Add John Wall to the growing list of people who aren’t the biggest fans of today’s NBA. During an appearance on The OGs Show, Wall lamented that no one is playing defense in the league now.
“The game just changed so much, it’s hard to watch,” Wall said. “It’s hard to watch because nobody is playing defense. It’s a lot of shots… For me, it’s like going to play pickup. It’s like we go play pickup in the summer, you get a bucket, you get a bucket. Go 1-on-1, go 1-on-1, so that’s just all it really is.”
John Wall says today’s NBA is hard to watch
“Nobody is playing defense.”
(🎥 @theOGsShow / https://t.co/uSPrL11Xbo) pic.twitter.com/CZdy7w53SY
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) March 17, 2024
Wall is far from the only one to believe that no defense is being played in the league now. This season, teams are averaging 114.7 points per game, which is incidentally, the same as the 2022-23 campaign.
For some context, there have only been eight seasons in total in NBA history where teams have averaged more points than that. None of them are recent either, as all eight came between 1960 and 1970. Gilbert Arenas wildly blamed European players for bad defense in the NBA, but that was a bit nonsensical.
The emphasis on the three-pointer is a big reason for the surge in scoring. Almost every player can shoot from beyond the arc now, which leads to the floor being spaced.
Add in defensive three-second violations and you get incredible scoring outbursts on a fairly consistent basis. I don’t believe that players don’t want to play defense, it’s just that it has become a lot harder to defend at a high level. There are only a few around the league, who are capable of doing that.
Wall at his absolute best, could have been in contention to be part of that group. He was a terrific offensive player at his peak, but could more than hold his own on the defensive end too. In 2015, he made the NBA All-Defensive Second Team and you could argue he should have made it in a few more times.
John Wall Is Open To Playing For The Heat
While Wall says today’s game is hard to watch, he certainly wouldn’t mind playing in the NBA. In this episode, the 33-year-old said he is open to joining the Miami Heat.
“1000 percent,” Wall said when asked if he would be open to joining the Heat. “… (I) just feel like I can help them a lot. I think getting Terry (Rozier) was a great piece for them. Somebody that can make plays in pick-and-roll for them and stuff. But even if I didn’t start, coming off the bench I think I could be another person that can help them.”
John Wall is open to joining the Miami Heat
“I can help them a lot.”
(🎥 @theOGsShow / https://t.co/uSPrL11plQ) pic.twitter.com/kt4SI011D1
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) March 12, 2024
Wall revealed he works out with Bam Adebayo as well. Unfortunately for him, it doesn’t appear as if the Heat have a lot of interest in his services. The rest of the league doesn’t seem to believe he can help them either.
Wall last played for the Los Angeles Clippers in the 2022-23 season and averaged 11.4 points, 2.7 rebounds, 5.2 assists, 0.8 steals, and 0.4 blocks per game in a backup role. The Clippers traded him midway through the season to the Houston Rockets, who waived him soon after.
No team then opted to acquire Wall on the buyout market and the five-time All-Star remains a free agent to this day. With how much time has passed now, it is hard to see him getting another chance to play in the NBA.
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