Bill Walton names Arizona Basketball NBA lineup including ‘Champion’ Alkins

Bill Walton is singing his praises; the NBA was impressed, the Arizona Basketball team has only gotten better since he started playing, why couldn’t Rawle Alkins be a lottery pick?

The Arizona Basketball team was undefeated since Rawle Alkins stepped on the court playing against ranked teams before the Colorado game. Even against the Buffs it seemed Alkins was one of the only players not giving up and played to win until the last second of the game. There isn’t one announcer we have heard that doesn’t gush about the guard who remains a coveted as a positionless NBA draftee.

Five games in, we thought we would look into the possibilities for Alkins if he continues to prove he is a spark on offense, a difference maker on defense and a game closer.

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Walton was not shy while announcing the Wildcats game against Utah in Utah. He called one of Sean Miller’s lineups, his NBA line up. That line up included Deandre Ayton, Rawle Alkins, Dusan Ristic, Allonzo Trier and Brandon Randolph, and he felt Miller should play those five together more.

Walton, a future NBA and specifically spoke about two of the five players on his Arizona NBA lineup, Ayton, and Alkins. He likened Ayton to a series of animals and bird, and he talked about Alkins hustle, size, and skill.

Walton has coined Rawle Alkins the ‘Brooklyn Bomber.’ Last night, Walton described Alkins as a “Ballerina in a linebacker’s body,” after an Alkins acrobatic miracle layup.

While exiting the building, Walton passed Alkins in his post-game presser in the hallway outside the locker rooms and said, “Great job, excellent…that’s a champion right there,” and pointed at King Rawle.

Walton has his favorite players, that’s no secret, and he tends to spend time chatting players he feels have the ‘it’ factor. This season Alkins has emerged as one of his favorites.

Per Walton Alkins has unlimited potential! Listen to him praise the King after this play against Colorado.

Walton likened Alkins play to Cleveland Cavalier Dwayne Wade.

Before you start poo-pooing what Walton says, take a look at the credentials of this NCAA Hall of Fame Athlete (2006), Oregon Hall of Fame (Portland Trailblazers) and future NBA Hall of Fame player:

Walton is not the only Pac-12 announcer who has gushed about Alkins, listen to this, “The heart and soul of this team, a Rondae Hollis-Jefferson type..”:

More accolades, this time talking about his strengths.

Alkins got more experience last night, specifically on the road in a hostile environment where he ended the night against Utah in double figures (22 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals, 1 block).

In Miller’s postgame interview with IMG Arizona’s Brian Jeffries, Miller discussed the Ute fans and basically how classless they were with their comments and how well his team did ignoring them. So the team was playing in a hostile environment, not just an electric environment. Although it is a great experience or these college players wanting to play in the NBA, dealing with hecklers.

When the game against Utah came down to the wire, who was it who stepped up and showed up at the charity stripe? Alkins is showing how he can close a game. This is something that is crucial in the NBA. Just look at the young Lakers. They are exciting and skilled. Julius Randle, Kyle Kuzma, Lonzo Ball and Larry Nance play with heart and can turn a game around, but they also seem not to be able to close a game. Kevin Durant has beaten this team in with last-second three’s twice.

Alkins would be a great fit personality and skill-wise for the Lakers, given they make some moves over the summer and bring in headliner like Paul George if he is willing to leave Carmelo Anthony and Russell Westbrook. They need a spark plug, but what they need more is a closer.

Alkins is friends with Ball and has played against Kyle Kuzma, the coaches are Wildcats, and the Lakers had invited Alkins to a tryout last season before he returned to Arizona. It may be a long shot, but with the pats on the back the Lakers have garnered from picking up Kuzma as a “Sleeper” and the Warriors picking up Jordan Bell as a sleeper in the draft, there has to be a look-see by NBA GM’s into the next Pac-12 sleeper. Notice both teams coaches are former Pac-12 players and Wildcats Steve Kerr and Luke Walton. Walto is also the son of Pac-12 broadcaster Bill Walton who thinks Rawle is a champion.

Maybe the Lakers are a stretch, and maybe it’s just my pipe dream since I cover both teams, but it’s something to consider.

Arizona Wildcats Basketball

There is another team in Los Angeles that could use Alkins, the Los Angeles Clippers. I spoke to one of their scouts while covering a South Bay Lakers G-League game, and they had nothing but glorious things to say about Alkins. The scout told me that he predicted Alkins would be the difference maker on the Wildcats when he came back from injury. Doc Rivers son, Austin Rivers, has not been a fan favorite as his dad rescued him and put him on his team to prove he can play in the NBA. And coach Rivers has been rumored in LA to be a coach who can’t get that championship even with stars on his team. So his time may be short.

I attended a Clippers game this week, ironically against the Memphis Grizzlies where I got to watch Kobi Simmons play, and there is no doubt, the Clippers bigs are top-notch. But they were struggling a bit with the guards, Austin Rivers is injured, and Chris Paul is playing for the Rockets now. They have an option to bring up Tyrone Wallace (Oregon Ducks) from the Agua Caliente Clippers who has been balling out in the G-League, but they haven’t done that yet. Maybe the Clippers would draft Alkins. I can also see Alkins fitting in on the Knicks, which is closer to Alkin’s hometown of Brooklyn. The Knicks are an upcoming team, reworking their chemistry after Carmelo left for the OKC Thunder. The Nets were also interested in Rawle and he actually tried out for the team.

The big question, which will be beaten to a pulp by the time of NBA Draft, will there be more than one Wildcat picked in the Lottery (Top 14 picks)? Allonzo Trier has been included in this elite group in some mock drafts, but not yet Alkins. He has come close being mentioned in the mid 20’s, but that was before he came back. Now that Alkins is back there may be some more momentum.

One player mentioned as being a potential lottery pick is Miami’s freshman guard Lonnie Walker IV who is about the same size as Alkins, just about 30 pounds less muscle. Walker, after 14 games this season, is averaging 8.3 points, 2.7 rebounds, 1.3 assists, .9 steals and .4 blocks.  Alkins career stats are so much more impressive and against tougher competition. Alkins career averages, which will seem to only improve over the season, are 11.9 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, and .5 blocks.

Bill Walton is a fan, a ton of fans enjoy Alkins almost as much as they did TJ McConnell, Miller is wiping his brow that Alkins is back, and the NBA folks were quite complimentary of Alkins after he made the rounds. The Pac-12 2017 NBA class has been impressive this season with Lauri Markkenan breaking records, and Kadeem Allen, Kobi Simmons (scoring double digits in NBA Games), and Chance Comanche proving they can hang with the big fellas in G-League and NBA when they are called up. TJ McConnell continues to prove that an under the radar Wildcat can excite a fan base and perform well.

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Along with Alkins experience and showing in the last NBA combine, you could make an argument that Alkins could work himself into becoming a lottery pick or close to it at least. I am a huge fan of the under the radar player, and I think Alkins will be that player in the 2018 draft, a steal if not a lottery pick.