Trying to Make Sense of the John Wall For Russell Westbrook Trade

Another major trade went down in the NBA a few days ago. Well, major if we just go by the names involved. The trade? Russell Westbrook was traded from Houston to Washington for John Wall and a pick.

When I saw the news first break, I audibly gasped, and exclaimed, "wow!! what a trade!". Then I kind of sat on it for a few days. I listened to well respected basketball writers talk about it on podcasts. I read some people who I like write about the trade. And after indulging myself in all of that, this trade doesn't really move the needle for either team, and it isn't as great as I first thought. The names totally blew me away, but then I was reminded that Russ is 32 years old, and not nearly as explosive as he was three years ago when he won his MVP award. I mean, he is still an all NBA caliber player, but he has definitely taken a step back. John Wall, well he hasn't played in a real game in two years, is coming off a devastating injury, and he was clearly overlooked as the new face of the franchise after they drafted Brad Beal. Now, I have got to tell everyone, I really like both these players, I have taken their side more than not and I feel like a ton of people are way, way too hard on them as players. I am a fan of both Russ and Wall. But facts are facts.

Russ is not a good shooter. He is not a three point shooter and he takes far too many mid range shots when he has guys open at three, or in the paint. He is also not totally committed on defense. He is as explosive an athlete as I have ever seen, he is a good teammate, although some people would try and tell you he isn't, and he goes all out no matter if it is game 1, 25, 45, 75 or the playoffs. He always plays hard. But he is not the same player. Leaving OKC was tough, but necessary. They moved on, and they tried to put him in the position he wanted. But Houston was an ill fit. When going to Houston, if you are not named James Harden, you have to learn a totally different style of basketball. Houston plays what they call "Harden ball". He dribbles out the clock and then decides if he wants to shoot, or throw a lob. It works for him, but other star players do not seem to like that style. Dwight Howard left, Chris Paul was next and now Russ is gone. The one common denominator, "Harden ball". I can see why Russ wanted out, and why they traded him. I just don't know how the fit works with Beal. Brad Beal is a star. He is a shooting machine. He has gotten better every year in the league, and he is more than ready to be the face of a franchise. I don't know that Russ will let that happen. Beal needs to be able to do all the things he can do, and he needs the coaching staff and front office to give him the leeway to do so. At least in Russ' case, he has played real games for the past two years, and is still very capable of bringing it every night. But the fit seems not so good.

As for Wall in Houston, I do not like it at all. It is probably the worst pairing of stars in the league. John Wall, as I stated, is coming off a horrible injury. He hasn't played a meaningful game in two years. He may not be in the best shape right now. And now he is going to be asked to play "Harden ball". That is like caging a tiger. When healthy, Wall is one of the fastest and most explosive athletes in the open court. He can fly up and down the floor. He can get the ball to open guys, and he can hit tough shots inside and out. I don't think he will be able to do that with Harden. He will be asked to do what every other star player has been asked when playing with Harden. He will be put in a corner to spread the floor, and he will basically be neutralized when on the floor with Harden. Now, Houston can do what they did last year, when they let Russ run wild and play more with the second unit, but Russ didn't have an ACL tear. He also thrived in that role, and he accepted that role. I think Wall wants to prove that he is fully back from his injury. He will not get that chance in Houston unless they trade Harden. Houston will not trade Harden unless he decides to not show up to camp. But, if they do trade Harden, Wall doesn't have much around him to re prove himself. Houston lost a lot, and only added Christian Wood. Wood is a solid player, but he is not a star. PJ Tucker is good, but he clearly wants out. Eric Gordon also seems to want out. I really do not know what Houston's plan is, and adding John Wall only further confuses me.

This seems to be a pointless trade. For two guys that used to be super duper stars, and again, Russ is still an all NBA player, this trade is not as wild and bonkers and crazy as I first thought. When you sit down and do the research, it is really a baffling trade, and it does not make either team better. Both will be in the bottom half of their conference, and they will be fighting to get in the play in tournament. It was an odd deal. I'll still be rooting for these two guys, but this trade makes no real sense to me.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing, the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast, and the greatest basketball writer on the internet.

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