How Good is John Wall, Really?

Well, if you listened to Dickie V. gush and Schulman relate stories from coaches across the country and NBA scouts galore, he’s as good or better than Derrick Rose and Jason Kidd. Wall is the greatest college point guard we’ve seen in decades they say. What did I see? I saw a little bit more of what Coach Calipari talked about post-game — a freshman with boundless talent who hasn’t quite figured out how to corral or control it quite yet. A scorer? Unquestionably? Point guard? TBD.

The things that jumped out? Sick speed, a nasty handle (though, ironically, also frequently out of control) and superb quickness. Wall also has a demeanor that screams silent assassin. That’s totally cliche, but there’s a subtle swagger noticeable in the sense of someone who has supreme confidence in his abilities. There’s not much chest-pounding (which I like), but just underneath the surface you can tell he’s a ruthless competitor. Meaning, there’s no hint of that aloofness that was pegged to say a Michael Beasley.

On the other hand, Wall is like a race car driver who knows he’s got the fastest ride and can’t wait to prove it. Unfortunately, he’s so eager to burn past everyone else that he forgets about avoiding other vehicles, occasionally throttling it down and keeping his eyes open peripherally as opposed to singularly straight ahead. Those point guard qualities of orchestration, setting up teammates and dictating the flow and pace of the game were also noticeably absent last night. As Vitale pointed out, Wall (not to mention the whole team) also looked completely uncomfortable in the halfcourt set. He’s going to need to learn how to do that. Games like Wednesday’s at the Garden, where it seemed virtually no jumpers were taken and everything was an easy bucket or in transition, aren’t going to happen every night.

So, what’s the takeaway? Wall’s not like many freshman we see in college basketball. His engine has another gear and his combination of speed, skills and size are special. He’s also just like most freshmen – a bit undisciplined, mistake prone and still trying to feel at home in his new skin. Seeing where he is in March will be a story worth watching. Surely, tons of NBA scouts will have eyes affixed.