After Tuesday night’s game, John Wall described his wrist injury as a “very bad sprain.” He mentioned that he couldn’t handle the ball and that if he played that night he would have been responsible for close to a 100 turnovers. Now we know it’s more than a sprain. Five fractures in his hand and wrist were discovered, putting in doubt his availability going forward, particularly since Wall is the primary ball handler for the Washington Wizards. He doesn’t get to take plays off. Wall touched the ball more than any other NBA player in the regular season.
In more basic terms, John Wall is the sun that the Wizards revolve around. Everyone else plays off of him and are dependent on Wall for their offense. He is a playmaker that gets the ball to the exact spot where players want it. With Wall distributing, the Wizards have ample opportunities at the free throw line as he creates fouls with the way he dishes the ball inside. But, that doesn’t really tell the story of what John Wall means to the Wizards.
John Wall is the only player in the playoffs averaging 17 points and 10 assists. He is shooting 65% from 0-3 feet. He is averaging 16.8 assists per 100 possessions and 2 blocks. His 17 points balance the Wizards backcourt. His shooting is always a little grim (39%, 23% from three) but he leads the NBA in assists in the playoffs, 12.6. To put that in perspective, Magic Johnson averaged 12.3 assists in his playoff career.
If Wall tries to gut it out, to play despite his injury, the potential for disaster is ever present. It is the perpetual dark cloud hanging over the Wizards. When does John Wall become a liability?
Apr 10, 2015; Atlanta, GA, USA; Atlanta Hawks guard Jeff Teague (0) controls the ball against the Charlotte Hornets during the second half at Philips Arena. The Hawks defeated the Hornets 104-80. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports
Math is at play here. Every time Jeff Teague reaches in trying to create a turnover, or every time Wall’s cross court pass has lost velocity, or every time Wall gets to the rim and is met there by Paul Millsap or Pero Antic, it is death by paper cuts. One pain here. Another pain there. It’s one of those scenarios where an unhealthy John Wall needs to be saved from himself.
At the trading deadline in February, the Wizards grabbed Ramon Sessions. It was an anticipatory move. They needed a younger guard in the playoffs. No one ever expected that guard to take John Wall’s place.
Ramon Sessions has a lot of positives and is a very competent back-up. In the short term, he can plug a leak when a boat is sinking but he’s no one’s savior or best player. Sessions is durable and a team guy. He’s fast and can get to the rim in a hurry. He is a good finisher in traffic and can arc the ball high off the glass to keep it from getting blocked. He’s a good three point shooter. But his defense is average. He’s not a playmaker. He’s 6-3 but sometimes plays smaller. Like Wall, he is athletic, but unlike Wall, he’s not explosive around the rim. He doesn’t block shots and doesn’t rebound with the tenacity of Wall. And he doesn’t make a living at the line.
In game two, Sessions played very well. He had 21 points and shot the ball effectively from the perimeter, 60%. But, he couldn’t match Wall’s 12.6 assists. His 4 assists were nowhere near Wall’s 13 in game one. His 3 rebounds were 4 shy of Wall’s 7 rebounds on Sunday.
Where the impact of John Wall’s absence will be felt the most is in the last three minutes of a close game. Wall has grown as a NBA point guard in reading defenses and making the right play. Sessions does not have that talent and so the focus will naturally shift to Paul Pierce and his veteran experience to fill in the gap when the game is chaotic and tense.
By default, the Atlanta Hawks are the beneficiary. They won’t have to chase John Wall around and have his speed wear on them. Because the Wizards are a different team without Wall, the Hawks have to prepare for the Ramon Sessions adjustment. Truthfully, the Hawks didn’t do a good job on Tuesday in guarding Sessions from the perimeter, respecting his offense and his consistency. Sessions had a lot of wide open shots. And he veered into the lane, mostly untouched.
The expectations for Jeff Teague to perform at a superior level without Wall is probably not fair but it will be expected. If Teague can’t stop Sessions he’ll be discredited from the conversation of best point guard no one talks about. Wall is one thing. He was the #1 pick in the draft in 2010, a player from Kentucky. Sessions, on the other hand, was a second round pick who has played on seven teams.
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When a team’s best player goes down, the rest of the team knits together in his memory. They rely on their bonds with one another. The Hawks are familiar with this. It happened when they lost Al Horford last year and had to play without him in the playoffs. The Hawks surprised everyone and took the Pacers to a 7th game. Not only that, they were up in the series 3-2.
Now it’s a reversal of fortunes. With the exception of Thabo Sefolosha, the Hawks will have their best players on the court even if they are dinged up a little. It’s the Wizards turn at the injury carousel, not at full strength but still talented at multiple positions. To underestimate the Wizards ability to win the series without Wall, even though everyone is predicting the Wizards are done, would be a grave mistake. So would be doubting the Wizards resolve when they have a playoff veteran like Paul Pierce leading them.
Pierce was in the NBA Finals when the Boston Celtics lost Kendrick Perkins to a torn ACL. Pierce fought in a game 7, one man down, and truthfully the Celtics should have beaten the Lakers since they controlled much of the game. It gives Pierce a unique voice in all of this. He is experienced at getting a group of guys to be on the same page and not worrying about how things look to outsiders.
May 5, 2015; Atlanta, GA, USA; Atlanta Hawks guard Kyle Korver (26) defends Washington Wizards guard Bradley Beal (3) during the second half in game two of the second round of the NBA Playoffs at Philips Arena. The Hawks defeated the Wizards 106-90. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports
The Wizards know this. Bradley Beal is averaging 22 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists. He gets to the line 6 times. Marcin Gortat is dropping 15 and 10. Paul Pierce is good for 16 every night. Otto Porter has been efficient off the bench with 11 points. The Wizards have the pieces to rally together, particularly if their opponent thinks that without John Wall they are doomed.
Players step up. They just do. It’s the beauty of being part of a team, one person fills in for someone else. The physics alter and shift. The Hawks did it last year. Now it is the Wizards turn. And then it will be the Hawks turn to relay a message.
John Wall doesn’t matter. The Hawks will beat the Wizards with or without him.