Houston Rockets: Five players who will earn an NBA award

#4 John Wall – NBA All-Star

John Wall joined the Houston Rockets via trade in the offseason when the team dealt Russell Westbrook to the Washington Wizards in exchange for his services. Wall’s journey over the past couple of years has been difficult as an Achilles injury caused him to absent for a prolonged period of time.

With Wall’s injuries past him, he has returned back to his All-Star form by posting season averages similar to his previous campaigns in the nation’s capital. However, he is averaging a career-low 5.1 assists per game, while his career average, prior to the start of this season, was 9.2.

At the beginning of the season, Wall had to surrender ball-handling duties to James Harden who saw a surge in his passing while he was still playing for the Rockets. Now that James Harden is out of the picture, it is fully expected that John Wall will assume his role in Stephen Silas’ system.

Wall is averaging 18.6 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 5.1 assists per game. Last year’s seven guards were selected for the Western Conference in the All-Star game.

Wall currently lags behind much of his competition in points and assists per game but with his assists and scoring set to increase in the near future, it is possible that he can earn a slot in the NBA All-Star game this season. It cannot be forgotten that the Rockets still have playoff expectations despite Harden’s departure.

Wall was an anchor for the Washington Wizards for many years and led the team to four playoff appearances. The Rockets are going to need to lean into Wall and he can certainly return to his former All-Star form given his expected increased role and responsibilities.

Next: Player No. 3