Wall: Wizards must back up their words, 'earn that respect'
The Washington Wizards and their players have seemingly made it a yearly occurrence to talk themselves up to the rest of the Association. However, without the postseason success to back it all up, their proclamations tend to fall on deaf ears.
John Wall - who labeled himself the Eastern Conference's best point guard last October - hopes he and his teammates can let their actions do the talking throughout the 2018-19 campaign and not allow their mouths to sign checks which they ultimately can't cash.
"We want to go out with a different mindset and a different focus. We're not trying to go in and think we're a team that has already established something and got respect from people. We have to earn that respect and that means going out and competing every night against the good teams or the bad teams," Wall said on NBC Sports Washington's "Wizards Tipoff" podcast.
His All-Star backcourt mate Bradley Beal declared in November that the Wizards were the team to beat in the East, hours before facing off with LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers. James' response was to drop 57 points in the nation's capital en route to a 130-122 victory.
Wall is confident in a deeper and arguably more talented roster than he's had at his disposal in year's past - one that now features three-time Defensive Player of the Year Dwight Howard, shooting guard Austin Rivers, forward Jeff Green, and first-round pick Troy Brown Jr.
"I think it gives us the opportunity where we don't have to play as many minutes. That's the key," Wall said of Washington's added depth. "At the end of the year, you kind of fall short because you're fatigued. Nobody uses that as an excuse. You play and try to get into the best shape possible.
"But if you're playing 24 minutes, the whole half, and then 24 minutes and the whole half, you kind of get tired at some point. I think those guys can take a little of the burden and pressure off of us at times."
The Wizards finished last season in the eighth seed (43-39) and were dumped in the first round by the Toronto Raptors. It was their fourth playoff berth in five years, none of which have gotten past the second round.