A basketball question for Uncle Buck (and whoever else wants to chime in)
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Re: A basketball question for Uncle Buck (and whoever else wants to chime in)
Mark Jackson, Steve Nash et al are my favorites. Derek Harper was great because he was so effective on both offense and defense.
I wonder with Rondo whether he is great because he is surrounded by great players, or whether he would be great even with a mediocre supporting cast. I expect at some point as the talent diminishes/retires in Boston we will find out.Comment
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Re: A basketball question for Uncle Buck (and whoever else wants to chime in)
Bob Cousey could direct a team, set up and pass well. He was very good.Comment
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Re: A basketball question for Uncle Buck (and whoever else wants to chime in)
My perfect point guard (and I understand there is no such thing) is a point guard who directs the offense and gets the ball to the proper player at the proper time.
This does NOT mean a PG who looks to score first and dishes the ball if his own scoring possibility isn't there. It is a point guard who knows where the ball needs to go in the flow of the offense so that the right person has it in position to make a positive move, whether that is scoring or hitting a more open man.
I want an offense where the ball moves and where the players move, so the PG needs to know not just where players are but where they are going to be.
Regarding defense, since we can't have both in one player, I would point out that you can move your defenders around so that the main defender on whoever brings the ball up the court can be whoever is best suited to defend him. On offense, there is only one guy who starts the play, whether that is a Point Guard or Point Forward or whatever you call him. Since that offensive skill is more necessary in one guy than the defensive skill, I'll take the offensive skill.
Now, the PG shouldn't be so bad on defense it is 4 on 5 every time down the floor, of course.BillS
A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.
Or throw in a first-round pick and flip it for a max-level point guard...Comment
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Re: A basketball question for Uncle Buck (and whoever else wants to chime in)
My perfect point guard (and I understand there is no such thing) is a point guard who directs the offense and gets the ball to the proper player at the proper time.
This does NOT mean a PG who looks to score first and dishes the ball if his own scoring possibility isn't there. It is a point guard who knows where the ball needs to go in the flow of the offense so that the right person has it in position to make a positive move, whether that is scoring or hitting a more open man.
I want an offense where the ball moves and where the players move, so the PG needs to know not just where players are but where they are going to be.
Regarding defense, since we can't have both in one player, I would point out that you can move your defenders around so that the main defender on whoever brings the ball up the court can be whoever is best suited to defend him. On offense, there is only one guy who starts the play, whether that is a Point Guard or Point Forward or whatever you call him. Since that offensive skill is more necessary in one guy than the defensive skill, I'll take the offensive skill.
Now, the PG shouldn't be so bad on defense it is 4 on 5 every time down the floor, of course.
I can't wait to have a coach who values these principles.Comment
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Re: A basketball question for Uncle Buck (and whoever else wants to chime in)
If you said pick between Steve Nash and Rajon Rondo who I think are both perfect examples of present day representations of this I would pick Rondo. I hate the Celtics, but he can change the game just by his defense alone. Most of the time masters of defense on the PG level has the peripherals (sp?) to view the entire floor and think 4 steps ahead of anyone else which directly affects their offensive decision making.JOB is a silly manComment
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Re: A basketball question for Uncle Buck (and whoever else wants to chime in)
Ideally, what I want in a point guard is someone who doesn't average a lot of points, but can score at will whenever he needs to. Stockton was great at this, look at his shooting %, career 51.5% and 12 years he shot over 50%. And if you take out his 1st 3 seasons his shooting % is incredible. He also played 82 games in 16 out of 19 seasons. That is amazing 16 seasons he played in all 82 games and his last 4 seasons in the NBA he played 82 games each season. he was also extremely clutch, don't think about giving him a semi open shot late in a close game.
Another way I judge players is how they seem to always kill the pacers, as in wow, no matter what we do we cannot stop that guy. I would out Kevin Johnson at the top of the list for that (until his injuries) he was unstoppable. Mark Price was the best shooting point guard I've ever seen, from any distance - if you didn't trap him in the pick and rolls he would kill you.Comment
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Re: A basketball question for Uncle Buck (and whoever else wants to chime in)
Ideally, what I want in a point guard is someone who doesn't average a lot of points, but can score at will whenever he needs to. Stockton was great at this, look at his shooting %, career 51.5% and 12 years he shot over 50%. And if you take out his 1st 3 seasons his shooting % is incredible. He also played 82 games in 16 out of 19 seasons. That is amazing 16 seasons he played in all 82 games and his last 4 seasons in the NBA he played 82 games each season. he was also extremely clutch, don't think about giving him a semi open shot late in a close game.
Another way I judge players is how they seem to always kill the pacers, as in wow, no matter what we do we cannot stop that guy. I would out Kevin Johnson at the top of the list for that (until his injuries) he was unstoppable. Mark Price was the best shooting point guard I've ever seen, from any distance - if you didn't trap him in the pick and rolls he would kill you.Comment
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Re: A basketball question for Uncle Buck (and whoever else wants to chime in)
Another thing Stockton was probably the best pick setting point guard ever, in the Jazz system the point guard used to set picks often and John was good, in fact many opposing players consider him a dirty player. He knew all the tricks that is for sure.
No one has mentioned Jason Kidd yet, and he was the best at running the fastbreak (Magic was right there too) but the best thing you could say about jason is he could dominate a game without scoring a single point. He was the best rebounding point guard I think ever (although Rondo might be as good)Comment
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Re: A basketball question for Uncle Buck (and whoever else wants to chime in)
Stockton was one of my favorite players of all time. That guy was not afraid of anybody. Ice in his veins...wish he won a title alwasy thought he deserved it.JOB is a silly manComment
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Re: A basketball question for Uncle Buck (and whoever else wants to chime in)
I can appreciate that, but why does the thread feel the need to call out UB about it instead of just asking an open ended question to everyone? just my 2 cents.Comment
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Re: A basketball question for Uncle Buck (and whoever else wants to chime in)
My best point guard greatly varies depending on the players surrounding him and the system being run.
If it was all about the player, the Mavs wouldn't have been knocked out in the first round of the playoffs 2 out of the last 3 seasons.
Paired with the current Pacers team and considerations of the system they will likely be running over the next 5 years, Deron Williams would be my top choice of an active PG - without a second of doubt.Sometimes a player's greatest challenge is coming to grips with his role on the team. -- Scottie PippenComment
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Re: A basketball question for Uncle Buck (and whoever else wants to chime in)
The one thing I think is missing is a number of set plays that help to make sure the PG knows where everyone is more easily as opposed to a read-and-react where you have to hope the pass receiver keeps moving the direction you think he's going to.BillS
A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.
Or throw in a first-round pick and flip it for a max-level point guard...Comment
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Re: A basketball question for Uncle Buck (and whoever else wants to chime in)
Yea, I think Bills comment about set plays etc. is going to be the last of that particular line of thought I will let in here.
I do NOT want this to devolve into the same old same old.
For the record I would also chose the offensive p.g. skills as long as the defense was standard and my choice for both offense & defense would be the same.
The single most under rated player in the history of the NBA, John Stockton.Comment
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Re: A basketball question for Uncle Buck (and whoever else wants to chime in)
The guy who gets my vote as the NBA's most underrated player ever is a 5 time NBA Champion, only 2X NBA All-Star, only 2X NBA Defensive Player of the Year, 2X All NBA 3rd team, 1X All-Defensive 2nd team, 7X All Defensive 1st team, and led the league 7 straight years to get 7X NBA Rebounding Champion. His name is Dennis Rodman.Comment
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