The Transformation of John Wall

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=itVAnVP445Q This was said five years ago about John Wall by holier than thou Colin Cowherd: “J-Wow’s 30-second yo-dog-I’m-the-man, out-of-control-style told me all I need to know,” Cowherd said back in 2010 regarding Wall’s egregious violation of the NBA’s sacred pregame ceremony. “Not a sharp guy, all about him.” You gleaned all that from a dance? Yo dog, you’re the man!" Five years later everyone who is a John Wall fan would kindly like Cowherd to shut up. Even as of last week Cowherd was still talking about he knows what Wall is as he somewhat struggled in Game 1 against the Raptors despite battling through a shoulder injury. Well, Colin, I also know what John Wall is as a player. He's one of the best players, no, check that, one of the best players in the NBA right now. If you disagree, here's a little snippet of what John Wall has done in the last week during the first round of the NBA playoffs. https://twitter.com/ESPNStatsInfo/status/591957404562038787 Now, this shouldn't surprise anyone from Kentucky as Wall was a star from the moment he stepped onto the court at Rupp Arena during the 2009-10 season. His personality was contagious as he became a fan favorite and still is beloved throughout the Commonwealth. [caption id="attachment_177920" align="aligncenter" width="334"] (Photo: John Wall, USA TODAY Sports)[/caption] It's not a coincidence that Wall turned the Wizards around quickly after being drafted No. 1 overall in the 2010 NBA Draft. In the first three years of Wall's career, the Wizards lost more games than everyone in the league not named the Charlotte Bobcats or Cleveland Cavaliers sans LeBron James. Wall now has the Wizards on the brink of sweeping the Raptors and in the second round of the NBA Playoffs for the second straight year. [caption id="attachment_177919" align="aligncenter" width="225"] (Photo: Brad Mills, USA TODAY Sports)[/caption] The biggest area of improvement for Wall has been his in-between game, something that many pundits believed would never come for Wall. He's obviously an uber-athletic guard that can finish at the rim, but he shot nearly 50 percent from the midrange this season. His passing has been fantastic as well, despite the fact many people see him as a scoring point guard. Wall finished second in the league in assists, averaging 10 per game, just .2 behind Chris Paul for the league lead. Not bad for a guy who didn't 'possess leadership.'