In his first public comments since joining the Clippers as a free agent, John Wall said he’s looking forward to playing on such a talented roster, as Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN relays.
“I don’t have to do it every night, I don’t have to be Batman every night for us to win,” Wall said on Saturday at the Las Vegas Summer League. “That’s the ultimate goal for me is [at] this part of my career, I don’t want to have to be the Batman every night to try to win. On our team that we have, I think anyone can be Batman.”
Wall also said he never seriously considered joining another team besides the Clippers, according to Youngmisuk.
“I really didn’t care about all the other teams,” Wall said of his other potential suitors. “The other teams are great, and I’m glad teams wanted to come after me, but I kind of looked at the picture of like, where can I go [where] I don’t have to be the John Wall from 2016 and have to carry the load and do all those [things] and have the pressure on me. I think [LA] was missing a piece of having a point guard, and it’s a great situation for me to be there.”
Here’s more from the Pacific Division:
- Recruitment calls from Stephen Curry and Draymond Green helped Donte DiVincenzo land on the Warriors as his free agent destination, writes Dalton Johnson of NBC Sports Bay Area. “Once I had the conversation with Steph and Draymond, everything kind of slowed down for me a little bit because I got away from the numbers, the dollar signs and everything,” DiVincenzo said. “I was more so focused on what is best for Donte and what is best for me going forward. With that culture and environment, it’s something that I want to be a part of and it’s something of who I am. I don’t have to change who I am. I can just totally fit in and become a Warrior.” DiVincenzo signed a two-year deal with Golden State with a player option in the second season. He reportedly had offers for more money, but the ability to join a contender and possibly build up his value next season appealed to the 25-year-old.
- Lakers head coach Darvin Ham recently expressed confidence in his coaching staff’s ability to get the most out of the team’s newly-signed free agents, per Kyle Goon of The Southern California News Group. “There’s various circumstances as to why people have a dip in shooting,” Ham said. “Sometimes it’s injury-related, sometimes it’s minutes, who you’re out on the floor with, how many touches. So only thing we’re worried about is what we’re doing going forward, and we feel we’ve got a good group – a good young group of free agents that’s gonna come in and make an impact.” The Lakers have added Lonnie Walker, Troy Brown Jr., Juan Toscano-Anderson, Damian Jones and Thomas Bryant thus far in free agency, prioritizing youth and athleticism over older veterans.
- Suns big man Dario Saric, who missed the entire 2021/22 season after suffering a torn right ACL in the 2021 Finals and underwent arthroscopic surgery in May to repair a torn meniscus in the same knee, recently gave a positive update on his status, writes Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic. Saric just started doing contact work with coaches and hopes to play a couple of games with the Croatian national team prior to training camp. “I’m feeling good, I’m feeling really good,” said Saric. “I’m moving better, moving faster. I was one year out of basketball. I’ve had time to settle my mind to really dive into this extra positive. Working to be as best as I can.”
DiVincenzo is a solid pickup. Especially after losing Porter. He’s made for this offense.
Always liked Saric wishing him well …….
Yup, GSW nailed it. Donte is a baller. Agree 100%.
Saric has shown he is a good role player. Let’s see how he comes back from injury.
Agreed, but DiVincenzo won’t be playing C like Porter did, he’s upgrading Damion Lee’s (also a SG) spot on the roster. Idk why people keep saying Otto Porrter and DiVincenzo play the same position and roles, DiVincenzo is a 6’4″ SG. He’s not the defensive wizard GP2 is, so you cant say he’s replacing that role either. It’s Lee who he is replacing, and that is a MASSIVE upgrade, so this is a great sign.
Next I hope Carmelo Anthony takes the min to finally get his ring! He would be a fine replacement for Otto and Iggy both on and off court.
Donte has a big picture
Lakers have a small picture
Why would Lakers trade away all the draft picks this summer?
…… Lakers have no picture
@Sill
The Lakers shot for the moon. I wouldn’t call their organization bad for it.
They shoot for the rafters.
Lakers picture fine, you just obsess.
Sillivan must live on a Russian controlled island above the Arctic Circle. It only way his obsession with the Lakers makes sense. His Soviet Conservative Frost Bitten mind can’t distinguish between a player and a team, a worker and a company. He is obsessed with the state run enterprise. In his Conservative understanding of the world, that equates to the Lakers. That must be why he only talks about the Lakers. He is finally become disillusioned with the Conservative Soviet style approach. He doesn’t understand that players can make informed decisions. Players are not guided by Conservative philosophy. Donte Divenchenzo was not seduced by the Conservative approach. He obviously wanted a much Liberal Agenda. He doesn’t want to play for the Man, LeBron.
If you doubt what I am saying, let’s look at his recent trade proposals. The Lakers will send Westbrook to Indiana, and Indiana will send all their young players to Brooklyn. You would only suggest a trade like that if you believed in old style Conservative Soviet Style Elitism. Indiana has no use for Westbrook. That is pretty obvious. LA unloaded a contract, Brooklyn got a bunch of young players. Indiana got a hunk of dead meat. That is pretty Conservative Elitism at its core.
Monk is far better than any Lakers acquired free agents
Lakers need a good trade and the trade helps reduce luxury tax
Offensively? Yes. But defensively? No
Lakers let Mac McClung go and he had 26 / 6 / 6 for the Warriors in summer league.
Looked good today.
@bwmiller… Tell me when he gets those numbers in the NBA with the big boys, otherwise who cares about summer league?
Divinecenzo was one of the better possible outcomes for them at that position, having seemed an unlikely possibility b/c of money. There were other options there, like MCW, Shaq Harrison, etc, even some summer league guys actually, but Dovincenzo obviously has more upside offensively, and I think he should be able to defend the guard spots/play with Curry, and maybe even guard up some. He has been inconsistent in that area since his injury, but I think he should be removed enough from that to do the job
This is what I guess
Nets proposal
Nets get Westbrook, 2027 First, 2029 First
Lakers get Irving and Joe Harris
Lakers proposal
Lakers get Irving, Seth Curry
Nets get Westbrook and 2027 First
Joe Harris proposal would increase Lakers luxury tax $40 million
And guess rhymes with obsess!
It’s his guessation.
Lol Seth Curry really? No way. Lakers win that trade. Anything involving Westbrook needs to favor the non Lakers, especially when talking to teams who’ll be paying luxury tax. Take Curry out and add another pick and or assets, then maybe. Kyrie is a very good player and Curry is a solid role guy. You can move Harris and Kyrie separately in better ways than this. Westbrook is $50M + lux tax and his best years are behind. 1 2027 1st round is too unknown. So you eat tax and gamble that much money to do LAL a favor? Why?
just stop it Westbrook is stuck on lakers. They need to pay a team to take him off their hands and Nets do not need to gift Lakers anything. Lakers should just buy out Westbrook middle of the season.
True! They are better off just buying him out and then sign a back up point guard that can shoot like DJ Augustin.
Good that Wall is off the Batman/Robin philosophy… if he is. BB would be more like the Batman/Robin/Alfred/Gordon/Riddler philsophy… There’s 5 on the court, not 1 and the lessers, where none of the lessers get to bring the ball upcourt. PGs who can get into the lane at will forget this.