Tag: John Wall

John Wall said Kevin Porter Jr., Jalen Green would be out of the league if they played this way for a different team

John Wall said his experience with the Rockets was beyond trash.

The Houston Rockets have the worst record in the NBA and insiders around the league are questioning their leadership.

The organization has won just one of its last seventeen games and is currently amid an 11-game losing streak. Since Dec. 15, they have had the worst offensive and defensive ratings in the league.

Austin Rivers, who played for the Rockets from 2018 until 2020, recently said that Houston guards Jalen Green and Kevin Porter Jr. need to learn how to play the game “the right” way.

John Wall, who was teammates with Green and Porter during his team with the Rockets, echoed these sentiments during a recent podcast appearance. He described his experience with the Rockets as “beyond trash” and spoke about the harsh advice he gave to the two guards.

WARNING: NSFW language ahead!

Here is what Wall told Run Your Race host and NBA wing Theo Pinson:

“I was just being a professional. Like, I always wanted to teach them, like, don’t get used to this losing [expletive]. It’s not how the NBA is. It’s just a bad organization right now. Like, they’ve got to fix some [expletive] around. But I always talk to Jalen Green, Kevin Porter, KJ, like, yo, don’t get adjusted to this losing [expletive]. It’s not how the league is. At the same time, I had to tell them, like, the [expletive] ya’ll getting away with over there, you go to any other team, you’d be out of the [expletive] league. Like, you wouldn’t play. So I’m trying to explain that to them because they think it’s sweet. I’m like: If you ever get traded and go somewhere else, you’re going to be like, ‘this [expletive] was right.'”

Wall agreed to a contract buyout with the Rockets in June 2022 and signed with the Clippers. He is currently the subject of trade rumors as the Clippers search for a backup big man.

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Green, who was the No. 2 overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, has said that Wall is like a “big bro” to him off the court. He has been criticized for his lack of defensive effort and productivity, struggles with focus and attention to detail, and questionable decision-making on the floor.

The Rockets will need to address these serious concerns about Green and Porter, especially if they land top NBA draft prospect Victor Wembanyama.

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John Wall blasts Rockets in new interview, accuses team of tanking

In a new interview, former #Rockets guard John Wall was critical of his time in Houston, adding that his one season as an active player involved “tanking.”

John Wall joined the Rockets by trade in December 2020. At that time, former MVP and perennial All-Star guard James Harden was still on the roster, and Houston hoped to salvage that relationship and continue making consistently deep runs in the NBA playoffs.

Less than two months later, Harden forced his way out of town by leveraging a trade to Brooklyn, and Rockets general manager Rafael Stone pivoted quickly to a rebuild. The timing made sense, considering the enormous amount of first-round draft capital Houston owes Oklahoma City in the 2024-2026 timeframe.

In short, if the Rockets wanted high draft picks to help jump start their climb back to contention, it needed to be in 2023 and earlier.

That 2020-21 season was particularly delicate, since the Thunder owned a right to swap picks with the Rockets in the first round, as long as Houston didn’t finish in the top four of the NBA draft lottery.

Ultimately, the Rockets had a clear incentive to maximize their odds at a top-four finish in 2021, which they did with a woeful finish to the season that included an historic 20-game losing streak. They ended up landing at No. 2 in the lottery and using that pick on Jalen Green.

It was a tough spot for a veteran like Wall, a five-time NBA All-Star who was coming off multiple years lost due to injury and simply wanted an opportunity to compete. In a new interview with Tidal Sports, Wall accuses the team of “tanking” for draft placement.

“My first year in Houston, we were tanking,” Wall tells the podcast host. “We lost 20 in a row. We were trying to lose on purpose, tanking. We were starting (guys) named Justin Patton.”

Wall also said he couldn’t come to an agreement with Stone or head coach Stephen Silas on playing time and a mutually satisfactory role for the ensuing 2021-22 season, which led to him sitting out that campaign and having his contract bought out in June 2022.

Here’s how Wall recalls the conversation with Silas:

Coach said, ‘How would you feel coming off the bench?’ I said, ‘For who? No offense, but for who? I was your best player last year.’

‘This is what the GM wants. He wants you to play 10-15 minutes a game, sometimes don’t play.’ I said, ‘I’m not doing that. Either you’re going to guarantee me some minutes, or I’m not. Let (a player) earn his spot.’

Coach said, ‘You don’t deserve that, you should be a starter. This is what they want to do.’

As Wall sees it, in the pursuit of higher draft capital and a relative absence of veterans, young players on the Rockets are developing bad habits that wouldn’t be tolerated elsewhere. Wall mentioned Green, Kevin Porter Jr., and KJ Martin as players he had spoken with.

“The (expletive) y’all getting away with over there, if you go to any other teams you’d be out of the league,” he said. “You wouldn’t play. I’m trying to explain it to them, because they think it’s sweet.”

“Don’t get used to this,” Wall said of his advice to Houston’s current younger players. “This is not how the NBA is. It’s a bad organization right now. They’ve got to fix some (expletive).”

The Rockets (10-34) own the NBA’s worst record of the 2022-23 season, and they finished dead last in each of the prior two years, as well. After losing to the Lakers on Monday, Houston has lost 11 straight games, tied for the most in the league this season. They’ve lost 17 of their last 18 games, overall, and appear on track for another high pick in the 2023 draft, which takes place in June.

Following that draft, and with up to $60 million in salary cap room, the Rockets should pivot back to a winning approach — particularly since Oklahoma City is likely to own Houston’s first-round draft assets from 2024 through 2026. The question is whether any bad habits acquired in recent seasons will undercut that movement.

Scroll on for a compilation of interview excerpts and reactions. The complete interview can be viewed below, as well.

ESPN’s Monica McNutt would take Malcolm Brogdon over John Wall in hypothetical pickup squad

“I am so excited to see him back playing ball and healthy but I’ve always loved Malcolm Brogdon,” said McNutt.

If you ask ESPN’s Monica McNutt who she would pick between Boston Celtics super sixth man Malcolm Brogdon and Los Angeles Clippers reserve floor general John Wall, the answer is easy.

“Brogdon — and I love John Wall,” replied McNutt in a recent interview with Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson on his semi-eponymous “Scoop B Radio” podcast where Robinson did ask her that question.

“I am so excited to see him back playing ball and healthy but I’ve always loved Malcolm Brogdon,” McNutt offered. “Malcolm Brogdon, Jalen Brunson, Mike Conley, Jrue Holiday (to a degree) — no flash, all ball.”

“They can hit you at all three levels; maybe not an elite 3-point shooter but if you leave him open, they will do the damage.”

“Those are my favorite types of point guard,” explained McNutt. “I don’t need any flash. Even Chris Paul in the second part of his career; I don’t need a whole bunch of dynamic explosions.”

“I need you to get us into our offense, finish and hit me when I’m ready to shoot the ball,” she closed. “Simple.”

Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3F9DvjQ

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Rockets at Clippers: Monday’s lineups, injury reports, broadcast and stream info

In a matchup of teams on losing streaks, the Rockets were expecting to face former teammate John Wall for the first time. However, the Clippers are holding him out due to a back-to-back.

The Rockets (1-6) and Clippers (2-4) are each looking to snap extended losing streaks as Houston wraps up its four-game road trip at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on Monday night.

For the Rockets, it was slated to be their first time to face former teammate John Wall since he was bought out of his contract over the 2022 offseason. However, that will now have to wait until at least Wednesday’s rematch in Houston, since Wall was a late scratch due to injury management.

Both the Rockets and Clippers played Sunday, so each team is on night two of a back-to-back. Houston rested veteran guard Eric Gordon on the first half of its set, so he is available Monday, but Los Angeles did not rest Wall — which is why he’s not going to play.

The Clippers lost by 21 to Boston on Sunday and are currently on a four-game losing streak, while the rebuilding Rockets fell by 15 in Phoenix and enter on a three-game skid.

Full Houston Rockets 17-player payroll for 2022-23 NBA season

Now that Houston’s roster is set for the 2022-23 regular season, here’s an updated look at what each #Rockets player will make financially this season.

The Houston Rockets remain one of the youngest teams in the NBA. Yet, entering what is considered by most as the third season of a franchise rebuild, clear signs of optimism are emerging.

The optimism starts with second-year guard Jalen Green, who looks to have picked up where he left off in his dynamic 2021-22 rookie season. In case you forgot, that’s when he finished with an historic scoring burst that led to a spot on the league’s All-Rookie first team.

There’s also Jabari Smith Jr., selected by Houston at No. 3 overall in the first round of the 2022 NBA draft. For Smith, this season offers an opportunity to justify that lofty draft placement and show his potential as a future franchise cornerstone alongside Green.

Combine that duo with promising young players like Alperen Sengun, Tari Eason, KJ Martin and recently extended guard Kevin Porter Jr., and it’s easy to see the reasons for optimism. That youth is also why the Rockets are a relatively inexpensive team, particularly if excluding dead money in the form of former players (i.e. John Wall).

With that in mind, here is the full Rockets roster and salaries entering the 2022-23 regular season. This version reflects all moves made to trim from Houston’s 20-man roster at training camp to the NBA’s limit of 15 standard contracts and two two-way deals for the season, such as the recent waiving of veteran big man Derrick Favors.

This list is sorted in ascending order from least to most, financially, during the 2022-23 season, according to HoopsHype salary data. Any potential future earnings for each Rockets player as part of his current contract are noted beneath each photo.

John Wall keeps reminding us that even the steadiest among us sometimes need help too

John Wall is taking vulnerability to another level with his Player’s Tribune piece

The vulnerability John Wall has displayed over the last few years is to be commended.

The Clippers’ guard revealed to the world in a pretty matter-of-fact way that he’d contemplated suicide at one point or another over the last few years. He’d battled injury, been traded, lost his mom, and nearly lost a limb during that time, according to Wall’s most recent account of his struggles on The Player’s Tribune, in which he explained exactly why his brain took him to the deep, dark depths that it did.

In short, he felt he had nothing. Nobody was there for him. It’d gotten to the point where even the thought of his children losing their father wasn’t enough to convince him he needed to stick around.

“The one thing I always held on to, in the darkest times, was the thought of my boys — just the little things, like wanting to be around for their first day of school, or their first vacation. Or wanting them to see their dad play in an NBA game for real, and not just on some highlights from back in the day. Those thoughts held me down during a lot of hard nights. But if I’m being honest, even the thought of being a father wasn’t enough for me to get help. That’s how depression lies to you. That devil on your shoulder is whispering to you, ‘Well, maybe they’d be better off without you here.'”

That hurts to read. It would hurt to read if it were anyone, but it especially hurts reading this from John Wall.

To so many Wizards fans, Wall wasn’t just a basketball player. He was a hero. He was an idol. A community pillar. He lifted the Wizards up from basketball’s basement into relevance with his own two shoulders.

He gave so much of himself to the team, the franchise and the city. There were so many moments. Game 6. His game for Miyah. The Raptors sweep.

There were also the many turkey drives and backpack giveaways he’d put together for the community. He never hesitated to reach out and help people. He even paid people’s rent during the pandemic while he was on the way out.  So to know that this man who always seemed to be giving, giving, giving was pushed to the brink like that? Yeah, that hurts.

Thankfully, he’s still here. And it’s all because of six words, he said: “Yo! I need some f***ing help!”

That’s the message he sent a friend who then got him the help he needed. Those words are so important. And, at one point or another, we’ve all been there. Maybe not in a situation as dire, but we’ve been there.

Swallowing your pride is hard. Vulnerability is hard. But being open and honest about when you need help is essential, even for the strongest and most solid among us. Nobody is perfect. We all fall sometimes and we can’t get up. But, as Wall teaches us with this piece, being able to reach out to someone willing to lend a helping hand can literally save your life.

I’m grateful he did that and I’m grateful he’s finding the peace he needs through all the loss he’s endured. It sounds like he’s in a much better place and that’s what matters most.

The work isn’t done — it almost never is. The path back isn’t going to be an easy one. But, with help, he’ll get there. And we’ll be cheering him on every step of the way.

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John Wall opened up about his mental health during turmoil of recent years: ‘Darkest place I’ve ever been’

Some things are bigger than basketball.

Welcome to Layup Lines, our daily NBA newsletter where we’ll prep you for a tip-off of tonight’s action, from what to watch to bets to make. Subscribe here to get it delivered to your inbox every afternoon.

John Wall has had a rough last few years.

In addition to the injuries and other circumstances that have sidelined him for 277 out of a possible 390 games since 2017, Wall lost his mom to breast cancer in December 2019 — just before the COVID-19 pandemic — and his grandmother also died in the time after.

He shared how all of the turmoil affected his mental health earlier this month during a garden dedication for his mother at the Salvation Army in his hometown Raleigh, NC.

“Darkest place I’ve ever been in,” Wall said in the interview. “At one point in time, I thought about committing suicide. I mean, just tearing my Achilles, my mom being sick, my mom passing, my grandma passed a year later, all this in the midst of COVID and at the same time, me going to chemotherapy, me sitting by my mom taking her last breaths wearing the same clothes for three days straight laying on the couch beside her.”

Wall said he found a therapist, and he encouraged people in a similar place to be true to themselves and get the help they need. The interview was incredibly eye-opening, and hopefully his testimony helps other people dealing with tough circumstances.

“I’m looking at all that and I’m like, ‘If I can get through this, I can get through anything in life,'” Wall said.

After being held out of the entire 2021-22 season by the Rockets, Wall joined the Clippers in the offseason and is ready to get back on the hardwood. He’s not the only person going through something, but it’ll be hard not to root for him to have a great season.

More importantly, it sounds like he’s in a much better place mentally, and that’s great to hear.

The Tip-Off

Some NBA goodness from around the USA TODAY Sports network.

Chuck Cook-USA TODAY Sports

Good news hoops fans! The NBA is slashing the price for League Pass in 2022-23, meaning keeping up with your favorite teams just became more affordable. The standard package is going all the way down to $99 from $230. And the premium package is also seeing a significant drop.

But that’s not the only benefit of a cheaper League Pass. As my colleague Cole Huff wrote, this is a win for bettors as well.

“In addition to keeping up with the competition, I can’t help but think about this move from a sports betting angle.

Perhaps it wasn’t the NBA’s motive, but more affordable prices will only further grow the number of subscribers. More subscribers mean more engagement, which could mean more participation in gambling, something that the league has continued to push publicly in recent years.

I know I’ll be tuning in to track my NBA futures bets. But even if you’re not a gambling person, the service becoming more affordable is a huge win for fans everywhere.”

One to Watch

(All odds via Tipico.)

AP Photo/John Locher

WNBA Semifinals, Game 2: Seattle Storm (+200) at Las Vegas Aces (-5.5, -250), O/U 169.5, 10 PM ET

Seattle came out the gate in Game 1 and let Vegas know the Storm aren’t to be taken lightly. In Game 2, I think the Aces respond accordingly and cover the 5.5-point spread at home.

Shootaround

— The Houston Rockets’ new uniform is giving everyone Seattle Supersonics vibes, and it’s really confusing.

— Serge Ibaka makes music, and his latest single has streamed more than any active NBA player on Spotify.

— With Patrick Beverley now on the roster, the Lakers plan to play him alongside Russell Westbrook. What could go wrong?

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John Wall is looking forward to reigniting Lakers-Clippers ‘rivalry’

New Clippers guard John Wall is looking forward to going to battle against the Lakers.

Ever since the Los Angeles Clippers started putting together solid teams about a decade ago, many have been trying to manufacture a rivalry between them and the Los Angeles Lakers.

For various reasons, a true rivalry between the two squads hasn’t materialized, as they have never met in the NBA playoffs.

During the regular season, the Clippers have held the upper hand over the Lakers, winning most of their contests versus the Purple and Gold since the 2012-13 season.

Seemingly everyone in Southern California has been expecting and looking forward to a postseason match between Kawhi Leonard’s crew and LeBron James’ flock, but to no avail.

It sounds like new Clippers guard John Wall wants to make it happen (at 10:19).

 

“Battle? Whatever they call it. I think the Clippers like haven’t lost, what, the last eight times if I’m not mistaken? Yeah. Both haven’t been healthy, both teams haven’t been competing, but you know, we know what they have over there. And we know we have on our side. So, I think it’s gonna be a great battle and I think it’s a great opportunity for me. I think a lot of people will get to see me play on TV. I mean, being with Kawhi and those guys, they have a lot of TV games. I think that’s when people get to see your show.”Wall used to be a perennial All-Star until he tore his Achilles a few years ago, and some feel he is washed up. He missed all of this past season, and he shot just 40.4 percent from the field and 31.7 percent from 3-point range the year before.

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The Clippers are expected to be championship contenders once again if they manage to get and stay healthy, while the Lakers are in a sort of flux due to the Russell Westbrook situation.

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Projected starting lineup for Clippers with John Wall

The Lakers may get all the attention in the City of Angels, but the Clippers have a roster that executives would dream of having. John Wall finally made his way to Los Angeles, but it was not for the team that many thought it would be. The Clippers …

The Lakers may get all the attention in the City of Angels, but the Clippers have a roster that executives would dream of having. John Wall finally made his way to Los Angeles, but it was not for the team that many thought it would be. The Clippers reached an agreement immediately after Wall was bought out in Houston.

On paper, the Clippers are one of four favorites to win the title next season at +650 according to Tipico. Combined with the return of Kawhi Leonard and the star play of Paul George, the Clippers have built a Murderer’s Row of players who would be tough to beat four times.

The two-headed monster of Leonard and George will create havoc for other teams throughout the season. Lawrence Frank and the rest of the front office have done a good job surrounding both stars with the versatility to play both big and small depending on matchups.

Projected starting lineup for Clippers with John Wall

The Lakers may get all the attention in the City of Angels, but the Clippers have a roster that executives would dream of having. John Wall finally made his way to Los Angeles, but it was not for the team that many thought it would be. The Clippers reached an agreement immediately after Wall was bought out in Houston.

On paper, the Clippers are one of four favorites to win the title next season at +650 according to Tipico. Combined with the return of Kawhi Leonard and the star play of Paul George, the Clippers have built a Murderer’s Row of players who would be tough to beat four times.

The two-headed monster of Leonard and George will create havoc for other teams throughout the season. Lawrence Frank and the rest of the front office have done a good job surrounding both stars with the versatility to play both big and small depending on matchups.