"John Wall sat in front of his locker in a rare, unguarded moment. There were no teammates around to joke with; no circling horde of media members shoving recorders and cameras in his face asking him to explain the team's latest loss.

There was only a team trainer, a team official, and a lone reporter standing in the doorway watching, as Wall leaned down to pick up his sneakers, and put them on.

It was less than an hour before game time, and although he'd never admit it, Wall looked tired, and probably was. He was about to lead the Wizards against a superior team that was not playing it's second straight game, and barring another Oklahoma City miracle, he knew this night probably would end with another loss. He would once again be surrounded by people looking to him for answers.

"I know how this feels. Trust me, I've been there," said Chauncey Billups, 35, who's in his 15th NBA season."