The Los Angeles Clippers entered the 2022-23 season with hopes of a championship. After a year of missing the playoffs, they are certainly eager to return and make their first NBA Finals appearance.

For that to happen, the team is counting on Kawhi Leonard recovering from his injury and recapturing his old form. The two-time NBA champion missed the entire 2021-22 campaign recovering from his partial tear of the ACL in his right knee. Los Angeles will also need hoping Paul George to stay healthy throughout the year. The seven-time All-Star played just 31 games last season, which certainly prevented the team from reaching their full potential.

While Leonard and George are crucial for their title aspirations, there is another player who could be key. He might be far from what he was a couple of years ago, but he is showing he can still be important in a playoff team. With that said, here is one pleasant surprise for the Clippers early in the 2022-23 NBA season.

John Wall

It was not so long ago that John Wall was one of the best point guards in the NBA. After five straight All-Star selections, the most recent in 2018, his career took a turn. He suffered a major injury when he ruptured his left Achilles tendon in January 2019. Between his injury and the start of 2022-23, he only appeared in 40 games, including sitting out for two entire seasons. Last year, he sat out in order for the rebuilding Houston Rockets to develop their young core.

After he and the Rockets agreed to a contract buyout this offseason, Wall signed with the Clippers to be the backup point guard behind Reggie Jackson. There were many questions surrounding the veteran due to his extended time out of the court.

So far, Wall is struggling with his shots. He is making 43.4 percent of his field goals but only 24.3 percent on 3-pointers and 57.6 percent on his free-throw attempts.

However, Wall is showing he still has some of his best qualities in him. On 10 games all off the bench, he is averaging 12.6 points, a team-best 5.1 assists and 2.3 rebounds, plus 1.1 steals on 22.6 minutes a night. He is averaging more points per game than Jackson and is leading the Clippers' bench in that category.

With an average of 9.0 assists for his career and an All-Defensive selection in 2015, Wall is displaying some flashes of what made him an All-Star. He might not be close to what he once was, but he is nevertheless contributing to Los Angeles as much as he can.

The Clippers' biggest problem in recent years has been connected with health. Once Leonard went down, the team was not a match for the Phoenix Suns in the Western Conference Finals. Then, without George, Los Angeles could not go past the Play-In Tournament.

Should Wall stay healthy, he could become one of the best sixth men in the NBA, not only for his scoring but mainly for his playmaking and defense. Until Leonard is fully recovered, Wall could help George as a cornerstone on the defensive end.

Also, since the team has Leonard and George, Wall is not under pressure as much as the duo. The two are considered one of the scariest pairs in the league, so it is championship-or-bust for the Clippers with them. On the other hand, Wall is trying to return to his best form while helping the team.

Although Leonard and George deserve attention, the league should not sleep on Wall. The veteran could become an X-factor with his experience. With him off the bench, the Clippers can finally win the long-wanted ring.