Wizards, Bulls and Cavaliers likely to clash in the post-season…
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Washington Wizards point guard John Wall has insisted that he will always be rivals with both Derrick Rose and Kyrie Irving as the trio look set to battle it out in the playoffs this year.
All three point guards are former No.1 Draft picks and all ply their trade in the Eastern Conference, and so naturally they will likely cross paths at various stages over the regular season. However, with all three teams being competitive this season, playoff series between them are also a real possibility.
“I think between me, [Irving] and Derrick, we’re always going to be rivals, in my opinion,” Wall told ESPN.com.
“Number one picks, all in the Eastern Conference, I think it’s going to be a battle for a long time, I mean as long as everybody is healthy and playing. That’s what everybody is going to want to see.”
Rose went as the No.1 pick back in 2008, followed by Wall in 2010 and then Irving in 2011, but while Wall helped the Wizards beat the Bulls in the playoffs last season with Rose out injured, Irving has yet to experience playoff basketball at all.
Nevertheless, despite the talk of rivalry, both Wall and Irving were highly complimentary of one another prior to the Cavs’ 113-87 win over the Wizards on Wednesday night.
Wall insists that Irving is improving and he hopes to match him along the way after being snubbed by Team USA for the FIBA World Cup this past summer, a competition in which Irving received the MVP award.
The Wizards star also insisted that it isn’t about a battle of the backcourts along with Bradley Beal and Dion Waiters, despite the quartet arguing it out during pre-season over which was more talented.
Wall conceded that while it does help build excitement, he is focused on representing Washington as a city and the Wizards as a franchise and helping them achieve success.
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