It has been over a year now since John Wall was part of an NBA team and he isn’t taking that too well. Wall recently appeared on Podcast P with Paul George, where he stated he desperately wants to be back in the league and is willing to accept any role.
“I know a lot of these teams have a lot of young guys on the team. They don’t have a lot of vets,” Wall said. “And I think you need those vets in the locker room. That’s what teams are missing. I’m willing to accept any role it is to be on a team. If it’s playing, not playing, being in the Udonis Halsem role. Anything like that.
“I just wanna be in an NBA jersey again because I know how much the game means to me, how much I still have left,” Wall continued. “If it’s helping the team playing, if it’s helping the team trying to be a coach or be a mentor, I’m willing to accept that.”
(starts at 34:17 mark):
It certainly is understandable that Wall would miss being in the NBA. His whole life has revolved around basketball, and being removed from that environment for this long would have stung him a lot.
Wall’s last game in the NBA came with the Los Angeles Clippers in Jan. 2023. The five-time All-Star was traded to the Houston Rockets a month later at the deadline and three days later, he was waived.
Wall held a private workout for multiple teams in July 2023 in the hopes of getting another opportunity in the league but remained unsigned for the entire 2023-24 campaign. While that is not a good sign, Isaiah Thomas signed with the Phoenix Suns last season after being out of the league for almost two years, so I wouldn’t blame the 33-year-old for believing he can get another opportunity.
Wall is no longer the star he once was, but still put up solid averages of 11.4 points, 2.7 rebounds, 5.2 assists, 0.8 steals, and 0.4 blocks per game for the Clippers in 2022-23. I think he can be a decent backup point guard, but I don’t see anyone bringing him in to play that Udonis Haslem role.
Haslem barely played for the Miami Heat in his last few years with the franchise, but was a great leader in the locker room and was a culture-setter. He was a fine mentor for the likes of Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro as well.
Wall, on the other hand, didn’t exactly shine when thrust into that mentorship role with the Rockets during his first stint with the franchise from 2020 to 2022. If he’s learned from some of the mistakes he made, then it might work out, but I am not completely sold on him being a good choice for that role.
John Wall Believes He Is The Greatest Wizards Player Ever
During this episode of the podcast, Paul George brought up Gilbert Arenas’ claim that Wall is the greatest player in Washington Wizards franchise history. George wondered if he agreed with that statement and he did. (starts at the 47:32 mark in the above video).
“It’s funny bro, because I do,” Wall said.
Wall was drafted by the Wizards with the first pick of the 2010 NBA Draft and spent 10 seasons with the franchise. He averaged 19.0 points, 4.3 rebounds, 9.2 assists, 1.7 steals, and 0.7 blocks per game in those seasons and made five All-Star appearances. Wall also made the All-NBA Third Team in 2017 and the NBA All-Defensive Second Team in 2015.
He didn’t have a lot of success in the playoffs, though, as the Wizards never came close to winning a championship during his time there. Wall led the franchise to the playoffs four times and they did get out of the first round thrice (2014, 2015, 2017). On all three occasions, though, the Wizards lost in the Conference Semifinals.
Still, Wall was undoubtedly one of the best point guards in the league at his peak. If we only consider the Wizards era for the franchise, I think he probably has gone down as the greatest player, as no one else had a ton of postseason success either.
If the Bullets era is also included, though, then I would give the nod to Wes Unseld. Unseld is the only player in franchise history to win MVP, and he also led them to their first and only championship in 1978.
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