John Wall Blocks Carmelo, Jukes Out Jason Kidd, Reminds Us That He's Still Very Good At Basketball

Remember when you saw a John Wall highlight reel for the first time? My first experience with him came courtesy of this mixtape from his high school days, in which Wall fast-twitches all over various high school gyms and generally looks like a space alien come to destroy our previous notions of what a basketball player can and cannot do.

It's been a long time since I've felt that way about Wall. Since going pro, his electric talents have been buried under the persistent dysfunction of his Wizards team, a prolonged injury, and the possibility that he had transformed into Fat John Wall. The fact that the NBA is now littered with dynamic young point guards didn't help matters, either. There are only so many hosannas to go around.

But last night, while leading his team to a 10-point victory over the New York Knicks, Wall reminded us that he is still very much John Wall. In the video above, you'll see Wall swipe a shot away from Carmelo Anthony, streak down to other end of the court, rip out Jason Kidd's still-beating center of gravity with a vicious spin move, and then softly lay the ball in.

Wall has only started eight games since returning from injury last month and is still playing himself into game shape (you can see that he never quite reaches full, holy-shit-how-is-he-moving-that-fast speed in the play above), but last night served as a reminder that he is back, and that he is, hopefully, ready to dazzle us once again.