Washington Wizards Forego Draft Smokescreen, Do Not Workout Evan Turner
In stark contrast to the excitement of winning the first overall pick in the upcoming 2010 NBA Draft, the Washington Wizards opt out of any pre-draft hype by not working out Ohio State star Evan Turner.
This move essentially guarantees that the team will select Kentucky freshman John Wall come June 24.
It may put a damper on speculation, but making their intentions clear is the Wizards' first step toward a concrete plan for the future.
Thank you Ted Leonsis.
The Wizards worked Wall out along with six other prospect who amount to late first round and early second-round talent. While the workout only lasted 30 minutes, it doesn't take a genius to see that the collection of players alongside Wall were fodder for his array of skills.
It is about time to mark it down, so what better time than now?
The Washington Wizards will select John Wall with the first overall pick.
Wall's workout comes on the heels of news that no workout had been or would be scheduled for Turner, who is widely believed to be the best player after Wall in the draft.
During his solo workout with current Wizards assistant coach, and former NBA point guard Sam Cassell, Wall worked his crossover and used provided screens to get an open look for the pull-up jumper.
In front of a good-sized crowd that included current Wizard Andray Blatche, GM Ernie Grunfeld, and countless media members, Wall battled a stiff back to show good quickness, explosiveness, and a work-in-progress mid-range game.
Head coach Flip Saunders had Wall taking shots off the dribble from just about everywhere on the floor, emphasizing that Wall "get somewhere" with the ball.
Wall displayed all the skills he is known for in the controlled environment, and even battled his back pain with a couple of nice dunks, going off of one foot and two feet in the process.
While the showcasing of his talents was short, Wall showed enough of what made him the player he was at Kentucky. For a short time, it was almost a compelling storyline to think that Turner, who was voted Naismith College Player of the Year and won numerous other POY awards, could have been the first overall pick.
I, for one, find the transparency to be a good thing for Washington, who has kept its plans for Gilbert Arenas and their handful of outstanding contracts under wraps.
It is still about a week away from being official, and barring some monumental surprise, I welcome John Wall to the Washington Wizards and hope he brings the franchise back from the edge of Clipperdom.
—Among the other players the Wizards worked out alongside Wall were: Darington Hobson, G/F, from New Mexico State, Terrico White, G, from Mississippi, Dexter Pittman,C, from Texas, Andy Rautins, SG, from Syracuse, Chas McFarland, C, from Wake Forest, and Kevin Palmer, G/F, from Texas A&M-CC .
