John Wall was one of the NBA’s better point guards several years ago. His speed, especially in the open court and while attacking downhill, was lethal, and he made five straight All-Star teams starting in the 2013-14 season.
However, a torn Achilles he suffered during the 2019-20 season caused his game to nosedive. He has missed two full seasons since, and he hasn’t played since the Los Angeles Clippers traded him to the Houston Rockets and he was subsequently waived last February.
During an episode of “The OGs Show,” Wall was asked if he would be open to joining the Miami Heat, and he seemed to like the idea.
Right now, the Heat are in eighth place in the Eastern Conference with a 35-29 record. As usual, people are counting them out when it comes to their chances of going very deep in the playoffs, but every year, they seem to surpass expectations as long as they’re healthy.
They made a significant change to their backcourt ahead of the trade deadline by trading veteran point guard Kyle Lowry, who is clearly in decline, to the Charlotte Hornets for Terry Rozier, a young and potent ball-handling guard. More recently, they picked up veteran guard Patty Mills off of the buyout market and point guard Delon Wright to bolster their backcourt depth.
Between those three men, as well as Tyler Herro, who masquerades as a point guard at times, it would seem the defending Eastern Conference champions don’t have any room for someone such as Wall.
In addition, Wall is simply done as a viable NBA player. In 34 games with the Clippers last season, he averaged just 11.4 points in 22.2 minutes while shooting a dismal 40.8 percent from the field and 30.3 percent from 3-point range.
It’s hard to imagine Heat team president Pat Riley bringing in an over-the-hill player such as Wall at this point of the season.
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