SEC Player Rankings

All John Calipari does is load teams with winners.

Or at least, so it would seem. The Kentucky coach brought John Wall, DeMarcus Cousins, Eric Bledsoe and Daniel Orton to the Wildcats last season, and they delivered a dominant season and Elite Eight run. This season, Calipari imported Brandon Knight, Terrence Jones, Doron Lamb and Josh Harrelson to keep the Wildcats on top of the SEC and in the discussion for a national championship. … Continue Reading

Cream of Draft Crop Have Plenty of Promise

With the NBA Finals in full effect and the LeBron James sweepstakes as the preferred topic of discussion in the background, not everyone remembers the NBA Draft is also on this month’s schedule. And no one’s to blame, really. Despite the talent the 2010 class holds, the draft has seen better days.

These 2010 guys are out to prove something, though. One won’t know just how great a draft class it will be until years down the road, once these soon-to-be-rookies go on to participate in several All-Star games, win an MVP or simply bust out to play in Europe.

With that disclaimer in play, here is the best the 2010 NBA Draft has to offer.

1. John Wall, point guard, Kentucky

Wall’s undisputedly No. 1. Not only did he help make Kentucky one of the best teams in college basketball last season, he did it as a freshman while averaging great numbers: 16.9 points, 6.4 assists and 4.2 rebounds per game. The 19-year-old is a pure point guard with terrific size, speed and court vision. What he needs to improve is his inconsistent jump shot. But other than that, he’s exactly what troubled Washington — owner of the No. 1 pick — needs after such a tumultuous season.

2. Evan Turner, small forward, Ohio State

Averaging 20 points and almost 10 rebounds per game, Turner got to the rim and grabbed misses almost at will in college. He’s an offensive workhorse who can pass while also excelling on defense. His court vision also is outstanding, evidenced by his six assists per game in 2009-10. Just call him Mr. Versatility. It would be interesting to see how much he gets the ball in Philadelphia, which has the No. 2 pick, though. He was the man in Ohio, but he would be Andre Iguodala’s sidekick in Philly.

3. DeMarcus Cousins, center, Kentucky

So Wall didn’t make Kentucky a contender by himself. He had himself a stud of a big man helping him. Standing at 6-11 and weighing 270 pounds, Cousins averaged 15.1 points and 9.8 rebounds per game in limited playing time — mostly because of foul trouble. He’s only 19 years old and has a lot of potential, good and bad. He has great hands and a scoring mentality, but there are concerns about his weight and maturity. There’s no question Cousins has all the tools necessary to be very good in the NBA. The New Jersey Nets, who have the No. 3 pick, would hope he decides to use them.

4. Greg Monroe, power forward, Georgetown

Two seasons at Georgetown was all Monroe needed to be NBA ready. He’s a double-double machine with great passing ability, and he’s a lefty. He can create his own shot but needs to work on his jump shot, a lot. He’s only 20, though, so there’s a lot of potential for the already-skilled big man. He’ll be a nice pickup for Minnesota, if the Timberwolves take him with the No. 4 pick, who could really use the help after going 15-67 last season.

5. Derrick Favors, power forward, Georgia Tech

The youngest player entering the 2010 NBA Draft, Favors was among the top players in field goal percentage (61 percent) during the 2009-10 season. He averaged 12.4 points and 8.4 rebounds in 27.5 minutes per game. He’s a very effective big man with quickness and athleticism. His youth also means his body hasn’t fully developed, though, so he’ll need to gain some muscle to be a difference-maker. There’s nowhere to go but up for Favors, and the Kings (No. 5 pick) will likely take him.

The only certainty in this 2010 Draft, it seems, is that Wall will go No. 1. Turner at No. 2 is also as good a prediction as a Tim Duncan bank shot. Picks No. 3 through 5, however, can be switched around among New Jersey, Minnesota and Sacramento. None of those big men will be immediate franchise saviors. Potential is their main label.

Will Washington Be Good for Wall?

Barring any shocking developments between now and June 24, the Washington Wizards will be drafting Kentucky’s John Wall with the No. 1 pick. Should Wall be scared?

None of Washington’s recent draft picks has emerged as a superstar. And if Wall thought Tennessee or Florida created a hostile environment, wait until he arrives in the city that spews criticism for a living.

Since 2000, the Wizards have made eight first-round picks. Only two are still with the team — Nick Young and JaVale McGee — and neither averages more than 20 minutes or nine points per game. The last time Washington picked in the top 10, the Wizards promptly traded Devin Harris to Dallas in a package for Antawn Jamison. And Washington’s last No. 1 pick was an unmitigated disaster. The Wizards took Kwame Brown straight out of high school in 2001. He never lived up to his hype, averaging only 10.9 points and 7.4 rebounds per game in his best season with the Wizards. By Brown’s fourth season, he was a locker room pariah and quickly became expendable. Washington booted him to the Los Angeles Lakers for Caron Butler and others.

The Kwame Brown experience has left Wizards fans cynical about overhyped, so-called franchise saviors. When Wall arrives, he will need to earn their respect and adoration — something he won’t be accustomed to doing after receiving nothing but praise and adulation during the past three or four years. Washington is a tough town, filled with people waiting to share a negative opinion. It’s the home of ESPN’s “PTI” program, which features Michael Wilbon, one of the most respected NBA analysts. Co-host Tony Kornhesier is no slouch either, and he’ll have a firsthand look at Wall’s development.

In addition, the Washington media will naturally compare Wall to his counterparts in other sports. Washington Nationals fans are worked up into a frenzy with the first start of star rookie pitcher Stephen Strasburg scheduled for tonight. The Washington Capitals have one of the best players in the NHL in Alex Ovechkin. And the Washington Redskins will always be the No. 1 game in town.

Wall will enter a challenging sports environment in which he must excel — as in, at least 20 points, nine assists and a steal or two per game — to even crack the top spot on Washington sports pages. Yes, his early season performances will be big news. But the luster will fade fast, especially because the congressional midterm elections will coincide with the start of the 2010-11 NBA season.

And the most closely watched contests in Washington involve men and women in suits whose home court is several blocks southeast of the Verizon Center.

No. 1 Spot Doesn’t Guarantee Success

If the Washington Wizards stick with conventional logic, they will be picking Kentucky’s John Wall with the No. 1 pick June 24.

By most accounts, Wall is the undisputed top pick in the NBA Draft. However, the last time Washington owned the No. 1 pick in the draft, the Wizards ended up with current journeyman and all-around disappointment Kwame Brown. The man that Michael Jordan picked to be the future franchise player of the Wizards just finished this past season with the Detroit Pistons and averaged 3.3 points and 3.7 rebounds per game.

Ouch.

Brown’s career numbers are not much better: 6.7 points and 5.4 rebounds per game. Those are the worst averages for any No. 1 pick who has actually played an NBA game. And recent draft history could give Wizards fans more nerves.

Last year’s top pick, Blake Griffin, has not played a minute in the regular season for the Los Angeles Clippers after a stress fracture worsened and forced him to undergo season-ending surgery. Griffin isn’t the only recent top pick to miss significant time.

The Portland Trail Blazers’ Greg Oden also missed all of his rookie season. Microfracture surgery on his right knee sidelined the Blazers’ top pick from 2007. In the three years since the Blazers drafted Oden, their No. 1 big man has played exactly 82 games, averaging 9.4 points and 7.3 rebounds per game.

That news could frighten Wizards fans, who are accustomed to bad luck. However, Wall has no injury history. He’s not a massive guy whose knees take a pounding. He’s not an unproven high school head case.

For Washington fans, Wall’s most likely comparison could be the Chicago Bulls’ Derrick Rose. Like Rose, Wall comes to the NBA after playing for coach John Calipari for one season. Both are uber-talented point guards who have already proven that they can lead their team to victory, often scoring in bunches when their teams need them. If the Wizards land a Rose clone, they will be thrilled — and set to rebuild a franchise looking to relaunch its identity.

Mr. Wall Goes to Washington

In a matter of weeks, Kentucky’s John Wall will become one of the most popular men in Washington, D.C. — a town where public opinion decides your fate.

Yes, nothing is official until the NBA Draft arrives June 24. But when the Washington Wizards won the NBA Draft lottery a few weeks ago — despite finishing only tied for the fourth-worst record in the regular season — Wall’s future home was all but decided. For the past two years, nearly every expert has pegged Wall as the No. 1 pick in the 2010 draft, almost regardless of team need. Wall is supposed to be that good.

In just one season at Kentucky, Wall certainly teased NBA executives into a giddy state of optimism. The freshman point guard averaged 16.6 points, 4.3 rebounds and 6.5 assists per game. Those numbers would have made Wall the Wizards’ leading man for scoring and assists by the end of the regular season — discounting players no longer with the team, for one reason or another. And Wall tallied those numbers while playing in 40-minute college games.

For Wizards fans who just can’t embrace their good luck — and the professional sports legacy in Washington justifies a healthy amount of skepticism — there are a few reasons to tone down the optimism surrounding Wall. Despite leading the Wildcats in scoring, Wall proved to be an inconsistent shooter. He shot 46.1 percent from the field and just 32.5 percent from three-point range. And there was some concern about Wall’s potential to be a prima donna after he publicly complained that coach John Calipari criticized him following a poor performance in a loss to South Carolina.

The source for Calipari’s criticism was Wall’s propensity for turning over the ball — another chink in Wall’s seemingly impenetrable armor. Despite finishing as one of the best passers in college basketball, Wall also had 4.0 turnovers per game. He cannot afford to play sloppily and shoot poorly in the NBA or else he’ll be considered a bust.

However, the Wizards will focus on Wall’s undeniable upside. He is an electric player who can attract fans to the Verizon Center. Washington figures to undergo a massive overhaul this season. The team is dedicated to trading Gilbert Arenas, who Wizards execs reportedly labeled a cancer. They don’t want the young, impressionable Wall to come within shouting distance of their banished star. With nine unrestricted free agents and three restricted free agents on the roster, the team could be completely different next season. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, especially considering the huge number of big name free agents who will be looking for a new home. Washington will be able to use Wall as the centerpiece for its marketing pitch.

And that includes selling Wall to a fan base that is desperate for a reason to embrace a floundering franchise.

Kentucky: Calipari Masters the Art of Managing One-and-Done Players

NBA point guards Derrick Rose and Tyreke Evans’ success stories have only served as encouragement for a decision that didn’t need much thought for Kentucky freshmen John Wall and DeMarcus Cousins after their first college season came to an end: Bye-bye Wildcats, hello NBA lottery.

Rose and Evans, starters for the Chicago Bulls and Sacramento Kings, respectively, have transitioned fantastically into the pros after spending only one season in school under coach John Calipari at Memphis. Calipari, now with Kentucky, is some kind of first-year player virtuoso. Wall, a point guard, figures to go No. 1 overall, and Cousins, a forward, is expected to be off the board not long after.

And what about the two other Kentucky freshmen and a junior who also declared themselves ready for the NBA? First-round picks, too.

Junior forward Patrick Patterson is the only player who’s left the door open for a return to the Wildcats next season, saying he’s “half in, half out,” while guard Eric Bledsoe and center Daniel Orton look confident in going for the leap. They can all opt to change their minds by May 8 as long as they don’t hire agents, but that seems unlikely. Calipari, while happy for his pupils, will have to work some more recruiting magic to make Kentucky (35-3 in 2009-10) a powerhouse again next season.

Wall was a favorite to go pro even before the season began, and he backed up the hype. His mind-blowing play that generated 16.6 points and 6.5 assists per game led the Wildcats to regular-season and conference tournament championships before they fell to West Virginia in the Elite Eight. He set a single-season school record with 241 assists. Many of those went to Cousins.

Cousins was at his best when not in foul trouble, something he struggled with mightily — along with a temper problem — early in the season. He averaged 15.1 points and 9.8 rebounds per game and book-ended Kentucky’s monster guard/forward duo.

But if it wasn’t Wall or Cousins dominating the game, it was Bledsoe or Orton, the two other excellent freshmen who lived in their teammates’ shadows — hence the mild surprise when they announced the move to the NBA. The speedy Bledsoe averaged 11.9 points per game and was one of the Wildcats’ best three-point threats. Meanwhile, Orton kept Kentucky’s paint safe when Cousins was in foul trouble. He was a shot-blocking machine.

Patterson averaged a career-low 14.3 points per game, which might be one of the reasons he’d like to come back next year, along with the possibility of an NBA lockout. However, he backed out of the NBA Draft last season when many thought he was ready, which only tilts the balance in favor of him leaving this time around.

Patterson’s dipping numbers, down from 17.9 points per game last season, are a reflection of the kind of talent Calipari brought along after signing with Kentucky. A star alongside guard Jodie Meeks last season, Patterson was only the third-leading scorer this season. It’s a misleading statistic because — as with Bledsoe and Orton — if he had been the program’s featured player, he would have been a standout. There would be no “half in, half out” decision to make; it’d be an all-in while holding a full house.

Luckily for Patterson, Bledsoe and Orton, NBA scouts will see beyond their numbers, which should be a huge sigh of relief for Orton and his modest 3.4 points and 3.3 rebounds per game. They’re as good as gone. Calipari will be left with only five returning players from this season’s team.

But if anyone can rebuild a team, it’s Calipari, someone who transformed a team not good enough to make the NCAA Tournament one year into one of the Big Dance’s No. 1 seeds the next. The coach, who was a Mario Chalmers’ desperation three-pointer away from winning a national championship with Memphis in 2008, lost Rose to the NBA as the No. 1 pick in 2008 only to replace him with Evans in 2009, keeping the Tigers among the elite teams. He then left to Kentucky, where he turned an NIT team into a championship contender.

Calipari’s 2010 recruiting class, as usual, is among one of the top in the nation. Six-foot-10 Turkish center Enes Kanter has verbally committed, as has 6-5 slashing shooting guard Stacey Poole. Kentucky still doesn’t have an answer from point guard Brandon Knight, a crème-of-the-crop recruit, but the Wildcats, along with Kansas and Connecticut, are in the mix for his services.

Having Calipari at the helm certainly won’t hurt the Wildcats in their hunt to replace their departing young guns with other fresh-blooded talent. Kentucky will be back as one of the top teams next season. But before that — and a la North Carolina in 2005 — several Wildcats will hear their name called aloud on June 24, date of the 2010 NBA Draft.

Happy endings for everybody.