College / Dec 15, 2009 / 9:30 am

It’s Too Early To Anoint John Wall The Next LeBron

By

John Wall

Let’s face it, Kentucky freshman, John Wall, is just that dude right now. He’s Jesus Shuttlesworth in He Got Game. He’s LeBron circa 2003. Nobody in college basketball even comes close to generating the kind of excitement and hype as this 6-4 point guard. Wall is the best freshman (perhaps player) in the country right now and a near lock for the top pick in the 2010 NBA Draft.

It seems every year, there’s some phenom in college and high school that we as journalists love to over-hype and anoint the next Michael Jordan or the next LeBron, etc. After all, there’s papers to be sold and internet hits that need to be counted. The media did it with Blake Griffin last year, Derrick Rose in 2008, Greg Oden in 2007 and so forth and so on. So it gets a little hazy when you’re trying to gauge how good John Wall really is. Is he one of those “comes around once every 10 years” kind of point guards like Jason Kidd and Chris Paul? Or is he just a talented guard who can dunk really well?

Yeah, everyone has seen the YouTube clips of Wall dominating in high school with his left-handed spin moves, the And-1-style crossovers and the Harold Miner-esque slams. Even at Kentucky, Wall has the tendency to be flashy. But there’s also a lot of substance to his game. If he is just a SportsCenter highlight-reel, then why is Kentucky undefeated at 10-0 and ranked third in the country? You can’t argue with his buzzer-beater to beat Miami (OH) in his first college game ever. Or the 14 dimes he threw versus UNC-Asheville or the 26 point, 6 steal performance against UConn at Madison Square Garden in front of a national TV audience.

For the season, Wall is averaging 18.1 ppg, 7.1 apg, 4.1 rpg, 2.8 spg while shooting 54 percent from the field and 36.8 percent from the three-point line. He’s also been named SEC Freshman of the Week for the past three weeks.

“He’s great,” LeBron told the Associated Press last week. “His speed with the ball. He’s like (Chicago guard) Derrick Rose. Derrick is much stronger than he is, but he has some of the same athleticism that Derrick has and Coach Cal (Kentucky coach John Calipari) is going to let those type of guys play. He has shown why he came out being the top player in high school and is one of the top 5 players in college.”

“He’ll be the No. 1 pick in the draft.”

According to the scouting website NBADraft.net, Wall is predicted to be the top pick in next June’s draft. Already, teams like the Nets, Timberwolves and Jazz are probably drooling over the possibility of having this kid on their roster next season. You can also bet, the sneaker giants like adidas and Nike are already preparing their sales pitch to the 19-year old Wall.

“Wall has a certain flair and charisma to his game that few have,” says Aran Smith, president of NBADraft.net. “He’s got that media darling personality to ultimately carry his own line of shoes. His game still has a long ways to go, but similar to (Derrick) Rose he’s got natural passing ability and the potential to develop into a great point guard on top of the elite level speed and athleticism.”

While the hype around Wall is legit, he is still not on the same level that LeBron or Melo were when they were 19 years old. As explosive and fast as Wall is, at 6-4 and 190 pounds – he is still not physically ready to dominate at the next level. He doesn’t always make good decisions with the ball and can be erratic at times (he averages over 4 turnovers a game). His bravado at times might have GMs thinking another Nate Robinson rather than another Deron Williams.

“Wall isn’t in LeBron’s league in terms of potential,” says Smith. “But he does have the potential to challenge Paul, Rose and Deron Williams over the next decade as the top point guard in the league, which is really saying something.”

Bottom line, the college season is not even halfway done. Wall will continue to have big games, but there will also be times he struggles – especially come tournament time. While he will definitely be in the NBA next season, be careful not to expect the world out of him. He’s guaranteed to be good, but whether he’s going to be great, remains to be seen.

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← Older Comments
  • Ko_Peso

    @ Chicagorilla – Is that the best you can come up with? A sweeping, generalized hypothetical? For someone singing the praises of staying in school, it may not hurt to go back there and learn how to make a real argument.

  • Ekstor

    Thank you Ko-Peso for the Bender update.

    Yes. I’ll concede that if a kid is going to blow all of his money immediately, then it’s better for that kid to receive less over a period of time than more up-front.

    As to the question why do so many athletes go broke? It’s NOT because what I stated is complicated. It’s because most of them live above their means and put no thought into saving…

    Care to disagree?

  • Ekstor

    @ POPPI GEE

    You’re asking them to stay because the money will be there and because it sends a better message to future generations?

    If you’re speaking in terms of the best interests of college basketball, then I agree.

    If you’re speaking in terms of the best interests of the individual, then I disagree. The point of all of this is that the money is NOT guaranteed to be there… on the other hand, if they suffer a career-ending injury AFTER turning pro and getting their guaranteed contract, they can always come back and finish their degree later.

    In truth, while Vince Carter finished his degree, it was totally unnecessary assuming he had even saved a miniscule percentage (maybe 5%) of what he earned.

  • Ekstor

    @ Chicagorilla

    It’s an absolute shame that guys steal from others and those types of agents or finance managers should be captured and hung.

    That said, I’ll agree if these kids don’t know how to account for their own money, they’re sitting ducks and easy pray.

    I submit that the issue is not how complicated it is to simply save money, but how easily these kids trust men that they don’t know.

  • Tim

    Not sure how you can call him the Next LeBron…Lebron was 6″8″ and took care of business straight in the NBA. Wall is 6’4″ please compare him to someone of similiar size and position.

  • http://twitter.com/PoppiGEE POPPI GEE

    I have no problem with a player deciding to get their degree over going early and hope more players decide to do so. Again that is never a dumb decision as long as one is happy.

    If they decide to get their college degree afterwards then that is cool too.

    If they are supporting their family then leaving early I understand.

    Otherwise just going and not caring about little else except just being rich, well that I can’t condone.

  • nevacare

    Yeah the kid is pretty damn good. I like Xavier Henry too. They will make someone’s team alot better at draft time. the Rockets need to tank their season & get him

  • http://www.twitter.com/bfears bfears

    i have been saying this. the kid is good no doubt, bt he is overrated. point blank.

  • http://dime eyes

    It’s the system there in. They’re supposed to fail. A lot of the ones who go broke have parents and large families for who they’re the backbone. The longer you stay in college the more money you lose. Whose fault? Why is college basketball,High School,AAU a business. Not the kids fault? Why is there one seminar about the dangers of being a millionaire and investements when you’re a rookie. The system could actually care less about the players. Hopefully there are more success stories than failures. Remember how Vince got killed for going to Graduation & Playing the same day. That moment their should have been praised. People in general could care less how smart or dumb the person. It’s up to the person at the end of the day to manuever around all the bull. Which can be a daunting task.

    The better suited/off his family/friends & surroundings(Teachers,coaches,agents the better off the player off. Why do you think Mike Tyson went broke? It does has a lot to do with his education but more so the snakes who stole everything he worked so hard for. Some people are educated & broke while others are dumb & rich. I’d go for somehere in the middle.

    People can talk about all they want. Now we have this Ihoops and I’m wondering who’s this supposed to help. I’m pretty sure they want the players to take a decrease in salaries while the tickets,food,parking & everything continues to go up. How can the cost of living continually rise while pay goes down or subsides. The system is screwed in so many ways. It causes for a greater disparity than needed. We can tinker some of the salaries I believe so that some players in the DLeague could take care of let alone themselves. Basketball is a full time job.

    People that say all athletes are dumb. Have no idea. They could easily be taught as you were to conform. You could try your whole life to be as good as the worse player in the league. Chances are next to slim. We all have opinions on our others what are the opinions of ourselves. It sad to see anybody broke or unable to provide for their family. I sometimes feel all stars & celebrities are a high paid circus just waiting to be shut or shipped down. Again you would only know if you had to deal with some of the stuff these players actually had to deal. If you grew up where they grew up. Walked in their shoes.

    How hard is it for 2 parents who both have degrees & a strong supporting cast(family) to raise their own. Now start subtracting one by one and throw in some negatives and be the judge. Some of these guys money is there family. Would you like that? How about not being able to trust anybody? The pressure to perform every night at levels only you could understand?

    My opinion is always take the money & balance it with an education. It’s the most powerful tool no one will ever be able to TAKE FROM YOU. It’s also a cycle you should always want to acheive more than your parents. Continue the progress so our next generation is even more prepared for what’s ahead. More players should tell their actual stories. Wait who would want to hear that? It would hurt the image of the league. LOL. To make that much money of athletes & treat them as a whole. Is SHAMEFUL. In turn you reap what you sew.

  • http://dime eyes

    Also can we some how rid the ability to tank a season for a high draft pick. I think it wrong in all aspect. Especially the negative influence it could have on & usually does to our future. Look at Sebastian Telfair,Steph Curry, just to name a few. To ruin or halt a career before its started. THE SYSTEM NEEDS FIXING.

  • Amos Leak

    John Wall is taking basketball to another level. This kid really came out of the wood works..he is changing college basketball as we speak the idea and the thought of even realizing how much of a prime time player he is…the whole college basketball season is based off what he does..no body is looking at anybody even close..he’s keeping the game alive in college basketball. but he’s no lebron james…but he’s damn near there

  • http://dime eyes

    He can’t be the Next LEBRON JAMES. He’s played college ball thankfully. Not thanking Stern for the rule though. Just glad to see him succeed at this level. A few players who would have been decent pros & now have to find other ways to survive. Thank you. This rule can’t save college basketball nor can it save scouts who mostly just read blogs or go by hear say.

  • Ekstor

    @ POPPI GEE

    That’s the first post from you (in this thread) that I’ll agree with. I never condoned taking the money simply for riches. If you notice, my arguments all center around being able to secure your future, whether for the individual himself or for his family (current or future).

    With a little education, they can provide themselves with a safety net that allows them to later pursue whatever they desire if their career is cut short… whether it be education, business, investment, etc.

    That said, the cynic in me tells me that most of these athletes treat school as a formality and could care less about an actual degree. People like Duncan and Carter are exceptions to the rule.

    I agree with your implication that there is far more to life than just money… and more power to the individual if they decide that getting their degree is more important than the guaranteed contract, BUT it’s would be an absolute travesty if a coach were trying to talk a player into doing it with false assurances like, “the money will be there”… “you owe it to your team and to basketball.”

    The decision should be both informed and based on hard facts… and from a financial standpoint, the fact is that an elite player has an opportunity to completely guarantee his financial independence if he leaves early and risks losing that if he doesn’t.

    @ Eyes

    Nice points.

  • http://twitter.com/PoppiGEE POPPI GEE

    Ekstor

    Where aside from what we agree upon then the point of difference is I have no problems with a coach telling his players that the money will be there, cause it will. I think it’s a nice amount of players and even stars that have stayed all 4 gotten drafted and still made a very nice amount of money.

    Sure I do feel a coach should spell it out (I totally agree with your last paragraph) and make it clear that it is a gamble. Still for a coach to request a dude he recruited to stay for so many different reasons, for money that will still be around… I have no problem and in no way do I see it as an absolute travesty.

    I mean seriously who is it, who is, or who are the guys who decided to stay and got injured and didn’t make their money? Who are these injured masses who lost out on millions by deciding to stay? I’m just wondering?

  • Ekstor

    @ POPPI GEE

    To your point, I have neither statistics nor examples of players who lost millions by staying, but the lack of actual cases does not alleviate the obvious risk.

    Career-ending injuries are far-and-few. For the pros, the situation is less impactful from a financial standpoint. Greg Oden could be a great example of someone who could have lost a lot had he stayed and suffered the kind of injuries we see today. The injury prone nature of other players like Grant Hill and Penny Hardaway would have been disastrous had they suffered any of those season-ending injuries in college (neither player was the same after their first significant injury).

    You misunderstand what I’m referring to as a “travesty.” If a coach wants to request his kid stay, that’s fine… but saying “the money will be there” is an ABSOLUTE irresponsible statement because the coach does NOT have the ability to guarantee the kid’s future, make up for a lost contract, or prevent freak injuries… and the NCAA doesn’t do any of those things either. If they want to argue that college will enrich his life in other ways. Ok. He’ll develop great relationships and memories. Fine… but don’t make promises that a coach himself is unable to guarantee.

    Don’t get me wrong. Money is NOT the most important thing in life… but it’s a terrible and oppressive master for those in debt or suffering stress from it. Thus, if you can guarantee your financial independence, it means you put yourself in a position where you can spend your entire life focusing on things more important than money itself.

    When considering the impact that has on both current and future family… that to me, is a more unselfish action than staying for personal enrichment or “the good of the game.”

  • http://twitter.com/PoppiGEE POPPI GEE

    Roy Hibbert
    Aaron Brooks
    Tyler Hansbrough
    Kirk Hinrich
    Luther Head
    Scottie Reynolds a senior now at Villanova

    Players who decided to stay and the money was there. Now they aren’t stars but the point is that them and others did it and still make pretty good money I think.

    Perhaps if Greg Oden stayed he might be better suited to deal with the rigor of the NBA.

    And even if he hadn’t and lost out on Millions but still have his degree and had still found joy then he is ok.

    Again I said that coaches should explain that it is a gamble but let us be honest the money is there, whether the player gets to it or not, and more times than not I do believe they get to it. It’s there. It is the chance you take but as you can see some have taken that chance and still reached the money.

    Hey though I do see your points. I agree with much of it aside from a little.

    I guess we can both say that if a player stays and makes it, it’s cool.
    If a player leaves early to support his family it’s cool.
    If a player leaves early and goes back it’s cool.
    And hopefully no player who stays will get injured and miss out on more money they could possibly have, and if they do lets pray they still get to a point where they are happy and well off.
    Coaches should inform their players fully regardless of their heart’s desire and at some point knowledge should be grasped to better deal with money and make good decisions, hopefully sooner than later.
    Also lets hope the youth of america can take the better message of always putting what is most important first.

    Ekstor nice debating with ya. I am out on this one.

  • spirow

    hes the best player in college no doubt. . . but NBA you play more games against more physical and stronger players. . . Your comparing him to lebron? he’s gotta get by the joes blows of the NBA first. . .

  • j

    articles like this are ruining college. Lebron? no, Not even as good as kevin Durant was in college a few years ago. The college game is getting weeker. you need to shut the f ck up with the hype

  • grammar police

    @post 68

    and apparently, the college education system is also getting “weeker”

  • Rummy Dummy

    I have just one question: have any of those sterling student athletes who have finished their four year degrees ever lost their ass financially after retiring?

    And make the college better? For who? The coaches? Why should someone with pro opportunities live hand to mouth so some administrators and coaches (who are amateur only in the pejorative sense) can live large off their efforts? These guys are only in college because the NBA forces them there.

    And for those of you arguing for staying in school: is that really a great role for institutions of higher learning, to be some kind of cheap ass farm system for the pros? I mean, look at college football.

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