John Wall wants a championship. The Washington Wizards' point guard is making it clear that after a few seasons of disappointment in the playoffs, he is looking to get a ring and not waste another year. However, the Wizards could be thinking long-term for playoffs, as Wall has admitted that Kevin Durant will be a top priority in free agency this summer.
While Wall is thinking about this year, he knows the Wizards have their sights set on the offseason. This year, Durant will hit the market and Washington is hopeful that they sit at the top of his wish list, considering they have the hometown card in their back pocket. Durant has not said a word about where he is planning to sign once his contract with the Oklahoma City Thunder, but Wall knows that Washington will put on a good sales pitch.
"I know what our goal is, to try to go after Kevin, which is not a bad situation. But my ultimate goal is this year. I ain't trying to waste a season," Wall said, according to The Vertical. "I'm in my sixth year. Time don't wait for nobody and I've dealt with it my first three years of not being in the playoffs. I know how it feels to have a longer summer, a longer vacation. I don't want that."
The clock is ticking for the Wizards this season. The team is currently below .500 while sitting in the No. 10 spot in the standings, three spots out of the No. 8 slot. The Wizards made moves at the NBA trade deadline to try and give them more help for the playoffs. The road to the NBA Finals goes through Cleveland right now, which caused Washington to get upgrades in Markieff Morris and JJ Hickson. Head coach Randy Wittman said that the deal to get Morris was to provide a jolt for the team. Now, Morris is just tasked with getting up to speed quickly.
"Just try to get him familiar," Wittman said, via The Washington Post. "It's more terminology than actual understanding of what a set is or what we're trying to run. It's just being able to formulate what we call it compared to what other teams call it."
The Wizards wasted a chance for a much-needed win when they fell to the injury-depleted Bulls Wednesday night. That is not helping their standings in the Eastern Conference. Bradley Beal told The Washington Post that the Bulls played with desperation and the Wizards did not. The team needs to find that mentality if they plan on seeing the playoffs.
