Latest sports news: John Wall vows to come back better than ever

Wizards point guard John Wall is returning next season, and you shouldn’t expect a drop-off in his game.

Wall hasn’t played since Dec. 26, 2018 after suffering an Achilles injury. He later slipped and fell in February of 2019, extending his recovery.

A long layoff generated discussion about whether Wall would ever be the same, but the five-time All-Star seems as motivated as ever.

“I’m gonna be better than what I was before, and that’s the scary part ...nthey ain’t even get the best of John Wall yet," Wall said on the All the Smoke Podcast.

Wall discussed how he had been playing for years with a bone spur in his knee and a bad heel. The time off has allowed him to fix those issues, so he can take his game to the next level.

This sounds believable. Wall was one of the five best point guards in the NBA at his peak. He made five consecutive All-Star games before an injury-shortened campaign in 2018-19. His best season was 2016-17 when he averaged 23.1 points and 10.7 assists. If he truly has another gear, watch out NBA.

Wall’s blazing speed is his best attribute, but his shooting has always been considered a weakness. He’s shot 32.4% in his career from three, but it looks like he’s strengthening that.

“He’s running, he’s jumping, he’s shooting. He’s shooting the lights out. That’s the good thing about an injury like he’s had — all you have to do is shoot. He’s looking good,” Wizards head coach Scott Brooks told “The Sports Junkies" on 106.7 The Fan in D.C. in November.

A better-than-ever Wall and an improved shooter? It sounds hard to believe, but the conviction he spoke with made me a believer. Wall playing at an All-Star level is good for the NBA, and besides, the Wizards need any kind of help they can get right now.

Alex Smith went through one of the worse injuries you will ever see. The Redskins quarterback broke his leg after being sacked by the Texans on Nov. 18, 2018. His season was clearly over; the concern was more about saving his leg.

Smith has been rehabbing and recovering from the injury for more than 16 months. ESPN’s E:60 will air a program Friday night that will show exclusive footage of Smith’s road to recovery.

“No NFL player has ever been through what Alex Smith has,” said Andy Tennant, E60 executive producer. “He’s normally a very private person but he wanted to document his road to recovery as well and as detailed as possible, with the hope that future players could use it as a road map."

Smith has undergone 17 surgeries since suffering the broken leg. And despite all of that, he wants to return to the NFL.

This would have been unthinkable 30 years ago. It’s still surprising today. This will be one of the most-viewed sports shows since the postponement of live sports.