NBA Award Watch: Six Reasons John Wall Can Still Win Rookie of the Year
For right now, the NBA has a consensus that Blake Griffin will win the Rookie of the Year award over John Wall by a landslide.
There is an argument that Blake Griffin is on a terrible team, but right now, the Washington Wizards aren't much better.
John Wall has missed nine games due to a foot injury and soreness in his knee due to tendonitis. Since then, Blake Griffin has taken the NBA by storm with highlight dunks on every given night and putting a statement in people's mouths that say something like,"this guy will be a top five PF in the next two years."
With all the injury talk about John Wall, people tend to forget the skills that he possesses; but who could blame them?
America hasn't even seen the phenomenal PG on the hardwood since the beginning of December when he played a sub-par game against the New York Knicks and finished with eight points, six assists, and five rebounds.
It's also kind of funny that most people forget about John Wall getting that triple-double this year.
He Dominates the Ball
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Usually in basketball, if someone wants to make something happen, they have to have the ball in their hands. As a PG, John Wall has the ball in his hands way more than Blake Griffin does on a nightly basis, which allows him to sometimes create for himself on the perimeter or pad the stats by passing the ball to a shooter rolling off the screens.
On the other hand, Blake Griffin has to post up due to his lack of go to moves in the face-up game and waits for PG Baron Davis to pass him the ball on the block. One of the things that many Clipper fans talk about is the fact that Blake Griffin never gets to have the rock in his hands like he should.
Once Wall comes back and gets through about a dozen more games, then he should have his shooting touch on point, which is sometimes inconsistent. Getting rid of Gilbert Arenas also helps the Washington Wizards with who has the ball in their hands. When Wall and Arenas were out on the court at the same time, Arenas would dominate the ball more and being a PG, which normally isn't his role on the team.
This takes away more time that Wall can have the ball in his hands instead of Gilbert Arenas running an isolation or trying to make a fancy pass out of nothing that turns into a turnover.
Wall has more opportunities to make plays rather than Blake Griffin, which could later on give him an advantage.
The Eastern Conference
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The Eastern Conference is by far the weakest conference in the NBA; although to some it is the most exciting with all the blockbuster trades and signings that happened from over the summer to now.
Being that the majority of the Washington Wizards schedule is on the east coast, it can give them an advantage over the Clippers, who are in the Western Conference.
The total outcome of the team's success could determine whether or not Wall wins the Rookie of the Year trophy, in case of it being a tight race like it was in the beginning of the year. The Clippers may struggle, as there are plenty of good PFs Blake Griffin can match up with in the Western Conference—being that Griffin is really the centerpiece of their offense.
Rashard Lewis
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The Wizards seem like they are taking the Chicago Bulls' road to building a franchise: Around a PG that is athletic and can dish out good passes. By signing Rashard Lewis from the Orlando Magic, they get a deadly three point shooter.
Although some may argue that Gilbert Arenas is still better than Lewis; he is a better fit for the type of team that the Wizards are and a better leader that seems to have the right train of thought and the right idea of the type of veteran he needs to be on the team.
"Going from a team that is competing for a championship to a team that's rebuilding, the goals obviously change for me," Lewis said. "I thought about that ever since the trade happened. Now, my ultimate goal is to get this team into the playoffs or into the hunt to make the playoffs and help these guys grow [by] being a veteran in the locker room, not by voice but most definitely by example."
Be sure to look out for a lot of driving to the rim and dishing the rock to Rashard Lewis by John Wall, as he will not only have an effect on the team's success but also John Wall's stats book.
Wizards Now Fit John Wall's Style of Play
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John Wall and Gilbert Arenas both had two different playing styles on the court even though at times they did good together. Wall is more of a "rebound and go" fastbreak type of player, while Arenas is more of a halfcourt type of player.
So at times, when Arenas would take the ball up the court, he is looking to slow down the offense rather than Wall's preferred style of running up the court and looking for an easy bucket or assist. Slowing down may sometimes be the most effective and smart choice when bringing the ball up, but when you have John Wall on the court with you, I don't see the reason to hold up.
Now, without Arenas' interruptions in bringing the ball up the court, Wall can play his own game how he wants, being that he now officially has the keys to the franchise.
Rising Young Players
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Many young players have risen amid the expectations, the one that is the most notable on a nightly basis is SG Nick Young. For the month of December, Young has been averaging 19.2 ppg in the month of December and scored season highs against both the LA Lakers and Miami Heat, scoring 30 points on both squads in close match ups for both.
Nick Young has proven to be an effective shooter, spotting up and coming off of screens which is the type of players the Wizards need to revolve around John Wall in order to become successful. Young should be contending for the NBA's Most Improved Player this year, and I wouldn't count him out for winning it, seeing the way he has been playing lately.
JaVale McGee has also stepped up this year on the offensive and defensive parts of his game; his basketball IQ still isn't as bright as most centers in the league, but it can be improved.
Veterans that Have Been Through the War
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The Wizards have an amazing veteran presence this year by acquiring Kirk Hinrich, re-signing Josh Howard, and trading for Rashard Lewis. Those veterans have played a combined 160 playoff games throughout their careers.
Experience and knowledge of what lies in the road ahead on the season can help the Wizards because of the fact that they have four rookies on their team who know little about playing a 82 game season.
After trading Gilbert Arenas, they now have ideal veterans to show them the way by example, which was something that might have been hard for Arenas.
The Clippers have veterans also, but they don't have the type of playoff experience as the veterans on the Wizards.
