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Basketball is a unique game. One could argue that athleticism plays more a role in basketball than in any other sport. While other popular sports such as football and baseball are getting more position- and situation-specific, basketball is loosening its collective noose as to who plays where and why. Basketball teams still carry the specialist. For every third-down back and lefty reliever, there’s a three-point shooter lurking deep on every bench. However, the positions formally known as “shooting guard” and “small forward” have morphed into “swingmen,” likewise with “big-men” when referring to the athletes formally known as “power forward” and “center.”
One constant in this recent jumbling of on-court designations is the presence of the point guard. Every recent NBA champion had a clear-cut signal-caller bringing the ball up the floor. Whether it be the up-and-coming Rajon Rondos and Tony Parkers or the seasoned veterans such as the Gary Paytons or Derek Fishers, one thing is for certain: You need a point guard to win.
The most important position on the basketball court is tenured by the smallest players on the court. Don’t worry about nonsense facts about how the unbiased writer of this story is five-foot-six and point guard was the only position he could physically obtain. With that said, there is an influx in talent at the point guard spot that is something rarely, if ever, seen before. The ’80s saw talent such as Magic Johnson, Isaiah Thomas, Tiny Archibald, John Stockton and even the likes of Gary Payton and Jason Kidd in the early 1990s. Presently, we are able to watch point guard play with such elegance and yet such tenacity that is like nothing we’ve ever seen.
NBA fans today get to enjoy the evolutionary brilliance of Chris Paul; or the Houdini-esque play by Steve Nash; or the strength and ferocity of Derrick Rose; or the Flash-like tendencies of Rajon Rondo. Along with that group of present and future all-time greats, the NBA also plays host to the best crop of young point guards ever assembled. The 2009 draft will forever be known as the point guard draft, with Ricky Rubio, Tyreke Evans, Johnny Flynn, Stephen Curry, Brandon Jennings and Ty Lawson looking like franchise point guards.
The quantity of point guards in the upcoming NBA Draft is slim compared to that of the last few drafts, however the quality is still as good as it’s ever been. Dick Vitale’s nickname for fantastic freshmen, “diaper dandy,” seems a little inappropriate when speaking of University of Kentucky freshman point guard John Wall — the latest evolution of the point guard.
Wall takes the shape of a grown man more so than a “diaper dandy,” physically draining anyone who tries to slow him down. In the process, Wall has driven Kentucky to a one-loss season and a number one rank in the standings, while becoming the latest of college one-and-done superstars — taking the unnecessary one-year detour to college before entering the pros. In addition to joining the likes of Kevin Durant and Derrick Rose, Wall is slowly creeping into a more selective class as a sure thing.
With so much weighing on potential in draft picks nowadays, organizations need to be as cautious as possible when choosing a player to build your future around. The great John Thompson quote “potential is what gets coaches fired” never rang so loudly as today.
The difference with Wall’s potential is its potency. Not since Lebron and Dwight Howard went No. 1 in back-to-back years respectively has there been a more unanimous first overall pick in the June draft. Wall’s future as a point guard is as bright as there has ever been — even having the capability to be the face of the franchise as the point guard not seen since the likes of Magic. Few would argue that this league would belong to anyone other than LeBron in the foreseeable future but that certainty could be questioned. We’re Wall witnesses.
Bangor Daily News