Why the Wizards should focus on building around Bradley Beal ahead of John Wall
If the Washington Wizards are smart, the DC based franchise would kick John Wall to the curb and build around Bradley Beal from this...
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The NBA changes so fast doesn't it? At the start of the 2016-2017 regular season, just two years ago, LeBron James and Kyrie Irving were still teammates in Cleveland, Jimmy Butler was a Bull, Carmelo Anthony was still king in New York, Isiah Thomas would emerge as an unlikely MVP candidate in Boston, and freaking Hassan Whiteside looked like a blossoming star.
Oh, and another thing, John Wall was seen by many as the best point guard in the league not named Stephen Curry. Sure there was a clear debate between him, Kyrie Irving, Damian Lillard, and Chris Paul—but there were arguments to be made for any of the four.
The massive contract extension Wall would receive that summer felt almost like a formality at the time. Did we really expect a player the caliber of John Wall to accept anything less? Well now, that contract appears to be among the worst in the NBA. Wall was the guy the Wizards were building their team around—now that player should be his running-mate Bradley Beal.
The Wizards have posted an uninspiring 34-39 regular season record when Wall has played the last two seasons. Without Wall, they have gone 27-26. Obviously that record isn't anything special, but typically your team should not improve when your “franchise player” isn't playing.
The last two seasons Bradley Beal has flat-out outplayed Wall. While prior to his season-ending heel surgery Wall was still putting up flashy numbers, Beal's performances are much more conducive to winning basketball. And now that Wall is out of the picture, Beal is torching opposing defenses.
Beal is averaging 30.2 points, 6.4 assists, 5.4 rebounds, and 2.4 steals in the eight games since Wall's injury. If the team can find a suitor for Wall this season—easier said than done—then it's time Washington moves on from the Kentucky product. Regardless, moving forward the focus should be finding pieces that maximize Beal's game, not Wall's.
John Wall has been a constant on and off the court problem the past couple of seasons. He is constantly feuding with teammates and has a very “let me get mine” type of play style. When the ball isn't in Wall's hands, he provides absolutely nothing to help his team win.
He is a poor shooter and he refuses to move without the ball. Wall is still loaded with natural talent and ability, but he has not shown in recent years that he can function productively in the confines of a modern offense.
He's becoming a bit reminiscent of Carmelo Anthony in this respect. He is not the negative presence on the court that Anthony is, but his ability drastically outweighs his actual value as Anthony's does.
Bradley Beal does not share this quality. He plays winning basketball and the numbers prove it. The Washington Wizards may not be able to unload Wall's contract at this point, but that does not mean they should remain committed to being Wall's team. Bradley Beal has earned the spotlight, let's see what he can do with it when given the reigns.