Washington Wizards' head coach Scott Brooks is no stranger to talent.
As a player, he was once teammates with Hakeem Olajuwon, Clyde Drexler, and Patrick Ewing; as a coach, he helped develop current superstars Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, and James Harden.
Between those six guys are countless combined accolades — championships, MVPs, All-Star appearances, All-NBA team nods, etc.
Still, Scott Brooks reserved some high praise for John Wall. Brooks lauded the All-Star point guard's defense in an interview this week. Here's what he shared with The Washington Post:
“It’s nothing I’ve seen before. Nothing I probably will see for a long time. I don’t know how to explain it,”
“He has great instincts and he obviously has the physical abilities to get from Point A to Point B and get in the air. He has great timing. Some of those shots that he blocks, they’re momentum-changers. They’re energy boosters for us.”
It may sound like he's just igniting hype for his new main guy — as most coaches do — but by looking at the numbers, Brooks seems to be right on the money. John Wall has improved his rim protection, and the Wizards' overall defense seems to be following along nicely.
Through tallying two or more blocks in eight of his 27 games on the season — and at least one swat in all but nine of those outings — John Wall is averaging a career-high in blocks (1.2 per game) on the year. With that, the Wizards have also jumped into eighth place in defensive rating, 12 spots higher than where they were at the end of last season.
Defense is always a key, so it's a big bonus that the Wizards' offense is also clicking. They are pouring in 116 points per game in their last six, and have gone 5-1 in that span. They'll be in a good position to continue the run, as they will be playing at home in six of their next seven games.
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