In our latest installment of Linsanity – or John Wall vs. Jeremy Lin II, Because Everybody Remembers the 2010 Summer League – we find our heroes readying themselves for their highly anticipated clash at Verizon Center.
Wall added accolade on Wednesday that Lin didn't, getting named to the pool of players for the Rising Stars Challenge that will play in what used to be the rookie-sophomore game. Wall was the only point guard among the sophomores, and no other Wizards were chose, including Jordan Crawford, Trevor Booker and Jan Vesely, the latter who missed out on the rookie group.
“I’d rather see rookie and sophomore game,” Wall said. “I’d rather see it like that. I’m just happy I have the opportunity to be selected in the game.”
Wall was hoping he’d get a chance to play again in Orlando – the NBA announced today that the 2013 NBA all-star game will be in Houston – with his former Kentucky teammate, DeMarcus Cousins.
“That’s what I thought it was for, rookies thinking they was better than sophomores, sophomores think they’re better than rookies,” Wall said. “This was our chance to prove ourselves. Last year, we had a great battle, the rookies won and the sophomores was mad. Should be fun to defend our own title, but I guess they changed it up on us.”
Wall will be at the mercy of getting picked by Charles Barkley or Shaquille O’Neal, with a chance he’ll be upstaged by rookies Ricky Rubio and Kyrie Irving in the draft of players that will take place Thursday, Feb. 16, at 7 p.m., on NBA TV.
For now, however, Wall has a chance to battle Lin, returning the compliments after Lin sung his praises this morning.
“He does a good job finding his teammates,” Wall said. “Just really letting him play basketball. With that system, you can do pretty good if you’re a point guard and run pick and roll very well, and that’s what he’s doing.”
Like Lin, Wall recalled the pair’s fourth-quarter battle in a Las Vegas summer league game in 2010.
“I remember the summer league game,” Wall said. “He scored a couple of points and everybody started going crazy, making it into a big battle between us. But we got the win, so that’s all that matters to me.”
While Lin is coming off 28 points and eight assists in his first NBA start, Wall wasn’t too shabby in the Wizards’ 111-108 overtime win against Toronto, in which he had 31 points and seven assists.
“I’d like to see it again,” Wizards coach Randy Wittman said. “Pretty simple. Not so much the numbers, but the energy level at both ends. He’s got to play aggressive, and when he does it at the defensive end it just pushes him more aggressive on the offensive end. That’s where he’s got to continue to grow, in his consistency of having both offensively and defensively, that level of intensity.”
The Wizards will be without Rashard Lewis for the second straight game tonight, but that loss pales in comparison to the Knicks going without Amar’e Stoudemire and Carmelo Anthony.
“With Amar’e and Melo out, it’s a game that we should win,” Booker said. “We were close with them last* time, and they had both of them. I feel that we definitely should get it. It’ll boost our confidence. Amar'e and Melo is out, so it’s a good opportunity to take advantage of.”
The full Rising Stars Challenge pool of players besides Wall is below:
Sophomore: DeMarcus Cousins (Sacramento Kings), Landry Fields (New York Knicks), Paul George (Indiana Pacers), Blake Griffin (L.A. Clippers), Gordon Hayward (Utah Jazz), Greg Monroe (Detroit Pistons), Tiago Splitter (San Antonio Spurs), and Evan Turner (Philadelphia 76ers).
Rookies: MarShon Brooks (New Jersey Nets), Kyrie Irving (Cleveland Cavaliers), Brandon Knight (Detroit Pistons), Kawhi Leonard (San Antonio Spurs), Markieff Morris (Phoenix Suns), Ricky Rubio (Minnesota Timberwolves), Tristan Thompson (Cleveland Cavaliers), Kemba Walker (Charlotte Bobcats), and Derrick Williams (Minnesota Timberwolves).
