Five-time NBA All-Star John Wall was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2010 NBA draft. The Washington Wizards decided to take the talented guard out of Kentucky to run their team at the point guard position. Wall has had an impressive career with the Wizards and has earned a lot of money.

But during the last few years, he’s dealt with injuries forcing him to miss significant time. He missed the entire 2019-20 season and is now getting ready for the upcoming season. In recent workout videos, Wall looks like he’s back to his normal self.

The hype surrounding John Wall when he entered the league

When you’re the No. 1 overall draft pick, you have to live up to that expectation of having success. He went on to have an impressive rookie year with the Wizards. Before the regular season started, he had a strong outing in the 2010 Las Vegas Summer League as he was named the MVP averaging 23.5 points, 7.8 assists, 4.0 rebounds, and 2.5 steals. During the 2010-11 season, he averaged 16.4 points, 8.3 assists, and 4.6 rebounds. He finished second in the Rookie of the Year voting behind Blake Griffin and was named to the All-Rookie first team.

After his rookie season, Wall developed into one of the top point guards in the league. Wall is one of the fastest players in the league, and he knows how to use his quickness to get past defenders and get to the rim. In 2014, he was selected to his first All-Star team. Before the season, he signed a five-year contract extension worth approximately $80 million. He averaged 19.3 points, 8.8 assists, and 4.1 rebounds that season, and the Wizards made the playoffs for the first time in six years. The Wizards lost to the Indiana Pacers in the second round of the 2014 NBA Playoffs.

There was no question that Wall was the top man in Washington. The Wizards valued Wall, and he was the franchise player, a matter of fact, he still is the franchise player. Wall has helped lead the Wizards to four playoff appearances, and during the 2017 playoffs, Wall had a breakout performance. In the second round, the Wizards took on the Boston Celtics in an exciting series. The series went to seven games as the Celtics upended the Wizards to advance. Through 13 games in the playoffs, Wall averaged 27.2 points (a career-high), 10.3 assists, and 3.7 rebounds.

Wall signing a big contract extension and then dealing with injuries

After an impressive performance in the playoffs, Wall signed a four-year, $170 million contract extension with the Wizards in July of 2017. During the 2017-18 season, Wall became the youngest player to reach 10,000 career points. He was sidelined for over a month during the season due to surgery on his left knee. Wall appeared in 41 games that season and averaged 19.4 points and 9.6 assists. 

The next season, Wall had to miss considerable time due to another injury. On December 29, 2018, he was ruled out for the remainder of the season due to a left heel injury. He underwent surgery in January of 2019 and developed an infection in the incision from that surgery. Things only got worse for Wall as he suffered another injury not too long after when he slipped and fell in his home, suffering a ruptured left Achilles tendon.

The return of John Wall

After missing the entire 2019-20 season and dealing with multiple injuries in the past, Wall is ready for a big year this upcoming season. He has continuously put in work on the court, and numerous videos have shown that. Wall is currently No. 4 on the all-time Wizards scoring list, and he can climb up that list if he can stay healthy.

With the success of Wizards guard Bradley Beal, when Wall returns, the Wizards can immediately become a playoff contender yet again. All eyes will be on Wall when he makes his return.

Stats Courtesy of Basketball-Reference