2010 NBA Draft: John Wall Has Star Potential, but Is He Over-Hyped?
Count me among the multitudes of those who have been impressed by the combination of talents that course through the veins of future NBA player John Wall, and the unbelievable physical attributes he has displayed thus far.
All signs point towards Wall becoming an immediate impact player, and his rare blend of size, strength, quickness, and vision make him a unique and tantalizing point guard prospect.
Some have gone as far to say Wall is the best prospect at the point guard position in years. And although that position can definitely be debated, there are current examples in the NBA which prove that opinion false.
If one compared Wall to last season's point guard class, he would stand head and shoulders above the rest, and that's truly saying something, because the rookie class of 2009 was impressive.
Tyreke Evans and Stephen Curry were the NBA Rookie of the Year and runner-up respectively, and players like Brandon Jennings, Johnny Flynn, and Ty Lawson performed admirably in their first seasons.
Wall's combination of skills usurps any of the above-mentioned names, but what about the heralded class of 2005, which produced the two players who are generally considered the NBA's top point guards?
Deron Williams and Chris Paul stand as strong evidence against the early coronation of Wall, and even though he may be able to hold his own against the duo from a physical point of view, they dominate the intangible aspect of the game.
There is no doubt Wall was one of the best players and athletes last season in all of college basketball, but during Paul and Williams' stint in college they were also outstanding point guards.
They each entered the NBA with the leadership qualities Wall is lacking, and they were both the unquestioned generals of their respective teams, while Wall was a piece of a talented puzzle at Kentucky.
Some may disagree, but Wall never appeared to assume a mantle of leadership during his one season in Lexington, in fact fellow freshman Eric Bledsoe seemed to display more aptitude in this area.
This may make Wall's transition to the NBA a little more difficult, because whoever decides to draft him will expect him to grasp the reins of the franchise immediately.
Williams and Paul were more comfortable in this position because at Illinois and Wake Forest their leadership qualities had been proved, and they carried this quality directly into the NBA.
Derrick Rose, another John Calipari prodigy, also possessed this same quality to go along with with the same type of incredible athleticism, and I would go as far to call Rose the best of Calipari's trio including Evans and Wall.
Talent-wise, Wall is more than prepared to confront the NBA, and his power dribble, and quick first step gives him an advantage in this day and age of no hand-checking throughout the league.
Wall will likely be a superior offensive player as a rookie because no one will be able to prevent his penetration, and once he adjusts to NBA opponents he will excel on the defensive end as well.
But his mental maturity will be challenged, and his history with authority figures is still a question mark, despite his successful season with Calipari at Kentucky.
Wall hails from my home state of North Carolina, and the difficulties he faced early in his career are well-documented and even involve a few run-ins with the law.
Those missteps shouldn't be held against him because they are the mistakes of youth, and to be honest, Wall strikes me as pretty good kid who just happened to fall victim to poor judgement.
The anticipation of Wall's first NBA game has reached a fever pitch, and he will likely dazzle in his debut, but to ordain him as a top NBA point guard is presumptuous at best, and ill-conceived at worst.
I look forward to Wall's debut as much as the next person, but the hype which surrounds him doesn't prevent me from realizing their are actually better point guards in the NBA right now.
