Former All-NBA point guard John Wall held a private workout in Las Vegas this week, and according to the Athletic’s Kelly Iko, the Boston Celtics were one of several teams with personnel in attendance. Iko reported Wall is hoping to mount an NBA comeback after being waived by the Houston Rockets last season.
Wall is not the player he once was. The five-time All-Star was at one point one of the fastest and most dynamic offensive threats in the Association. Injuries have been a consistent problem for Wall, however, who turns 33 this September. Prior to being traded to and subsequently waived by the Rockets, Wall had a brief showing with the Los Angeles Clippers headlined by poor shooting and costly turnovers.
Boston’s appearance at Wall’s workout this week could be nothing more than due diligence. But the Celtics are a little thin at the point guard position, and Wall is a veteran who can orchestrate an offense better than most.
The team has shifted its defensive identity and made, at least in the eyes of some, questionable roster management decisions. https://t.co/H7fHrdxSHs
— The Celtics Wire (@TheCelticsWire) July 10, 2023
Wall averaged 11.4 points and 5.4 assists last season in 22.2 minutes per game with the Clippers. Even playing in a limited role with Los Angeles, those assists numbers could be worth a second look for Boston. Only Marcus Smart averaged more dimes per contest in ’22-23 for the Celtics than Wall.
With Smart headed to Memphis, Boston is without a true point guard. Derrick White, Malcolm Brogdon, and Payton Pritchard can all play the position well enough, but none of these players fits the mold of a traditional point guard.
Boston also added Delano Banton into the fold this offseason, and just inked sophomore point guard JD Davison to a two-way deal.
Boston did almost trade away Malcolm Brogdon earlier this summer. Payton Pritchard has previously agitated for a larger role away from the Celtics. The team is poised to make a big splash in the coming weeks or months. Boston’s final roster is far from settled for next season.
If there are changes to the club’s guard depth chart, perhaps a strong workout from Wall could be way to land the former Kentucky Wildcat in Celtics green. It seems unlikely at the time of this writing, but the offseason is still young.
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