Washington Wizards’ All-Star, John Wall, made an appearance on ESPN’s Top-100 Players of 2019. Unfortunately, his rank took a tremendous tumble from the previous year.
It’s no secret that the Washington Wizards was one of the most disappointing teams of the 2018 season, and their lack of success was mainly due to the absence of John Wall.
Coming off a career-year that made him a strong candidate for league MVP honors, Wall saw a decline in his production as he missed 41 games due to injuries, and watched as his reputation took a hit caused by the drama that was created between him and his teammates.
Following the failures of last year, it comes to no surprise that Wall’s status amongst his peers took a bit of a hit heading into the 2019 season. However, the depreciation Wall has experienced this summer has been disrespectful to the Wizards’ all-star guard.
On Tuesday, ESPN.com released the first half of their annual preseason rankings of the Top-100 Players heading into the 2019 season, and ranked Wall as the 32nd-best player in the league.
"So why does this season feel crucial for John Wall? That happens when you get bounced in the first round of the playoffs; have a dip from the previous season in scoring, assists and shooting percentage in an injury-plagued campaign; and at season’s end urge management to weed out malcontents. Management obliged Wall, making a few lineup tweaks. Now it’s vital that Wall demonstrates leadership, because improving in that area will carry more weight in making the Wizards a serious contender than his return to being a high-volume scorer."
Despite being one of the most elite two-way guards in the league today, it’s insane how much of a tumble Wall’s value dropped this summer. This time last year, Wall was ranked as the 15th best player in the game, and easily named as a top-five point guard heading into last season.
However, much like his evaluation from Sports Illustrated a week ago, it’s unfair to penalize Wall due to his health issues and lack of success in the playoffs. Yet, at the same time, award other players who have accomplished far less.
No disrespect to ESPN’s pick at number 31, but if playoff success and health played a factor in a player’s rank than Phoenix Suns guard, Devin Booker, should not be named ahead of Wall. Other than scoring 70 points against the Boston Celtics in 2017, Brooker has not done anything to be ranked ahead of Wall at this stage of his career.
With the next group of players set to be named Wednesday morning, Wizards fans should expect to see their star shooting guard, Bradley Beal, among ESPN’s top 25 players.