Our 2023 Clippers season exit interview series continues with a look at the Clippers’ biggest offseason acquisition, John Wall.

Basic Information

Height: 6’3

Weight: 210 pounds

Position: Point Guard

Age: 32

Years in NBA: 13

Key Stats: 11.4 points, 5.2 assists, 2.7 rebounds, 0.8 steals, and 2.4 turnovers in 22.2 minutes per game across 34 games played (3 starts) on 40.8/30.3/68.1 shooting splits (49.8 True Shooting)

Expectations

John Wall was the biggest mystery on the Clippers’ roster heading into the season. He hadn’t played at all in 2022, and really hadn’t played meaningful minutes on a decent team for years before that. One could have thought he’d be rested, healthy, and ready to give a slow Clippers team a shot in the arm. It would also have been perfectly reasonable to think that Wall was washed, or at the very least would need a long runway to contribute positive minutes for a contending team.

A split down the middle would have Wall as being a reasonably effective backup point guard. He would have real flaws, what with his lack of shooting, sometimes poor defense, and questionable decision-making. But he would also ignite the crowd on the fastbreak, get downhill into the teeth of the defense for shots at the rim or free throws, and help make everyone else’s job easier as a playmaker. There was certainly a large chance for Wall to be well below or above this median, but the hope was at the least he’d get there.

Reality

It’s hard to remember now, but Wall had some very fun games to start the season. Sure, there were plenty of worrying signs, especially regarding his lack of shooting and how that impacted the Clippers’ stars when they were on the court. But he was fun to watch, racing up and down the court, making beautiful passes in transition, and finishing around the rim. In five games in October, Wall averaged 13.8 points and 4.6 assists on a respectable 55.4% True Shooting. In 13 games in November, those numbers slipped a bit, to 12.5 points on 51.2% True Shooting, but his assists went up to 5.9.

At this point, the wheels came off. Oddly, Wall shot very well from three in December (38.9%), but somehow, incredibly, made just 24 of his 67 two-pointers (35.8%). He was misfiring on all of his pullup twos, which he kept taking, and he couldn’t make a shot around the rim to save his life. Worse, the free throws and assists dried up as well (just over 2 and 4.8 per game respectively) while the turnover remained high. The Clippers’ season began to get untracked at this time, and while Wall certainly wasn’t the only culprit, he wasn’t the solution either.

January started even worse, and Ty Lue responded by shaking up his rotation, moving Reggie Jackson out of the rotation entirely but keeping Wall as the backup. However, this lasted for only two games before Wall pulled his groin on a dunk against the Nuggets in garbage time on January 13. Wall would never suit up for the Clippers again. He was kept on the injury list as out with the groin, but it’s quite possible he could have played and the Clippers just didn’t want him too. Finally, mercifully, he was traded to the Rockets as part of the Eric Gordon deal, and was waived by them shortly thereafter.

In short, Wall’s tenure with the Clippers went nearly as badly as possible. He had some good games and wasn’t a locker room issue, but was a bad fit and negative contributor – by far the worst player by impact among any of the Clippers’ actual rotation players this season. To be fair, Wall was put in a tough situation, as the Clippers’ three- and four-guard units he frequently played in off the bench exposed his weaknesses as a defender and lack of one-on-one scoring. However, it was clear he was part of the problem, not the solution, and the best way the Clippers could have cut down on guards was taking him out of the rotation. It’s too bad.

Future with Clippers

Nobody signed Wall after the Rockets waived him, a glaring signal of his value around the NBA. Despite being mostly healthy and possessing a lot of his old speed and athleticism, there just wasn’t a market for Wall. It’s quite possible he will get signed to another NBA deal, as he isn’t that old and at the very least has a lot of respect from players and coaches. But there’s also a real chance he’s played his last game in the NBA. Between his on-court weaknesses and his seeming desire to still possess a significant role with lots of ballhandling that teams won’t want to give him, he doesn’t seem like a player who would possess a ton of value to teams. That said, I do think that in the right situation, with the right teammates around him, and a bit of an attitude adjustment, there’ still a place for Wall.

With all that out of the way, will Wall ever play for the Clippers again, specifically? Given how his 2023 campaign went, and the presence of Bones Hyland, Terance Mann, and likely Russell Westbrook, I doubt he ever suits up for the Clips again.

Clippers 2023 Season Exit Interview: John Wall
Robert Flom

Our 2022-2023 player season preview series continues with point guard John Wall, the Clippers’ big signing in free agency.

Basic Information

Height: 6’3”

Weight: 210 pounds

Position: Point Guard

Age: 32

Years in NBA: 12 (but didn’t play in two seasons)

Key Stats (2020 Season): 20.6 points, 6.9 assists, 3.2 rebounds, and 1.1 steals in 32.2 minutes per game across 40 games played on 44.9% shooting from 2, 31.7% from three, 40.4% overall, and 74.9% from FT.

Contract Status: First year of a 2 year, $13M deal

Expectations

Expectations for John Wall in 2023 are in the eyes of the beholder. Optimistic fans might note that Wall had the entire 2022 season off to rest and recover from his various injuries, that he seems to already be close to Clippers’ superstar Paul George, that he was an All-NBA level player just five years ago, and that his strengths fit some of what the Clippers have been lacking in the Kawhi Leonard-George era. The pessimists might say that Wall has played the equivalent of just 1.5 seasons across the past five years, that his defense has slipped greatly, that he’s not great off-ball on offense, making him a poor fit next to the Clippers’ stars.

Regardless, expectations for John Wall in the 2023 season are that he will play rotation minutes for the Clippers either as a starter or coming off the bench, will add a healthy dash of open-court athleticism and playmaking, and will allow Reggie Jackson to lower his minutes load after a strenuous 2022.

Strengths

John Wall’s passing has always been his strongest attribute as a basketball player, and yet one of his least discussed. His playmaking was fully unlocked by his blazing speed in getting to the rim, enabling endless kickouts to three-point shooters, but even with diminished (though still great) athleticism he remains a top-tier passer. In his heyday, he was one of the best pick and roll runners in the league, and should still be able to make some magic happen with Ivica Zubac in their shared minutes. When he plays on the small second unit, he should kill it in five-out lineups, sending passes to the corner, wing, and even top of the arc from under the rim for open threes.

Even with age and numerous leg injuries, Wall might still be the fastest player on the Clippers with the ball in his hands. The Clippers have mostly played slow in the Kawhi era, as he’s their best player and likes to play at a staid pace, but adding some pace with Wall could help diversify their attack somewhat. Fastbreak buckets are immensely valuable, and there’s no doubt Wall still boosts the Clippers in that regard.

The Clippers have also struggled with getting to the line in the last few years, and that has always been something John Wall has brought to the table. He averaged 5.3 free throws per game with the Rockets a couple years ago, which would have ranked tops on the Clippers last year. Considering all the shooting around him, Wall should have plenty of room to drive, opening the way for more slashes and free points at the line.

Weaknesses

John Wall made an All-Defense team back in 2015, but his play on that end has fallen a lot in recent years. He’s no longer the terrifying force on-ball that he used to be, or provide the insane highlight swats and steals that he did in his prime. Instead, he’s merely serviceable on ball, and prone to gambling for steals both on- and off-ball in ways that compromises his team’s defense. Hopefully with less of a burden offensively he can focus more on defense and improve to at least average there, if not better, but that’s certainly no guarantee for a speed-reliant point guard who just turned 32.

For a player who clearly possesses an unbelievable understanding of the game (like many greats, Wall can break down single plays in detail well after games are over and obviously can read the court live), he has frequently struggled with shot selection and overall decision-making. Early in his career, he was very fond of pull-up midrange jumpers, which he was fine at but which are low efficiency looks. In recent years, he’s traded those in for pull-up threes, which are smarter mathematically but which he’s not good at. On the Clippers, Wall has to know his role as, at very best, if all pans out well for him, the third option offensively, and more likely further down than that. There simply can’t be many pull-up jumpers for him of any sort unless it’s a game the Clippers’ Big Two are resting or really off.

Finally, on a similar note, Wall will need to improve his off-ball offensive game if he’s to play a lot alongside Leonard and George. This actually doesn’t mean his catch-and-shoot game, as Wall is mostly fine as a three-point shooter off the catch. Instead, this refers to overall activity and cutting. When he didn’t have the ball in DC, Wall frequently just stood around behind the arc. No movement, no cutting, no crashing the glass, nothing. While being ready for kickout threes and drives is great, he can be so much more, even without the ball in his hands. So far, he hasn’t been, and as we’ve seen with Russell Westbrook, it’s very difficult to get stars to change their games, even late in their careers.

Summary

John Wall is a high floor, low-ish ceiling player for the Clippers in the 2023 season. If he’s healthy, adapts his game to the Clippers’ needs, and still has a lot of his athleticism, he could be a game-changing force and a key piece to a championship run as a leading point guard distributor and point of attack defender. There’s also the chance that he’s not healthy and barely plays, or does play but no longer can impact games much outside of simple floor-manager point guard duties. The bottommost downside is that he’s not good, but doesn’t see his own on-court issues, and causes a locker room stir by pushing for playing time and a larger role. That latter part seems unlikely given everything we’ve heard – but you never know. Hopefully John Wall brings highlight plays and strong point guard play to the 2023 Clippers in their quest for a championship.

Clippers 2022-2023 Season Preview: John Wall
Robert Flom

Our final roundtable review of the Clippers’ 2022 offseason is their signing of former star point guard John Wall to a 2 year, $13.2M deal at the tax-payer mid-level exception.

Ralston Dacanay: B

Another low-risk, high reward in my eyes, I do think taking a swing on John Wall — especially in the capacity in which they did — was a good call. Although losing Isaiah Hartenstein does sting, I think the Clippers’ front office ultimately did well to get Wall to agree to that two-year, $13.2 million contract, which includes a team option for the 2023-24 season. If it doesn’t work out with Wall, LAC is well-equipped to move on. If it does work out, well there are probably going to be some fun highlights to watch. Of course, expectations for Wall should be kept modest until proven otherwise. Everyone knows about how little he’s played in the past three years. Everyone knows about his injury history. However, with what appears to be a strong rapport already established between him and the 213 duo, his ability to still play with pace, pass and defend at a positive level, and Tyronn Lue leading the ship, I’m onboard with seeing what he has left. It also doesn’t hurt that he’s basically said everything you want to hear in interviews since joining the team, as well as appears to be locked in this summer. Bring on the starting point guard training camp duel.

Adam Auslund: B+

This signing will be the biggest test for the Clippers reputation as a revitalization station. With this front office, they’ve had a proclivity for bringing the best out of players who were given up on, or players whose best days appeared to be behind them. Then, after being dipped in Clippers culture, guys like Reggie, Batum, and RoCo emerged re-energized and custom wrapped into roles that fit their strengths. Wall’s best attributes may be more of a want than a need, and while his passing might be unnecessary with how much the ball will be in Kawhi and PG’s hands, this gives them an opportunity to play a style that could unlock more elements and options with a versatile roster. Of course much of his potential as a Clipper could be tied to his accuracy on catch and shoot threes (something he’s aware of) but Reggie went from never shooting better than 38% from three, to 43% next to Kawhi and PG a season ago. Wall’s best year was 37% from distance, but I wouldn’t be surprised if, like Reggie, Wall shoots a career high percentage from the outside. 

As for his athleticism, I’ve posted a video of his most explosive plays (@followadama on twitter) in his 40 games as a Rocket, and as you can see he’ll still put pressure on the rim and get the Clippers playing faster.  I don’t expect him to be a defensive liability either, and with the lack of energy he’ll have to use up on offense, he could be closer to the all-defensive 2nd team he made in 2015. For every concern I see with the signing, the most recent Clippers history and state of the franchise has me confident Coach Lue and the crew will make this work. “BUT RONDO?!” Sure. But while that didn’t workout, it didn’t hold them back from making their first WCF either.

Erik Olsgaard: B

I love the idea of John Wall on the Clippers. While I’ve never agreed with this idea that the one thing the Clips have been missing is a point guard, given the way Paul George and Kawhi Leonard play, it’s undeniable that having someone playmaking downhill like John Wall will add another dimension to the offense. But important questions remain: Is he still that John Wall? Can he still play defense at a high level? Will he buy into the culture that the organization has so expertly crafted? Thus far, he appears to be in great shape and has said all of the right things in interviews. The Clippers have a history of reinvigorating the careers of players the league’s written off, so I wouldn’t be surprised one bit if they did it again with Wall. And ultimately, for only the TPMLE with a team option in year 2, the team has a ton to gain and very little to lose. Truly the only reason I rated this a B was because the point guard position wasn’t really in dire need of improvement, and using the TPMLE on Wall might’ve cost us a better backup center option. But if this pans out, it could potentially make the Clippers title favorites this year.

Lucas Hann: B

I think this is a good, calculated risk for the Clippers that could easily wind up looking like an A or an F about six months from now.  We all know about John Wall’s talent at his peak, we all know about how little he has played in the last few years and his injury history.  In a half-season’s worth of games with the Rockets two years ago, which is the most recent data we have, Wall showed he was still capable of a lot of production (20 points and 7 assists per game), but overall struggled so severely with efficiency that it’s hard to determine with certainty if he’s capable of contributing to a good team.  That said, there are plenty of arguments to be made for optimism that he’ll be even better now than he was in those 40 games–he’s further removed from major injury, he’ll be on a team that is fielding competitive lineups (the Rockets were tanking), and he won’t need to shoulder such a high offensive workload on a team with two superstars and multiple other role players who can create offense. 

Zooming out, the addition of Wall using the taxpayer mid-level exception is an interesting wrinkle in the Clippers’ decision to play small more extensively next year, as that’s the money that we expected to go towards the backup center position (Isaiah Hartenstein or a replacement).  Adding another guard to compete for minutes with Reggie Jackson, Norman Powell, Terance Mann, Luke Kennard, and Amir Coffey creates a minutes crunch on the second unit.  We’ll never know if Hartenstein could have been kept for the tpMLE (it’s less than he took to go to New York) or if the Clippers would have prioritized him or Wall, but if the difference in center replacements at those price points is JaVale McGee (who took the full 3-year tpMLE to go to Dallas) and Hassan Whiteside/Dwight Howard (who are both still unsigned and likely going for the minimum), the gamble on Wall makes a lot of sense.

Robert Flom: B-

The upside is definitely there with John Wall. He remains a highly talented passer, and is almost certainly the quickest Clipper with the ball in his hands. He’s also a better off-ball shooter than you might think, as his three-point shooting numbers were deflated by the amount of off-the-dribble threes he took. However, his defense has been bad for years and he settles too much for long jumpers. Really, the main reason I’m not a huge fan of this signing is that I don’t think it was really needed. The Clippers didn’t have a true second point guard behind Reggie Jackson, but have plenty of guard depth, and I think I’d rather they have gotten a better second seven footer to throw at Jokic (or Giannis or Embiid) in a playoff series with a second string PG on the minimum. That said, the contract itself is a good one, and Wall will probably be worth it, so I think its final overall.

Cole Huff: A-
There’s valid skepticism over whether John Wall can transition into the background as easily as he is claiming he will. There’s also the rightful questioning of if his off-ball skill set can raise to a high enough level to make him a fit alongside the Clippers’ main guys. But there’s no denying that he is worth the mid-level exception on a prove it deal. The last time he logged NBA minutes was against the Clippers in an April 2021 game that he recorded 27 points and 13 assists. Those numbers surely aren’t to be expected going forward, but the point is that it really hasn’t been that long since Wall has shown he can play. The Clippers have a thing with getting vets who essentially weren’t wanted by their former teams, and having them perform much better in their system (Batum, Reggie, RoCo). I think there’s a solid chance John could resurge in a similar way and reduced role that helps the team.

Shapan Debnath: B

The John Wall deal is a little trickier for me from what has been a stellar off-season. At minimum, he might be a better version of an idealized Bledsoe: effortlessly run the second unit and touch the paint, generate great looks, and be reinvigorated on defense. At best, he’s a playoff rotation player, someone that makes life easier for Kawhi/PG, and is able to knock down his open looks from distance making the defense pay. Which version are we getting? Will we regret giving him the tMLE and not giving it to another option with less variance? I tend to think this is a fine low cost swing for the most part, but I’d be lying if I said it didn’t come with some concerns.

213 Hoops 2022 Offseason Roundtable: John Wall Signing
Robert Flom

Well, that was quick. Rumors around John Wall signing with the Clippers have been going around since last year, picked up steam a week ago, really stepped up earlier today, and have now solidified with a Woj Bomb (does this warrant bomb status? Who’s to say).

Wall forwent $6.5M of his salary in his buyout with the Rockets, a number that fits snugly within the Clippers tax payer mid level deal. That contract had previously been earmarked for Isaiah Hartenstein, leaving several possibilities.

1. Wall signs with the TPMLE, and Hartenstein leaves in free agency.
2. Wall signs with the TPMLE, and Hartenstein stays on for the minimum on an early bird rights deal (similar to what Nic Batum did last year).
3. Wall signs for the minimum and Hartenstein stays for the TPMLE

If Hartenstein does leave, the Clippers will have a gaping hole at backup center. The Clippers do like to play small, and if they bring Nic Batum back (all but guaranteed) that’s almost certainly who they will turn to (and/or with Robert Covington) when push comes to shove. But for the grind of an 82 game season, a true backup center is needed, and Hartenstein was one of the best in the NBA last year.

The Clippers could turn to one of the million veteran free agent centers on the market: I wrote about a handful last week. They could also make a trade. Despite what Lawrence Frank said about not trading Luke Kennard, the team with Wall now has Reggie Jackson, Wall, Paul George, Norm Powell, Terance Mann, and Luke Kennard at two guard spots, and that’s not even counting Jason Preston and Brandon Boston Jr. A consolidation trade seems more likely than ever, and at least one of those guards (obviously not George, and almost certainly not Reggie or Norm) might be heading out for a big man.

John Wall hasn’t played much in recent years. When he was in his prime, he was one of the most fun players in the entire NBA, a blur in transition who was an incredible passer and a top-tier defender when he was actually locked in. Those days are long gone, but if he’s close to healthy, he should still offer the Clippers some playmaking and scoring as well as a bit of oomph athletically. He also provides needed Reggie Jackson insurance with the Clippers so thin at point guard.

Wall is not a perfect fit. There will be time to argue over whether he or Reggie Jackson should start, and how he’ll fit next to Paul George and Kawhi Leonard in the months to come. For now, watch some highlight videos and prepare for the odd mental image of John Wall in a Clippers jersey next year.

John Wall to Sign with Clippers, per Woj
Robert Flom

Rockets point guard John Wall is finally entering the last year of the mammoth deal he signed with the Wizards a half-decade ago, and a buyout is pending after no trade materialized at the draft last week. Per Marc Stein (formerly of ESPN), the Clippers are among the top teams interested in John Wall if a buyout does occur.

John Wall does make some sense to the Clippers on a buyout. They only have two point guards on their roster, with one being Jason Preston, who has played zero NBA games. Wall is a five-time All Star who is just 31 years old, and would add experience and playmaking to the Clippers’ backcourt. He’s not nearly as explosive as he was in his prime on the Wizards, but in his last season in 2021 he still averaged 20.6 points and 6.9 assists while getting to the line 5.3 times per game. There’s no doubt he can still score and playmake for others, at least to some extent.

The fit isn’t all sunshine and roses. While Wall is a competent off-ball three-point shooter, he’s played with the ball in his hands for his entire career (his entire life, really), and is not an ideal off-ball player. On the Clippers, he would be at very best, even if he looked good, the third option behind Kawhi Leonard and Paul George. Wall was notorious for not doing much off-ball in DC, and that would not be a good fit in LA.

However, the Clippers would presumably be getting Wall not to start, but to play behind Reggie Jackson as a turbo backup. He can juice up the bench offense when Kawhi and PG are out of the game, and would bring some much needed athleticism and downhill attacking to the Clippers’ offense. On defense, prime Wall was a terror, and in a more limited role maybe he could regain his positive impact on defense. Now, Wall refused to come off the bench for the Rockets, but doing that for a young and terrible Rockets tam is different than for a championship contending Clippers squad.

John Wall would be a nice pickup for the Clippers on a buyout, especially on a minimum deal. Signing him for the tax payer mid level could complicate their ability to bring back Isaiah Hartenstein, which is a priority, but if they have another strong backup in mind even that path could work out.

John Wall Buyout Rumors Swirling, Clippers Interested
Robert Flom