John Wall ready for first game with Victor Oladipo - Houston Chronicle

A night of firsts was ahead for Rockets point guard John Wall on Tuesday. He had been looking forward to one of those for some time. The other wasn’t as big on his mind.

The Rockets host the Washington Wizards, whom Wall played for his first 10 NBA seasons. However, this won’t be the emotional affair some might assume it would be in his first game against his former team, and it likely won’t be until he finally makes his return to D.C. on Feb. 15.

“For me, I don’t think there’ll be too many emotions, because I’m not going back to D.C.,” Wall said after Houston’s win Saturday. “I think that’s when it’ll be the most emotions: when that opportunity (comes) to walk into the Capital One Arena – I mean, the city where I’ve been the last 10 years.”

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Rather, the biggest part for him Tuesday is continuing to grow with the new-look Rockets, and that starts with his first chance to play alongside new backcourt mate Victor Oladipo.

Oladipo came to Houston from Indiana in the four-team deal that sent James Harden to the Brooklyn Nets on Jan. 16, right in the middle of Wall’s most recent extended absence due to injury. Oladipo played three Rockets games without Wall, who then returned Saturday, the same day Oladipo sat in the second game of a back-to-back.

For a new starting backcourt on a team that has dealt with plenty of injuries this season, growing pains will be expected, but the chance to jell with Oladipo is what entices Wall most.

“I know how talented Vic is. I watched him play over the years. I even played him in high school, so I know what he brings to the game on both ends of the floor, and it’ll be great to finally get a game under our belts with each other,” Wall said. “(…) It’s going to be a learning process for us, but it’s an opportunity for us to get better.”

Houston dropped Oladipo’s first two games to Chicago and Phoenix but is on a two-game win streak going into the game with Washington. Wall cares most about continuing to win, and that starts with learning to play with Oladipo. Once that happens, then he can start preparing for his D.C. homecoming.

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https://www.houstonchronicle.com/texas-sports-nation/rockets/article/John-Wall-ready-for-first-game-with-Victor-Oladipo-15899551.php

2021-01-26 19:39:00Z
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