John Wall, Marcin Gortat aired grievances in recent meeting, according to report

John Wall and Marcin Gortat met recently to start the process of repairing their fractured relationship, according to Chris Haynes of ESPN:

The meeting, which didn’t last long, facilitated the airing of grievances, but sources say there is still more work to be done to fully repair that relationship.

Those close to the franchise suggest these are natural altercations from the rigors of such an emotional season.

The hubbub started back in early February when Gortat sent out the following tweet after a victory over the Raptors, the team’s third-straight win without Wall:

Gortat maintained afterward his tweet was not meant as a dig, but Wall had a pointed response a few days later on SportsCenter when he was asked about his reaction to Gortat’s tweet:

It was more just shocking to hear from him, and understanding that he gets the most assists from me, and the most spoon-fed baskets ever.

Clearly, the Wizards felt like whatever tension there is between the two didn’t necessitate a trade, otherwise, there would have been a move before last week’s trade deadline. Still, it’s going to be interesting to see how things shake out once Wall is healthy enough to play.

Both players are very familiar with handling criticism, so it’s hard to imagine either player holding a grudge for too long. However, both players’ comments seem to indicate they have differing views on what their respective roles should be in Washington’s offense. Resolving that, more than whatever petty squabbles they’re dealing with now, will be the key to making things work once Wall is healthy.