Houston Rockets: Three bold predictions for the 2020-2021 season

John Wall will return to All-Star form

John Wall is a five-time All-Star and was a top-five point guard at the peak of his powers. He possesses elite handles, above-average I.Q., and one of the most athletic and fearless guards in the history of the game when attacking the basket.

That was the John Wall before the heel and Achilles surgeries that forced him to miss nearly two full seasons of basketball. Wall’s preseason debut with the Rockets this past Friday was his first NBA game since Dec. 26th, 2018.

Many are skeptical about what he would look like when he returned to the court, and even more remain doubtful that he will be able to stay on the court, and rightfully so. Wall has dealt with numerous injuries and undergone five surgical procedures during his NBA career. Since the start of the 2017 season, Wall only appeared in 73 of the 236 regular-season games the Wizards played.

After being traded to the Houston Rockets during the abbreviated offseason against his wishes, Wall is looking forward to a fresh start with a new franchise and has vowed to return to All-Star form and prove all the doubters and nay-sayers wrong. He claims to have been 100 percent healthy since March and is looking forward to taking the court alongside James Harden (assuming he isn’t traded before the season starts).

So far, Wall has looked as healthy as advertised and still contains the explosiveness and fluidity that made him one of the most feared guards in the league. He’s averaging 17.0 points through two preseason games, 6.5 assists, 3.5 rebounds, and 1.0 steals in 21.6 minutes per game.

While his 3-point shooting can use a little boost (33.3 percent on 4.5 attempts per game), he’s been quite efficient, shooting 48.1 percent from the field and 83.3 percent from the charity stripe. He’s been especially efficient in the restricted area, shooting an astronomical 77.8 percent, albeit in a tiny sample size.

He’s done a fine job getting acclimated with his new coaches and teammates and keeping everyone involved while learning a new playbook and where everyone’s favorite spots on the court are. He boasts an impressive 2.6 assist-turnover ratio.

He’s doing this without playing a meaningful basketball game in two years and without James Harden (who made his season debut Tuesday) commanding most of the defense’s attention and Christian Wood, who is expected to play a significant role with the team after signing a 3 year $41 million contract this offseason.

I’ve seen enough to buy what Wall is selling. Expect Wall’s play and production to continue to improve as he gets more live game reps and gets his legs back under him, and as the team gets closer to full strength.

He may not get voted into the All-Star game over the likes of Steph Curry, Damian Lillard, or Luka Doncic, but there is no doubt in my mind that John Wall will once again reach the level of play that made five All-Star appearances and garnered All-NBA honors.