In his prime, there was nobody on the court faster than John Wall.

Wall, who could have potentially been the number one pick in 2008 coming out of high school, elected to play at Kentucky for one year, where he won the SEC Player of the Year, and left no doubt that he should be drafted first in 2009.  That is precisely what happened when the Washington Wizards grabbed him with that pick.

Wall was the runner-up to Blake Griffin for the 2011 Rookie of the Year, and became the top gun for the Wizards.  His speed, explosiveness, and ability to deke past defenders made him a nightmare to guard, and when he wasn’t doing that, his immaculate court vision made him one of the game’s great passers.  As impressive as his offense was, he was also outstanding on defense, showcasing a remarkable amount of Steals.  Wall was a five-time All-Star, the toast of Washington D.C., but knee issues derailed his momentum.  He had surgery on both of his knees in the 2016 off-season, but a year later his left knee gave out on him, and a year after that he tore his left Achilles tendon.  Wall was never the same player again.

He played a year in Houston (2020-21) and one with the Los Angeles Clippers (2022-23), but in both seasons, he missed more games than he played due to nagging and new injuries.

As it stands now, Wall’s career feels more like a “what if” than a Hall of Fame one, but any player who had five consecutive All-Star Games and a must-watch presence has a shot at Springfield.

We are going way back for this one.

An All-American at Kentucky in 1935, Wildcats Head Coach, Adolph Rupp called Center Leroy Edwards the best player he ever coached.  Fine praise, indeed.  Edwards, who won the Helms College Player of the Year in 1935, was so dominant and physical in the paint, that it was alleged that he was the reason that basketball enacted the three-second rule, preventing players from spending longer than three seconds under the basket.

Edwards then played professionally for the Oshkosh All-Stars in the National Basketball League from 1937 to 1949, and for a time, he was the best player in the league.   Excellent on both sides of the ball, Edwards won three straight NBL MVPs (1938-40), all of which coincided with three consecutive scoring titles.  Edwards also was a six-time First Team All-NBL Selection and he led Oshkosh to two league titles (1941 & 1942).

The NBL was an all-white league, but Oshkosh faced the New York Rens, an all-black team.  Edwards and Oskosh were able to match up equally with New York, with Edwards respected unilaterally by the Rens. 

Edwards never made it to the NBA as his career ended before that league formed, but any player who was a three-time league MVP has a Hall of Fame case. 

Playoff Rondo.

Rajon Rondo loved it best when the lights were at their brightest.

The Boston Celtics acquired him in a 2006 draft-day trade from Phoenix, and he was a Second Team All-Rookie. Rondo won the starting job as a sophomore, and the Celtics loaded him with talent with Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen joining him and Paul Pierce. Boston won the championship that year, but although many credited the "Big Three", Rondo was at times their best player in the playoffs.

Rondo improved his defense and earned a Second Team All-Defensive slot after his 2008 playoff success. Afterwards, he went to four straight All-Star Games and was in the conversation as one of the top point guards in the league. Rondo won the steals title in 2009-10, coinciding with a First Team All-Defensive nod, which was the first of two. He then became a better distributor, winning back-to-back assists titles (2011-12 & 2012-13), and was an All-NBA Third Team Selection in 2011-12. Notably, Rondo also finished 10th and 8th for the MVP in those seasons and was the face of the franchise. Everything was going well for Rondo until he tore his ACL in January of 2013, and nothing was the same again.

Rondo returned a year later, but his traditional and advanced statistics were a little lower. Boston was struggling, and in December of 2014, he was traded to the Dallas Mavericks to help them in their playoff run. Bluntly, Rondo did not help Dallas, and he was benched in the playoffs. Dallas did not want him, and Rondo's journeyman phase began.

He signed with Sacramento and won his third and final assists title (2015-16). Coincidentally, this was also his last season averaging more than 10 points per game. He played for Chicago, then New Orleans, then signed with the Los Angeles Lakers, where he was now coming off the bench. Rondo could still light it up, but it was becoming less frequent. He helped them win the 2020 NBA Championship, and this was his last great moment in the sport. Rondo played two more years, playing for Atlanta, the Los Angeles Clippers, the Lakers again, and Cleveland.

As good as Rondo was at his peak, his off-court issues could push him on the wrong side of the fence.

With his year of eligibility pushed back from his attempts to get back in the big time through the D-League, Antoine Walker is sadly best known for his financial woes more than anything he did on the court. In his playing career, his best seasons were with Boston, where along with Paul Pierce his three pointers excited crowds (though he probably took too many) and he was a member of three All Star squads. In a reserve role, Walker had a very good season assisting the Heat in their first championship, but despite his role there, he is often the forgotten contributor on that team. Forgotten players generally don’t wind up enshrined; especially one who has become a punch line.