Wall goes first, Turner second in NBA draft

Associated Press

NEW YORK

John Wall is ready to go to Washington and clean up the Wizards.

And he’s expected to have more backcourt help when he gets there — whether or not Gilbert Arenas is still around.

The Wizards selected Wall with the No. 1 pick in the NBA draft and agreed to a trade for another guard Thursday, hoping they’ve found players who can help them quickly bounce back from a season that was embarrassing on the court and in the locker room.

“I feel like I had pressure since I became No. 1 in high school and was one of the top players,” Wall said. “I always got there hungry wanting to fight hard and compete in every game, so when I step on the court I’m going to take on any challenge there.”

The SEC player of the year is the first Kentucky player ever chosen first overall — and started a record run of Wildcats. He goes to a team still reeling from Arenas’ season-ending suspension for bringing guns into the team locker room.

Wall could replace Arenas as the Wizards’ point guard, or perhaps play alongside him in a potential high-scoring backcourt.

He’ll try to become the third straight freshman point guard to win Rookie of the Year honors after Chicago’s Derrick Rose and Sacramento’s Tyreke Evans — who like Wall also played for John Calipari.

The pick came shortly after a person familiar with the deal told The Associated Press that the Chicago Bulls had agreed to trade veteran guard Kirk Hinrich and the 17th pick in the draft, Kevin Seraphin, to the Wizards. Hinrich is a solid veteran defensive guard who could help with Wall’s transition to the NBA.

The Philadelphia 76ers took national player of the year Evan Turner from Ohio State at No. 2.

The notoriously tough Philadelphia fans at Madison Square Garden liked the choice, loudly cheering and chanting “Evan Turner! Evan Turner!”

“I don’t have any pressure. I have a lot of demands of myself,” Turner said. “If Philly expects me to be great, then we have a mutual understanding.”

Derrick Favors became the second freshman taken in the first three picks when the New Jersey Nets chose the Georgia Tech forward.

“I pretty much knew John was going to 1 and Evan was going 2, but I had no idea I was going to the Nets, and when they called me I was just excited,” Favors said.

The Minnesota Timberwolves then grabbed Syracuse forward Wesley Johnson, whom the Nets also had considered.

After his name was announced to begin the draft, Wall hugged family members and donned a blue Wizards cap before climbing onto the stage to shake commissioner David Stern’s hand.

Predicted to finish in the top half of the Eastern Conference last season, the Wizards’ season quickly spiraled out of control, reaching its low point on New Year’s Day when news broke of the altercation involving guns between Arenas and fellow guard Javaris Crittenton, who also was suspended for the year.

Washington eventually traded fellow stars Antawn Jamison and Caron Butler in a dismal 26-56 finish.