Rockets’ John Wall Calls Himself the ‘Greatest Shot-Blocking Point Guard of All-Time’

Published 01/02/2021, 11:14 PM EST

When a player resumes playing after being away from the game even for a few months, he takes time to dust off the rust and get back in form. But what about a player who was the face of a franchise and sat out for almost 2 years because of injuries? Well, one is bound to give him the benefit of the doubt for playing averagely on his return. But no, that’s not John Wall.

The last time Wizards’ fan saw John Wall was during the 2016-17 season. He was averaging 20+ points and was inches away from taking the Washington Wizards into the Conference Finals. Who knew that his Game 7 against the Boston Celtics will be his last for a long time.

Not only that, but also he will be playing with the Wizards for the last time. An Achilles injury took over John, and from there, his struggle began. This season, when the possibility of his return was announced, fans were thrilled to see him back in action alongside former teammate Bradley Beal.

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However, the Wizards weren’t sure of Wall’s value on his return. They wanted to bring in someone who will sure shot lead them into the playoffs and a likely chance at a championship. So, the unexpected happened and Wall was traded to the Houston Rockets in exchange for Russell Westbrook.

John Wall has plenty of confidence in himself

At least in the start, nobody expected much from Wall other than being a scoring option behind James Harden. But to everyone’s surprise, he has turned out to be so much more than that. He has scored nothing less than double digits in almost all his games.

As a matter of fact, he even joined Michael Jordan in a unique NBA record. Right after he dropped bucket after bucket against the Sacramento Kings, he finished with 28 points, 6 assists, 4 rebounds, and 3 steals. But his two-block shots were what stole the show.

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After coming out victorious against the Kings, Wall had some praises for himself. As per Mark Berman, Wall said, “I feel like I’m the best shot-blocking point guard of all time.” When asked about how long he has felt this way, he said, “Since I stepped foot in the league.”

.@JohnWall: “I feel like I’m the best shot-blocking point guard of all time.” (How long has he felt that way?) “Since I stepped foot in the league.”
— Mark Berman (@MarkBermanFox26) January 3, 2021

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That does say a lot about the veteran star. The way things are looking, if Harden does leave the Rockets, the franchise might actually be in good hands with Wall’s leadership. However, a lot of the season is still remaining. One can only wait and watch how much of Wall’s hidden potential unfurls.

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Yashima Bhatia is an NBA writer for EssentiallySports who specialises in providing nuanced predictions and updates for matches. She has a Bachelor's degree in journalism and mass communication. Yashima's love for playing the game came up at a young age, when the excitement of the games coupled with the intensity of the Playoffs had her hooked.

Rockets’ John Wall Calls Himself the ‘Greatest Shot-Blocking Point Guard of All-Time’

John Wall has plenty of confidence in himself

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