John Wall and Washington Wizards Will Claim Top Seed

John Wall made a strong case showing why he shouldn’t have been cut from the FIBA play this summer and Miami’s point guards showed why they aren’t even relevant in that conversation. The Kentucky protege’ sped through the lane with ease as the Washington Wizards blazed through the Miami Heat 107-86. Wall’s 18 points and 13 dimes out-dueled Miami’s three point guards as they combined for only four assists.

Wall’s ability to slash and create is the fuel that revs the Wizards engine towards deep-playoff contention. Notice I didn’t say “championship contention”. It takes more than one star for a team to hoist that precious Larry O’Brien trophy (hence why LeBron James couldn’t capture his third title last year). However, the Wizards do have some key pieces that can excel them to the top.

Through 16 games, the Wizards are sitting at an 11-5 record (7-2 at home) and are now just 1 1/2 games behind a wounded Toronto Raptors team, cued next in line to obtain that number one seed. When the Wizards are firing on all cylinders, their map to success looks a lot clearer. Their bench is among the top 11 in the league, but when at their best (tonight scoring 54 points), they’re going to be tough to match.

Andre Miller leads the second team along with several other veterans such as Drew Gooden, Rasual Butler and Kris Humphries (who will slide back to the bench once Nene returns to the lineup). He is a solid backup point guard with one of the highest IQ’s in the game. That type of awareness comes in handy for a team with young talent who are poised to making a run in the playoffs.

The Wizards played a near-perfect game against the Heat but don’t expect them to obtain a 52 percent display from the arc all season. Washington will need to continue playing their strength which is limiting second-chance points, shooting a good percentage from deep and allowing Wall to flourish.

Bradley Beal is still getting his feet wet since coming back from a wrist injury, but I don’t think it will last long. Just give time for Beal to regain his flow and for Nene to return to full strength and this Wizards team is going to be even more dangerous than they already are. They will capture the top seed in the near future but retaining that birth will require consistency and a bit of luck.