John Wall thinks 2020-21 Rockets ‘can be something special’

On the eve of playing his former team, the Washington Wizards, for the first time, Houston Rockets point guard John Wall says he’s optimistic about what his new team can accomplish in the 2020-21 season.

“I think we can be something special,” Wall told NBC Sports Washington’s Chris Miller in a new interview. “This point in time is where leadership becomes a big factor,” he said. “If you don’t have a great leader, your team can kind of sink. I believe in my abilities on the court, as a leader, and off the court to get this team together.”

Wall referred to everything as “amazing” in Houston, other than the matter of James Harden’s trade request heading into the season. The saga ended earlier this month, when Harden was dealt to Brooklyn in a swap bringing Victor Oladipo and additional assets to the Rockets.

“Outside of James [Harden] not showing up to training camp and not wanting to be here, everything else was amazing,” said Wall. “The most important thing is we couldn’t control what he wanted to do. At the same time, as an organization, you’ve gotta understand they wanna handle it the way they wanna handle it. That was the most difficult thing. because we were all trying to find ways to get the team to come together as one.”

In other parts of the interview, Wall told Miller that he still watches every Wizards game, and he admitted that there was something personal about facing his former team. Wall asked: “Who wouldn’t want to beat the team that traded them, and felt like I was done?”

Wall, who was drafted No. 1 overall in the 2010 NBA draft, told Miller that he had heard rumors of a potential trade prior to the early December deal that shipped him to Houston for Russell Westbrook. However, the 30-year-old says Washington denied those rumors to him at the time.

Over nine seasons with the Wizards, Wall was an All-Star five times.

The complete interview between Wall and Miller will air on Wizards Pregame Live on NBC Sports Washington, with coverage beginning at 6:00 p.m. Central. Tipoff of the game between the Rockets and Wizards is then scheduled for 7:00 p.m. Central from Toyota Center.

In his first season with the Rockets, Wall is averaging 17.1 points (44.4% FG) and 5.5 assists in 32.3 minutes per game. Houston enters Tuesday’s game on a two-game winning streak, with Wall posting 8 assists to just 1 turnover in Saturday’s blowout victory at division rival Dallas.

While the Rockets (6-9) remain below .500, they’re optimistic about a potential turnaround now that an assortment of injuries, quarantines, and the drama of Harden’s trade request all appears to be behind them.

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