John Wall - Defensive Dynamo

http://boingvert.com/evin/ John Wall is a great shot blocking guard. When he was younger, Wall would to use his insane athleticism to chase guys down, or cover ground so fast as the help defender to erase shots. Today, he is still capable of doing those things, but he’s learned to slow down, on both ends, and that makes his eruptions that much more deadly. He wants to compete on the defensive end more. Instead of doing the playground reach to poke the ball lose and leak out, he’ll hawk the ball and stay in front. His discipline and drive have earned him All-Defensive Second Team honors, and he’s still only 24 years old. There’s one thing that can be said about Wall with absolute certainty: he wants the ball. He’s willing to sacrifice his body to get the ball back for his team and he does so without hesitation. He’s matured as a player, and taking the challenge of going at elite ball handlers is evidence of that. The desire to do the dirty work, to get down and grind it out is the mark of someone who leads by example. He’ll fight with everything he’s got. It really doesn’t matter if he’s going up against Chris Paul, or LeBron, or a 7 footer. He won’t give up an inch, and that toughness has translated into steady improvement. Washington has had playoff success, with the Wizards pushing the #1 seed to six games in the Conference Semifinals in back-to-back years. In this video, you’ll see what John does exceptionally well, which is block shots. Obviously, I’ve already made a video exclusively focusing on that (link below), the focus of this one is more on perimeter play. Dislodging the ball, diving for it, and just running it down, in general. It’s about his improved ability and knowhow combined with his bursts of explosive force. Here's a link to the John Wall shot blocking video:    • John Wall - Block Party