Wall or Turner? Ask LeBron, Kobe
By Marc J. Spears
LeBron James hasn’t been shy about his affection for Kentucky freshman John Wall. He, like many scouts, has projected Wall to be the best NBA prospect in college this season. And once Wall formally announces his intentions to turn pro, James is expected to recruit the guard for his agent, Leon Rose, and his own marketing company.
But is Wall a lock to be the No. 1 pick? Not everyone thinks so, including James’ biggest rival – Kobe Bryant.
Bryant watched Evan Turner’s performance in Ohio State’s double-overtime victory over Illinois in the Big Ten tournament, and that was all he needed to see.
“He seemed like the best player in the country to me,” Bryant said of Turner. “…He looked like he has all the tools. I think Wall is a great player, but I like Turner.”
Turner, a 6-foot-7 swingman, entered the NCAA tournament averaging 20.3 points, 9.2 rebounds and 5.9 assists. Bryant likened him to Portland Trail Blazers’ All-Star guard Brandon Roy.
“He can shoot, can handle, can go left, smooth, doesn’t rush anything,” Bryant said. “He has a good pace to him.”
The Turner-Wall debate isn’t limited to Kobe-LeBron. Several NBA scouts told Yahoo! Sports they were split on which of the two college basketball stars would be selected first. One NBA executive isn’t even sure there’s a consensus 1-2, saying he preferred Wall first, then Georgia Tech freshman forward Derrick Favors second and Turner third.
“You can make a case for either [Wall or Turner],” one NBA general manager said. “Wall is the better athlete. But Turner is the better ball-handler and a more complete player. He’s a guy who can do it all. He’s more experienced, as well.”
Another GM said Turner could eventually compare to Atlanta Hawks guard Joe Johnson, at best. Wall’s upside, he said, is too much to pass on because Wall could quickly become one of the top five point guards in the league.
“If you miss on John Wall, the worst you get is Derrick Rose,” the GM said. “If you miss on Evan Turner, you get Larry Hughes.”
Another factor: Many of the teams contending for the No. 1 pick – New Jersey (Devin Harris), Minnesota (Jonny Flynn), Golden State (Stephen Curry), Washington (Gilbert Arenas), Sacramento (Tyreke Evans), Utah (Deron Williams), the Los Angeles Clippers (Baron Davis) and New Orleans (Chris Paul, Darren Collison) – already have established point guards or took a point guard in the lottery last season.
“I presume Wall will automatically go No. 1 not taking into consideration any team’s needs,” one scout said. “For example, if Utah got the top pick, could they take Wall and bench Deron Williams? No. Could they bring the No. 1 pick off the bench? No. What if New Orleans got it? They have Chris Paul and a Rookie of the Year candidate in Darren Collison. How would they fit John Wall into the equation?
“I just think it’s convenient to maybe say Wall is the most deserving of being No. 1, but to totally disregard teams’ needs is not giving an accurate read on what will go into the selection.”
The Hornets’ Paul had his own opinion: “I like both of them,” he said, “but I’ll take Evan Turner for us.”
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