Despite the Wizards second worst record in the East they still have a few things to be excited about, JaVale’s playing being one of them.
Analysis: This has been a breakout year for JaVale with everything except team success coming his way. He really broke out of his shell during the all-star game with his creative dunks. The dunk on two separate rims was epic. He appears to have found a new confidence and is harnessing it very successfully. Over the last 10 games JaVale is averaging a whopping 3.5 blocks per game along with 11 boards. He is also putting up decent scoring numbers with 14 points a contest at 59% shooting. These last 10 game statistics are well above JaVale’s season averages, but I don’t see them as a fluke. I believe the more he plays with a great point guard in John Wall and the more confidence he accumulates the better he will be. At this point in the season the Wizards aren’t playing for anything. Their playoff hopes have long been dashed and their is really no purpose to them trying their hardest. JaVale is still putting up one of the best streaks of his career.
Projection: JaVale has finally arrived and I expect his stats to improve on his recent streak. He’ll finish out the season posting similar numbers, but next season is when you should expect him to really pour it on. Imagine how good he’ll be when he’s actually playing for something.