John Wall’s Rockets career did not start the best and it did not have much to do with him.
Since James Harden decided he wanted to leave Houston with two more years on his contract and arrive late for training camp, there was little or no attention to basketball.
Except for the turbulent first few weeks, Wall really enjoyed his time with his new team.
‘Outside James [Harden] not showing up to training camp and not wanting to be here, everything else was great, “Wall told Chris Miller, NBC Sports Washington. The most important thing is that we could not control what he wanted to do and at the same time as an organization, you have to understand that they want to handle it the way they want to handle it. ‘
If it belonged to Harden, he would probably have preferred to trade at the moment he made his initial request. But with two years and a player option on his contract, the Rockets were able to wait out the market for the best possible return.
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While it benefited their long-term franchise by securing four first-round picks and four first-round swaps from the Nets (one first-round pick from Milwaukee), the battle between the team and Harden kept it going for the rest of the season. team made difficult. to figure out how to play together.
“I think it was the hardest thing because we were all trying to find ways to get the team together as one,” Wall said. “My way of thinking is that I just came back after not playing for two years, and I’m trying to make it work the right way. There were a few creases where we had to throw a little WD-40 to get it right. get. way. “
The Rockets are 6-9 and boast the 19th best net rating in the NBA. There is enough room to improve, but it is important to note that they had to play another game with their full roster after the hard court.
Talent is not an issue with Wall, Victor Oladipo, Christian Wood, DeMarcus Cousins, Eric Gordon and PJ Tucker. It’s just a matter of them getting together and developing a new identity.
“I think we could be something special,” Wall said. “At this point, leadership is becoming a big factor,” he said. “If you do not have a good leader, your team can sink a bit, and I believe in my abilities on the job as a leader and out of court to get this team together.”
Watch Chris Miller’s full interview with John Wall on Wizards Pregame Live on Tuesday night. Coverage begins at 7 p.m. on NBC Sports Washington.