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Being GM Of John Wall's NBA Team
AP Photo With the trade deadline now behind us, teams that will not qualify for the playoffs must begin looking at the 2010 NBA Lottery. Unlike those frustrating drafts where there is no clear-cut best player or no potential franchise player, the 2010 edition has both in John Wall. But Wall is a point guard and that creates potential position problems for some of the teams listed below that could win the lottery. He can play some shooting guard since he’s such a gifted scorer and has good size, but his individual future is maximized if allowed to have the ball in his hands with as much frequency as possible. What kind of players would a GM ideally want to have surrounding John Wall? The two most important attributes for any player would be the ability to finish at the rim and the ability to catch-and-shoot from distance. Wall will dominate the ball with the dribble just as Jason Kidd and Chris Paul have throughout their careers. The vast majority of scoring attempts will funnel through Wall, whether it is calling his own number, driving and dishing, driving and kicking back out to the perimeter or running the floor in transition for easy lobs and layups in early offense. Just about any player that gets the opportunity to be on the receiving end of passes from Wall will be a much better offensive player. I wrote an extensive scouting report on John Wall as a companion piece to this article, which is worth looking at before continuing. The below 20 scenarios present a reasonably likely glimpse into the immediate NBA future of John Wall depending on which teams win the lottery. New Jersey The Nets have Devin Harris at point guard, but they have almost made it explicitly clear that they aren’t settled with him and would deal him away with a smile if they were to win the lottery. Harris is signed for just under $9M for the 10-11 season, making a trade an easy scenario to envision. What the Nets look for in return for Harris depends on who they end up signing in free agency, with Joe Johnson and Amare Stoudemire being the most likely top tier options. The package Sacramento acquired in return for Kevin Martin would have fit New Jersey perfectly, as Carl Landry would be an excellent power forward beside Lopez. I also like restricted free agent Tyrus Thomas, who would be a great finisher/shotblocker with this group as Yi Jianlian is clearly not a 30 minutes per night player in this league. LeBron James is New Jersey’s Wildcard given the Brooklyn possibilities and having Wall, whom James has spoke glowingly about and even went to go watch in Lexington on an off day, would be a complete game changer. If the Nets cannot get LeBron in 2010, they should soberly consider holding off on that cap space for 2011 when Carmelo Anthony will be a free agent. A Potential Lineup Minnesota David Kahn would fully be entrenched in turning the Twin Cities into the point guard capitol of the world by adding Wall to his summer ’09 haul of Ricky Rubio, Jonny Flynn and Ramon Sessions. Kahn would officially become that fantasy football player who tries to hoard quarterbacks while everyone else is taking running backs with the expectation of a trade down the road. The Wolves already have to find a home for Rubio, so Kahn would then almost certainly have to include Flynn to his trade availability list. Kahn’s idea of pairing two point guards together is much more plausible with Wall and Flynn, however, than it ever was with Rubio and Flynn, but the team next on the list has a better shot with the two point guard strategy. Minnesota has too many overlapping parts (power forwards and point guards) and not enough basic other parts (quality wing scorer and center). Kevin McHale and now Kahn have done a good job in accumulating assets, but the Wolves absolutely must make a bold move to balance out the roster this summer. Trading the draft rights to Rubio, as well as Al Jefferson in exchange for a wing and an athletic defensive big would be the safest tactic. The Jefferson for Danny Granger idea made a lot of sense from Minnesota’s perspective and doing a similar trade for Luol Deng will be a readily available option, plus they can pick up an additional asset or two from Chicago in the process. There are no shortage of teams that would give up a fair haul of young players for Rubio, most notably Portland and New York. A deal of Rubio for Martell Webster, Victor Claver and absorbing Joel Przybilla with cap space, for example, would make Minnesota instantly competitive. I would like to see Minnesota keep Flynn as a deluxe backup point guard, who would also allow Wall to play off the ball as a shooting guard for about 10 minutes per game. A Potential Lineup Golden State The Warriors already have a point guard (Stephen Curry) and a quasi-point guard (Monta Ellis), so adding Wall would crowd things even further and assuredly precipitate a trade. I would go back to the well with Memphis on their interest in Ellis and instead attempt to execute a sign-and-trade deal involving Rudy Gay. Depending on which of the superduperstars stay with their current teams, Gay has the potential to get a monster, overvalued contract as a default option for them, but this scenario assumes he is more reasonably in the LaMarcus Aldridge extension range. The lineup below features four of the most unorthodox talents in the NBA, plus a defensive big that doesn’t command many looks offensively. I realize there is a little hometown bias at work, but I can’t foresee how this isn’t one of the most exciting and competitive teams in the NBA immediately with legitimate title aspirations by 2013 depending on how Curry and Randolph mature physically. A Potential Lineup Sacramento Tyreke Evans is one of the game’s most compelling young scorers, but I would much prefer to hand over my franchise to Wall. Building around Wall is a fairly easy practice to understand and look at other teams as a model, but doing so around Evans is going through largely uncharted territory. Nobody seems quite sure if he is a point guard or a ball-dominating shooting guard and until that becomes clear, building a supporting cast will remain problematic. Looking around the NBA, the Lakers would be an unlikely trade partner for Sacramento, but wouldn’t a deal of Evans for Andrew Bynum make a lot of sense for both teams? Evans can morph slowly into Kobe Bryant’s Black Mamba role while coexisting in the triangle a la 1990s Ron Harper with the Bulls for the first few seasons. Sacramento gets a top-five center who will be just barely turning 23 when taking the floor with Wall for the first time. If the Kings are fully committed to Evans, the Lakers could of course be looked at in a similar trade involving Wall, as would Portland who could be convinced to give up Greg Oden if it meant a superstar point guard like Wall. A Potential Lineup Indiana The Pacers are stuck in limbo with enough decent pieces to compete, but without a true superstar. Wall would give them that superstar and also fill a position of great need at point guard. Larry Bird and David Morway can then trade away the expiring contracts of Troy Murphy and Mike Dunleavy to pick up younger assets because I don’t see free agency ever being a reliable option for Indiana even with Wall as a selling point. Even though he’s a clear cut below the real All-Stars, Granger has the perfect skill-set to pair with Wall on the wing. A Potential Lineup Detroit I’m not nearly sophisticated enough to figure out Detroit’s plans at the moment without Wall, but if they do land him in the lottery, I would ship out Rodney Stuckey, Rip Hamilton and TayShaun Prince as quickly as possible. Outside of Stuckey, I wouldn’t imagine a whole lot coming back in return for any of those players, so another lottery pick in 2011 would be intensely welcomed. Maybe they can deal Stuckey to Memphis for Hasheem Thabeet and also consolidate some of that small forward glut? Ben Gordon is a shooting guard with limitations due to his size, but playing beside Wall is an ideal fit because he can be a true shooting guard offensively while typically defending opposing point guards. A Potential Lineup Washington The Wizards will be unable to deal Gilbert Arenas, at least initially, so a generation-spanning backcourt with Wall would at least make for interesting entertainment. I expect Arenas to be a willing participant in just about anything that makes him at least half the likable personality he was before mid-December 2009, so playing off guard to Wall would probably work better than you might think at first. Arenas has always been a competent perimeter shooter considering his volume and selection, so being freed up by Wall could only making scoring easier for him as he ages out of being a ball-dominating scoring point guard. The Wizards also will have sufficient cap space to sign a max free agent since they won’t pick up their team option on Josh Howard, which makes signing Amare a legitimate possibility. I would also like to see them retain Mike Miller if they can find the cap space, because he could also stretch the floor and thrive with Wall. The Wizards also have the RFA of Randy Foye to play with, in addition to Nick Young and Andray Blatche who should be much improved playing with an actual point guard for the first time. That team below should be plenty good enough to reach the playoffs in year one and become a fringe contender in 2012 if Arenas and Stoudemire hold up physically. A Potential Lineup Utah (from New York) Winning the lottery would have cut into New York’s cap space where signing a second max contract would become impossible, so that will be the silver lining for Knicks’ fans wait with baited breath this May to see if the Jazz win the lottery. If Utah does wins the lottery, they will have the enviable decision of whether trading Wall for a collection of assets to improve their immediate title chances around Deron Williams and Carlos Boozer is a worthy gamble. The Jazz can stand to improve at center and also with a legitimate wing scorer. There are not a whole lot of either out there and I couldn’t see Utah and the Lakers getting together on a Bynum trade. If Memphis would do a re-signed Gay and Marc Gasol for Wall and the remaining two years of Mehmet Okur’s contract, I think both teams benefit. Any decision Utah makes would have to come after Boozer’s free agency situation plays out, though they could go forward with the same strategy around Paul Millsap at power forward, but it does reduce the legitimacy of their title hopes to a point where dealing Wall becomes less attractive. Under that specific scenario only, they might be better served to consider a strategy similar to New Orleans and San Antonio below, where they cash in on the immense trade value of Deron Williams. A Potential Lineup Philadelphia The Sixers are in a situation where they wouldn’t have to do a whole lot in terms of roster maneuvers to accommodate Wall. Most of Ed Stefanski’s impending moves would be of the financial nature, most importantly trying to unload Elton Brand’s remaining three years if humanly possible. He should hold onto Samuel Dalembert, however, as he would become a nice defensive center at a reduced price in the summer of 2011. Philadelphia has quite a few nice pieces, albeit no superstars and a little too much overlap, but Wall would solve almost all of those problems. A Potential Lineup LA Clippers Playing for the Clippers would be much more attractive to this summer’s free agent class if they had the good fortune of winning the lottery in two consecutive seasons. As it would for New Jersey, the Clippers would have a lot more teeth in their pursuit of LeBron James if they also had Wall, but I still would see Joe Johnson as a more likely signing. Depending on the NBA players Wall and Blake Griffin become when we finally see them take the court as professionals, these primary five pieces complement each other extremely well. I think there would be enough teams interested in taking on the final three seasons of Baron Davis’ contract where they could recoup a young role player or two. A Potential Lineup Milwaukee The Bucks selected Brandon Jennings with the 10th overall pick in 2009, but after his outstanding November and December, the book on how to defend him has become common knowledge around the NBA and he has come crashing back down to earth. Jennings is still a really good young point guard for the Bucks to build around, but he can’t possibly compare to Wall. Michael Redd’s contract expires after the 10-11 season and the Bucks must absolutely improve on the wings to build around Wall and Bogut. I would ideally flip Jennings to Memphis for O.J. Mayo or possibly look into trade scenarios with Philadelphia for Andre Iguodala, Toronto for DeMar DeRozan and another asset, or even what New York might offer since both Wilson Chandler and Danilo Gallinari would be helpful to Milwaukee. The Bucks have cap significant cap potential in 2011 as they have zero burdensome contracts beyond Redd and could go after Carmelo or Caron Butler (more realistically). A Potential Lineup Chicago Normally two point guards wouldn’t be able to coexist, but the possibility of Wall and Derrick Rose playing together is at least worth looking at depending on how they use their cap space this summer. They could conceivably replace Vinny Del Negro with Lawrence Frank and install Vance Walberg’s dribble-drive offense that both players are familiar with from playing under John Calipari. Assuming Bosh stays in Toronto as expected, Chicago could look to David West in 2011 to be their ‘stretch 4’ with Zach Randolph also being an option. A Potential Lineup Charlotte The Bobcats have underrated wings in Gerald Wallace and Stephen Jackson, a power forward very good with the ball in his hands in Boris Diaw, plus a talented defensive center (whenever he’s healthy) in Tyson Chandler. Letting Raymond Felton go in free agency, keeping D.J. Augustin as a backup and re-signing RFA Tyrus Thomas and this is a nice little team. They would instantly be a playoff team that would scare anyone, but the long-term prospects here are a little scary. The rest of the core is significantly older than Wall and building slowly with a group that can grow old together the way Sam Presti has around Kevin Durant would be the preferable scenario, but they are too competitive presently to blow it up. A Potential Lineup Miami The Heat is already in store for a fascinating summer and the intrigue would only amplify if they also won the lottery. Keeping the pick would be absolutely the right option since they also will have enough cap space to sign a second max contract. Pat Riley is unafraid to pair Wade with a ball dominating point guard, as evidenced by their preference for Rose over Michael Beasley in 2008. The opportunity for LeBron to play with Wade, Wall and Beasley would be a remarkably difficult one for him to decline, even if he doesn’t seem like the kind of player who would enjoy playing in a below average sports city like Miami. Assuming LeBron and Bosh don’t come to Miami, could Boozer be affordable enough where they also have enough cap space remaining for Brendan Haywood or Marcus Camby? Offense will come very easily for a team with Wall, Wade and Beasley, so turning to a Joe Johnson or Amare Stoudemire would seem unnecessary in comparison to what a guy like Haywood would bring as a defensive big. This team would unquestionably compete for titles annually for the duration of Wade’s career. A Potential Lineup Memphis The Grizzlies have one of the game’s most underrated frontlines and upgrading Mike Conley with a superior distributor like Wall would maximize those collective talents. Mayo would have to accept a reduction in his usage and become much more of a spot-up shooter, but I believe he would so willingly and become the closest thing to Ray Allen in his generation. There wouldn’t be much else for GM Chris Wallace to do here, except make sure he can get enough money to retain Gay, or at least get something back in return in a sign-and-trade. I like how he got Ronnie Brewer at the deadline as insurance and he could be a nice alternative at small forward, though he limits some of their upside. A Potential Lineup Houston Houston could look to turn Aaron Brooks into a better fit in terms of position, but I would hold onto him because he could play beside Wall in spurts and that provides some assurances in case Martin goes down. The futures of Chase Budinger and Jordan Hill also look much better with a distributor like Wall, plus the Rockets will have those New York picks forthcoming. They should be instant title contenders provided Yao Ming returns healthy. A Potential Lineup New Orleans The Hornets are extreme long shots to win the lottery, but they would find themselves in a uniquely similar situation as Utah if they did. Whereas the Jazz should trade Wall in order to improve their title chances with Williams and Boozer, the Hornets would be in a better position long-term to deal Chris Paul and build around Wall with a lean payroll, a bevy of 2011 cap space and the young assets returning via trade. The type of return a team would offer up for Paul, who is signed through 2012, would be absolutely staggering to consider. Minnesota waited one season too long before dealing Kevin Garnett and the Hornets unfortunately appear to be going down this road with Paul, even though he is still firmly in his mid-20s. Would an offer of Greg Oden, Nicolas Batum and maybe two or three more assets in return for Paul do it for the Hornets? Taking on Oden as the centerpiece of a deal for Paul would be a huge risk given his injury history, but he was unquestionably becoming one of the top centers in the NBA before he went down and Portland would have a lot more of value they can attach to Oden than the Lakers could with Bynum. Atlanta, Golden State, Houston, Memphis and Oklahoma City could also make competitive offers for Paul that could setup the Hornets for a sustained playoff and more serious title run than they are on currently. The Hornets could also unload Emeka Okafor for an expiring contract and another young, cheap wing scorer, possibly from the Knicks. A Potential Lineup Portland Even though Jerryd Bayless has improved in his second season and they will have Andre Miller for another two seasons, point guard remains a position where the Blazers would like to improve. Wall would make life immensely easier on Brandon Roy, who carries too heavy of a burden in creating his own offense, particularly in the fourth quarter of games. A Potential Lineup Oklahoma City (from Phoenix) The Thunder could conceivably have two chances in the lottery if both they and Phoenix miss out on the playoffs, but neither appears likely. Oklahoma City passed on the opportunity to select Ricky Rubio in the 2009 draft and could conceivably select Wall and trade him into the true big they need. But the Thunder also has significant cap space and could very easily sign Haywood this summer, who would fit perfectly. I doubt the point guard tandem of Wall and Russell Westbrook would be individually maximized offensively, but they could also be incredibly dangerous running a dribble drive offense like Chicago. Under this scenario, Oklahoma City would have the rarity of its forwards being better perimeter shooters than its guards. The Thunder would continue to have James Harden and Thabo Sefolosha coming off the bench, along with the development of Serge Ibaka and Eric Maynor. A Potential Lineup San Antonio Given the rate of improvement amongst the younger teams in the Western Conference, if the Spurs won the lottery after missing the playoffs, it would absolutely be in their best interest to have a complete fire sale. Send Tony Parker to Portland for a haul of wings and send Tim Duncan to maybe Atlanta or Miami. Let Richard Jefferson simply expire and have heaps of 2011 cap space to make a run at Carmelo Anthony. A Potential Lineup Click here to follow Chris Reina's Twitter feed. To Tweet: http://bit.ly/cQ17gK
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