Washington Wizards point guard John Wall (L) talking with head coach Randy Wittman. (Photo : Getty Images)
Recent rumors are emerging that Washington Wizards starting point guard John Wall is "unhappy" with how things are going in DC, particularly his status not only in the team but as well as all around the league.
Fansided's Michael Saenz reported that the 25-year-old first overall pick of the 2010 draft could be "unhappy with the Washington Wizards" and that if he is "indeed unhappy, it could mean very bad things for the future" of the capital city franchise.
Last season, the Wizards finished 5th in the Eastern Conference with a 46-36 record and was said to be only "one John Wall injury away from making the Eastern Conference Finals". They swept the Raptors in the first round and were defeated by regular season leaders Atlanta Hawks in the East semifinals, 2-4.
A lot of NBA analysts believed Washington will only get better this season, but that has not been the case so far. Right now, the team dwells at the no. 10 spot of the East standings with a 26-29 slate, three games behind the playoffs contention race.
The injury that his backcourt partner, Bradley Beal, who is currently "averaging career highs in points and shooting percentage", suffered has not helped at all as it made Beal go through a minutes restriction for the rest of the season.
However, perhaps the most important issue that Wall is carrying is his feeling of underappreciation from his team, their fans, and the league itself.
In an interview with Yahoo Sports' Michael Lee, Wall admitted that with his character and caliber as a person and player, he "should be seen on commercials, in the nation's eyes and the people's eyes".
Lee said that even as Wall had established himself as one of the best basketball players in the world today, he "has grown frustrated with his relatively low profile nationally and in Washington".
Wall is currently a sneaker free agent after his deal with Adidas expired in September of last year and there seemed to be no suitors for him to endorse any brand. Lee also mentioned that the three-time NBA All-Star actually has only a "few endorsements" as compared to his contemporaries.
"I want to leave a legacy and you can't leave a legacy hiding behind the doors, and I think that's what I did my first six years really. It ain't like I want to be bigger and better than anybody, I just think it's an opportunity to be seen. Where's my little share?" Wall said.
"I ain't got no billboards in DC," he added.
