4. John Wall, guard, Washington Wizards
https://youtube.com/watch?v=BLvT77LsiYM
It’s simply stunning how the Wizards have turned around what appeared to be a lost season. Earlier in the year, it looked like general manager Ernie Grunfeld was on the hot seat. Bradley Beal continued to deal with injuries. And in reality, the Wizards’ supporting cast outside of Otto Porter simply didn’t seem to be up to snuff.
Now, with wins in 20 of their past 27 games, including 11 of their past 13, the Wizards are currently a top-four seed in the Eastern Conference. Heck, they played a heck of a game in an overtime loss to the defending conference champion Cleveland Cavaliers on Monday. True contenders to go deep into the playoffs, Washington has one person to thank for this turnaround.
Wall’s level of play this season has simply been off the charts. The former No. 1 pick from Kentucky is averaging 23.0 points and 10.4 assists per game while shooting at a 49 percent clip from inside the three-point line. That’s a level of shooting we have not seen from Wall in what has already been a stellar career.
What we really like about Wall’s performance as it pertains to MVP consideration is just how much he has helped other Wizards players improve. The aforementioned Porter is shooting at an absurd 47 percent clip from distance. Most of his shots have come on open looks, which can be directly attributed to Wall’s passing prowess.
Depending on how the second half of the season plays out, it surely wouldn’t be a surprise to hear Wall’s name mentioned among the NBA’s most-realistic MVP candidates. His Wizards team will just have to keep up this high level of play for a longer stretch of time.