Spring Cleaning - John Wall Leads Surging Wizards to First 4-Game Postseason Sweep in Franchise History

John Wall, just 24 years old, has led the Washington Wizards to the first
four game postseason sweep in franchise history.

Getting complacent when leading, giving up on games when behind, and a dismal record against playoff bound teams. All were red flags for the Washington Wizards heading into their first round series with the Toronto Raptors, a team they had gone 0-3 against in the regular season by an average of 9 points. During the best of seven series, the first sweep in franchise history, the Wizards displayed none of their regular season issues. Team defense, unselfish offense, and an intensity reserved for a team with a chip on their shoulder is what got it done. Fueling the surge was the face of the franchise, 2010 1st overall pick John Wall. Wall is playing like the best all-around point guard in the league in the postseason so far. Averaging 18.3 points per game to go along with 13.3 assists, Wall leads second place James Harden in dimes by a whopping 4.6 per game. Combined with his defensive prowess, it's easy to see why the Wizards have been so effective. In Sunday's game Wall tallied 14 points and 10 assists, while making all 7 of his attempted free throws, in just 25 minutes of play. 

Otto Porter Jr (22) goes for rebound with Marcin Gortat (4) in
 first half of Sunday's series clinching win over Toronto (credit ESPN)

Despite being the catalyst, Wall isn't the only reason the Wizards have looked like one of the top teams in this years NBA Playoffs. Bradley Beal has been stellar in all aspects of the game, Marcin Gortat has been a presence inside offensively and defensively, and Paul Pierce has provided the veteran presence and clutch shooting he was brought to Washington for. But perhaps the biggest x-factor, has been Otto Porter Jr. Averaging 32 minutes a game, Porter has added 9.5 points and just over 7 rebounds while shooting 55.6% from the floor and 50% from beyond the arc. This coming from a guy who averaged 19 minutes, 6 points, and 3 rebounds per game on 45% shooting (33.7% from beyond the arc) this season, all career highs. Porter's development, long awaited in Washington, is making a promising young squad's future look even brighter. Continued production from him will be essential to Washington's next series against the winner of the Atlanta-Brooklyn series, currently at two games to one.