New Clippers addition John Wall sat down with Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN to discuss his opportunity with what could be one of the deepest contenders in the league next season, topped by All-NBA swingmen Kawhi Leonard and Paul George.
Wall, a five-time All-Star with the Wizards before a series of lower body injuries limited his availability, agreed to sit out the entire 2021-22 season for the Rockets as Houston prioritized developing younger backcourt talent. After agreeing to a buyout of his contract with the Rockets during the 2022 offseason, Wall signed a two-year, $13.2M deal with the Clippers as an unrestricted free agent.
“I think they’re just a first-class organization, great teammates over here,” Wall said of joining L.A. this summer. “I just feel like they have a great culture… Also not having to be a Batman every night, having an opportunity to play with other players where I can take a backseat, and develop my game but also just help those guys as much as possible.”
Here are more highlights from their conversation:
“I know I’m still a talented player,” Wall acknowledged. “I know all the things that I’ve worked on, especially being able to knock down catch-and-shoot shots because I probably won’t have the ball in my hands as much [as on past teams]. But at the same time they still want me to be myself, be aggressive, be able to break down the defense for [Leonard and George]. I think… sometimes in the fourth quarter a lot of teams [are] keyed in on Kawhi and Paul George. I think that’s an opportunity for me to excel.”
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