Friday Headlines: John Wall Return Edition

Wall saw his first in-game action since April 2021.

By John Morgan Francis@MonJorgan Oct 21, 2022, 7:20am EDT

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During the John Calipari era at Kentucky, has there been a player more popular than John Wall?

Maybe Anthony Davis or Oscar Tshiebwe come to mind, but if there’s a list — it’s not long. Wall was the top recruit and best player on Calipari’s first Kentucky team. He was also the first overall pick in the NBA Draft by the Washington Wizards after just one season with the Wildcats.

His career was off to a fantastic start, playing at least 66 games in six of his first seven seasons. Wall was named an all star in four of those seasons and received several other accolades as a Wizard.

But then the injuries came, and they stayed longer than anyone could have expected. Wall has played three of the last five seasons and even in those three seasons he’s only played in 113 of a possible 246 games.

The former Wildcat was traded to Houston in a deal for Russell Westbrook, with his days as a Wizard coming to an end. He didn’t spend much time in Houston before he received a buyout from the team. Wall then was able to hit the free agent market where he signed with the Los Angeles Clippers.

No one was really sure what Wall’s career would look like following all of the injuries and having bounced from Washington to Houston to Los Angeles in a relatively short amount of time. But after last night’s season opener for LA, it appears he’s found the perfect home.

Wall came off the bench in his team’s win over the LA Lakers and was a factor in the victory. He played 25 minutes at the point guard position, the third-most minutes of anyone on the team. Wall scored 15 points, dished out three assists and grabbed four rebounds.

He looked healthy and had a burst to his play. Wall appears to be in line for a major comeback season and the team itself should be clicking on all cylinders this year.

Tweet of the Day

A #Keeneland record payoff of $72,863.72 for a 10-cent superfecta wager occurred in today's 7th race. The ticket, which swept the entire pool, was placed through NYRA Bets, and cost only $18. pic.twitter.com/yDf9xL1fl9
— Keeneland Racing (@keenelandracing) October 20, 2022