John Wall needs to heed own advice when he returns for Washington Wizards

John Wall once had strong words for his Washington Wizards teammates. When he returns to the court, he should keep that message in mind.

Three years ago, the Washington Wizards were in a heated playoff battle versus the Boston Celtics. The winner would move onto the Eastern Conference Finals. Unfortunately, the Wizards dropped game seven, but the future was full of nothing but promise for the darlings of D.C., led by the young and exciting backcourt pair of John Wall and Bradley Beal.

A year later, the Wizards were unable to match the previous season’s success, were dismantled by the Toronto Raptors in the first round, and their All-Star point guard had a reason why.

After the season ended in 2018, Wall had this to say about the team’s struggles. “Our problem at a lot of times is guys don’t understand their role and respect their role,” Wall told the Washington Post after the disappointing end to their season.

Two seasons removed from that quote, the Wizards have been far from the heights they reached during that Boston series in 2017. They haven’t even sniffed a first-round exit like the one that had Wall so vocally critical. And Wall’s absence has had a lot to do with it.

The former All-Star has not played NBA minutes since December 2018 and has played in just 73 of Washington’s last 228 regular-season games. Whenever he does make his eventual return to the court, it will be smart for him to heed his own advice from 2018. ‘Know your role.’

Coming Back With Confidence

John Wall is currently 29 years old, and given the current COVID-19 pandemic that has thrown everything, including the NBA, into disarray, it is safe to say he won’t play again until after his 30th birthday. Pregame dunks and practice session highlights are encouraging, but it’s still not clear the type of player Wall will be when he returns.

When he left, he was one of the NBA’s most exciting players and among the league’s top point guards. The last time he played a full season, Wall averaged 23 points and 11 assists. And he was in the midst of a 21-point, nine-assist season when he went down in December of 2018.

If you’re to believe the man himself, Wall will come back even better in 2020, or whenever we see basketball again. During a recent appearance on the “All The Smoke” podcast, Wall assured hosts Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson that the best is yet to come.

“I’m going to be better than what I was before — that’s the scary part of it…They didn’t get the best of John Wall yet. They just got a clip of it.”

Always supremely confident, maybe we should take Wall’s comments with a grain of salt. Coming back from an Achilles injury and extended absence from the game is never easy. But Wizards fans around the District should still be thrilled with Wall’s claims.

New NBA…Who This?

Whether Wall does come back as a better version of himself, a former All-NBA point guard, then my god, we are in for a treat. Cancel all your plans during the 2020-21 season because an improved Wall next to this evolved Bradley Beal will be must-see, can’t-miss, put-the-kids-to-bed TV each and every night.

However, that type of a return is far from guaranteed. First of all, Wall will have rust from simply sitting out for over a full calendar year. Plus, returning from an Achilles injury is no small feat. It has killed many (promising) careers.

But beyond just rust and health, Wall will be returning to an NBA that is much different now than it was during the 2016-17 season, the last time he played a full campaign. That season, per Basketball-Reference, only six teams in the NBA averaged more than 30 three-point attempts per contest. This season, 26 of the 30 NBA teams were shooting 30 or more threes each game. That same season, only three teams in the league were averaging at least 100 possessions per game. This season, half the league averaged 100 possessions or more per 48 minutes.

All these factors — a long injury rehab, the wrong side of 30, and a new style of play — could result in a lesser version of John Wall than the one we are used to, not a better version. It’s a very real possibility, and if Wall can’t come back as a one-man fastbreak wrecking ball, then he better follow his own advice and understand his role.

Changing of the Guard

In the roughly 18 months since Wall last played, Bradley Beal has evolved into one of the game’s elite scorers. He’s become the face of a franchise that was once indisputably John Wall’s.

Wall has never been anything but the number one option his entire time in the NBA. That might very well change when he returns, especially if he no longer possesses the explosive burst that once made him such a nightmare for defenders.

If Wall’s speed is diminished and his shooting is unimproved, he’ll be far less dangerous. Before the injury, Wall was never an excellent outside shooter. He’ just 32.4 percent from behind the arc for his career and has never averaged even two made three-pointers per game. Bad news in a league that values the three-ball more than ever.

But he can still lift this squad back to contention even if he isn’t attacking rims like he used to.

Help Is Finally Here

While Wall’s injury could affect his speed, it shouldn’t affect his vision, which has always been top tier. In a re-tooled Wizards offense, John Wall may have to ditch the bucket-getting and become more of a facilitator.

That shouldn’t be a problem for the franchise’s all-time assist leader. Lucky for him, he should have one of the better supporting casts he’s ever had.

Guys like Davis Bertans (if the Wizards can retain him) and Rui Hachimura, who had good first years in D.C., should only excel further once put in an offense with Wall instead of Isaiah Thomas, Ish Smith, and Shabazz Napier. Having Wall in the backcourt should also lighten Beal’s herculean load. Maybe now he’ll have some energy and try on defense. One can hope.

Wall’s return can’t come soon enough, and no matter what version comes back, I’ll be more than happy to welcome back our point god with open arms. Realistically, though, Wall will have to adjust his game for his second act. If he can understand and accept that things have changed, both with him and with the makeup of the team, the better this will all go.