DCZards wrote:miller31time wrote:I also believe Wall will be a game-changer from the very start (day 1). He's basically a rich man's D-Rose.
Yes, Walls looks like he's going to be very, very good...even a superstar. But the two best young PGs in the NBA (Paul & Williams) ain't come close to smelling a championship. So unless you tell me there's a LeBron, Duncan, Shaq or D. Howard out there (all of whom have won a championship or played in the championship game) I can't get too excited about Wall or anyone else I see in this draft.
I can buy that. But I'd also note that New Orleans went 18-64 the year before they drafted Chris Paul. The season they drafted him (with a still horrific roster, mind you), they went 38-44 - a 20-game improvement. They were suddenly relevant...even championship caliber. If they didn't have miserable ownership who spent their money unwisely, then became suddenly cost-conscious, they'd still be championship caliber.
Deron Williams has a very similar story (a team on the verge / he comes in and leads the revival / Utah back to being a perennial threat out West).
Championships aren't won with a single player (well, maybe LeBron can do it, but there's only one LeBron James). Duncan has had a lot of help in his title success (Robinson, Ginobili, Parker, etc). Dwight Howard had a team built completely around him (great shooters complimented with his dominant inside presence). Shaq had Kobe, then Wade. You get the point. Who does Williams or Paul have that is going to get each of those players titles? Not enough, I'll tell you that.
Point being, if you have a chance to get a top player in the NBA through the draft, you take it. Are we likely to land Wall or Favors? Probably not. Are they locks for super stardom? No, but you need a little luck, complimented with competent ownership to become an elite team.
