The Key Ingredient: What Makes John Wall's Game So Impressive

It's almost impossible to read, watch, or talk about basketball and not hear John Wall mentioned.  He has captivated the country with his vast array of skills and endless amount of potential.  He has every offensive component that a player can have.  He can finish above the rim, shoot from the outside, and has great vision of the floor.  One aspect of his game that doesn't get talked about enough is his defense.  Like any rising prospect in any sport, the media wants someone to compare his game to.  I realize that it is a necessity to relate his game to someone else so we can understand it.  However, I don't think we can do him justice by comparing him to any other player because his game is so unique.

First, lets talk about some of the players he is compared to and the reasons why.  The Calipari connection is obvious with Tyreke Evans and Derrick Rose.  All three of them have a similar build and are over-sized point guards.  The Dwyane Wade comparison makes sense because of the similar build and all around game that they both posses.  The Rajon Rondo comparison also makes sense because of the Kentucky connection and their defensive abilities.  All of these comparisons are justified to a point.  However, I don't think any of these players posses the trait that makes John Wall's game so unique.

John Wall is the only player I have ever seen that dominates the transition game both on offense and defense.  His speed allows him to cover more ground than anyone else on the court during a possession.  His vision allows him to find teammates and weave through the defense effortlessly.  His ability to play the passing lanes allows him to cheat off his area and play help defense all over the court.  Although some of the players mentioned above can do some of these things on the court, they can only do it on one end of the floor.  Rose does not have the instincts on defense to play the passing lanes.  Wade does not have the speed to lead the break on offense.  Rondo does not have the ball handling skills to cut through the defense.  All of these skills in the transition game create the key ingredient that makes Wall's game so unique.  As the game of basketball continues to center around athleticism, John Wall's style of play could be what dominates it.