WASHINGTON – John Wall didn’t know what he didn’t need until he didn’t get it. The Washington Wizards never hid their intentions to use their available salary-cap space last summer to acquire a marquee free agent (preferably a slender, 7-foot, former MVP swingman who grew up a subway train ride from the arena). Wall was among those within the organization who wasn’t under any restrictions to publicly lobby for Kevin Durant to make some kind of LeBron James-type homecoming to rescue a wobbly franchise.

Despite the Wizards’ not-so-subtle hirings and personnel decisions, and Wall’s stated dreams of a new Big Three in Washington, Durant didn’t reciprocate that interest. He refused to even grant them a meeting. The move worked out well for Durant, putting him on a team favored to capture the NBA title. But the Wizards’ massive free-agent whiff – which also included Al Horford’s close-call decision to join the Boston Celtics – may have also been a blessing in disguise for Wall.

With no “super vet” – as Wall’s backcourt mate, Bradley Beal, referred to the players at the top of the Wizards’ free-agent wish list – around to lean on, Wall had to assume more personal responsibility for the direction of the franchise.

“It put more pressure on me to be the main guy, to be the guy. I think it made it a role of, ‘OK, you’re the franchise guy,'” Wall told The Vertical. “I went back this year with a mind-set of, ‘This is definitely my team. We have to get it going.’ If I don’t lead these guys, on the court, in practice, show leadership off the court, talking to guys, talking in the locker room, we’re never going to get to where we want to go, never going to get to the promised land. We have an opportunity to do something special.”

John Wall averaged 23.1 points, 10.7 assists and 2.1 steals this season. (AP) More

While Boston is the No. 1 seed and Cleveland remains the favorite to represent the Eastern Conference in the NBA Finals, the Wizards (49-33) have concluded their greatest regular season in a generation, complete with a division title and home-court advantage in the first round for the first time since 1979. Wall and Beal are temporarily painted on the wall of the local landmark eatery, Ben’s Chili Bowl. Wizards fans are adjusting to the unusual position of rooting for a team expected to win, instead of one that might win with some favorable bounces. And Wall’s confidence is higher than his vertical when it comes to where his team can – and should – go this season.

“I’ve got to get past the second round,” Wall told The Vertical. “I feel like I already should’ve been in the Eastern Conference finals. Not saying it’s easy, and it’s not going to be easy. Cleveland is still the team to beat, got the best player in the world, LeBron, can turn it on any minute and dominate. But for us to get that type of respect and knowing we went to war with those guys, in the past, we didn’t have it. Everybody was like, Cleveland is that favored team, Miami Heat were that favored team, you get there, just be happy because it’s going to be tough to get by them. I think this year, all teams in the East feel they can really give Cleveland that chance to knock them off their throne.”

Cleveland’s bizarre slide to the second seed in the East means the Wizards wouldn’t meet the defending champion until the conference finals. They’d have to first get past the Atlanta Hawks and possibly the Celtics. Wall has some postseason history with Atlanta, breaking a hand in the second round two seasons ago and being denied a chance to upset the then-60-win Hawks and face the Cavaliers. (“We could’ve had it,” Wall said of those Hawks. “It was like, ‘They can’t beat us.’ “) And Washington developed a mutual disdain for Boston over the years that led to some fingers-to-the-face exchanges and Wizards players adorning funeral attire for a Celtics game this season.

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