It can be difficult to stay positive when you find yourself in an unfortunate situation, but doing so will help you find peace as you prepare for the future.
While a former Los Angeles Clippers guard isn’t in an ideal situation, he didn’t give up on his ultimate goal.
“I’ve been to the top, I’m now at the bottom, but I’m still going to work hard,” John Wall announced on Instagram. “I’m never going to stop working hard to try to get back to where I think I belong.”
Wall failed to find work last season despite a respectable NBA resume. The Washington Wizards selected the Kentucky product with the first overall pick in the 2010 draft. For a time, it seemed like Wall was destined to be a Wizard for life, but persistent injuries changed the trajectory of his career.
From 2017-20, Wall appeared in just 73 of Washington’s 246 regular-season games due to knee, heel and Achilles injuries. The Wizards traded Wall to the Houston Rockets in December 2020, and the five-time All-Star was a bright spot for the organization during their miserable 2020-21 campaign.
He was again plagued by injury, but managed to average 20.6 points and 6.9 assists in 40 games. However, Wall found himself without an NBA home after being sidelined the following season and agreeing to a contract buyout with the Rockets in the summer of 2022.
Fortunately, the Clippers picked him up in free agency, giving him a chance to revive his once-promising career. Unfortunately, Wall failed to live up to expectations and only lasted 34 games in Los Angeles during the 2022-23 season. Playing for the Clippers, it was clear that Wall was a shadow of his former self.
Wall’s game relies on blazing speed up and down the court with the ball in his possession. He’s made a living by making quick cross-court passes before annihilating defenders on foot races.
He was never a great shooter, but he was able to use his speed to serve his teammates and finish around the basket at an extraordinarily high level. As a Clipper, he was a bit slower than the point guard who was a blur early in his career. He averaged just 11.4 points and 5.2 assists in his lone season in Los Angeles.
Wall could receive another NBA contract, but unfortunately, I doubt the old version of the 34-year-old guard will reappear.
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