Clippers’ John Wall Might Settle For a Second Unit Role

The Los Angeles Clippers might prefer starting Reggie Jackson over former All-Star guard John Wall.

Los Angeles Clippers head coach Tyronn Lue has a good problem on his hands: how to manage the minutes of his deep, talented lineup. The first matter at hand is who will start at the point guard position, and it seems that the Clippers coaching staff have reached a decision within a couple of days away from the start of the 2022-23 NBA regular season. According to Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports, it’s expected that Reggie Jackson will start over John Wall when the Clippers open their campaign against the Los Angeles Lakers on October 21.

Reggie Jackson, who is turning 33 next year, was the Clippers’ starting point guard last season. He fulfilled the role to a great extent, putting up a decent stat line of 16.8 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 4.8 assists. Jackson’s shooting percentages did dip last year (39.2% FG and 32.6% 3PT), but he has shown the ability to lead an offense through his playmaking and shot-creating. Moreover, Jackson has a lot of motivation to play better this season, as he will be entering unrestricted free agency in the summer of 2023.

For John Wall, this season is about his path toward redemption. Consecutive injuries have derailed his All-Star career, but he’s eager to prove that he’s still one of the best point guards in the NBA today. After nine years with the Washington Wizards, Wall last played with the 2020-21 Houston Rockets, where he tallied 20.6 points, 3.2 rebounds, 6.9 assists, and 1.1 steals per game. The Clippers still believe in him though, as they agreed on a two-year, $13 million deal last summer.

Along with John Wall and Reggie Jackson, the Clippers boast a deep roster headlined by superstars Kawhi Leonard and Paul George.