27 Dec 10 Washington Need a Wall: Wizards Should Use No. 1 Pick Wisely

Jim McIsaac/Getty Images At age 28, he is in his prime years. Over the past several seasons, he has been considered to be one of the premier point guards in the NBA. In 2008, he signed a six-year, $111 million contract.In short, on the surface, Gilbert Arenas is the face of the Washington Wizards franchise, and he is just about everything they could want.With the Wizards securing the top overall selection in 2010 NBA Draft on Tuesday night, their situation with Arenas set to return from his suspension would seemingly place the Indianapolis Colts jersey
team pick in question.But it shouldn.Yes, Arenas is a very good point guard who is a proficient scorer, can create his own shot, and get to the rim in a variety of fashions. But the reality is that, as his recent run-in with the law proves, he not the guy you want to be the face of your franchise.Following a three-year stretch from 2004 to 2007 where he averaged 25-plus points per game, Arenas became plagued by injuries, and he made a mere 15 appearances in two seasons (starting 10 of them). His averages plunged, and it looked like the huge deal he signed in 2008 could potentially be a bust.But he rebounded, and reasserted himself as the Agent Zero.Kicking off the 2009-2010 NBA campaign, Arenas stormed the court, averaging 22.6 points and 7.2 assists in the 32 games he played in.It was a terrific start to the season, one that should have cemented him once again as one of the best scoring point guards in the NBA, and one that should have led the Wizards to a far more competitive season than they had.But, on December 24, when it was revealed that Arenas carried unloaded guns into the Wizards locker room, and then on January 1, when it became apparent that he and teammate Javaris Crittendon had brandished said guns in the locker room following a dispute about gambling debts, everything changed.His immaturity revealed, Arenas followed his guilty plea with a suspension from the NBA and a two-year probation sentence (along with a 30-day stay in a halfway house).Now, it cannot be denied that Arenas is a talent.In the first 32 games of the season, he proved that he still had what it takes to be an elite playmaker in the NBA. Undoubtedly, had Arenas played the entire season at the level he had been playing at prior to his suspension, the Wizards would have been far more competitive than they were.But being the face of a franchise means more than scoring points, dishing out assists, and making highlight real plays.Being the spokesman and the image of an NBA franchise means that Arenas also needs to be a leader. He needs to be a person the team can rally around, one who can look at the harsh critics and take the blame in stride, and who can emotionally rally the players around him when momentum is going in the wrong direction.Now answer me this: Does Gilbert Arenas do any of that?Kobe Bryant, Kevin Garnett, Steve Nash, and Dwyane Wade are all perennial superstars because they do so much more than fill the stat sheet. They make other people better, and they are true leaders on and off the court.Arenas is not in that group. He not even close.Enter John Wall.He young, he athletic, he skilled, and he a relatively high character guy. He an unusual talent, one that may Jacksonville Jaguars jersey
not come around again for a long time.Wall may not be an All-Star right away, and he may not raise Washington competitiveness to playoff potential right away, but he is the best piece for them to start building with.Looking at the situation, unless the Wizards are able to net an overwhelming haul for the No. 1 pick, how can they justify not selecting Wall?The Wizards are in something of a sorry state at the moment.The team is terrible and nowhere near the playoffs, the "leader" of the team missed over half the season because of a gun charge in the locker room, andwith the exception of Clevelandthere aren many sports cities out there that are more depressing than Washington, D.C.Wall would instantly re-energize the franchise.He the biggest name available. Unless Washington is suddenly in the running for LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, or Chris Bosh, there is nobody out there who can bring as much excitement to a franchise as Wall can.Wall immediately brings attention and excitement to the team. Put Josh Howard and Wall on the floor together, and there could be some fireworks on display.Now, imagine for a second, if Arenas is able to get his act together and come back and mesh with Wall? That a combo that I would be dying to see work together.Wall will not make the Wizards a playoff team right away. Washington needs a few other pieces to go along with Wall to turn them into a squad that can compete with Orlando and Boston (and possibly Cleveland, depending on where LeBron James ends up) for superiority in the East.But Wall would bring a buzz and an excitement back to D.C. basketball that hasn been around in awhile.He can be the face of the Wizards franchise, has the potential to be an all-world point guard, and in a few years, with some grooming, could be mentioned in the same breath as Derrick Rose, Chris Paul, Derron Williams, and Rajon Rondo.None of this is guaranteed, but the chance that it will succeed is better than accepting the status quo in Washington Kansas City Chiefs jersey
right now, and it is certainly better than bringing in a mid-level free agent or someone else from this draft class.Had Arenas not forced Washington hand with his antics, Washington could be looking to address other needs right now, and they could be looking for his sidekick or that one final piece to push them into the top tier in the Eastern Conference.But that not reality.The reality is that basketball in Washington is not in a good place, and the reality is that Wall would go a long way in helping to fix that problem.Washington needs Wall.For more sports commentary, check out Water Cooler Sports .