Rodney Stuckey and 10 NBA Players Who Are In for a Huge Wake-Up Call
The 2010-2011 NBA Season is merely just a month away and there are many teams out there that want to see themselves holding that championship trophy in their hands at the end of the season.
For a few players, it will become reality, for others, it will be just another year of coming up short. With that, what sort of things have players around the league said and done to get themselves ready for this years season?
For players such as Rodney Stuckey, it involved spending time with family, doing yoga, and simply working on his game, but with these fantastic off-season activities, came with some very questionable comments.
"Last year was tough. We were inconsistent. There was no chemistry. We all just have to stay healthy and the sky is the limit for us.
"On paper, we are the best team in the League. We are deep and athletic. All we have to do is play to our abilities. We don’t have the biggest roster, but if we share the ball, we’ll be alright." -Rodney Stuckey
Yes, he seems prepared for the NBA Season, but he is among the top ten NBA players that needs a wake up call this upcoming season and what better way to to head into the season, than to preview some of the "in over their head" players of the NBA.
Here are the top ten players that are in for a wake-up call in this upcoming NBA Season, hope you enjoy!
Chris Bosh
1 of 10
This may anger many of you "Heat Fans" (Yes, I put you bandwagon Heat fans in quotations), but Bosh may experience a huge wake-up call this season.
With the formation of the now infamous "Big Three" in South Beach, there has been a shift in predictions for many NBA fans, when considering the potential NBA contenders.
The first question in regards to Bosh has been, can he handle being in the shadow of the Miami Heat spotlight?
The AP phrased the Miami Heat perfectly. "The Heat spotlight, it's theirs to share."
They are absolutely right, there will be the obvious spot light regarding the Miami Heat this upcoming season, the only question is, can Bosh, LeBron, and D-Wade share the spotlight?
Because it will be a huge change for Bosh, going from the "man," to the third wheel of the team.
This question has been floating around ever since this deal occurred and it's a sure thing that Bosh won't feel the effects of losing some of his attention.
It may be a small wake-up call, but nevertheless, it's still a possibility that may result in big problems.
Matt Barnes
2 of 10
As a Laker fan it's always hard to spot potential problems before the season even begins, but when you have Matt Barnes on your roster, anything could happen.
Now look, I know Ron Artest is the prime example of how a player can go from worst to best, but Matt Barnes hasn't played one sec in a Laker uniform and though it may be picky to single out Barnes, I can't argue that he is a bomb waiting to explode.
Just two seasons ago, Barnes' No. 1 priority was to prevent Kobe from being " Kobe."
Of course, we all know about the out-of-bounds incident that occurred back in March 2008.
I'm not so worried about problems that may occur between Kobe and Barnes, but the culture change that Barnes may experience with him now living in L.A..
He lived in Florida and he lived in Phoenix, but those cities don't compare to L.A. when you're talking about basketball cities.
My biggest fear is that Barnes will get into trouble when the gym doors are closed and when the people are waiting outside his door, begging him to have just one drink that night.
This could either be a positive or negative for Barnes and it could be a good wake-up call in a sense, if he chooses.
Though I don't think Barnes will cause any chemistry issues for the Lakers, I could see him causing havoc outside of the gym.
I mean he's already getting into trouble with women, what's next?
Sasha Vujacic
3 of 10
In the past two seasons, Sasha Vujacic, (Lakers' designated shooter) has not performed up to par, in fact he hasn't performed at any level.
On average, Sasha shot around 25% from beyond the arc. It seemed as though the ball turned into a ice cube when he let go of the ball, but this year is his contract year and from his past experience, he seemed to play better on this contract years.
This year, Sasha will get a huge wake-up call, one that will tell him to pick up his game and actually make open shots.
I mean it can't be that hard to make wide open shots in the league, especially when Kobe and Pau are creating shots for you.
Though it may have already happened to Sasha, a wake-up call is inevitable and I hope it helps him get back on track this season.
Greg Oden
4 of 10
Finally the "greatest first round pick of all time," will feel the effects of being overrated.
When you can't stay healthy long enough to play a full-season and the "could have" pick in Kevin Durant is coming back with a gold medal around his neck, Oden has to be feeling discouraged and so should Blazer' fans, but I think they have already been feeling the effects for a long time.
One thing that has always annoyed me, was Blazers fans over-hyping Greg Oden. I'll be fair and admit that he is very talented and he has the tools to be a good center, but he is not the No. 1 pick that the Blazer' fans claim him to be.
Well, Oden's time of fame is over. Even his own Blazers fans are quitting on him. A fan commented on Oregon Live, "Dampier anyone?" I mean when your own fans are considering Dampier has an alternative, something has gone wrong.
This will be a tough year for Oden in the sense that he won't have his Blazers fans defending him on every little "injury" he gets.
Oden's on his own this year and it should be a wake-up call to Blazers fans and Oden.
Brandon Jennings
5 of 10
After a great rookie season, Jennings is now one of the most popular guards in the league. With fame comes pressure.
Now because Jennings is well-known around the league, teams will now try harder to focus the attention toward stopping or preventing Jennings.
Like I just said, the more you are known, the harder it is to maintain your high level of play.
For some, it's not a problem if they become a "one-hit wonder," as long as they are remembered, for others, maintaining that attention is their No. 1 goal. Jennings is a player that needs attention to be good.
The problem with Jennings is, his ego tends to undertake his game. Some people can already see another Stephon Marbury, or a Steve Franchise.
There is the obvious talent and potential in Jennings, but his ego may allow a huge wake-up to creep into his life in this upcoming season.
This year will be a good test for Jennings. If he can maintain his high level of play and his ego, he will have a very good rest of his career.
If he decides to relax, Jennings is in for a roller coaster ride and it isn't going up.
Rudy Fernandez
6 of 10
For Spaniard Rudy Fernandez, this off-season has been a doozy. His interest to go to another team was denied and now he is back to square one with the Blazers.
There have been rumors that Rudy is planning to leave the NBA and go back to Spain, but in the meantime, Rudy is going to receive a huge wake-up call from not only Blazers fans, but the NBA.
Rudy's problem has always been, knowing his limits. In his mind, Rudy is a superstar who is being held back by the Blazers organization.
Well, I hope the fact that no team decided to pick him up in the off-season, that Rudy comes back to reality. The reality is, Rudy is just a good back-up player in the NBA, not a starting point guard.
The wake-up call will consist of a reality check, an ego check, and merely the lack of playing time.
If Rudy stays in Portland, which could easily happen, Rudy's playing time will be similar to of last years season, and it will result in the obvious disappointment of Rudy.
I'm glad Rudy is in this position because it's time for him to wake up and smell the pile of garbage he's in.
Allen Iverson
7 of 10
The former superstar, Allen "A.I." Iverson, has come to his final crossroads in his career.
Either he goes out while he's somewhat on top, stays in the NBA for a couple more years, or he goes and finishes his career in China.
It would be smart for Iverson to just retire right now, but I don't see him doing so, due to his type of personality. I could easily see him do the other two, probably more towards the option of going to China.
The problem with that is, NBA fans will lose even more respect for him if he does so because it would basically be a cop-out for Iverson. He would lose respect, but there's no doubt he would gain profits.
Iverson is in for a huge wake-up call because, honestly, he still doesn't know that he is way over the hill and that all he is doing by playing more is hurting his credibility has a player and person.
For me, it has been a long time since I've actually taken Iverson seriously and I'm still in high school, I can't imagine what his fans are feeling like.
The only way for Iverson to leave with at least minimal respect, is to just retire, but either way he will get a wake-up call, it just depends when he realizes it.
DeMarcus Cousins
8 of 10
It's sad to say, but it looks like rookie, DeMarcus Cousins will be in for a tough first year.
Throughout the draft, experts kept mentioning his attitude and how his weight issue has effected him as an NBA prospect. Though he was still picked very high, Cousins still thought he should had gone higher.
I don't see how players such as Cousins can really believe that they will just come into the NBA and dominate, it just doesn't work that way and he probably won't realize it soon enough.
The saddest part about his future is, that he may end up like another Zach Randolph, very talented, but unmotivated.
Now, I can't predict the future so, I may be wrong, but Cousins is definitely in for a wake-up call and it would be best for him to realize it before it's too late.
I know it's bad to criticize a player without even giving him a chance, but because of his history, I just don't see how he won't be in for a wake-up call.
I expect for Cousins to be a solid player in the NBA, but his ego is going to be tested when he takes the first bump from Shaq, or when Dwight decides to fly over his head to make ESPN's Top Ten, then we'll see what kind of mindset Cousins will have.
LeBron James
9 of 10
Did you really think I was going to just ignore the fact that the most egotistical player in the NBA is headed for a huge wake-up call?
LeBron James probably doesn't realize it yet, but he's not the No. 1 guy anymore, it's going to be D-Wade and though he say he doesn't mind it, it's already killing him inside.
When a player goes from arguably the best in the world, to being the No. 2 guy on a brand new group of guys, isn't easy, especially for someone like "The Chosen One."
LeBron is bound for a wake-up call whether it be in the beginning of the season, in the middle of the season, in the playoffs, or after the season.
If you really truly believe that being the No. 2 guy won't affect LeBron, I'd go check out your head.
Now, I know nothing is 100% for sure, but I'd say LeBron is somewhere in the high 90's range of percentage, that he is going to be effected by being the No. 2 guy, and I can't wait to see it happen.
Rodney Stuckey
10 of 10
Rodney Stuckey, the whole reason behind this piece, is going to be in for the biggest wake-up call in the 2010-2011 NBA Season.
When you say that, "On paper, we are the best team in the League. We are deep and athletic. All we have to do is play to our abilities," you really put a chip not only on your shoulder, but the team and when you are considered the franchises best player, you really set your whole organization for failure.
Now the fact that the Pistons are coming off a horrible season, definitely does not help with the reality that they are one of the worst teams in the NBA and obviously Stuckey doesn't agree.
Because it's obvious that the Pistons probably won't win the championship this year, Stuckey is going to be receiving some serious heat, probably for most of his career.
Stuckey is going to realize sometime during the season that, he had made one of the biggest mistakes of his life and honestly he deserves every inch of criticism he gets.
Have a good year, man!
