If John Wall deserves a max contract, than I do too.
For the most part, professional athletes are blessed and cursed, with an inordinate level of confidence bordering delusion that arguably is the reason for them reaching the highest level of their sport. In their mind their abilities have no limits and drawing logically conclusions is optional. In a lot of cases, this mentality has birthed some of our greatest athletes so we let them be.
The Washington Wizards point guard, who has battled injuries throughout his three years in the NBA, did a lengthy interview with Zach Lowe of Grantland, where the topic of a looming contract extension came up and this is what he had to say.
Have you started thinking about your contract extension talks yet?
I haven’t started thinking about that.
Really? The deadline isn’t that far away.
That’s true. Look, I’m just enjoying D.C. This hasn’t been going the way we wanted it to, in terms of winning, but I think we are building something here.
Do you feel like you deserve a max contract? That you’re a max guy?
I feel like I am. I do, definitely.
Wall has had a decent season so far after missing 33 games to beginning the season with a stress fracture in his knee. The Wizards are 15-13 since his return whilst pulling out some impressive victories along the way but that doesn’t change the fact that there are significant limitations to his game, his mid-range jump shot is average at best, his 3-point shot isn’t worth mentioning and his play-making abilities are still developing. His major attributes are his athleticism and his blazing speed.
It’s not Wall’s fault that he’s been injured for a huge chunk of his career, but he’s reaching when he suggests he’s a max contract player, nothing he has done so far supports that. Unless the 2010 No. 1 overall draft pick suddenly cements himself amongst the NBA’s best point guards then the Wizards have no business giving him a max contract. Just ask NBA agent David Faulk if you don’t believe me.