Today we are comparing Turner’s ability to John Wall’s marketability.

I recently received a response on a message board about John Wall. I did not agree with this response, I did not understand this response, nor did I think this response was well thought out. All of that doesn’t matter though. What this argument created was food for thought. It forced me to ask myself “Do fans quite comprehend the business aspect of sports?” As a fan it is okay to just care about winning, but when you own a franchise, or run a franchise you have to think about more than just winning. You cannot think locally, you have to think globally.

I don’t mean to say winning is not important, but it helps to win with stars. Brandon Roy, Deron Williams, Rip Hamilton, Danny Granger, Kevin Martin, and even Chris Bosh are all good or even great players. They also have something else in common; none of them capture the attention of the nation. Players who do capture everyone’s attention include Kobe, LeBron, Melo, Wade, and Dwight “Superman” Howard. Their teams are on national TV almost every night. It doesn’t matter if they play for Denver, Cleveland, L.A., or Miami. What matters is that people tune in to watch the games no matter if they are fans of their respective teams or not. NBA fans in general want to see greatness or at least what they perceive as greatness. People want to buy the clothing and shoes of these afore mentioned stars. Fans buy the video games or magazines with the faces of these players. Lastly, fans want to watch them play whether it is in person or on T.V.

So why are we discussing this? Because I came to the conclusion some really don’t understand why if blessed with the #1 pick, David Kahn has to take John Wall and not Evan Turner. I absolutely love Evan Turner’s game. He is my favorite player in this draft, but you can’t take him #1. As I have written before; John Wall has “it.” He is considered the best prospect in the world right now. The Timberwolves are struggling to attract fans to their games because they stink. They also have no headline player to whom this franchise can point to and say “Hey casual or non-basketball fan come watch a game!” I don’t care if you have been living under a rock for the past 7 years you know who LeBron and Kobe are. You’ll go to a game just to say “I saw that guy play.” Well everyone is convinced John Wall can be “that guy.” So if you own or run a team you don’t have to think about anything but taking Wall.

If you pass on Wall and Turner turns out to be Scottie Pippen, great…..as long as Wall doesn’t turn out to be D-Wade. I am not going to get into a “Pippen is better” “No Wade is better” argument, but Wade is much, much, much more marketable. If John Wall is bound for possible (marketing) greatness you have to take him. The Cavs didn’t take Melo over LeBron despite having a proven track record because of all the reasons I just named. LeBron had the charisma and the ability to take the league by storm, and so does Wall. As much as I like Turner he is the Melo of this draft. So I am sorry for those few people who still think David Kahn should have the option to take the player he wants, but his hands are tied. He gets no option if come draft night the Wolves are the owners of the #1 pick.

Overview: Sherron Collins is a tremendous leader and scorer. He has a nose for the basket. Sherron is strong and will not easily be pushed around even by a bigger PG. Unfortunately he is very stout and could stand to lose some weight. His arms are not very long and he is not very athletic. His weight, athleticism, and size are a bad combination in regards to projecting his defense at the next level. Sherron is much better at creating for himself than for others. He is a clutch performer with very good range. Overall I think Sherron might end up being a very good sparkplug off the bench, but I think the NBDL or Euroleague are in his immediate future. If Sherron is available in the 2nd round I think he would be a decent prospect worthy of stuffing in the NBDL for a while.

Strengths: Range, strength, leadership, scoring ability, basketball IQ, and will to win.
Weaknesses: Size, passing, ball handling, defense.

Comparable: Will Bynum

Big Board Ranking: 14

MINNEAPOLIS — The Minnesota Timberwolves have suspended center Al Jefferson for the next two games without pay after his arrest on suspicion of DWI.

The Minnesota State Patrol says a trooper stopped the 25-year-old Jefferson on Interstate 394 early Sunday for speeding and changing lanes without signaling.

Jefferson was taken to a hospital for a blood test, then to Hennepin County Jail on suspicion of fourth-degree driving while impaired. He was released after an hour in jail.

David Kahn, Timberwolves president of basketball operations, says Jefferson “feels terrible” about what happened. But Kahn says it’s appropriate that Jefferson be suspended.

Jefferson led the Timberwolves with 19 points in Saturday night’s 110-91 loss to Portland. A court appearance is scheduled for April 23.

link

It is a shame that Minnesota was blown out by Portland (110-91), but it is a damn shame Big Al turned the night into a second loss. In case you haven’t heard Big Al was arrested for a DWI last night. Most of the details have not been released yet but here is what we do know:

Minnesota Timberwolves basketball player Al Jefferson was arrested and booked into jail early this morning for allegedly driving drunk, according to jail records.

Jefferson was arrested by the State Patrol at 1:08 a.m., and was brought to the Hennepin County Jail shorty after 2 a.m., according to the State Patrol and jail records. He was released at 3:19 a.m.

Jefferson was arrested on a charge of fourth degree driving while impaired, said State Patrol Lt. Eric Roeske.
Jefferson initially was pulled over for speeding as he left downtown Minneapolis, heading west on 394. He was clocked going 56 mph in a 40-mph zone, Roeske said.

The trooper also observed the vehicle drifting to left and the driver’s side tires going onto the fog line, Roeske said. Then the vehicle changed to the center lane without signaling. The car was stopped on 394 near Dunwoody Blvd.

Roeske said a field sobriety test led to Jefferson’s arrest. A blood test was administered and the results are pending a Bureau of Criminal Apprehension analysis, Roeske said.

Here is the link

Oh and the WTF award goes to Dennis McGrath and Phil Miller for including this in the story:

The arrest came after the Timberwolves lost to the Portland Trail Blazers at Target Center, 110-91. Jefferson, listed as a 6-10 center-forward on the team’s roster, led the Wolves in scoring with 19 points, and in playing time, with 30 minutes. (The jail log listed him at 6-9.)

OMG! I was mad when I heard he was arrested for a DWI considering he is the highest paid player on the team, a role model for youth, and this franchise has already lost a beloved player (Malik Sealy) because of a drunk driver; but now that I know he is not 6’10…………I am furious!!!!! Hence the 5 exclamation points.

P.S. Every basketball player is about an inch shorter than listed.

Oh and no game recap today considering the game was bad enough.

Name: Patrick Patterson
Ht: 6’8” Wt: 235
POS: PF Class: Jr.
College: Kentucky

Overview: Patrick Patterson is an undersized PF who is very skilled and might have the best leadership skills of any player in the draft. He is a very good athlete for a PF. His feet are a bit heavy but he still very quick. I love how active Patterson is. Even when the ball is not in his hands he crashes the boards hard, sets screens, and helps out on D. He is constantly trying to get the ball thrown into him. Patrick not only makes his self better but makes his teammates better. It is hard not to love Patterson’s game. For a power forward he has very good range (41% from 3 thus far this season) and above average ball handling skills. On the next level he will not be a great rebounder but will still have success due to his work ethic and hustle.

Strengths: Range, hustle, basketball IQ, leadership ability, ball handling, quickness, help defense, and experience.

Weaknesses: Size and strength, is good at many things but great at nothing, needs to work on defensive footwork, and his feet are a bit heavy.

Comparable: David West

Big Board Ranking: 7