With Kawhi Leonard back from injury and a roster armed for the title, the Clippers will be a clear favorite next season. But who will lead all these beautiful people to the lead? Rather Reggie Jackson? Or the new recruit John Wall? This will obviously be one of the big battles of training camp in Los Angeles.
After finally negotiating his exit voucher with the Rockets, Jean Mur did not take very long to find a new team since he quickly signed with the Clippers. But for what role? It’s a legitimate question when you know that Wall remains on a blank season but was still shooting at almost 21 points – 7 assists during the 2020-21 season with Houston. With the presence of Reggie Jackson, who has had a real renaissance within the Californian franchise and has started all 75 games in Los Angeles this season, he could initially be given the costume of favorite to stay in the five, with John Wall in a booster role when coming off the bench. But obviously, Tyronn Lue’s staff wants to leave all options open and wait for training camp before making a decision on the identity of the titu leader in 2022-23. In any case, this is what Ohm Youngmisuk reports to us, who covers the Clippers closely for ESPN.
“There will be a battle for starting point guard in training camp between Reggie Jackson and John Wall. The Clippers need to see what else Wall can do. We haven’t seen him for a year. […] Does he still have that elite speed that characterizes him? Can he shoot and play without the ball? Because if he is on the field with Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, there will only be one ball to share. »
In terms of fit, it’s clear that John Wall isn’t necessarily the most complementary player between the two Los Angeles stars. This is why here we see him more in a role off the bench. In addition, Reggie Jackson has shown this season and during the 2021 Playoffs that he has the shoulders to be steady on position 1, or even to take things in hand when Kawhi and / or PG are not on the field. So yes, the Reggie experience is sometimes made up of ups and downs, but the guy has become one of the darlings of the Clipper Nation, and his profile (37% success rate at 3-pointers since his arrival in Los Angeles) seems best match alongside Leonard and George. What advantage does John Wall have over his direct competitor? The ability to bring a new dimension to the offensive game of Los Angeles.
“What Ty Lue will appreciate about John Wall is his ability to pick up the tempo. The Clippers were like the slowest team in the whole NBA, they don’t run. Lue says it every year, he wants to see his team play faster. John Wall can pick up the tempo, but will there be someone to run with him? »
– Ohm Youngmisuk
Having already made a trip to the Clippers training center, Jean Mur will be keen to show his new team everything he can bring with a view to playing the leading roles again after a year without the Playoffs. Uncertainty inevitably reigns about him because he has not played a single meeting since April 23, 2021 and a match against the… Clips, a match in which he had also shone with 27 points and 13 caviars. But at the same time, we say to ourselves that a year without playing can also help him to have fresh legs. And John Wall with legs can hurt a lot.
Wall’s role and fit with the Clippers obviously remains to be determined. But of the big NBA training camp battles next September, the one between Wall and Reggie Jackson will be one of the most exciting to watch. So who will debut alongside Kawhi and PG at the end of October?
Source texte : ESPN
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