Tip-In Points Isolation: John Wall
I’ve said it before, I’m sure I’ll say it again: This offseason is impossible to predict. To wit: the No. 1 pick in this draft may or may not have to split his time with two other veteran point guards. By all accounts, the Wizards are now John Wall‘s team. But John Wall’s team has an impossible amount of guard talent on it. Everyone wants to discredit Gilbert Arenas, but Gil averaged 23 points and 7 assists last season before he came to work strapped. The general consensus about Hibachi is that he can’t be counted on. Yes, two seasons of injury and last season’s gun charge crippled his career, but his health wasn’t a problem last year and it just doesn’t make sense to assume his behavior will be a problem in 2011. It makes perfect sense, however, to assume that the 23/7 Gilbert Arenas is going to have to learn to play the two alongside Wall. And again, I just don’t know how that’s going to work. How and if.
Then there’s Kirk Hinrich, who started in 53 games last year and averaged 11 points and 5 assists. He’ll fill the gaps at PG, SG and even SF if necessary, but he’ll do it playing 20-25 minutes per game. Those minutes have to come from somewhere.
The (tip-in) point is, if the Wizards don’t rid themselves of this excess guardage, Wall is going to dull instead of sparkle. He’ll average 33 minutes instead of 36 and throw down a rookie season more akin to Deron Williams (29 min / 11 pts/ 5 ast) than Derrick Rose (37 mpg/ 17 pts / 6 ast).
The “ifs” here are larger than the crime rate in D.C. If the Wiz can ease Arenas on down the road to another team, Wall’s stock goes up. If Arenas can play beside Wall and vice-versa, both stocks go up. If Washington can win using the 6’3″ Hinrich as a backup SF as he was occasionally used on the Bulls, Wall’s stock goes up. As it stands now, I think John hits the wall at: 33 mpg / .454 / .777 / 0.8 3ptm / 14.9 pts / 4.3 rbd / 5.1 ast / 1.2 stl / 0.3 blk / 3.3 tov
__________________________
Photo courtesy of Yahoo! Sports via the AP
Leave a Reply
