00:00We're joined now by one of the great Wizards of all time, John Wall, who got the largest ovation of
00:06the night.
00:07Not only the last 1-1 before A.J. DeBonsa, but the guy that delivered the number one pick to
00:12the Wizards at the lottery this year.
00:14You just saw the reaction of this crowd. A.J. DeBonsa, the pick. What do you think?
00:19I think it's great. Like I said, you know what I mean? I want to see. It's going to be
00:22very interesting to see how it goes.
00:23You know what I mean? Bringing Trae Young back. A.J. needs the ball in his hands.
00:27But I think they can make it work, but it's going to take some time.
00:29But I think you've got to see what you have with all those young guys to see how they can
00:32develop.
00:32But the most important part is you see the fans' reaction. That's all you care for. That's what you want.
00:37Right. Because when you get the opportunity to get the guy you want, sometimes you don't get the number one
00:42pick.
00:42You might have number five, and you've got to pray he falls.
00:45When you're the first on the board, it's the easiest thing to do.
00:47Right. Well, you know, David said – I saw you talking to D.A. there before you came on with
00:51us.
00:52He made a point before the pick that everybody knows how A.J. pressures the rim.
00:58And we don't really have guys like that. You pressure the rim as a point guard.
01:01Trae doesn't really do that. He can get the basket. He can finish.
01:04But that element that A.J. brings, how important is that?
01:08It's super important because now with the NBA, it's so much spacing.
01:11If you've got guys that can knock down shots – it wasn't like when I came in when the paint
01:14was packed.
01:14It's more spread now.
01:15Right.
01:15So you can have shooters around him. You can put him in different positions.
01:18He can run pick and roll. He can make plays. You can put him in the mid post. You can
01:21run him on pin downs.
01:22But most importantly, you want to get in the bonus as quick as possible.
01:25And he's one of those guys that's going to put pressure on the rim and get you in foul trouble
01:28and give you opportunity to get to the free throw line when he's late in the game in those four
01:32quarters.
01:32So do you think Anthony Davis is going to be here for a full year?
01:37I don't believe so. In my opinion, I don't.
01:40So do you think he'll be traded before the season or at the deadline?
01:44I think he'll be anything. Anything's possible. It could be a trade tonight.
01:47It could be traded before the deadline. I think so.
01:49I think at the same time, he wants an extension.
01:52You know what I mean? You see Trey just get one.
01:53He has two years left, 58 this year, 62 next year, which is a lot of money.
01:57And you got young guys that's coming up for contract extension.
01:59They're rookie extension.
02:00So I think it's going to be a tough part.
02:01You got to see what happens.
02:03But most importantly, he got to show that he's healthy to see if he can be tradable.
02:06This team's been hunting for a point guard since you.
02:09And we've been in that purgatory.
02:11Trey Young could be that guy.
02:12And I hope so.
02:14I feel like he won't be the same player as me, but he's a person that can go get 10
02:17assists.
02:18He can run your team.
02:19He's took the team to the Eastern Conference Finals before.
02:21Everybody talks about he's like a 25 and 10 guy.
02:24Could he be a 20 and 12 guy?
02:25Like maybe it's a little less ball handling, a little more assist.
02:28And listen, you got that guy coming in the door.
02:30It got to be a little lot less ball handling.
02:32You can't have the ball as much now because you have another person that can create for itself
02:36and create for others.
02:37So it might be an 18 and 14 night.
02:40It might be a 19 and 12 night.
02:42He's done it before.
02:43We've seen everything Trey Young could do.
02:44But at the same time, he has a chip on his shoulder because he have a lot of people doubting
02:48him
02:48because of the things that went on Atlanta, not finishing and playing as much last year when he got traded.
02:52So he has a big target on his back of what he's trying to prove.
02:55The other thing, John, that I love about Trey just in the fight is the way he embraced the city.
03:00You embraced the city that way.
03:02You had to.
03:02That's why we fell in love with you.
03:04He did the same thing, immediately won the fan base over.
03:06If you don't, listen, what you do on the basketball court means a lot to the city.
03:10But if you don't touch the community and touch the people, it doesn't matter.
03:13Right.
03:13That's what you got to go out there and do the things in the community.
03:16Give back to the community.
03:16Show that you're regular.
03:17I want these guys to go to Barry Farm.
03:19Go see Miles down there and go watch some outside basketball.
03:22Right.
03:22It's okay.
03:23Did you know that when you were drafted or did that come over time?
03:25My dad was from Southeast D.C., so I kind of knew what was going on already.
03:29It was perfect for me to be here because I'm a four-hour drive from North Carolina.
03:32But I asked questions.
03:33I got around the right people.
03:35I asked them, what do I do?
03:35How do you do this?
03:37What do the fans want to see?
03:38They know you can play basketball, but you got to interact with these people.
03:41And that's why you continue to get the love you get.
03:43Give me your starting five right now with A.J.
03:46Give me the starting five.
03:47I'm starting Trey Young, Keyshawn, A.J., A.D., star.
03:52I like it.
03:53If A.D. is gone, I move A.J. to the four.
03:56I move Keyshawn to the three.
03:58I put Trey Johnson at the two because I want more spacing out there.
04:01I need catch-and-shoot guys out there with Trey Young.
04:03I like it.
04:04Trey and then Bilal become the first guys off the bench.
04:08What do you make of Will Riley?
04:09Hey, Will Riley's my back.
04:10Hey, listen, I love Bob Carrington.
04:12He's my guy.
04:12But I've watched Will Riley for so long.
04:15He has to be your backup point guard, your backup three guard, because he can do so much.
04:19You might have to move Bilal to the backup forward time.
04:22But Will Riley has to have a lot of minutes.
04:24But 6'9", 6'10", that can do everything he showed you last year.
04:27He has that little wiggle.
04:28He has the Herky Junkie New York type of style in this game.
04:30But see, here's the thing, and we talked about it earlier, J-Dub.
04:34Defensively, the Wizards allowed 124 games.
04:37They've got to effing stop that.
04:39I don't know how they're going to do it.
04:41I know that a lot of their good players weren't on the floor late in the season because they were
04:45just tanking.
04:45They can't allow 124 games.
04:47But the most important part is you can score the ball.
04:50You've got to stop somebody.
04:51You've got to stop somebody.
04:51Right.
04:52John, thank you.
04:53Hey, real quick, before he goes, I want to say thank you because our boys are on the basketball staff
05:00at Howard.
05:00Okay, okay.
05:01And I love that, that you're involved, man.
05:03I appreciate it.
05:03I appreciate it.
05:03Kenny Blakeney, I played high school basketball with Kenny Blakeney, Rod Balanis.
05:07I think you're going to do great there.
05:08It's been amazing.
05:08Like I said, my ultimate goal one day is to be a GM of an NBA team.
05:11I know, this is perfect for you.
05:13But to allow them to be a president of basketball operations, understand the NIL, understand the money,
05:17the process of that, going into the portal, trying to help them get guys.
05:20It's been fun.
05:21It's been amazing.
05:22I'll be over there tomorrow watching them practice, so I've got my duties to do.
05:25Hey, two years from now, we're going to be watching him in a war room on a draft night.
05:29We are.
05:29You're just going to be seeing me picking and choosing.
05:31Eventually, he's going to be there.
05:33Thank you, John.
05:34I appreciate it.
05:35John Wall of the Wizards, not only the last number one before AJ Devansa, but how about,
05:39Jason, he was the guy that went to the lottery and secured the pick, bringing it back home.
05:46I know.
05:47Pretty well done in full circle.
05:48Good luck.
05:49He's a good luck charm.
05:50Absolutely.
05:51And he's always a good dude, too.
05:52He's a good dude.
05:53Always loved John.
05:54I love the way John races the city.
05:56He's got about 75 kids who want his autograph right now.
05:59Oh, they're following him.
06:00He's got a crew.
06:01I don't even know.
06:02Did they take Caleb?
06:03They took Caleb?
06:03The Bulls take Caleb?
06:04Yes.
06:04They did.
06:05So chalk so far, one through four.
06:07So chalk so far.
