John Wall Shows Kyrie Irving He's Top PG in East and Other Friday NBA Takeaways
In August, Team USA opted to take Kyrie Irving to the FIBA World Cup instead of John Wall. After the Washington Wizards' 91-78 win against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday night, it appears the Kentucky product may not have forgotten about it.
Wall tallied 28 points and seven assists against the Cavaliers, outperforming his point-guard counterpart in almost every statistical category. He tallied 17 of those points in the third quarter alone, carrying the Wizards as they maintained a lead that was 13 points at the half.
| Player | Minutes | Points | Assists | Rebounds | Steals | Field Goals | +/- |
| John Wall | 37 | 28 | 7 | 6 | 4 | 12-20 | +12 |
| Kyrie Irving | 41 | 22 | 2 | 6 | 1 | 7-16 | -7 |
Perhaps we should have expected as much from a floor general on a mission.
"You want to make every team you try out for," Wall told CSNWashington's Ben Standig in August after being snubbed by Team USA. "When you don't, it's more motivation for me...I guess I'm overlooked again. I guess have to prove myself one more time."
So far, he's doing just that and building upon his career-best 2013-14 campaign. Through 11 games, the 24-year-old is averaging 19.5 points, 9.1 assists, 4.3 rebounds and 2.5 steals per contest. His Wizards have the second-best record in the Eastern Conference at 8-3.
It's been a far cry from Irving's 5-6 start and the early questions plaguing Cleveland's star-studded experiment.
For the season, Irving has scored more prolifically and more efficiently than Wall, thanks in large part to his superior perimeter shooting. But with 4.4 more assists per game, there's little doubt Wall is the superior playmaker at the moment.
Comparisons between the two have become commonplace, a natural consequence of their statuses as two of the league's very best young point guards. Reviewing last season's performances, Bleacher Report's Dan Favale recently concluded that:
"Though the numbers, by all appearances, were close—nigh carbon copies—Wall became just the sixth player, aged 23 or younger, in NBA history to average at least 19.0 points, 4.0 rebounds, 8.5 assists and 1.5 steals per game, and did so for a top-seven defensive team. Irving, when healthy, was filling the box score for a bottom-15 defense and bottom-10 offense while rumors of discord persisted.
"
From that perspective, Friday's outcome may be a microcosm of the broader contrasts between these two. Irving may remain the better scorer, but Wall's the one doing just about everything else—like spearheading a defense that helped force 19 turnovers by the Cavaliers.
To be sure, under-25 bragging rights aren't entirely a two-man race. With 24-year-old Damian Lillard becoming a star for the Portland Trail Blazers and reigning Rookie of the Year Michael Carter-Williams potentially following suit, the position should be in pretty good hands for the foreseeable future.
And nowhere more so than in Washington, where Wall is under contract with the organization through at least the 2018-19 season, when he'll make $17,811,625 per a five-year extension signed in 2013.
The Cavaliers may well prove the better team in time, but that doesn't mean they have the better point guard. Wall is steadily putting that debate to rest.
Mavs' Offense On Record Pace
The Los Angeles Lakers' porous defense certainly did its part in an embarrassing 140-106 loss to the Dallas Mavericks—even if head coach Byron Scott was more interested in crediting the victors.
Whatever the culprit, Dallas scored more points than a collection of mere mortals should. Three players scored at least 20 points, and eight scored in double figures.
It's already the third time this season at least seven Mavericks have scored at least 10 points in a game.
Indeed, these kind of outbursts are becoming something of a trend for the Mavericks, who were scoring a league-leading 116.7 points per 100 possessions coming into Friday's contest—which would be an all-time record were it to remain unchanged. The 1986-87 Lakers averaged 115.6 points per 100 possessions, setting the current mark for offensive efficiency (h/t The Washington Post's Neil Greenberg).
Having added emergent small forward Chandler Parsons via restricted free agency this summer, the electric offense has come as no surprise—especially after it ranked third league-wide a season ago. Now the only question is whether this club can maintain its historic pace.
Dallas' eruption put a quick end to Los Angeles' two-game winning streak, dropping the Lakers to an early 3-10 record. Defensive efforts like this one raise questions about just how much that record will improve.
Excepting the unflappably competitive Kobe Bryant, Scott may have his locker room pegged. These Lakers don't yet seem sufficiently outraged by their collective futility.
Raptors Pile It On
Everything had been going so well for the Milwaukee Bucks.
Then the Toronto Raptors happened to them, and by a painful 41-point margin. Friday's 124-83 victory takes Toronto to a 10-2 record, good for best in the Eastern Conference. The Raptors did it in spite of a 1-for-8 shooting performance from star DeMar DeRozan.
One might have expected this kind of result a season ago, when Milwaukee's 15 wins were the league's fewest. But with a now 7-6 record this season, the Bucks appear to have turned a corner under new head coach Jason Kidd.
For the moment, however, this young team still has some work to do.
Magic Comeback Extends Hornets' Skid
The 6-and-8 Orlando Magic trailed by as many as 23 points in the second half (and by 15 entering the final frame) before finally securing a 105-100 victory over the Charlotte Hornets. Veteran Willie Green pushed Orlando up for good with a put-back in the final minute, scoring all nine of his points in a fourth quarter that saw the Magic outscore Charlotte by a 41-21 margin.
Friday's loss marked the Hornets' fourth in a row, dropping their record to 4-9. It's a disappointing start for a team that claimed a No. 8 seed last season, especially after this summer's addition of Lance Stephenson—who was just 5-for-15 from the field against Orlando.
If the playoffs began today, Orlando would own that No. 8 seed.
Sixers' Pain Knows No End
After tying an NBA record with 26 consecutive losses a season ago, one wonders just how long the Philadelphia 76ers' current streak could last. After a 122-96 thrashing at the hands of the now 8-5 Phoenix Suns, Philly collected its 12th loss of the young season.
We're still waiting on that first win.
Carter-Williams recently told reporters, "I think we'll get a win shortly."
Of what was then an 0-11 start, he added, "People will talk about it and give us crap for it, but it is what it is. We've got to stick together as a team."
If only sticking together could make a difference.
Love Learning to Share
We knew Kevin Love would make sacrifices with the Cavaliers. Now sharing the floor with Irving and four-time MVP LeBron James, his ordinarily gaudy numbers were bound to take a hit—just as they did on Friday, when he tallied eights points and eight rebounds.
"It marked the first time he had single figures in scoring and rebounding in a game in which he played at least 15 minutes since doing so Nov. 19, 2010 against the Lakers," according to ESPN Stats and Information.
And it almost certainly won't be the last time the 26-year-old finds himself playing a more complementary role this season.
Injuries Piling Up for Bulls
The Chicago Bulls entered their 105-87 loss to the Portland Trail Blazers already missing Derrick Rose, Pau Gasol and Kirk Hinrich due to injuries. Things managed to get even worse before Friday's action was all said and done.
With six minutes and four seconds remaining in the third quarter, power forward Taj Gibson sprained his left ankle after an awkward landing on Wesley Matthews' foot.
He reportedly had to use crutches after he was taken to the locker room. Though Chicago has managed to maintain an 8-5 record with the injuries (which have caused Rose alone to miss eight games), this is getting a little ridiculous. Health will be essential for this team to grow into its championship potential.
Warriors Still Getting Better
Though it's hard to find fault with a 9-2 record and the league's third-best point differential (+10.5), the Golden State Warriors somehow lead the league with 19.3 turnovers per contest.
That may be changing, though. Head coach Steve Kerr's team only gave the ball away 13 times in Friday's 101-88 win against the Utah Jazz. Stephen Curry and Co. racked up 28 assists, including this beauty to center Andrew Bogut.
Through the club's last four games, it's only averaging 13.3 turnovers—a marked improvement. The Warriors have won each of those four games, each by no fewer than eight points.
Quote of the Night
Though most anticipated some growing pains from the new-look Cavaliers, few would have predicted a 5-6 start to the season. Head coach David Blatt is looking for answers just like everyone else.
Playing in the dark. Between this team's nascent chemistry and its young players' obvious learning curve, Blatt has a point. We'll soon find out if he also has some solutions.
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