwent a complete overhaul following the breakup of their three All-Stars – Gilbert Arenas, Caron Butler and Antawn Jamison.

Billed as “the next Derrick Rose,” the 19-year-old Wall represented potential in the form of athleticism, quickness and raw talent that the league hadn’t seen in decades.

Washington desperately sought a reason to remain optimistic and Wall was supposed to be the start of a fresh, dynamic foundation.

In his rookie year, Wall shared the court with JaVale McGee, Andray Blatche, Nick Young and Jordan Crawford – four players who were consistently featured on Shaqtin’ a Fool, but failed to produce to their full capacity.

Ernie Grunfeld led the rebuilding process and hoped that the aforementioned players would develop alongside the franchise’s cornerstone.

None of the players panned out – partially due to lack of proper player development – and Grunfeld abandoned the youth movement, opting to trade McGee and Young for Denver Nuggets big man, Nene.

Slowly, the Wizards began surrounding Wall with proven, battle-tested veterans.

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Grunfeld decided not to take part in free agency in 2012 and acquired Trevor Ariza and Emeka Okafor from the then-Charlotte Hornets, using up all of the team’s cap space.

Injuries plagued Wall in 2012 as he missed 33 games with a knee issue.

Still, the team finished the second half of the season with a near .500 record and gained legitimate momentum heading into the 2013-14 campaign.

That season, Wall made his first All-Star appearance and led his team to the NBA Playoffs for the first time in a half-decade.

Bradley Beal showed flashes of stardom in the postseason and Randy Wittman upped his coaching when it mattered most.

The Wizards seemed to have finally turned the corner; they beat the Chicago Bulls in the first round of the NBA Playoffs and pushed the first seeded Indiana Pacers to six games in the semifinals.

In the following season, Wall gained a sense of confidence next to future Hall-of-Famer Paul Pierce and led the team to the postseason for the second straight year.

Washington swept the Toronto Raptors in the first round before losing to the Atlanta Hawks in the second round.

Wall broke his hand in the semifinals, but played through the injury. If he stayed healthy, Washington would’ve had a real chance to make it to the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since 1978.

Then, things came crashing down.

Grunfeld, capped out, didn’t have the resources to improve the roster in summer ’15. With Pierce gone to the Los Angeles Clippers, Grunfeld and the rest of the team’s brass hoped that Wall and Beal would step up as leaders.

Washington acquired Jared Dudley, Gary Neal and Alan Anderson – none of whom moved the needle.

The broken-down veterans were unable to play the fast-paced style of ball that Washington succeeded with in the postseason and eventually collapsed.

Washington finished this past season 10th in the conference, missing the playoffs and wasting the first 20 and 10 season of Wall’s career.

This season was supposed to be different.

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Grunfeld fired Wittman and replaced him with Scott Brooks, who was one of the most highly pursued coaches on the market.

He had the cap space to improve the roster, and despite failing to land Kevin Durant, Al Horford or Ryan Anderson, Grunfeld appeared to have done enough to regain the Wizards’ defensive identity.

Washington signed Ian Mahinmi, a top-10 defender, to a multi-year deal and replaced the veterans with youth.

Brooks, a known player developer, was supposed to help Wall, Beal, Otto Porter and the rest of the players take their respective games to the next level.

We’re 10 games into the season and the Washington Wizards have won just two contests.

Beal, who became the team’s highest paid player this past summer after signing a $128 million extension, has missed three straight games with a hamstring injury. He’s shooting a career-low 37 percent from the field and 29 percent from three.

The players that were supposed to carry the second unit, like Trey Burke, Jason Smith, Marcus Thornton, Kelly Oubre and Andrew Nicholson have been virtually unplayable.

The other late-season additions – Sheldon McClellan, Danuel House and Daniel Ochefu – likely wouldn’t have an opportunity to play anywhere else in the league.

On paper, the Wizards might’ve gotten better, but it hasn’t resulted into wins. Washington hasn’t regained their defensive identity. In fact, their defense hasn’t been this bad in years.

On Wednesday, Washington lost to the Philadelphia 76ers, giving up 109 points. Joel Embiid didn’t even play, yet the Wizards couldn’t get a stop.

The Wizards have hit rock bottom and the season is flying.

Washington doesn’t have Durant, Stephen Curry or Klay Thompson. They don’t have the ability nor talent to flip the switch and expect things to get better overnight.

The only way things will “get better” is if they make serious changes to the roster.

What the Wizards currently have is not working.

Beal, in his fifth season, has shown no improvement to his game and has regressed significantly. The other players, to put it bluntly, aren’t even worth mentioning. Washington looked out-talented by the Sixers. If that’s not an indictment, then I don’t know what is.

Wall is in his seventh season and he underwent double-knee surgery this past summer. He’s averaging 23 points and 8 assists on a career-high 46 percent shooting from the field.

He’s done everything that’s necessary to improve, both on and off the field. Even though he’s never played with another All-Star, Wall has constantly praised his coaches, teammates and front office.

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So although he’ll probably never openly voice his displeasure, the organization has failed to take advantage of Wall’s talent.

The optimism that surrounded the team when Wall first got drafted is gone.

The drafting of Jan Vesely over Kawhi Leonard and Klay Thompson, the failure to acquire another star in free agency and the lack of player development has stained Wall’s career.

Wall is no longer 19-years-old. At 26, he’s in the prime of his career.

At some point, the Wizards will have to start surrounding their franchise player with legitimate talent or free him from basketball purgatory.

In seven years, Wall has played with teammates – through no fault of their own – that have been completely dependent on his talent.

He steps onto the floor every night, looks around and sees no one in a red-white-blue uniform who can succeed without him on the court.

If that mean Washington has to part ways with the players who make up their current core – meaning, Beal and Porter – then so be it. After all, the exact definition of insanity is doing the same thing over but expecting a different result.

Washington has gone down this path before. It’s not leading anywhere, so why continue?

Next: Wizards Held Back By Two Major Flaws

If Washington cannot make a move for another star – perhaps reuniting Wall with DeMarcus Cousins will become an option – then they owe it to their franchise player to give him an opportunity to win elsewhere (a place where he’ll be more appreciated).

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