NBA's Fireballs and Ice-Cubes: Nov.2

FIREBALLS

James Harden 45pts, 7reb, 2ast
Harden is managing to outplay his max contract. Thunder looking foolish. Harden/Lin have chemistry.

Chris Paul 18pts, 15ast, 6reb
Despite Kobe's 40pt performance, Paul leads the Clips past the struggling Lakers. 

Glen Davis 29pts, 10reb, 2blk
Did Glen Davis seriously put his name in consideration for the Magic's best player?

Brandon Jennings 21pts, 13ast, 6stl
Jennings drives and dimes his way past one of the East's best.

ICE-CUBES

Kyrie Irving 15pts (6-15), 4TO
Irving fails to get the team into a rhythm, only connecting with 4 assists. 

Nicolas Batum 3pts (1-11), 1reb
An awful game for Batum. The Thunder are atop the west, Portland nowhere near. Lillard impress though.

Tyreke Evans 6pts (3-14), 2TO
Tyreke continues to struggle in SAC's offensive system. He desperately needs a change of scenery. 

Ray Allen 5pts (2-5), 2TO
Miami's bench as a whole underperformed. Allen played 27min and had no impact.

"The John Wall"

     Today, on the most fitting of days, the first day of the NBA season, I have coined a new term.  It is a term that describes the imaginary barrier that a player who has high potential cannot seem to pass to become a franchise player.  That barrier, is "The John Wall".

     John Wall, a guy who came into the NBA with such high hopes that he seemed to be the savior of Washington D.C., was a media phenom.  Although I was not one of the rabid followers who flocked to him, I definitely saw why there was hype.  This guy is a beast on paper.  He is 6'4", 195 pounds, and damn fast, with handles to match his speed.  One thing he did lack though, was a shooting stroke.  That tends to be a problem for high flyers going into the NBA though, so not a huge problem off the bat.

     So why can't Wall establish himself as a franchise point guard?  In his seasons playing for the Wizards, his shooting has gotten worse, especially from behind the arc, where he shot 3 for 42 (I'm disgusted and Josh Martin knows that is saying something coming from me).  John Wall also struggles to play the half court game.  He is a cold blooded killer on the break (which I dream of from time to time), but cannot establish himself in the part of the game that concerns his teammates the most.

     Rajon Rondo still seems to be struggling as a "franchise" player.  He has a similar issue that Wall does, with a shooting stroke that just can't seem to be fixed.  He can score in droves from time to time, and pass the ball with the best of them but teams shrug him off at the perimeter, which makes him less of a threat.  This season especially more people are doubting his real potential.

     I know it probably hurts Josh, who has the three point stroke of a golden demigod, to watch players without the long range game he loves.  Damn, it hurts me to watch it and I only put up three's when I think its absolutely necessary, but I think it hurts us both more, to see John Wall struggling to climb "The John Wall".  

     Will John Wall become a franchise guy?  Honestly, in my opinion, I say no.  I was hesitant from the beginning and after seeing his jumper just get worse, I cannot see him progressing into a franchise player.  I know that it seems like blasphemy, but I just can't say he'll be a superstar.  

     For reference on future star point guards, refer to the article below"Thunderstorm in Cleveland" by Josh Martin.  Its about a guard who for sure is a star.  (If John Wall is reading this, highlight that page.) 

   

Keys For Success: Central Division

Keeping this thing going in the Eastern conference with the Central Division, home of wind, cars, and venison! Oh, and the birthplace of basketball.  The past season has held some strange turns for this division, from the injury of star Derrick Rose to the maturing of a powerful Pacers squad.  There are a lot of wild cards and variables this year but I'm going to break it down like James Brown on the most important players this year for each team.

Chicago Bulls
     Kirk Hinrich: I know that Derrick Rose would be the obvious choice, but lets face it, if he is coming back this season, its going to be at the tail end and the Bulls' record will pretty much be cemented at that point.  That means that the starting point, Hinrich, who is returning to his former team, will have to pull some extra weight.  He is a more than capable guard who taught Rose a lot when he was still there, but he is not as fast as he used to be because of injuries, and not Derrick Rose.  But with Nate Robinson coming off the bench, he has a solid back up to solidify the position.

Cleveland Cavaliers     

     Dion Waiters: The Cavaliers haven't been able to build much around Kyrie Irving since he arrived, and his performance is almost guaranteed to be great this season if last year was any indication of his skills.  With Irving at full strength and playing like he does, he will need the rookie Dion Waiters to perform well for the Cavs to move forward.  Their team is not heavy in talent at the guard spot otherwise so it falls on him to make things happen.

Detroit Pistons

     Andre Drummond: The Pistons are looking to make a surge this year in the East, and they started by trading away some of their thirty guards and drafting the under experienced but naturally talented Andre Drummond.  Drummond is big, powerful, and athletic, which is a lethal combination for a forward/center.  If he can develop soon as far as a mid range game and work on posting up, the Greg Monroe/Andre Drummond combo will be potent.

Indiana Pacers

     Paul George:  I've said it before and I'll said it again: Paul George needs to become more of an offensive weapon for the Pacers to be for real.  Come on, Prince George, you have the tools, just put on the crown.

Milwaukee Bucks

     Monta Ellis/ Brandon Jenning: This is my only tag team player combo on the list, and for good reason.  Apart, Ellis is one of the smoothest scorers in the league, and Jennings is aggressive and athletic at point.  Like a chicken bacon ranch pizza and peacock.  Both separate things, both beautiful to look at, but not together.  The key for the Bucks, with a small selection of forwards and centers, is for Ellis and Jennings to achieve a unicorn/rainbow level of harmony.  It could end of being the most exciting back court in basketball, or a tomato sauce covered peacock.  Damn I'm hungry now.