John Wall has accomplished a laundry list of achievements, recently adding another when Wall and his NBA Coach, Flip Saunders, attended a Minnesota Vikings practice where, apparently the decision was made that if Wall could catch a punt, practice would end early.
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Talk about pressure, the entire Vikings team, all 18,060 pounds of them, waiting to see if they get an early release or if practice will continue, all riding on the 6-4 shoulders of John Wall. But, like so many times before, Wall came through as he caught the punt and sent the purple clad men home early for the day.
John is 20 years old, barely two years removed from High School, but the expectations riding on his shoulders exceeds even my wife’s expectations of me. At age 20, I was barely able to get out of bed and make it to class (you can relate), but for John Wall, he will be expected to carry the Washington Wizards’ franchise on his shoulders.
After the Wizards’ elaborate, police escort, red-carpet introduction of Wall to the D.C public, a person close to Wall marveled at the spectacle but noted that high expectations are always greeted with the pressure to meet them.
For John Wall, pressure seems to be his Gatorade. His new Coach, Flip Saunders sees in Wall some of the best qualities, work ethic, competitive fire, speed, confidence and fearlessness. All characters that The Big Blue Nation discovered during Wall’s one and only season at Kentucky.
From game winning shot’s to big play after big play, John Wall played up to the High School hype placed on his shoulders. Like many well known Wildcats before him, Wall changed the face of Kentucky basketball, making the Big Blue relevant again.
Sure he was surrounded by some of the best talent in the country, evident during round one of the 2010 NBA Draft, but there was never a question of who was in charge when he was on the floor.
But the NBA is completely different from college, where Wall was often the best player on the floor and could easily put his stamp on a game. On many nights in the league, that will not be the case, as Wall will have to guard a talented player at his position almost every night – Chris Paul, Deron Williams, Steve Nash, Tony Parker, Rajon Rondo, Derrick Rose, Russell Westbrook, the list goes on and on, all while deciding which teammates deserve touches.
Wall’s speed and competitive nature will help him overcome some of the mistakes he will assuredly make in his first season. Wall may not be the best player on the floor for the Washington Wizards this season, but as far as Leadership, that responsibility has been given to John Wall, one I expect him to step up and fill completely.
Want some visual John Wall? Pick your poison or watch them both on N of B TV.
[URL=”http://www.nationofblue.com/phenom-john-wall-basketball-highlights-2660/”]Wall – High School Phenom[/URL]
[URL=”http://www.nationofblue.com/best-john-wall-kentucky-2022/”]The Best of John Wall at Kentucky[/URL]
Go Cats!!!
[URL=”http://voices.washingtonpost.com/wizardsinsider/2010/09/training-camp-concerns-part-iv.html”]
Full story by Michael Lee on The Washington Post[/URL]
