Scaling the Wall to NBA Success

While trying to suppress the memories of Kwame Brown, we Washington Wizards fans are ecstatic that the NBA Lottery’s ping pong balls have divinely bounced our way after a miserable and embarrassing season. There seems to be little doubt that John Wall will be trading his Kentucky Wildcat blue from the Wizard’s slate blue as he makes the nation’s capital his new home after his dorm room in Lexington. I must say though, I like his dance and have nothing against the player himself but I’m not sure that I’m the biggest fan of having the first overall pick.

Unlike any other American professional sports league, the NBA draft seems to have this notion among its fanbase that the top pick is an automatic savior for his team. Because of the nature of the NFL and its sport, there are so many components of a team that a top pick is just another piece of the puzzle while the MLB and NHL draft go almost unnoticed in mainstream circles. In the NBA though, if he is fortunate enough to be a superstar in the league (remember Kwame), the player alone is thought to be able to bring his franchise from the bottom of the standings to the championship. If he pans out, he is anointed a liberator of from barren arenas and little to none nationally televised games and a redeemer of the city. It’s the putting-all-your-eggs-in-one-basket kind of mentality with a top pick that deflates an organization once the reality fails to meet the expectations. I have a hard time believing that one player out of the ten players on the court, as well as the rest of the bench, is really that influential in determining the entire course of the NBA. If history - and even the current playoffs - tells us anything, that is not the case.

The immediate thought is that the first pick will bring a championship to the city. I wouldn’t be surprised if the Wizards’ front office has already started searching for the parade route from the Redskins’ 1991 Super Bowl celebration, buried deep in the city archives. Yet, since that very year, only one player has brought the Larry O’Brien Championship Trophy back to the city that he was drafted in and that was Tim Duncan. A few of them have made it to the Finals with their original team but never won it, and the only other player to have rings on his fingers is Shaquille O’Neal, who had to leave Orlando in order to do so. Interestingly, both of them played against teams that featured another Number One pick in those series. What’s important to note though is that on none of these championship teams were Duncan nor Shaq considered the sole star that the team had to look to for in order to obtain that glory. They were part of a lineup that included other quality stars as well.

In the NBA, going deep into the playoffs and eventually winning a championship is dependent on an ensemble cast, and not necessarily one superstar. Does a superstar help? Of course, just look at Kobe and the Lakers’ success, but he’s not doing it alone – he is one of three All-Stars on his team along with Pau Gasol and Ron Artest. Before he was teamed up with this dynamic squad, we all remember how mediocre the Lakers were and how frustrated Kobe was with his supporting cast. He had good reason. In fact, there is no team in the playoffs right now that has less than trio of All-Stars; the Boston Celtics alone have six! Sure, one of them may be a grizzled Michael Finley from his Maverick days almost ten years ago, but it still says something about his athletic caliber and basketball IQ and how the Celtics recognize its value when it comes to compiling a team. There’s a reason these teams are perennial contenders: they’ve recognized the formula for competing at the highest level and its through multiple contributors rather than just one.

This brings me back to John Wall. Let’s go ahead and assume that Gilbert Arenas is sent somewhere else and this allows for Wall to be an absolute stud and immediately become one of the top point guards, if not players, in the league. Now take a look at the Wizards’ roster – are you sold on any of them being able to be a reliable and worthy partner in a quest for a championship? The next best player, Josh Howard, is constantly facing injury and conduct issues while Andray Blatche isn’t any better. With Al Thornton, Nick Young, and Javaris Crittenton, I see a collection of talented athletes rather than skilled players. Athleticism can sometimes get you far, but it very rarely gets you all the way. Just ask the Hawks, they know all about that.

I wish the best for John Wall and our beloved organization. To those that would prefer Evan Turner, myself included, the past remains the same and is irrefutable. This does not mean automatic success for your team, whether it is instant or eventual, but just that you made the first decision on a night of sixty others. Although Wall will probably look extremely excited and optimistic (and hopefully less ridiculous than Jalen Rose when he was drafted) when David Stern calls him up on stage later next month, it may be because he’s, along with most of the NBA family, is unaware of what being the top overall pick entails. Choose wisely.

P.S. I would like for it to be noted that I wrote this entire article without mention LeBron. Oh wait… D’oh!