Wall is still learning, but he's the right guy to lead

NEW YORK -- It's the job of a sports talk radio host to have a strong opinion. You probably don't get far in that field by keeping an open mind or speaking in shades of grey. Better to have your listeners strongly disagree with you than to display a rational understanding of both sides of an argument.

The truth is often the victim in that kind of black-or-white, yay-or-nay environment. And ESPN Radio host Colin Cowherd's rant against Wizards point guard John Wall on Wednesday was a special kind of ignorance.

In the wake of Wall's historical performance -- 29 points, 13 assists and nine steals -- in Tuesday's home opener, Cowherd chose to focus his commentary on Wall's pre-game dance and eight turnovers. He contrasted Wall to Rajon Rondo, who dished out 17 assists without a single turnover the same night.

"Rajon's got rings," Cowherd said. "Wall will never have one."

The ignorance went far beyond the fact that has Rondo committed eight turnovers in a game as recently as last Christmas. Cowherd had seen enough to call Wall selfish and "not a sharp guy."

Those of us who have watched Wall closely and spoken to his coaches and teammates know better. In seven preseason games and four that count, Wall has displayed leadership, unselfishness and intelligence to go along with his all-world talent. The No. 1 pick has been given the job of turning the Wizards franchise around, and by all accounts, he's up to the task.

Gilbert Arenas made his regular season debut for the Wizards at Madison Square Garden on Friday, playing in a game that counts for the first time since he was suspended for the remainder of the 2009-10 season in January.

Arenas knows that, coming back, he's now a complementary player. And the role change is less about himself than it is about Wall. So when Arenas finally took the floor on Friday, he was just trying to stay out of the way.

"I didn't want to interfere with what John's been doing, because he's been playing phenomenal basketball," Arenas said. "I didn't want, once I got on the court, for him to think he needs to focus on me."

As the point guard, it's Wall's duty to get all of his teammates involved in the offense. And his 9.5 assists per game are evidence that he's doing just that. But the 17 turnovers he's committed in the last two games are evidence that he's learning that there isn't necessarily a play to be made on every possession.

"His greatest strength can be his greatest weakness," Wizards coach Flip Saunders said Friday. "He's so competitive and he knows he can make plays. When things go bad, he wants to try to make something happen. He's got into the situation the last couple of games where he's trying to create something when there's nothing there."

Things were going just fine early on in New York on Friday. Wall picked up five first-quarter assists by just making the simple pass. He didn't try to thread the needle or make any spectacular drive-and-dish moves. Everything was just simple pick and pop action and straightforward passes to open shooters. His teammates were making shots and the Wizards' offense was clicking.

"He's extremely unselfish," Saunders said. "He's going to give the ball up when he has to and he'll always try to make the right play."

Wall's willingness to take what the defense gives him is a rare trait among young point guards. But it's not one shared by most of his teammates. Through four games, Wall has 38 assists, while the rest of the Wizards have just 32.

"We don't trust each other enough offensively," Saunders said. "When John gets rid of the ball, whoever gets it thinks they have to make something happen. And we don't make that second pass."

That's when things go downhill and when Wall tries to do too much.

Now, the rookie is still going to make NBA TV's top 10 on a weekly basis. His speed and ability to finish at the rim make him impossible to stop on the break. And eventually, his jumper will force defenses to play him more honestly in the half-court.

"When he has the ball, I just watch and see what he's going to do next," Arenas said.

He's not alone. And at this point, the Wizards couldn't be happier with the No. 1 pick. Though his game still needs work, Wall is the right guy to turn the franchise around. He's ready to lead and his teammates are willing to follow.

"I just want to keep improving myself and improving as a team," Wall said. "The main thing is helping this organization as much as I can. And my teammates are willing to do the same thing."

John Schuhmann is a staff writer for NBA.com. You can e-mail him here and follow him on twitter.

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