Summer in December: Flips and Flops

   
     Well, we are a quarter of the way through the NBA season, and there have been some eye opening wins for teams and players, as well as some crushing defeats.  The Flips are those who have surprised the NBA thus far, and the Flops are, obviously, the biggest disappointments.
   

 Flips:  

     The Portland Trail Blazers: After many people (including me) doubted the strategy of the Trail Blazers in raffling off most of their players except Aldridge, they have made a name for themselves as a mid class team with an 11-12 record.  Damian Lillard, my pick for ROY since day one, is playing out of his mind with the maturity of a senior player.  Blazers be blazin.
             
     The Orlando Magic: Another ringer! Most people slammed the Magic for their lack of depth, but damn! This team, with absolutely no star power, has managed to put up an 11-13 record with their sturdy defense and complete unselfishness.  And I don't think i could put it any better than BoB, these guys definitely have the magic in them.
             
     The Black Mamba: Eh, I'll admit it, he's playing pretty well right now.  I still say that his percentages and points per game all drop off soon.  Kobe cannot continue to carry teams with his run and gun play, even if he is wrecking it out on the court now.

     The New York Knicks: Nobody doubted the validity of the Knicks at the beginning of the season, but NOBODY thought they'd be at the top of the East right now.  I'm still convinced that the Heat are a better all around team, but the Knicks are for real with Melo playing like a different player.

     The Atlanta Hawks: The screech that the other teams in the East are hearing from above is most definitely the Hawks.  Thought to be a faltering team, Atlanta has turned out to be a dark horse team that has been anchored by two big men, Horford and Smith, who are playing at All Star level.  The addition of the dangerous Lou Williams and some defensive players has solidified them in the East.
             

     Flops:  

     Blake Griffin: Ol' Blake is having the worst year of his career so far, probably because teams have realized that his game is very one dimensional.  He can dunk.  Despite his superhuman athleticism, Blake Griffin has not expanded his game beyond that.  His post game is weak and on the defensive end it is almost laughable sometimes.

     The Washington Wizards: Nuff said.

     The Los Angeles Lakers: I said at the beginning of the season that the Lakers would have some problems.  And that happened.  The same thing happened with Miami last year when The Big Three started learning to work together.  But this seems to be a bit worse.  The Lakers refuse to play defense, and as much as people are saying it will be fine when Steve Nash comes back, he has never been an asset on defense.
   

   
 The Denver Nuggets: The Nuggets have been one of my must see teams for years now and they have always played some amazingly entertaining ball, but this year, they still haven't clicked.  Andre Iguodala has not figured out his place in this system yet, but that is not helped by the fact that Danilo Gallinari and Ty Lawson are having one of the worst seasons in their careers.

   

   
  
   

"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.)