The Los Angeles Clippers are set to face Bradley Beal and the Washington Wizards at Crypto Dot Com Arena on Saturday afternoon. The Clippers acquired five-time NBA All-Star guard John Wall this season after he missed the entire 2021-22 season with the Houston Rockets. As the injury-riddled 2022-23 season continues and Wall's return is closely monitored, it leads to one to wonder: Is John Wall playing vs. Wizards?
Is John Wall playing today vs. Wizards?
So far, the Clippers have a 17-14 record through their first 31 games. John Wall has played in 24 games for the Clippers this season. The only seven games Wall has missed were due to load management after playing just 40 games in nearly three years. Wall played in the Clippers' last game against the Phoenix Suns, finishing with 12 points, four rebounds, and five assists.
The latest injury report indicates that John Wall will play vs. Wizards on Saturday.
Here's the Clippers guard's first basket of the season back on opening night against the Los Angeles Lakers.
John Wall checks in and immediately hits a jumper 🔥
— Tomer Azarly (@TomerAzarly) October 21, 2022
Wall missed the end of the 2018-19 season and the entire 2019-20 season with the Washington Wizards after suffering a heel injury that required season-ending surgery. Following the procedure, an infection developed, which nearly cost him his leg. A few months later, Wall suffered a torn left Achilles after an accident falling inside his home.
If that wasn't enough, the former Wizards star lost his mother, Frances Pulley, in December 2019 following a bout with breast cancer.
Just a few weeks before the start of the 2020-21 season, the Wizards and Rockets agreed on a deal to trade John Wall to Houston in exchange for Russell Westbrook.
Wall played just 40 games for the Rockets in 2020-21 before they shut down their veterans and fully embraced the youth movement. He was healthy, but sat out the entire 2021-22 season as well, with Houston focusing on Jalen Green and Kevin Porter Jr.
John Wall came into the 2022-23 regular season healthy. He's insisted on a number of occasions that he's fully recovered from any prior injuries. The Clippers, however, want to play it 100 percent safe with him. After playing just 40 games in three years and and no more than 41 in a season since 2017, LA's medical staff put together a concrete plan to manage him and keep him healthy. Wall hopes to have his workload gradually increased as the season goes on.




"I don’t think a lot of people could have gotten through what I went through [the last 3 years] – losing my mom, losing my grandma, tearing my Achilles… That was very tough, but grateful to have an opportunity to be here."
– John Wall pic.twitter.com/8pvJTaXHD6
— Tomer Azarly (@TomerAzarly) July 10, 2022
Clippers star Paul George has been very complimentary of Wall and the skillset he brings to the Clippers.
“I mean he's so quick a lot of times, just gotta watch because he can make those plays,” George said. “He can get through those gaps. He can make those plays, it's really instant offense. A lot of times I'm rebounding and looking for him and I'm just watching. But he's special. He's special in open court. And his playmaking, his finishing is elite.
“His pace, that’s what I envision us being. We haven't shown that for a full game or a full 48 minutes. But yeah, that's him at his best. That's us at our best. He's such a blur and changing so quickly.”
“I feel great, other than me shooting free throws like Shaq. That’s pissing me off, but other than that, I feel good. I got my speed, I got my rhythm. Just trying to play the right way, push the pace for these guys.”
– John Wall pic.twitter.com/6YdH4MTPFN
— Tomer Azarly (@TomerAzarly) October 24, 2022
Ahead of the Clippers' matchup against the Wizards, the team has continued to insist they'll be playing it safe with both Kawhi Leonard and John Wall. That, in fact, is part of the reason Wall isn't starting for the Clippers right now.
“There's consideration to do a lot of things, but [John] is on a minute restriction right now. It's just tough to try to start him and get 'em out and get 'em back.
“We have a goal in mind of what we want those guys to play. [We just got to] make sure we do the right thing, just being smart and trusting the data that we’ve received back from those guys and just making sure their body’s feeling well, how they’re feeling, and then we can continue to slowly, slowly progress.”
As the Clippers prepare for their matchup against the Washington Wizards, the question is answered… Is John Wall playing today? Yes, he is.