John Wall’s career at the Rockets didn’t start off the best way and didn’t have much to do with him.
Since James Harden decided he wanted to leave Houston with another two-year contract and showed up late on the training ground, he didn’t pay much attention to basketball.
So, in addition to the tumultuous first few weeks, Wall really enjoyed his time with his new team.
“Out of James [Harden] not coming to the training camp and not wanting to be here, everything else was amazing, “said Wall to Chris Miller of NBC Sports Washington.” The most important thing is that we couldn’t control what he wanted to do and, at the same time, an organization, you have to understand that they want to deal with it the way they want to. “
If it were up to Harden, he probably would have preferred to be negotiated the moment he placed his initial order. But, with two years and a player option remaining in his contract, the Rockets were in a position to wait on the market for the best possible return.
Download and subscribe to the Wizards Talk Podcast
While this benefited their long-term franchise by guaranteeing four first-round picks and four first-round picks from the Nets (a first round from Milwaukee), prolonging the fight between the team and Harden made it difficult for the rest of the team to figure out how to play together.
“I think it was the most difficult thing, because we were all trying to find ways to get the team together,” said Wall. “My mindset is that I just came back after two years without playing, I’m trying to do it the right way. There were some wrinkles that we had to throw a little bit of WD-40 in there to get it out the right way.”
The Rockets are 6-9 and boast the NBA’s 19th best net rating. There is a lot of room for improvement there, although it is important to note that they have not yet played a game with their full squad after Harden’s switch.
Talent is not an issue with Wall, Victor Oladipo, Christian Wood, DeMarcus Cousins, Eric Gordon and PJ Tucker. It is just a matter of them coming together and developing a new identity.
“I think we can be something special,” said Wall. “This moment is where leadership becomes a big factor,” he said. “If you don’t have a great leader, your team can sink and I believe in my skills on the court as a leader and outside the court to bring that team together.”
Watch Chris Miller’s full interview with John Wall on Wizards Pregame Live Tuesday night. Coverage starts at 7 pm on NBC Sports Washington.