Houston Rockets point guard John Wall is attempting to seize the mantle of “franchise player” following the departure of James Harden.

The Rockets have won seven of their last eight following Thursday night's victory over the Memphis Grizzlies and Wall is looking to fill the leadership void as Houston battles back into playoff position:

“I feel like I’m the franchise guy now that James has left,” Wall said, via Mark Berman of KRIV. “You very rarely get the opportunity to be a franchise (guy) in two different cities and two different teams..I feel like that’s my job, to be the leader of this team.”

Wall has never been shy about his desire to be the face of the franchise. It was reportedly one of the reasons he demanded a trade from the Washington Wizards after general manager Tommy Sheppard openly stated the team was building around Bradley Beal.

It is probably for the best Wall feels this way, so long as it does not impact the dynamic with Victor Oladipo.

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The Rockets need someone to pull the organization together in Harden's absence. While the split between “The Beard” and Houston was rather ugly, he was still a preeminent offensive talent, and almost inarguably the second-best player in Rockets history. Wall wants to be that guy who can lead the franchise through this transition period, and the team might be better for it.

However, Christian Wood's injury hardly helps matters. The young center was looking like a franchise cornerstone prior to sustaining an ankle injury Thursday night. His timeline is unknown, though head coach Stephen Silas suggested Wood could be in for a lengthy absence.

Wood's injury could be all the more reason for Wall to shoulder even more responsibility. It is a burden he seems to welcome.