Skip to main content

Why the NBA starting sooner than later is good news for John Wall and the Wizards

By Chase Hughes

Why the NBA starting sooner than later is good news for the Wizards originally appeared on NBC Sports Washington

The coronavirus pandemic has forced significant changes to the NBA’s calendar and the latest is a Dec. 22 start date for the 2020-21 season, which was agreed upon by the players association late Thursday night. Some will view this as an uncomfortably quick turnaround, as teams like the Lakers and Heat were playing in the NBA Finals just three weeks ago.

But for the Wizards, it could be seen as very good news as they have reasons to want games back as soon as possible and not only because they last played in August.

Here are some reasons why they should celebrate this news…

Wall’s return

John Wall had to wait extra time coming off his Achilles surgery as the Wizards held him out of the entire 2019-20 season, even though the general recovery from his injury would have allowed him to return. Then, he had to wait even longer as the 2020-21 season was pushed back from the usual start time in October.

Wall can now gear up for his first NBA game since Dec. 26, 2018. By the time he returns, he will have missed nearly two calendar years due to injuries. That promises to be an emotional night for Wall and those close to him. 

Wall and Beal reunite

Wall will be back and so will Beal, who missed the restart games due to a shoulder injury. In the two years Wall has been out, Beal has continued to ascend and round out his game, adding intrigue to what they will look like together in the Wizards’ backcourt. 

But it won’t only be about nostalgia, as the Wizards need to see what they have in Wall and Beal as a duo sooner than later. Both players are signed to large contracts and head coach Scott Brooks is entering the final year of his own deal. If things don’t work quickly, things could get interesting as the front office evaluates the long-term potential of the roster.

Young players can develop

The Wizards have revamped their roster around Wall and Beal to infuse the team with youth and upside. That process should continue later this month when they pick two players in the 2020 NBA Draft. 

But all the time off has limited the ability of those young players to improve, as working out and playing in pick-up games can only take you so far. There is no replacement for actual NBA experience and getting back in game action will help the progress of guys like Rui Hachimura, Thomas Bryant and Troy Brown Jr. 

The Beal factor

The Wizards have kept Beal happy to this point, enough that all the trade rumors involving his name have so far been nothing but conjecture. They don’t want to deal him and he doesn’t want to go anywhere, as he is on board with the plan to give it one more go with Wall.

The season getting pushed back, though, has meant more time for Beal to remain patient. At 27, he is in his prime and that won’t last forever. He wants to win and will only have so many years to lead a team as a star player. Beal played this past season for the Wizards, knowing it was going to be a development year. Though it was difficult for him to endure a losing season, he knew it was all about setting things up for the 2020-21 campaign. Now, it’s almost here.

Grant Hill on growing up in Virginia, wishing he played for Wizards

By Chase Hughes
Grant Hill on NoVa roots, wishing he played for Wizards originally appeared on NBC Sports WashingtonLong before he became a household name, Grant Hill was a kid growing up in Fairfax County, a star at South Lakes High School in Reston, VA. It all started there, before he was a legend at Duke University, a 7-time NBA All-Star and 2018 inductee of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.Hill is one of the greatest athletes ever from the Washington, D.C. area and he details that entire journey in his new autobiography called 'Game.' It is an all-encompassing look at Hill's remarkable life, including his formative years in Northern Virginia.Hill, 49, recalls a vibrant sports scene in the D.C. area and specifically Reston, where he followed in the footsteps of others en route to basketball stardom."I grew up in Reston, and obviously was proud of that and I went to South Lakes High School. I was proud of the greater sort of D.C. metropolitan area, [we didn't] call the DMV back then. But you know, there was a real sort of love and passion for sports. Obviously, the Redskins were huge and had some great years in the early 80s. Georgetown basketball, and Maryland basketball, were really big in the 80s as well. And then you just had some great athletes, particularly in basketball, coming of age during the 80s," Hill told NBC Sports Washington."I didn't have to look far for inspiration. I looked up to people who were right in Reston, Virginia; Michael Jackson, who played for South Lakes and then with Georgetown, Christy Winters [now Winters-Scott] who played at South Lakes and then with Maryland. [Also,] Dennis Scott, who was from Reston and went to Flint Hill and Georgia Tech."Hill found writing the autobiography an interesting and rewarding process, as it encouraged him to reflect on different points in his life with a renewed focus. He looked back at old pictures of his life and early career and dug deep to recall the details of those experiences.Hill was always looking forward as a star athlete, trying to get better, trying to win the next game. He found a greater appreciation for his accomplishments with the benefit of hindsight. He just had to set aside his instinct for humility to do so."I think you get to a point in life where you kind of look back and you realize, wow, you've been fortunate to do a lot of incredible things. And, so to be able to document that, and really tell my story, tell the ups and the downs, the highs, the lows, and hopefully have that not just be informative, but also hopefully be inspiring," he said."I know I enjoy reading about other people and reading autobiographies or biographies in general. And I always feel like I come away with something or I learn something, or as I said, I come away inspired. So, if I have an opportunity to do that with my story, then that would be great. So, it is a little bit of a vanity play, I think in some respects, but I think also to tell your story, there's something freeing and liberating about doing that."There were a few questions that came up in Hill's interview with NBC Sports Washington that did not relate directly to his book, but seem natural to ask given he is from the D.C. area. Like, for instance, did he ever come close to playing for the Wizards?Hill said the closest he came was in the early 2000s when Michael Jordan was in charge of the Wizards' front office. Jordan reached out to expres interest. It never materialized, but looking back, part of Hill wishes that he did play for the hometown team."I don't think there was ever really any serious thought or conversations or consideration about going back home. And, you know, I kind of wish that I had done it. It would have been kind of fun to go back and play at home in front of friends and family, in my hometown, and I think a fan base that really loves sports and appreciates high-level sport, particularly basketball," Hill said.Hill's polished media presence, intellect and seemingly universal popularity beg another question. Did he ever consider politics?"Well, you're universally liked until you run for office. Growing up in D.C., I always say that politics was like the next sport in that city, and was certainly the topic of conversation for everyone in the DMV. And I think I had aspirations or at least interest in the idea of that during that time, but so much in the world of politics has changed, and maybe not for the better, and to subject yourself and your family to what comes with that. I don't know, for me, if it outweighs the potential to influence change, and affect the world. So, that's not my calling. But there's other ways to participate in the political process and I certainly try to do that," he said.Hill believes his new book will be interesting to those who followed his career and also those who aren't sports fans. There's something for everyone, he says.For anyone who grew up in the D.C. area, there may be some relatable stories, besides the whole being a world-renowned basketball legend part, of course.
Read Next Story

Related News

Grant Hill on growing up in Virginia, wishing he played for Wizards

How would Donovan Mitchell and Bradley Beal fit together on the Wizards?

Report: Wizards interested in trade for All-Star Donovan Mitchell