After sitting out for the first quarter of the season, Houston Rockets veteran point guard John Wall has reportedly informed the team he wants to return to the rotation.
That's all good and well, but it appears the two sides are at odds over Wall's prospective role on the team. According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, Wall told the Rockets that he wants to be a starter when he returns to the court and be able to compete to maintain his role in the starting lineup. The Rockets, however, feel that Wall should come off the bench at first, and prove he's deserving of being a starter.
Sources: Rockets five-time All-Star John Wall will continue to sit games after he told team officials his desire is to play, start games and compete to maintain role. Houston wants Wall to come off the bench.
Full story on @TheAthletic: https://t.co/VYVrYvLbkZ
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) November 28, 2021
The Rockets have struggled without Wall this season. Their victory on Saturday night against the Charlotte Hornets was just the third win of the season (3-16), so clearly Wall feels a player of his caliber would warrant a spot in the starting lineup.
While he may be talented enough to act as a starter in Houston, the Rockets are rebuilding, and guaranteeing Wall starters' minutes would be taking away opportunities from some of their younger assets. Houston is unwilling to ensure the 31-year-old that he'd be a starter, which may result in Wall's return being stalled even further.
Wall played 40 games for the Rockets last season after being acquired in a trade with the Washington Wizards that saw Russell Westbrook head the other way. The 2010 No. 1 overall pick missed the entire 2019-20 season while recovering from an Achilles injury, but returned to the floor in 2020-21.
He's posted career averages of 19.1 points, 9.1 assists, and 4.3 rebounds per game across 10 seasons in the NBA. He made five consecutive All-Star appearances for the Eastern Conference from 2013-2018.
Follow Us
Subscribe