Making the Case: John Wall Is a Hall of Famer

Earlier today, the news broke that John Wall would be retiring from basketball in which is a crushing blow to both longtime Wizards fans and the NBA community as a whole. From his generational skill level, his nightly highlight reels, and unfortunately, his injuries, John Wall’s career is a story of what-if. However, perhaps his story isn’t as tragic or disappointing as many fans suggest. Could John Wall get one last triumph and find his way to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame? Today I make the case.

For starters, John Wall was arguably the best point guard in the Eastern Conference during the 2010s. In his nine years with the Wizards, Wall averaged just over 19 points per game while dishing out nine assists and almost two steals per game. With these statistics, the only point guards in the East arguably better than him were Kyrie Irving and Kyle Lowry. Even here, though, Kyrie tended to play more like a shooting guard in those days, and while Kyle Lowry had more team success, Wall was probably the better player, at least statistically. Regardless, Wall’s stance as arguably the best point guard in his conference for the entire 2010s decade earned him five All-Star selections, an All-NBA Third Team selection, an NBA All-Defensive Second Team selection, an NBA All-Rookie First Team selection, and, for bonus measures, he also won the 2014 NBA Slam Dunk Contest. These accolades, combined with consistently good statistics across the decade, position Wall well for a Hall of Fame berth.

Now, even though the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame is one of the easier hall of fames to get into compared to other sports leagues, these stats and accolades by John Wall still feel more aligned with the phrase “good, not great,” especially considering Wall never had much postseason success compared to some of his peers. Sure, his talent and production were Hall of Fame level, but he never had the impact you may want out of a traditional Hall of Fame player. However, an important note about the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame is that they don’t just include professional accolades. College accolades, international accolades, and even media accolades can all contribute to one’s induction into the hall of fame. If this is the case, then John Wall’s college tenure should also be taken into account. In his time at Kentucky, while only playing for one season, John Wall was named the SEC Player of the Year, he won the Adolph Rupp Trophy as the national player of the year, and was a consensus first-team All-American. Coinciding with these honors, John Wall also led the Wildcats to the Elite Eight before entering the NBA Draft, where he was selected first overall by the Washington Wizards.

So, if we incorporate his college tenure into his resume, John Wall actually has a compelling case to make the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. He consistently averaged 19 points and nine assists across an entire decade in the NBA he made five All-Star teams, a couple of All-NBA teams, was the SEC’s best player in the 2009-10 season, and was the best collegiate player in the country in that same year as well. Arguably the best pure point guard in the 2010s, John Wall’s success may have been inhibited due to injuries, but he still had a heck of a career and will be remembered for years. To answer the question, though, will he make the Hall of Fame? I guess we’ll just have to wait and see.