Bullets Forever Recaps John Wall's Workout With Wizards

John Wall spoke at length with the media following his workout today with the Washington Wizards, and Mike Prada was there to take it all in. What impressed him the most about Wall's media session? The likely No. 1 pick's general demeanor, as well as the types of questions he jumped at answering:

I haven't talked to a ton of players in my year in the locker room, but of the ones I have, one thing struck me: many of the league's best players get tired by cliche questions and love it when you ask them about something basketball-related. Some, like Kobe Bryant, take it to an extreme. Some, like Gilbert Arenas, will talk no matter what, but will go into even more detail when you ask him about his basketball mindset. But chances are, the great players, or at least the ones who handle the media correctly, tend to be boring with cliche questions and interesting when you ask them about basketball.

John Wall talked for 18 minutes today, and he demonstrated this quality to a T. He had lots of cliche answers to cliche questions, such as how he'll play with Gilbert Arenas, what it's like to be in this position with all the attention ("it's a dream come true) and such. He also found a way to make people laugh without being overly gregarious. But when he truly came alive was when he received basketball-related questions. There, he showed how he's humble, analytical and always looking to improve. He talked about his strengths in the most general terms, and went into great depth with his weaknesses. It was very encouraging to hear.

Be sure to read the detailed recap of Wall's workout, including more quotes, at SB Nation's Wizards blog, Bullets Forever.

VIDEO: John Wall's Workout With The Wizards

(via Truth About It)

John Wall Talks About Improvements He Can Make To His Game

Mike Prada attended John Wall's workout today and files this report.

Clearly, John Wall was working out with the Wizards because they are likely to take him with the No. 1 pick in the NBA Draft. At the same time, though, Wall was working out in part because he's always looking to improve his game and become a better player. 

In that sense, Wall remained humble. When asked initially where he needs to improve, Wall said "everything," because the whole game changes once you get to the NBA. But more specifically, he said the one area he must improve is his jump shot.

"Most of it is getting my reps in," Wall said. "I feel like, at certain times, I shoot it a good way for like 10 minutes, but I change it up [after that]. So it's just about getting consistent and keeping it to that one shot."

Wall shot a set shot a lot at Kentucky, but was shooting jump shots today during the workout. Things weren't going so well there - Wall missed many of his mid-range attempts and looked visibly frustrated. 

"I thought I could have shot the ball a little better, but my back started tightening up. But I thought I did a good job."

Wall also emphasized that his ability to run the pick and roll in the NBA is dependent on his ability to shoot the mid-range jumper consistently. He pointed to Rajon Rondo as a guy who would be almost impossible to stop once he knocks down the mid-range jump shot consistently.

"If you're a point guard and you can pass and you can score off pick and rolls, it should be easy [to pick it up], but the key to running pick and roll is being able to knock down shots. If not, you have to get the pick and roll set a little lower so you can get into the paint. You see how guys are guarding Rondo off the pick and roll. I want to be the kind of person who can knock that [shot] down."

But don't worry folks, because Wall is the kind of guy who will do anything possible to improve. He sat courtside at a recent NBA Finals game, and while most would have just been there to enjoy themselves, Wall said he spent the whole time studying Kobe Bryant.

"I was a fan [there], but I was also a student of the game," Wall said. "You see how Kobe [Bryant] has great footwork. Every time he gets the ball, he knows what spot he wants to get to. That's the key in the NBA - getting to your spots and having certain angles to beat guys. [Kobe's] not as explosive as he was when he first got into the league, but now, his footwork is so good and he knows how to get to certain angles and get guys off their feet. That's something I try to look into to try to get better."

John Wall Works Out For Wizards, Talks To Media

Mike Prada attended John Wall's workout today and files this report.

John Wall conducted a short workout for the Wizards today that lasted about half an hour before speaking to reporters afterward. The workout itself was pretty basic, with pick and roll drills, shooting drills and free throws, but Wall did manage to throw down a lefty windmill jam as part of the proceedings. His jumper, however, looked a bit flat, and he admitted he wasn't thrilled with how he did there.

"I think I could have shot the ball a little better, but I started tightening up," he said. "But I thought I did pretty well."

No matter: after the workout, Ernie Grunfeld and Ted Leonsis whisked Wall away before he talked to the media. You can draw your own conclusions there. After that, Wall talked to the media for about 18 minutes following the workout. Some quick highlights.

• Wall did not say that the Wizards have made their decision on drafting him yet:  "They haven't told me I was going be the guy, and I don't know if I'll be the guy.  I just came out here to work out and try to impress them, and hopefully on draft night, they pick me."
• Wall said he has been talking to Gilbert Arenas on BlackBerry messenger, trading jokes and checking in on his progress. When asked about potentially playing with Arenas, he said:  "He's a talented player and a great scorer. I feel like if I got picked here, the coach would find a way to put us on the court together and let it work from there, but I think I can play with anybody."
• Wall admitted that he knows the first year will be tough: "[Rod Strickland] told me it's going to be tough. 'At the beginning, your first year, your going to have to learn a lot.'  I know that. I'm not going to come in here and be the best player in the world [right away] and not have ups and downs, so I'm just preparing myself for that."
• Wall talked a lot about leadership, first saying that " If I'm going to have the ball in my hands, they have to have to trust me, and my coaching staff is going to have to trust me. At the same time, I'm going to have to listen to certain things they tell me, because they've been in this situation before and played on an NBA level, and it's going to be my first season, so I still have a lot of stuff to learn." 
• He was also asked about potentially playing with a lot of young teammates: "We'll basically be on the same page and can talk a certain way, but sometimes, you got to put your foot down, put them in their place. And they got to do the same thing to me, make sure I'm in the right place, make sure I'm getting better, make sure I'm in the gym and working out."
• Wall said he hopes to improve his jump shot, first and foremost, and is primarily working on finding consistency with his form.  "I feel like at certain times, I shoot [my jumper] the good way for like 10 minutes, and then the next time, I change it up. [My goal is] just to get consistent and keep it that one shot."
• That said, he also thinks his game will translate better to the more open-court style of the NBA.
• Wall said it was Eric Bledsoe and DeMarcus Cousins who came up with the John Wall Dance, but both were "scared" to do it at Midnight Madness. 
• Wall said he challenged Barack Obama to a game of HORSE, but Obama declined.
• Wall said he studied Kobe Bryant closely when he sat courtside at the NBA Finals.
• Wall said he emulated Allen Iverson growing up.
• Finally, Wall said he figured it might be a year or two before he makes the playoffs, but he's willing to go through that.

John Wall Will Conduct Individual Workout For Wizards Thursday

The Wizards just officially announced that John Wall will be in town tomorrow for an individual workout with the team prior to a group workout with several other draft prospects. If all goes well, Wall will surely be the Wizards' choice with the number one pick in the draft.

The workout begins at 11 a.m., according to the team.

Evan Turner Confirms He Won't Be No. 1 Pick

Michael Lee of the Washington Post is reporting that the Wizards will indeed select John Wall with the No. 1 pick in the NBA Draft. The reason? Wall is working out with the Wizards a week before the draft, and Evan Turner, the other top prospect in this draft, isn't. 

David Falk, agent for Ohio State junior Evan Turner, said that his client would not work out for the Wizards. Falk and Turner were both in attendance at Game 4 of the NBA Finals in Boston. Falk said Turner would only work out for Philadelphia, which holds the No. 2 pick, on June 17 - the same day Wall will work out for the Wizards. Wall is currently scheduled to workout for the 76ers the day before.    

Turner confirmed that he's out of the race for the No. 1 pick, telling Lee that "I did all that I could do." I guess it's time to get those John Wall jerseys ready.

Wizards Will Take John Wall With First Pick In NBA Draft

According to a tweet by the Washington Post's Michael Lee:

It's official: Wiz taking John Wall No. 1. David Falk told me Evan Turner will NOT work out for WAS - has one workout sched for PHI on 6/17

If that isn't enough evidence pointing to the Wizards taking Wall at number one, I don't know what is.  They should start printing the jerseys right now.

John Wall Signs Five-Year Deal With Reebok

John Wall announced on his Twitter feed that he has signed an endorsement deal with Reebok shoes.

Signed wit #Reebok…leegggoo!!

Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports reports that the mammoth terms of the deal have been agreed to and that Wall will have his own signature shoe.

John Wall’s endorsement agreement with Reebok will be worth nearly $25 million over five years, sources tell Y! Sports.

Reebok is banking that John Wall, the projected No. 1 overall pick, will take over for Allen Iverson as the face of the brand.

Reebok and Wall's agent, Dan Fegan, should have a signed agreement soon, sources say, but terms agreed upon in principle.

Sources say that Wall’s reps, Dan Fegan and Brian Clifton, negotiated two guaranteed ‘signature shoes’ in the Reebok deal.

Here's Wojnarowski's full report on Yahoo!

Head over to SBNation's Bullets Forever for all your Wizards needs. 

Report: Wizards Will Take John Wall, 'Barring Something Unforseen'

It's not exactly a surprise, but according to Chris Miller of Comcast SportsNet, barring "something unforseen," the Wizards will take John Wall with the No. 1 pick in the 2010 NBA Draft.

John Wall will workout with Wizards June 17th sources say barring something unforeseen. 7 days later. Its official.

Evan Turner is still technically in the running, but it's looking like Wall will indeed be the pick.

John Wall To Work Out For Wizards Individually on June 17

The date has been set for John Wall to show his stuff to the Wizards. Via Michael Lee:

Ran into @jimmywa11 in Staples Center hallway after Game 2 of NBA Finals. Found out he’ll work out for Wiz on June 17.

Mark it down on your calendars folks!

'Vibe' Around Wizards Is That John Wall Will Be The Pick

The Wizards technically have to make a decision about who to take with the No. 1 pick in the draft, but all signs point to John Wall being the guy over Ohio State's Evan Turner. Washington Post Wizards reporter Michael Lee just returned from the pre-draft camp in Chicago and reports that it's essentially a done deal.

The vibe I'm getting is that the Washington Wizards are going with John Wall with the No. 1 overall pick no matter what. They just don't see any reason to make that decision known right now, especially without doing their due diligence (interviews, workouts, etc).

Lee goes on to write that Turner really impressed him in Chicago, but Wall is the correct choice. 

John Wall Has The Greatest High School Highlight Tape Ever

See for yourself.

Report: John Wall Happy Wizards Got No. 1 Pick

Well this is good. Via Chris Mannix of SI.

Source close to Wall says Wall is happy with the Wizards landing at No. 1.    

Rejoice!

Wizards Improbably Win First Pick, Will Likely Draft John Wall

Despite only having a 10.3% chance of winning the top pick, the Washington Wizards have come out with the top pick in the 2010 NBA Draft. After a season filled with disappointment after disappointment, Wizards fans finally have a reason to rejoice tonight.

Ted Leonsis, the Wizards' soon-to-be owner has plenty of reason to rejoice as well. He has a franchise cornerstone to build his team around, much like he does with Alexander Ovechkin on the Capitals.

What originally looked like a long-term rebuild may have just sped up thanks to a little bit of good luck tonight. Much, much more to come on this in the coming days and weeks.