Taking a look at how the PG's fared in Game 1 of the West Finals
Game 1 Boxscore
Tony Parker
Had a terrific first half, but in the end he was the poster-child (along with Ginobili) of San Antonio’s second half offensive woes… Finished with 18/10/6 in 41 minutes, but on 7-17 FG… Was getting into the paint easily in the first half. The second half? Well, let’s just say he drew a crowd… Went missing during LA’s second half run; Duncan was the only reliable source of Spur scoring… Had a nice up-and-under in the first half that made Pau Gasol look positively softer than butter… Actually helped hold Derek Fisher scoreless through the game’s first 39 minutes… No Longoria life-size posters behind the baskets at Staples… Will probably have a strong Game 2.
Derek Fisher
Caught a nasty case of Farmar-itis (Translation: Couldn’t make a shot)… As a matter of fact, as previously mentioned, it took him 39 minutes to crack the scoring column… Was actually taken out early in the third and replaced with Farmar, who gave LA a jolt of energy… Does a nice job on Parker, positions himself well, stays in front of him (for the most part), and generally is your run-of-the-mill defensive nuisance… LA needs his outside shooting… Finished 1-9 FG (four points) in 30 minutes.
Thursday, May 22, 2008
PG Look: Detroit-Boston
Taking a look at how the PG's fared in Game 1 of the East Finals
Game 1 Boxscore
Chauncey Billups
Well, it would’ve taken all of three milliseconds to realize CB isn’t quite there yet; the hamstring is still plaguing him… Detroit curiously had him guard Ray Allen, presumably to get him away from the quicker Rajon Rondo… Actually spent time in the first-half as the ‘two’ while Stuckey ran the point… Hit his first 3 of the game, didn’t score the rest of the half… Looked a little better in the second half; please take the time to underline the word “little” … Played 31 minutes, but if he’s 100% he plays 40, no question… His nine points came on just six shots… Keep an eye on him in Game 2.
Rajon Rondo
I loved his first half, he was pushing it up, running the club, and dropping hand-offs to Paul Pierce and the suddenly-inept Ray Allen… My game notes had the words VERY aggressive and unselfish; yes, I used capitals… One of three guys in the game to log 40 minutes; the other two combined for eight turnovers, Rondo had one… Was the subject of Rip Hamilton’s defensive assignment… 11 points and seven assists is dandy, but the true value was his five steals and his efficient shooting (5-9 FG)… Mike Breen dropped the little “he once grabbed 19 boards in a game at Kentucky” nugget, and as the unofficial leader of the Rebounding Point Guards Cult, this makes me smile… No longer looking for a Cassell citing, just playing his game… Before the series, everyone was saying the PG matchup was going to determine a lot of things. You know what, they were right.
Game 1 Boxscore
Chauncey Billups
Well, it would’ve taken all of three milliseconds to realize CB isn’t quite there yet; the hamstring is still plaguing him… Detroit curiously had him guard Ray Allen, presumably to get him away from the quicker Rajon Rondo… Actually spent time in the first-half as the ‘two’ while Stuckey ran the point… Hit his first 3 of the game, didn’t score the rest of the half… Looked a little better in the second half; please take the time to underline the word “little” … Played 31 minutes, but if he’s 100% he plays 40, no question… His nine points came on just six shots… Keep an eye on him in Game 2.
Rajon Rondo
I loved his first half, he was pushing it up, running the club, and dropping hand-offs to Paul Pierce and the suddenly-inept Ray Allen… My game notes had the words VERY aggressive and unselfish; yes, I used capitals… One of three guys in the game to log 40 minutes; the other two combined for eight turnovers, Rondo had one… Was the subject of Rip Hamilton’s defensive assignment… 11 points and seven assists is dandy, but the true value was his five steals and his efficient shooting (5-9 FG)… Mike Breen dropped the little “he once grabbed 19 boards in a game at Kentucky” nugget, and as the unofficial leader of the Rebounding Point Guards Cult, this makes me smile… No longer looking for a Cassell citing, just playing his game… Before the series, everyone was saying the PG matchup was going to determine a lot of things. You know what, they were right.
Monday, May 19, 2008
Quick Links
Very interesting time of year obviously, and a lot going on. Just a few links to PG-related stuff this week...
Delonte West talked before Game 7 about the fact he was familiar with the rims in Boston, that he could find his stroke in tough confines – which also happens to be his former home. Turns out there was some merit to that. He was the only other non-James Cav – or perhaps better said, the only human in a Cavs uniform – who reached double-figures, with 15 in Cleveland’s 97-92 loss.
Source: Boston Herald
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The Boston Herald looks forward to the Chauncey Billups-Rajon Rondo matchup in the East Finals. Just look at their game in December for the real insight; Rondo went nuts in the first half, but it was Billups who turned up in the fourth, scoring 14 of his game-high 28, including the game-winning FT’s to earn a Detroit win. The moral? Rondo will have his moments, Billups will rule though.
Source: Boston Herald
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Speaking of matchups, there’s two guys (Chris Paul and Tony Parker) who have a Game 7 to play. Can’t wait to see how Paul plays in this, his first Game 7. The guy has done the stuff of legend this year, can he add to it? The biggest question surrounding Parker is whether or not that life-size cutout of Eva Longoria behind the basket will seep into his mind and kill any kind of FT concentration that he has. Hmmm…
Source: International Herald Tribune
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Derek Fisher, the guy with the unenviable task of facing either Paul or Parker in the West Finals – this after a nice dose of Deron Williams in the semis – is featured in a good piece in the OC Register.
Source: OC Register
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With the NBA Draft not too far away, a look at the positional rankings. Obviously, Derek Rose, who most have going either #1 or #2, is the top PG.
Source: NBADraft.net
Delonte West talked before Game 7 about the fact he was familiar with the rims in Boston, that he could find his stroke in tough confines – which also happens to be his former home. Turns out there was some merit to that. He was the only other non-James Cav – or perhaps better said, the only human in a Cavs uniform – who reached double-figures, with 15 in Cleveland’s 97-92 loss.
Source: Boston Herald
---
The Boston Herald looks forward to the Chauncey Billups-Rajon Rondo matchup in the East Finals. Just look at their game in December for the real insight; Rondo went nuts in the first half, but it was Billups who turned up in the fourth, scoring 14 of his game-high 28, including the game-winning FT’s to earn a Detroit win. The moral? Rondo will have his moments, Billups will rule though.
Source: Boston Herald
---
Speaking of matchups, there’s two guys (Chris Paul and Tony Parker) who have a Game 7 to play. Can’t wait to see how Paul plays in this, his first Game 7. The guy has done the stuff of legend this year, can he add to it? The biggest question surrounding Parker is whether or not that life-size cutout of Eva Longoria behind the basket will seep into his mind and kill any kind of FT concentration that he has. Hmmm…
Source: International Herald Tribune
---
Derek Fisher, the guy with the unenviable task of facing either Paul or Parker in the West Finals – this after a nice dose of Deron Williams in the semis – is featured in a good piece in the OC Register.
Source: OC Register
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With the NBA Draft not too far away, a look at the positional rankings. Obviously, Derek Rose, who most have going either #1 or #2, is the top PG.
Source: NBADraft.net
Sunday, May 18, 2008
Player Spotlight: Deron Williams
Despite his Jazz losing to LA at home yesterday to lose their series 4-2, I was very impressed with Deron Williams yesterday.
(What took you so long?)
Well, to clarify: I’ve been impressed with Williams basically since the second-half of his rookie year when he broke through the Sloan gauntlet – winning his trust – and established himself as an up-and-comer. But yesterday, I saw some great stuff from the third-year PG.
In the first quarter, LA surged to a 26-12 lead, and on the next Jazz possession, Williams, ever so determined, took Derek Fisher off the dribble, took it up on two LA bigs, and finished a very tough lay-up. At a time when nothing was going right to Utah, it stood out to me as significant.
In the second, Lamar Odom jammed home off a nice feed from K.O.B.E and extended the Lakers lead to 45-30. Williams came down and pulled up for a 25-footer. Cash. Once again, at a time when LA was looking to blow this game out, Williams seemed unfazed.
From the point it was 89-74 (LA) early in the fourth, until a Andrei Kirilenko three that made it 105-103 in the final minutes, Williams either scored or assisted on every non-FT score (a total of 27 points) for Utah. Think about that. He had eight assists total in that eight minute stretch, and five points, as Utah cut a 15-point lead to three.
Of course, it wasn’t enough.
But his poise was – dare I say – reminiscent of the guy whose statue sits directly outside Energy Solutions Arena in Salt Lake. (Calm down, I didn’t say it.) However, the Jazz have something special. In what will be remembered as The Paul Draft (or the Marvin Williams Draft, depending on how many speak with a tongue in their cheek) of 2005, the Jazz came out with a guy in Williams who they have to build around.
Lost amid the Year of Paul, Williams was All-NBA second team. His 18.8 points and 10.5 assists per game on a 54-win team is eerily similar to a certain 2006 MVP from Phoenix (you know who I’m talking about), who averaged 18.8 points and 10.5 assists on a 54-win team two years ago. He also holds the unofficial title as The Only Guy On The Planet Who Has Had Any Success Stopping Chris Paul – can we abbreviate that?
And you never hear this when people are frothing at the mouth over Paul – or speaking about Williams, for that matter – but these guys are playing the toughest position in the NBA, so to be doing what they are, at this age, is mind-blowing.
Anyway, even though Williams lost Game 6 yesterday, I saw some amazing qualities. Qualities we’re gonna enjoy for many years.
(What took you so long?)
Well, to clarify: I’ve been impressed with Williams basically since the second-half of his rookie year when he broke through the Sloan gauntlet – winning his trust – and established himself as an up-and-comer. But yesterday, I saw some great stuff from the third-year PG.
In the first quarter, LA surged to a 26-12 lead, and on the next Jazz possession, Williams, ever so determined, took Derek Fisher off the dribble, took it up on two LA bigs, and finished a very tough lay-up. At a time when nothing was going right to Utah, it stood out to me as significant.
In the second, Lamar Odom jammed home off a nice feed from K.O.B.E and extended the Lakers lead to 45-30. Williams came down and pulled up for a 25-footer. Cash. Once again, at a time when LA was looking to blow this game out, Williams seemed unfazed.
From the point it was 89-74 (LA) early in the fourth, until a Andrei Kirilenko three that made it 105-103 in the final minutes, Williams either scored or assisted on every non-FT score (a total of 27 points) for Utah. Think about that. He had eight assists total in that eight minute stretch, and five points, as Utah cut a 15-point lead to three.
Of course, it wasn’t enough.
But his poise was – dare I say – reminiscent of the guy whose statue sits directly outside Energy Solutions Arena in Salt Lake. (Calm down, I didn’t say it.) However, the Jazz have something special. In what will be remembered as The Paul Draft (or the Marvin Williams Draft, depending on how many speak with a tongue in their cheek) of 2005, the Jazz came out with a guy in Williams who they have to build around.
Lost amid the Year of Paul, Williams was All-NBA second team. His 18.8 points and 10.5 assists per game on a 54-win team is eerily similar to a certain 2006 MVP from Phoenix (you know who I’m talking about), who averaged 18.8 points and 10.5 assists on a 54-win team two years ago. He also holds the unofficial title as The Only Guy On The Planet Who Has Had Any Success Stopping Chris Paul – can we abbreviate that?
And you never hear this when people are frothing at the mouth over Paul – or speaking about Williams, for that matter – but these guys are playing the toughest position in the NBA, so to be doing what they are, at this age, is mind-blowing.
Anyway, even though Williams lost Game 6 yesterday, I saw some amazing qualities. Qualities we’re gonna enjoy for many years.
Thursday, May 15, 2008
From the Vault: TB is top PG
This caused a little stir back in the day.
Heck, I was 13-years old when this went to print, and I even remembered it as a big deal. Sports Illustrated rated Cleveland’s Terrell Brandon the leagues best point guard, this ahead of guys like Stockton, Payton, Blaylock, KJ, Mark Jackson, Tim Hardaway – man what a great time for PG’s – Van Exel, Strickland, Stoudamire, Kidd, Marbury… oh, and Iverson.
Phil Taylor, who covered the NBA for SI at the time, was the culprit. He used a formula – using all the major statistical categories (even the “bad stuff,” meaning turnovers) - to come up with his answer.
In my opinion, you didn’t need a formula to get an answer; just watch the guys play. By that rationale, it would be hard to argue against Gary Payton, perhaps at the peak of his powers and just one year removed from holding MJ to 41% shooting in the ’96 Finals. What about John Stockton? Despite being 34, Stock was still as good as ever; this was the year he carried Utah to the Finals. (If you don’t buy that, just watch Game 6 of the WCF against Houston, Stock had the final 10 Utah points down the stretch, including the game-winning three, to send the Jazz to the Finals). Of course, there were other worthy nominees (as previously mentioned).
But Terrell Brandon?
Really?
Sure, he was good, even played in two All-Star Games, but the best PG in the game? Nah. The guys playing the position then were just too good to have a guy like Brandon, who, still, while a very good player in his own right, to be deemed top dog. He ran Mike Fratello’s slow-it-down offense, put up numbers for a team that actually didn’t make the playoffs the year this story came out (’97), and was an understudy to Mark Price (much like KJ) the first four years of his career.
Anyway, TB has his moment of fame. His career was kind of like 15 seconds of fame, which oddly enough is probably the same amount of time he goes without knee pain these days; his chronically bad knees forced him out earlier this decade. But there’s no doubt he has a cover of SI tucked away somewhere, bragging that he was top PG of his day.
ALSO SEE: A shot of the cover; Brandon's career stats
Heck, I was 13-years old when this went to print, and I even remembered it as a big deal. Sports Illustrated rated Cleveland’s Terrell Brandon the leagues best point guard, this ahead of guys like Stockton, Payton, Blaylock, KJ, Mark Jackson, Tim Hardaway – man what a great time for PG’s – Van Exel, Strickland, Stoudamire, Kidd, Marbury… oh, and Iverson.
Phil Taylor, who covered the NBA for SI at the time, was the culprit. He used a formula – using all the major statistical categories (even the “bad stuff,” meaning turnovers) - to come up with his answer.
In my opinion, you didn’t need a formula to get an answer; just watch the guys play. By that rationale, it would be hard to argue against Gary Payton, perhaps at the peak of his powers and just one year removed from holding MJ to 41% shooting in the ’96 Finals. What about John Stockton? Despite being 34, Stock was still as good as ever; this was the year he carried Utah to the Finals. (If you don’t buy that, just watch Game 6 of the WCF against Houston, Stock had the final 10 Utah points down the stretch, including the game-winning three, to send the Jazz to the Finals). Of course, there were other worthy nominees (as previously mentioned).
But Terrell Brandon?
Really?
Sure, he was good, even played in two All-Star Games, but the best PG in the game? Nah. The guys playing the position then were just too good to have a guy like Brandon, who, still, while a very good player in his own right, to be deemed top dog. He ran Mike Fratello’s slow-it-down offense, put up numbers for a team that actually didn’t make the playoffs the year this story came out (’97), and was an understudy to Mark Price (much like KJ) the first four years of his career.
Anyway, TB has his moment of fame. His career was kind of like 15 seconds of fame, which oddly enough is probably the same amount of time he goes without knee pain these days; his chronically bad knees forced him out earlier this decade. But there’s no doubt he has a cover of SI tucked away somewhere, bragging that he was top PG of his day.
ALSO SEE: A shot of the cover; Brandon's career stats
Sunday, May 11, 2008
Player Spotlight: Delonte West
You can’t understate the value of taking the ball-handling responsibility off your top guy. It may not seem like much, but taking the ball out of his hands, and allowing that player to concentrate on (most likely) scoring, is a helluva lot easier when bringing the ball up-court is taken from his list of everyday chores.
It did wonders for Allen Iverson, just take a look at his splits and his numbers from November to December, and then realize that Anthony Carter missed most of the first month of the season, only to come back, take over the ball-handling duty, and then proceed to feed a happy Iverson, who had a great month/rest of year.
And now, look at the Delonte West effect in Cleveland.
Yes, I am aware LeBron James is proving in this Boston series that there is traces of play that suggests he may actually be human – although what human shoots 19%? But the point is, James doesn’t have to handle the ball near as much as he used to now that West, acquired in February from Seattle, is there to shoulder some of that workload.
And while there are still those possessions where LBJ does his best to pound all air out of the ball, they just don’t happen as often.
The West effect continued today as he hit for 21 points – on 7/11 FG, 4/6 3s, 3-3 FT – with five boards and seven assists in 38 minutes while totally outplaying the Rondo/Cassell combo in the Cavs’ huge win. How big is that? Well, when you consider the PG’s Cleveland has had in The James Era…
Jeff McInnes, Kevin Ollie, J.R. Bremer, Eric Snow, Damon Jones and Daniel Gibson
… then you realize just how vital a contribution like West’s is. Gibson has shown potential, never more noteworthy than in last year’s run to the Finals, and had been very productive as a back-up since he came back from an ankle injury. With efficient and reliable PG’s surrounding James, its only good things for Cleveland.
It did wonders for Allen Iverson, just take a look at his splits and his numbers from November to December, and then realize that Anthony Carter missed most of the first month of the season, only to come back, take over the ball-handling duty, and then proceed to feed a happy Iverson, who had a great month/rest of year.
And now, look at the Delonte West effect in Cleveland.
Yes, I am aware LeBron James is proving in this Boston series that there is traces of play that suggests he may actually be human – although what human shoots 19%? But the point is, James doesn’t have to handle the ball near as much as he used to now that West, acquired in February from Seattle, is there to shoulder some of that workload.
And while there are still those possessions where LBJ does his best to pound all air out of the ball, they just don’t happen as often.
The West effect continued today as he hit for 21 points – on 7/11 FG, 4/6 3s, 3-3 FT – with five boards and seven assists in 38 minutes while totally outplaying the Rondo/Cassell combo in the Cavs’ huge win. How big is that? Well, when you consider the PG’s Cleveland has had in The James Era…
Jeff McInnes, Kevin Ollie, J.R. Bremer, Eric Snow, Damon Jones and Daniel Gibson
… then you realize just how vital a contribution like West’s is. Gibson has shown potential, never more noteworthy than in last year’s run to the Finals, and had been very productive as a back-up since he came back from an ankle injury. With efficient and reliable PG’s surrounding James, its only good things for Cleveland.
Thursday, May 8, 2008
In Review: PG's in MVP Voting
Well, by now you know that the NBA’s MVP has been named. (What, you didn’t? That’s OK, I let you know last August, just in case you forgot).
Anyway, I’m not here to dissect who should have won – even though I told you that too, in February – but rather, to check out which PG’s got MVP-love. And of course, Chris Paul, who made one heck of a run late in the year, finished second. His 28 first-place votes were second; he had twice as many second-place votes (64) as anyone; and he had just two voters deeming him outside the top three. That’s a total of 889 points (compared to Bryant’s 1105; ahead of Garnett’s 609).
Oh yeah, and he’s 22.
Speaking of, it had me wondering about other great PG’s at that age, and how they fared in MVP voting. Thanks to a trusty source – Association of Professional Basketball Research; member since ’01 baby! – I checked the archived MVP voting:
Bob Cousy (1951) – The MVP didn’t exist; it wouldn’t have mattered though, Cooz was a rook.
Oscar Robertson (1961) – They always said he didn’t play “like a normal rookie,” the voters agreed – the Big O got seven first-place votes, 70 in total, and finished fifth. (Who was in front of him? Russ, Pettit, Baylor, and Wilt… that’s all)
Magic Johnson (1982) – His third year, and even though he put up 18.6/9.6/9.5 - oddly enough the closest he ever came to triple-dip-ville - he finished eighth, with no first-place votes. Perhaps getting Paul Westhead fired was the reason for the media neglect.
John Stockton (1985) – Was too preoccupied with getting minutes ahead of Rickey Green to worry about MVP voting; wouldn’t get the voters attention until 1988.
Kevin Johnson (1989) – Went from being Mark Price’s back-up in Cleveland to finishing two spots ahead of him in MVP voting. This is an oft-forgotten stud.
(And if you’re wondering why he even cracks this list, just know that every record that Paul has approached recently – like highest assist average in their first series, for example – are records held by KJ)
Gary Payton (1991) – Rookie with Kemp and Co. in Seattle; wouldn’t crack the voting until ’94.
Jason Kidd (1996) – Didn’t land a vote in his second season. But get this: Some wise-cracking writer gave him a third-place vote in his rookie year (’95), and thus, that guy had the distinction of being the only person to give Kidd an MVP vote prior to ’98.
Steve Nash (1997) – Read Stockton, John… and replace the name “Rickey Green” with the names “Jason Kidd and Kevin Johnson;” Nashy wouldn’t get an MVP vote until 2002, but of course, he made up for that later, winning two.
So basically, no PG in the history of the game has finished as high as Paul at his age. Crazy. I mean, we're talking about not only some of the best point guards to ever play, but some of the best players to ever play. Do I really need to go on about how amazing that is?
Nash was another PG who scored MVP votes this year. He had four fourth-place votes, and six fifth-place votes, to finish ninth overall. Utah’s Deron Williams, who certainly won’t be a stranger to MVP votes by the time he’s done, had four fifth-place votes.
By position: Point guard – 3; Shooting guard – 2; Small Forward – 5; Power Forward – 6; Center – 1. 17 players earned votes.
ALSO SEE: MVP Final Voting Totals
Anyway, I’m not here to dissect who should have won – even though I told you that too, in February – but rather, to check out which PG’s got MVP-love. And of course, Chris Paul, who made one heck of a run late in the year, finished second. His 28 first-place votes were second; he had twice as many second-place votes (64) as anyone; and he had just two voters deeming him outside the top three. That’s a total of 889 points (compared to Bryant’s 1105; ahead of Garnett’s 609).
Oh yeah, and he’s 22.
Speaking of, it had me wondering about other great PG’s at that age, and how they fared in MVP voting. Thanks to a trusty source – Association of Professional Basketball Research; member since ’01 baby! – I checked the archived MVP voting:
Bob Cousy (1951) – The MVP didn’t exist; it wouldn’t have mattered though, Cooz was a rook.
Oscar Robertson (1961) – They always said he didn’t play “like a normal rookie,” the voters agreed – the Big O got seven first-place votes, 70 in total, and finished fifth. (Who was in front of him? Russ, Pettit, Baylor, and Wilt… that’s all)
Magic Johnson (1982) – His third year, and even though he put up 18.6/9.6/9.5 - oddly enough the closest he ever came to triple-dip-ville - he finished eighth, with no first-place votes. Perhaps getting Paul Westhead fired was the reason for the media neglect.
John Stockton (1985) – Was too preoccupied with getting minutes ahead of Rickey Green to worry about MVP voting; wouldn’t get the voters attention until 1988.
Kevin Johnson (1989) – Went from being Mark Price’s back-up in Cleveland to finishing two spots ahead of him in MVP voting. This is an oft-forgotten stud.
(And if you’re wondering why he even cracks this list, just know that every record that Paul has approached recently – like highest assist average in their first series, for example – are records held by KJ)
Gary Payton (1991) – Rookie with Kemp and Co. in Seattle; wouldn’t crack the voting until ’94.
Jason Kidd (1996) – Didn’t land a vote in his second season. But get this: Some wise-cracking writer gave him a third-place vote in his rookie year (’95), and thus, that guy had the distinction of being the only person to give Kidd an MVP vote prior to ’98.
Steve Nash (1997) – Read Stockton, John… and replace the name “Rickey Green” with the names “Jason Kidd and Kevin Johnson;” Nashy wouldn’t get an MVP vote until 2002, but of course, he made up for that later, winning two.
So basically, no PG in the history of the game has finished as high as Paul at his age. Crazy. I mean, we're talking about not only some of the best point guards to ever play, but some of the best players to ever play. Do I really need to go on about how amazing that is?
Nash was another PG who scored MVP votes this year. He had four fourth-place votes, and six fifth-place votes, to finish ninth overall. Utah’s Deron Williams, who certainly won’t be a stranger to MVP votes by the time he’s done, had four fifth-place votes.
By position: Point guard – 3; Shooting guard – 2; Small Forward – 5; Power Forward – 6; Center – 1. 17 players earned votes.
ALSO SEE: MVP Final Voting Totals
The Column
Be sure to swing on over to 411mania.com to check out my column this week.
I have focused on some playoff X-Factors, and two PG's made the cut - Rajon Rondo and Jameer Nelson.
ALSO SEE: Column archive
I have focused on some playoff X-Factors, and two PG's made the cut - Rajon Rondo and Jameer Nelson.
ALSO SEE: Column archive
Tuesday, May 6, 2008
PG Evaluations: Milwaukee
Over the coming weeks, 'Runnin' The Point' will be taking a look at every team's PG situation based on this year and offering an assessment, starting with non-playoff teams.
KEY NUMBER: 25 – The age of Mo Williams, who has put up 17 and six in his two seasons as the undisputed starting PG in Milwaukee. Too bad he plays for the Bucks, otherwise his quick rise to stardom would be much more known.
THE GOOD STUFF: Well, he’s locked up for quite some time, having signed a contract in the summer of ’07 that’ll keep him around until at least 2013. Mo is confident, hits big shots, is consistent, strong, and best of all, he signed a big deal and didn’t blow afterwards. His numbers were near identical to his previous year – keep in mind, those numbers (17 and six on 48% FG) were pretty darn good – and carried the Bucks’ offense during Michael Redd’s absence. Random moment: Down 92-97 to Memphis in February, he scored the final ten points in the last two minutes (look at the play-by-play); basically like running the table in snooker, and he ran out of town with a 102-97 win. It began a streak of three 30-point games, and it was just crazy to watch.
THE BAD STUFF: Having missed 54 games in the last three years isn’t something that fills you with a heap of confidence. Also, playing on a consistently bad team is never good, especially for young guys, so you hope that doesn’t warp him. Truth be told, there’s not a whole lot to get down about; I’ll be picky: His numbers didn’t make a huge jump this year, and if they don’t in 2009 you may wonder if they will. Hey, give me credit, I tried being negative.
THE BACK-UP: My man Ramon Sessions. Spent part of the season in the D-League, gets called up late in the year, is given a stack of minutes and actually produced one of the more random statistical explosions in recent memory – that inspired this piece – with a 20/8/24 line on Chicago. I mean, that’s like a Fat-Lever-on-steroids-circa-’87 line. That’s just stunning. Can I come up with any more ways to honor the kid? Just look at his splits: 3 and 2 in March, 11 and 11 in April, someone please make sense of that. And for $427,000, that isn’t even bargain basement, that’s like pocket change in your average NBA players couch. A great story. Now, if we’ll see him get consistent minutes anywhere else is unknown, but he gave fantasy geeks much love late in a lost year.
EVALUATION: Honestly, not a whole lot to feel bad about. But isn’t this Milwaukee? Yes, it is, but they have a nice PG in Williams so they now have to find a consistent second scorer (other than Redd) to flank those him. Expect an increase in his numbers this year, and unquestionably with winning, more attention.
ALSO SEE: PG Evaluation Index
PG Evaluations: Miami
Over the coming weeks, 'Runnin' The Point' will be taking a look at every team's PG situation based on this year and offering an assessment, starting with non-playoff teams.
KEY NUMBER: 57 – The number of games Jason Williams has missed in his three years with Miami. Hardly perfect attendance, but what team can survive when their only starter-worthy PG has missed this much time?
THE GOOD STUFF: Jason Williams was the starting PG on a championship team. Steve Nash isn’t. Jason Kidd isn’t. Heck, Chris Paul isn’t… yet. Why am I telling you this? No reason really, just trying to fill a few lines. In all seriousness, knee problems have slowed what should have been a better career. Long deemed a hot-dog and was once compared – prepare to shudder – to Maravich The Great, Williams actually became an assist-to-turnover nut in Memphis, and hasn’t averaged more than two turnovers a game since 2003. True story. And his 3:1 ASTS/TO ratio lifetime is something to write home about.
THE BAD STUFF: Williams’ shooting has gone down every year in Miami, ditto for his points-per-game, double-ditto for his effectiveness. In a year that began with Pat Riley almost begging for “the old Jason Williams” – yes, he was asking for that Sacramento King craziness to return – he got much less than that. Season in microcosm: 34 points in a loss to Orlando in March, followed by 36 points total in his next three games. You see, chances are your going to get an old-school performance out of him sometime, but reality hits and you get sub-par consistently after that.
THE BACK-UP: Chris Quinn was thrown into duty when the realization that Miami couldn’t win twenty games hit sometime in March. Quick story: In ’96, the Sixers had tried Vern Maxwell, an old Scott Skiles (who they brought out of retirement), Trevor Ruffin, and Greg Sutton – bonus points for recognizing either of the last two names – at the point during the season, and over the final 10-15 games of an 18-win season, they handed the keys to Rex Walters. Look, the guy wasn’t great, but he played very well over those few pointless games, and I’m convinced it actually earned him three more years in the greatest league in the world. Chris Quinn probably did himself the same, averaging 15/4/6 in April. He’s solid, unspectacular and, while destined for back-up status for eternity, he’s a good guy to have around – just don’t ask Shaq.
EVALUATION: Two words: Derrick Rose. How bad is it that I'm pinning their hopes on a guy they don't have yet? Pretty bad, but hey, this is Miami, bad is OK. If they can get him, then they have to. He’s 6’4’’, strong, athletic, and just imagine him playing alongside Wade and Marion. I mean, you can see some potential there. And what about the positive effect he could have on a team that, quite frankly, was awful this year. Of course, Miami will have a high pick, Rose will be a high pick, it’s natural right?
ALSO SEE: PG Evaluation Index
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