For John Wall the 2020-21 season was about him proving himself following a ruptured Achilles that sidelined him the previous season and half. In a lot of ways he did so. In others he didn’t.
Now his season is over. According to Shams Charania of the Athletic, Wall will miss the remainder of the season with a hamstring tweak.
Tim MacMahon of ESPN describes the injury as a Grade 2 hamstring strain. The recovery time is usually three weeks. However, the Rockets, who are 15-46, are eliminated from playoff contention. The team won’t rush Wall back with 11 games remaining on the season.
Wall spent 10 years as the cornerstone of the Washington Wizards before he was traded in December along with a protected first-round pick for Russell Westbrook. The deal at the time was a shock. He and the team seemed committed in his rehab to get back on the court during the two calendar years he was out with the Achilles injury.
Wall appeared in 40 games this season. He averaged 20.6 points, just 0.1 points less than what he averaged during his last season prior to the injury. He also averaged a career-low 6.9 assists which was more a byproduct of the Rockets’ rebuild and numerous injuries.
Additionally, Wall had career-lows with 40.4% shooting from the field. However, he had an uptick in his three-point shooting. He made a career-best two treys per game on 31.7% shooting beyond the arc.
Wall now will get a head start on his offseason and a chance to prepare for year two after such a major injury. Many notable star players have failed to return to their norm in the NBA after an Achilles injury. Only Dominique Wilkins was previously able to play at the same level before the injury.
Wall has flashed glimpses of his getting back to his old self. That included besting his former team the Wizards earlier this season. However, he did miss several games due swelling in his left knee which could require offseason surgery according to MacMahon.
The Rockets are in year one of a rebuild following the trade of James Harden. Thus, Wall’s first year in Houston quickly turned into a self-assessment for the five-time All-Star. His numbers show he can still play at a high level, but will need to work on his game, particularly his shooting, to adjust.
