2) Takeaways from Chicago Bulls loss to Rockets
John Wall looked rejuvenated in his Rockets preseason debut
In his first game played, either in the preseason or the regular season, in roughly two years actually was pretty successful for Wall. The 30-year-old 6-foot-4 and 210 pound Raleigh, NC, native and former Kentucky Wildcats floor general Wall had questions surrounding his status after he spent the better part of the last 18 months trying to rehab in practice from a torn achilles.
In one of the more stunning trades of the offseason around the NBA landscape, it was hard to tell how Wall would do with the Rockets. The Wizards traded Wall to the Rocekts in exchange namely for veteran star point guard Russell Westbrook. That came just one year after former Rockets general manager Daryl Morey traded the Thunder to get Russ for Chris Paul.
Moreover, in this game, Wall registered 13 points, nine assists, five rebounds, two steals, and two turnovers. He was really efficient in his first game back in a long time. Wall also shot 6-of-10 from the field and 1-of-3 from beyond the arc.
It still will take Wall a while to get back fully into game speed. But that’s why the Rockets preseason slate will be so important for him to try to return as close to his previous form as he can. He and Cousins were both solid in their first games back in a good while heading into this weekend.
Watching how WCJ and point guard Coby White matchup with the likes of Cousins and Wall in the second game of these two Bulls home games with the Rockets will be critical come Dec. 13.