PASSION PLAYER
Rockets’ John Wall driven to show he’s still among NBA’s best.
There is no doubting John Wall’s love of basketball.
And, after missing some two years with injuries, he professes it almost every time he speaks.
Wall has been on the Rockets’ roster for barely amonth, and thanks to the global pandemic, he hasn’t even had an in-person session with media.
Charming, truthful, confident, Wall has already shot up to top of the list of Houston athletes who are a joy to be heard.
Wall has never been shy about his love of the sport, but in its absence the fondness grew.
The sport, and many who follow it, haven’t always shown love in return, something Wall has taken note of.
“Everything I do gets scrutinized,” he said. “I’m fine with that. I live with that. I know howmuch hard work I put intomy game, and what I believe in myself.
“It is what it is. Everybody has a perception. If I don’t care about what you think about me, I’m not gonna try to change your perception ofme. That’s what I always live by.”
Thing is, Wall does care. You call tell this by his passionate response to such queries.
Knowing what “they” say is a dead giveaway for caring about what they have said.
That’s OK. Doubters can be a driving force.
Surely Wall’s love of the sport helped him through grueling rehab. His desire to be the best spurred him on through the excruciating physical pain and the accompanying mental strain.
Hearing theories that he would not come back at a high level and never be the same, hurt … and helped.
“Everybody wrote me off,”
Wall said. “People said, ‘John Wall was done,’ before I even came back. That’s the reason why I’m probably in a Rockets’ uniform.
“But I’m happy to be in this opportunity and embrace this chance to play for another organization. Somebody that wanted me and somewhere I wanted to be.”
Five games into his career as a Rocket, Wall has been impressive. He is shooting significantly better than his career average fromthe floor (48.2 percent to 43.3) and foul line (85.7 to 78.1), while posting his second-most points per game.
Wall isn’t surprised at how he has played. Painful bone spurs in his heel and knee had more of an effect on his game in the last six or seven years than he admitted. Having those cleaned up while he was out hasmade him feel as fresh as ever.
An early-season test against the Lakers — with games at Toyota Center on Sunday and Tuesday — could be a telling measuring stick as to where the Rockets (3-4) are, and perhaps, more importantly, where they can eventually go.
With newcomers Wall and Christian Wood joining James Harden, the Rockets are one of only two teams (the Pacers) with three 20-point scorers.
Harden, who led the league in scoring for previous three seasons, after finishing second three years in a row, is “only” sixth right now.
He has been a top-five scorer since joining the Rockets in 2012, and last year was the first he had a teammate average more than 20 points a game.
Wall’s numbers should help Harden be better later in the season. After carrying the Rockets so often, he should appreciate the help.
“All I really want to do is translate these numbers that I’m putting up to wins,” Wall said.
“That’s all I care about. Doesn’t matter if I average 40 or 30, if I’m not getting wins it doesn’t mean nothing tome. That’s all I’m here for.”
Wall said the Rockets’ mindset has to bemore about winning than who is taking the most shots and who is scoring the most points.
In a blowout win over Orlando on Friday, Wall took just 11 shots in less than 30minutes of action.
“I don’t care,” he said. “I just want to win the game. I’m competing on both ends of the floor, I’m gonna give everything I have.
“That’s justmy testimony of what I’ve been through. Losing my mom in the last year, having two beautiful boys, not playing basketball for two years.
“I would play this game if I didn’t make nomoney. That’s what I feel like a lot of guys gotta have. Have that type of chip on their shoulder. That gritty grind, and we’ll be fine.”
Wall was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2010 draft. This should be his 11th NBA season, but he missed all of last season and most of the year before after heel surgery, then a torn Achilles.
This after he played exactly half the games in 2017-18, thanks to multiple procedures on his left knee.
After all of that waiting, Wall was forced to hold on a little longer because of NBA COVID-19 protocols after a teammate tested positive for COVID-19 a few days before the Rockets’ season opener.
A haircut with teammates cost him a couple games because of contact tracing. Wall thought he was being safe, relative to going to a barbershop, by having a barber come to him.
“I was mad. I was hot,” Wall said. “I ain’t going to cap.”
For those who aren’t hip to it, cap in this instance is a substitute for lie.
To do so would seem be out of character for Wall, whose video conferences with Houston media have been entertaining, interesting, enlightening.
After 10 years in Washington, he’s still getting a feel for the new city and his new team.
With a shortened training camp and limited preseason, Wall says he and Harden are “still trying to figure each other out.”
“We get better game by game,” he said.
The same holds for him individually.
“I’m not even close to where I can be before the end of the season,” Wall said. “I’m just finding my rhythm and still averaging (21.2) points, so it’s a cakewalk for me.
“I’m just happy to be able to play the game I love again at the highest level.”