It really has been Wall-to-Wall fun since May 18, when the Wizards won the NBA Draft Lottery.
From the moment Irene Pollin’s jaw hit the floor in Secaucus, there was no doubt that John Wall was going to ignite a massive change for Washington’s NBA franchise, and his arrival has been perfectly complementary to that of Ted Leonsis as the team’s new owner, who’s taken down Mystics attendance banners and told 106.7 FM this morning that he’s going to dim the lights at Verizon Center, too, in order to create an atmosphere that feels more like the Lakers at Staples Center or the Knicks at Madison Square Garden.
With Wall having completed his Most Outstanding Player showing in Las Vegas - living up to the expectations, and then some, that were set by his being the top overall pick in the NBA Draft - it’ll be time to hunker down a bit until the schedule is released in a couple weeks. From there, the only things left are to see if the Wizards add any more signings and wait for Gilbert Arenas to emerge in public again before training camp begins.
But first, in a sequel to last year’s Las Vegas parlay, JaVale McGee is back with USA Basketball again after averaging 19.5 points and 9.3 rebounds for the Wizards in four summer league games. McGee will get a chance to try out for the team that will represent the U.S. that 2010 World Championship in Turkey next month.
A U.S. training camp special will be televised this afternoon on NBATV at 3 p.m.