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13. JOHN WALL, WIZARDS
Recently, Wall (23.1 PPG, 10.7 APG, 4.2 RPG) boldly claimed that he is the “best two-way point guard in the league.” That’s going too far. Although he led the NBA with 157 steals last season and excels at turning defense into offense in the open court, Washington’s defense was slightly worse with Wall on the court than off the court last season. Meanwhile, Real Plus-Minus and other impact stats strongly suggest that Chris Paul, Stephen Curry and Kyle Lowry are all more deserving of the “best two-way” title than Wall. If, however, the Wizards’ four-time All-Star point guard simply intended to highlight the fact that he can play far more effective defense than the likes of James Harden, Kyrie Irving, Isaiah Thomas and Damian Lillard, then his point is well-taken.
What made Wall truly special last season wasn’t his two-way play, it was his ability to be a point-generating machine as both a scorer and a passer. The only player besides the top two MVP finishers—Russell Westbrook and Harden—to average 20 points and 10 assists, Wall set new career-highs in both categories, as well as PER, while guiding Washington to a top-10 offense for the first time in his seven-year career. After years of scolding, Wall finally scaled back his reliance on long twos and took more pride in parading to the free-throw line. And, with a healthy and well-balanced starting lineup around him, Wall finished second only to Harden by generating 25.3 points per game with his assists. The next steps are clear: Walk the walk as an elite and consistent on-ball stopper, fashion a more dependable three-point shot, and build on an impressive 2017 playoff run by lifting the Wizards to the East finals for the first time since 1979. — BG
32. BRADLEY BEAL, WIZARDS
There’s an especially pure satisfaction to be found when a promising but injury-plagued player finally gets a chance to show what he can do. That was the 2016-17 story for Beal (23.1 PPG, 3.1 RPG, 3.5 APG), who translated the best health of his five-year career into a breakout campaign that should propel him into the All-Star conversation for the first time in 2018. The 24-year-old Beal posted career-highs in virtually every category that matters for a scoring guard—points, PER, True Shooting Percentage, Win Shares, Usage—and struck a brilliant balance with John Wall to help carry Washington to within one game of the East finals.
While Beal’s smooth shot and big-game confidence will always be his calling cards, he’s rounded out his game nicely: He’s cut some of the fat from his shooting diet, he’s improved as an initiator when Wall is off the court, he’s gotten to the line with greater regularity, and he’s proven capable of guarding both guard positions in the playoffs. It took a bit longer than some had hoped given his No. 3 draft position in 2012, but Beal has solidified his standing as a franchise building block. Whereas Wizards fans used to worry about his injuries because they might stunt his development, now they worry about Beal’s health because he’s become an irreplaceable star. — BG