The Houston Rockets envisioned a different future for the team when they started the 2020-21 season, hoping to continue contending in the West with James Harden. After one season with Russell Westbrook, the Rockets traded him away to get a first-round pick and John Wall, who hadn’t played basketball in 2 seasons due to an injury.
The Rockets had also signed Christian Wood to give Harden a lob threat who can stretch the floor for their small-ball lineups. However, Harden asked to be traded a few weeks into the season and was sent to the Brooklyn Nets, with the Rockets deciding to tank the season with Wall and Wood on the roster.
Wall was not happy about the same, discussing that recently on a podcast where he mocked the Rockets for playing nobodies like Justin Patton on an NBA roster.
“My first year in Houston we were tanking we lost 20 in a row, we was tryna lose on purpose… We was starting n*ggas named Justin Patton”
— John Wall 😂😂😂😂 https://t.co/fAptlVBhPE pic.twitter.com/TF2sG8P0cy
— Bradeaux (@BradeauxNBA) January 17, 2023
“My first year in Houston we were tanking we lost 20 in a row, we was tryna lose on purpose… We was starting n***as named Justin Patton”
Justin Patton ended up seeing what Wall had to say about him and responded on Twitter. Patton was on a two-way contract late in that season and was on the Rockets for just 2 months before being waived in April 2021. He played 13 games that season and averaged 5.4 points with 3.8 rebounds.
https://twitter.com/JustinPatton17/status/1615472841410895873
Wall probably didn’t mean to diss Patton in particular but pointed out the lengths at which the Rockets tanked that season. It worked out, as the Rockets received the 2nd overall pick and drafted Jalen Green, one of their franchise cornerstones for the future.
John Wall’s Turbulent Time With The Houston Rockets
John Wall only ended up playing that 2020-21 season, being benched for the entirety of the 2021-22 season as the Rockets focused on tanking for a top pick in the 2022 draft. The Rockets achieved their goal and had the worst record in the NBA for a second consecutive season, getting the pick to draft Jabari Smith Jr. this summer.
Wall showed flashes of his old self in the 40 games he played with the Rockets, averaging 20.6 points and 6.9 assists. He was too good for the Rockets’ plans, so they kept him on the bench for a season, trying to find him a trade. After they couldn’t find one in the 2021-22 season, they agreed on a contract buyout so that Wall could sign with the Los Angeles Clippers, where he’s playing this season.
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