John Wall is a realist.
It can be adequately argued that the dynamic Washington Wizards star ranks as a top five point guard in the NBA. Yet, he is also aware that may not be good enough to land him a spot on next summer's U.S. Olympic team.
"I'll be out of the picture," Wall told CSN Washington's Ben Standig, fresh off his inclusion in last week's Team USA minicamp in Las Vegas.
The current embarrassment of point guard riches in the NBA is also a nice dilemma for USA Basketball to have. Conventional wisdom, good health assumed, would have Stephen Curry and Chris Paul as shoo-ins for Rio de Janeiro.
"Ten times out of 10 they’ll be on the team," Wall said. Given USA Basketball's recent history, three point guards will travel to the Olympics. Russell Westbrook - coming off an incredible 2014-15 NBA season - has to be in the mix in the backcourt. But before his name could be mentioned, Wall offered another one: "Kyrie."
"I’m just being honest," Wall said of his mentioning Kyrie Irving. "Chris Paul has already won one (gold medal). Steph Curry had an amazing last year and just won the World Cup. Kyrie just won the World Cup. Russell will probably be on the team. They'll use him as a two-guard.
"So, I probably won't make it."
Westbrook at the two makes total sense, both for his frantic play and the ridiculous backcourt depth that the Americans possess. But just a cursory glance of the top-10 U.S. point guards in the NBA shows they could field three very well-led national squads.
| Top tier | Next tier |
|---|---|
| Stephen Curry | Mike Conley |
| Chris Paul | Damian Lillard |
| Russell Westbrook | Kyle Lowry |
| Kyrie Irving | Jeff Teague |
| John Wall | Derrick Rose |
The issue already regularly rears its head at the NBA All-Star level, where Damian Lillard was passed over last season before being named as an injury replacement. Lillard wasn't particularly happy about the initial snub, either.
Wall on the other hand, appears to be pragmatic about the Olympic situation. "Going into this year, (USA Basketball) is an opportunity, but my main goal is focusing on the Washington Wizards," he said.
Still, it makes you wonder if some people wish Irving could suit up for Australia, where he was born.
