Washington Wizards' John Wall Named To 2017 NBA All-Star Team
Washington Wizards guard John Wall has been named to the 2017 NBA Eastern Conference All-Star team. It will be his fourth appearance.
John Wall is averaging over 20 points and 10 assists per game. Those numbers jump off the monitor and scream “All-Star” like a ghost from a bad horror movie.
Last week it was announced that Cleveland Cavaliers point guard Kyrie Irving was voted in (partially due to fan voting) as the Eastern Conference’s starter. The fan vote is largely based on popularity.
Naturally, it’s going to be more difficult for Wall – who’s played once on national television this season – to get more love from the fans if he’s never seen by casual watchers.
Irving, who won a championship with the Cavaliers last season, has had more exposure in the past two seasons than Wall has had in his entire NBA career.
Even though Wall, at least statistically, is the best point guard in the East, his chances of getting more votes than Irving were slim.
But on Thursday afternoon, it was reported by ESPN’s Chris Haynes that Wall is going to be an All-Star reserve, which was determined by the league’s coaches.
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Wall will be making his fourth straight appearance at the All-Star game, which will take place in New Orleans on February 19.
Before it was announced, there was some speculation about whether or not Wall did enough to earn the All-Star honor, despite the numbers he’s been putting up.
At the beginning of the season, the Washington Wizards struggled to win and found themselves at the bottom of the standings with the Brooklyn Nets and Philadelphia 76ers.
Washington won 10 of their 15 games in December and Wall was named the Eastern Conference Player of the Month.
The team built enough momentum to put themselves back in the playoff picture.
Now, after winning 14 games in a row in the district, the Wizards have climbed back into the playoffs. Currently, the team is sitting fifth in the conference with a 25-20 record.
Wall is averaging a career-high in both points and assists this season. More importantly, he’s managed to turn his team’s season around.
Since there’s only seven All-Star reserves both each conference, Kyle Lowry, Isaiah Thomas or Kemba Walker will get snubbed. The league is in a golden age of point guards, with virtually every team being led by an All-Star level playmaker. The limited space makes snubbing an inevitability.
Regardless, Wall got the deserved honor once again. Now the team just has to see if Bradley Beal did enough to get the nod from the coaches.
