John Wall had no issue calling out the real issues for this Washington Wizards team after falling 4-2 in the first round to the top-seeded Toronto Raptors.
“It’s just figuring out what pieces we can add to our team,” Wall said, according to Candace Buckner of The Washington Post. “What guys can stay and what guys can go. That make us, that really want to be here. That really want to win and really want to take that next step.”
Wall went even further, noting he's the franchise player and that the responsibility falls ultimately on him, despite being the most consistent player on the floor, averaging 26 points, 11.5 assists, 5.7 rebounds, 2.3 steals, and 1.3 blocks per game in a jack-of-all-trades performance through the series.
“I don’t put the pressure on everybody else. I put the pressure on myself because I am that franchise guy,” said Wall. “I am the guy that has to be the leader of the team, that has to get everybody better, make everybody better on my team.”
“At the same time, if I’m doing my part, the other 14 guys on my team have to do their part at getting better every year. Just being true to the team. Our problem at a lot times is guys don’t understand their role and respect their role.”
Pressed for more insight, Wall obliged — noting the areas of scarcity that he hopes would be addressed in the offseason.
“It’s pretty obvious. I don’t need to point it out,” Wall led. “I think the way the league is going, you need athletic bigs, you need scoring off the bench, you need all of those types of things. We don’t really have an athletic big.”
Wall has had up-and-downs with center Marcin Gortat throughout the season, and he is an easy target this time around, posting only 8.4 points and 7.6 rebounds per game during the regular season as an aging 34-year-old and only 6.4 points and 6.1 rebounds in the postseason.
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