John Wall met with the Washington Wizards for his exit interview after the team was bumped out of the playoffs by the Toronto Raptors in six games, and the star point guard made it clear that he wants some new teammates next season.
As ESPN’s Ohm Youngmisuk notes, Wall did not mention anyone by name when he sat down with team officials. However, he made it clear that he felt personality clashes have become an issue and some Washington players are either unhappy with their role or don’t understand it.
“I just think you can kind of tell when guys, when things are going well, everybody is happy, everybody wants to be here,” Wall said. “But when things get rough, that is when you really figure out who is your brother, who is really in the war with you, who is really in the fight with you. I think anybody can see from the outside — or the inside looking in — who really wanted to be here when things weren’t going great for us, but when it is all happy go jolly, and we are winning, it is all fun and games.”
It’s hard to read those comments and not think of Marcin Gortat. The big man appeared to take a shot at Wall with a tweet earlier in the year when Wall was out with an injury, though the two later met to clear the air. They were then seen possibly arguing on the bench during their series against the Raptors, but Gortat praised Wall after the point guard’s dominant performance in the fourth quarter of Game 4.
In other words, it sure seemed like Wall and Gortat were getting along when things were going well but butting heads when they weren’t.
“People who have been around our team understand what we can use to help our team,” Wall added. “And it is not throwing shade to anybody on our team because everybody that is on the roster gave everything they had to make it work and fit with the team.
“But at the same time, sometimes when it is not working, you try, you try, you try, and it keeps failing over and over, you have to make certain adjustments and changes.”
It’s also worth noting that Wizards coach Scott Brooks apologized for not getting Bradley Beal enough shots in Game 2 against Toronto, so Beal may be another player who has had some issues with his role.
The Wizards have won three first-round playoff series in the past five years, but they seem to consistently be in the middle of the pack in the Eastern Conference. From the way it sounds, Wall feels the current version of the team has hit its ceiling.
