In some more of the latest offseason news, John Wall and the Houston Rockets have agreed to a buyout, in which the team will pay him the rest of his salary and he will become a free agent. Wall has been a member of the Rockets since the 2020-21 season, but didn’t play at all during the 2021-22 season, as the team hoped to find a trade for him. With a young core featuring Jalen Green, the third overall pick Jabari Smith Jr, late first round pick TyTy Washington, Kevin Porter Jr, Alperen Sengun, Josh Christopher, Kenyon Martin Jr, Wendell Moore, and Jae’Sean Tate, it doesn’t make much sense for veterans like Wall to remain on the team (free Eric Gordon!).
Wall agreed to take $6.5 million less then what his contract owed him in order to become a free agent, and it appears as though he will be signing with the Los Angeles Clippers, likely via the mid-level exception. The Clippers have been looking for a playmaker to team up with All-NBA forwards Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, and Wall is their guy. When he last played for the Rockets, he averaged 20.6 points and 6.9 assists, and he has career averages of 19.1 points and 9.1 assists per game.
The Clippers need for a point guard has been clear, as there had been heavy rumors surrounding Kyrie Irving going to the franchise if he were to leave Brooklyn. However, Irving has opted into his $36.5 million player option, which is best for all parties. Irving will get what is likely the last big payday of his career (unless he proves to be consistent during the 2022-23 season), and the Clippers get a point guard on a much cheaper contract. Unless injuries be-riddle him once again, Wall will be more reliable for the Clippers, and they will still have the ability to make moves in the offseason. I can’t wait to see Wall on the court again; he’ll be playing with the best teammates of his career, and he still has a few good seasons left in him at 31.
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Basketball rule question that I can not find the answer to : if a player is bad at the free throw line, can he shoot a sky-hook, or, a jump-shot, so long as his feet are behind the line ?
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Great question! A player can technically shoot a jump-shot from behind the free throw line, but most players choose not to because you want to shoot a free throw the exact same way every time. That way, it’s easier to mimic and get the same good result. Players at younger levels jump when they shoot free throws because they don’t have the upper body strength to get the ball to the rim without jumping. So yes, it’s legal, but it can make shooting consistent free throws more difficult. A player has to keep their feet behind the free throw line but can only back up to the hemisphere at the top of the key. As long as they are in that area, they can shoot a jump shot, and I guess a sky hook too; but consistency wise, it’s easier to shoot without jumping. Thanks for asking!
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Great answer ! I was thinking about the guys that are horrible at free throws, but, otherwise, are amazing players that make these remarkable and impossible shots while in motion. We seem to see them ” freeze-up” while standing still at the free-throw line, and they miss, while all day they make baskets falling backwards surrounded by defenders.
Maybe if they could replicate that motion, (and maybe difficulty ? ) at the free throw line, their percentage would increase ?
Thank you for responding !
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Always happy to talk to a fellow fan! It does seem difficult to believe that these guys can make all these incredible shots but fail to make an uncontested 15 footer, but a lot of it has to do with the pressure. Most of the shots these players make are in the rhythm of the game, while with free throws, everything stops and all the focus is on them. There’s a ton of pressure, and some guys crack under it. For example, Shaquille O’Neal shot something like 75%-80% on free throws in practice, which is the league average. However, when under pressure in games, it was more like 50%. The free throw itself is indeed much easier; it’s simply the pressure which makes it much more difficult.
Feel free to ask any more questions you may have!
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Good points, I never knew that Shaquille stat, that is most interesting !
On game rhythm, that’s my theory, to try to keep that game rhythm going. Possibly a free-throw in motion with a couple of rhythmic steps built into it.
Maybe not take the shot at the exact center ?
Change things up, similar to when Jerry West ( ?) shot under-handed at the free throw line.
Thank you for answering that question for me, and the new stat.
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