John Wall has big expectations for the 2012-2013 NBA season. Many will laugh, but Wall believes that the Washington Wizards can make the Playoffs.
I know many of you are laughing, especially based on the comical franchise that is known as the Washington Wizards. Over the years since Wall was drafted #1, the team has underperformed and basically became the laughing stock of the NBA.
John Wall was tagged as the team’s young savior and it just did not materialize.
In an interview with the Washington Post, Wall spoke about the past season and the disappointment that came with it.
“I feel I got better, but I didn’t play as well as I could. I couldn’t get the type of numbers that I thought I could average because I wasn’t doing the type of work that I needed to,” said Wall, who has career averages of 16.3 points, 8.2 assists and 4.6 rebounds. “As a team concept, we didn’t make no playoffs. I knew the first year was going to be tough, but I felt the second year, we had a chance even though it was a shorter season, throughout the lockout. We didn’t play to our full potential and I hope the third and fourth year get better.”
With that, John Wall feels that with the moves that have been made, that it is a good possibility that the Wizards can make the playoffs.
Wall said
“We finished the season very strong and then you make those trades in the offseason and drafting the right people, we’re going the right way,” Wall said. “We have a great chance now to make the playoffs, but it’s up to us.”
The trades and draft he spoke about are the moves for Emeka Okafor and Trevor Ariza, while jettisoning Rashard Lewis to New Orleans. The Wizards also had the #3 pick in the 2012 NBA draft and they were able to pick up promising Bradley Beal.
There was also the trade for Nene in March which should also add the much needed veteran presence that Wall needs.
It will be a big challenge for the Wizards to make the playoffs, but the bottom half of the East is wide open, once they can start winning the games that they should. It is a bold statement from Wall, as the team is the leagues laughing stock, but with all those moves, the team should be in position to do some damage.
