Ricky Rubio's Heroics Put John Wall's Failures Into Perspective

We are witnessing the two polar opposite sides of point guard progression in the NBA.

Minnesota Timberwolves rookie sensation Ricky Rubio has been one of the stories of the league early in the season. Washington Wizards second-year franchise point guard John Wall is enduring a sophomore slump that is turning into a sophomore catastrophe.

How is this possible? Wall is the one with a full year of NBA experience under his belt.  Both players are 21. Both are quick, pass-first players who are incredible dribblers.

So what’s the deal with Wall? Wizards coach Flip Sanders blames too many summer league games.

I don’t buy it. I think it’s a lack of maturity and a lack of a veteran leadership to show him the right way to be a pro. Gilbert Arenas, one of the biggest goofballs in the league, was the first “mentor” for Wall. This comes after becoming very close with DeMarcus Cousins, aka the biggest headcase in the NBA.

He watches teammates like Nick Young focus solely on scoring, he watches vets like Rashard Lewis get in shouting matches with assistant coaches. The current situation in Washington is toxic for an up-and-coming star who needs guidance.

His environment is a big part of the blame…but not all of it.

His shooting percentage (.341) is down a full seven points from last year, and his assists are down to seven per game. A guy with the talent of Wall should not be turning the ball over almost four times per game. He is barreling to the basket wildly and looking to get bailed out by the refs. Wall isn't reading defenses the way he should be after almost 100 games in the league.

He has absolutely no range to speak of, either. Wall has connected on a grand total of zero three-pointers this season. Defenses are sagging off him and are forcing him to barrel down the lane uncontrollably.

Rubio doesn’t have the greatest range, either, but his ability to control and contort his body keeps defenses honest. Hitting jump shots at a 46 percent shooting clip helps as well. Despite playing almost 10 minutes less per game, Rubio is averaging a full assist more than Wall and one less turnover.

Rubio’s passing ability hasn’t been seen since the heyday of the Steve Nash era in Phoenix. There’s no question that the Spaniard is wise beyond his years as well. He has been playing professionally since he was 17 and the culture shock hasn’t seemed to faze him one bit.

It’s way too early to give up on Wall, though, Rubio is running laps around him thus far in the young season.

Wall has the blazing fast foot speed and the work ethic to right the ship. But the more you watch him and his 1-8 mates sludge up and down the floor, you wonder if he’ll ever take on more of a leadership role. You wonder if the history of his teammates has clouded his mind about what being vocal really means.

Regardless, I doubt anybody thought we’d be talking about these players in this light. Right now, Rubio is on his way to stardom and Wall is on his way to mediocrity.

It’s all up to Wall to alter the course he’s currently on.