In regards to his offensive game, scoring is probably John Wall‘s second best attribute, behind his flashy passing ability. Seriously, at his best, Wall can be, well, an absolute wizard with the ball in his hands:
While it’s easy to get caught up in Wall’s dizzying distributive skills, he’s no slouch when it comes to putting the ball through the net either.
The former No. 1 overall pick didn’t come into the league with a refined jump shot. However, the former Kentucky Wildcat used his blinding speed and creativity off the dribble to mask some of his shooting shortcomings, ultimately averaging 16.4 points per game with a .409/.296/.766 shooting line.
Wall would struggle with his outside shot for a couple more seasons — particularly the lockout-shortened 2011-12 campaign, where he shot a ghastly 3-for-42 from 3-point range — but he eventually developed a credible long-range game to complement his athletic gifts and prodigious passing.
Wall’s newfound competence for downtown naturally helped his scoring averages, as his points per game numbers haven’t dipped below 17.6 since his second year in the league.
Overall, Wall has averaged 18.9 points per game through parts of nine seasons with the Wizards. His consistent production has also catapulted him to fourth on the franchise’s all-time points list.
The Wall era of Wizards basketball will ultimately be a complicated one to dissect. While the team has had an abundance of instability and infighting over the last few years, Wall’s Wizards helped a lot of D.C. fans forget about the JaVale McGee/Jordan Crawford/Nick Young era that produced more hijinks than highlights.
Overall, the good outweighed the bad.