Is John Wall the second best player in the Eastern Conference?
Everyone knows the Eastern Conference isn't as talented as the Western Conference. But it forms an interesting question: Behind LeBron James, who is the second best player?
Is it Washington Wizards guard John Wall? It could be. Here's FanSided's Wiz of Awes with their case:
The East has a few great players who can arguably be ranked ahead of Wall, most notably Atlanta Hawks center Al Horford, Indiana Pacers forward Paul George (when healthy) and two of LeBron's Cavaliers teammates, Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love. Then we have Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade down in Miami, and Carmelo Anthony in New York.
But Wall's name belongs in the conversation, which is impressive enough. He's one of the league's very best passers and a lightning bolt in transition. There might not be a better defender at his position.
Unfortunately, a faulty long range jumper limits Wall on offense. He can't space the floor like Irving, Kyle Lowry or Jeff Teague. It's a weakness that doesn't allow us to definitively say he's second to LeBron.
But if he fixes it this season, he'll leapfrog a few popular names throughout the league, not only in the Eastern Conference.
(h/t: Wiz of Awes)
I don’t want to get off topic, but someone asked me this question the other day: who’s the second best player in the Eastern Conference? After giving it some thought, John Wall might seriously be the best player in the conference not named LeBron James. So, what does that mean? Well, the Eastern Conference lacks the star power for the West. That alone would give the Washington Wizards a huge lift in terms of backcourt rankings.
