Do we need a star PG?

[andalusian]

Hinrich, throughout his career - was a much better player than Blake. It is true that Blake had a great season (for him) that on paper was a tiny little bit better than Kirk had last year - but Kirk was playing backup and was wounded for a longish time this year (he only played 51 games this year).

Just to give you a quick summary of their career to this date - http://www.basketball-reference.com...m=1&p1=blakest01&y1=2009&p2=hinriki01&y2=2009

If you look at it - you see that Blake is just a little bit better on offense but a big downgrade on defense.

Personally - I think that if the team really thinks JB will be a good PG in the future - as the web sites seem to tell us - Hinrich will be a nice upgrade for Blake until this happens... If the team is not sure of that - I would rather go for a Sessions kind of guy with Blake...

 

[Da_O]

Why? Why can't Roy spend most of his time playing off the ball? As we saw when he was paired up with Chris Paul, it works sort of well. It certainly didn't hamper Allen Iverson in his MVP season (there - you made me do it!)

Roy'n'Paul, 2008 All-Star game

Because Roy is an initiator. He's in the same mold as players like McGrady or even Lebron to some extent. The majority of the offense get's run through them. Roy is ineffective without the ball in his hands and he's never been a great catch and shoot type player.

Hinrich plays much better defense than Blake. Hinrich actually fights through screens and defends the pick and roll pretty well. He's big enough to guard other teams SG's sometimes. The Bulls used him a lot to primarily defend D-wade in the 2007 playoffs and he did great.

He shoots better percentages across the board than Blake(albeit not much better). He's also a PG adept at playing off the ball. I would definitely want him. We're not going to have any cap room for years to come so I'm not too worried about his contract. It's actually not that bad as it decreases every year.

 

[Rastapopoulos]

Because Roy is an initiator. He's in the same mold as players like McGrady or even Lebron to some extent. The majority of the offense get's run through them. Roy is ineffective without the ball in his hands and he's never been a great catch and shoot type player.

You make him sound so one-dimensional. But all of these things could be said of Iverson, and, as I keep repeating, his best season was when he was moved off the ball. And it's not as if Eric Snow was a Steve Blake style spot-up shooter - he could barely shoot at all. And watch the video - Roy does fine.

Yes, Roy is more comfortable with the ball in his hands. But that doesn't mean he's a better player then, or that the team is better off. I know Roy is our best player, but he's not our ONLY fucking player, and it's not like the offense SHOULD be run through him - he hasn't shown that he can create offense for other people, and most especially for our bigs. If the offense is permanently run through Roy I can see Oden reduced to role-player status. Roy is NOT LeBron James. He's not even Tracy McGrady at his uninjured best. And even McGrady can't create that well for others.

Hinrich plays much better defense than Blake. Hinrich actually fights through screens and defends the pick and roll pretty well. He's big enough to guard other teams SG's sometimes. The Bulls used him a lot to primarily defend D-wade in the 2007 playoffs and he did great.

No argument here. He would be an upgrade on Blake. But he's expensive, the Bulls might want to keep him (especially if Gordon goes) and he's no more of a creator than Blake.

He shoots better percentages across the board than Blake(albeit not much better).

Not recently.

He's also a PG adept at playing off the ball.

!? Then in what sense is he a PG?

I would definitely want him. We're not going to have any cap room for years to come so I'm not too worried about his contract. It's actually not that bad as it decreases every year.

We are, in 2010, if we don't get Hinrich.

 

[STOMP]

I don't think the positions your stars are at really matters much, you just need stars to win championships. You need more talent then the other team. The position that talent is at is of little importance.

chemistry, experience, coaching... all are important factors in winning hoops, but nothing trumps talent. A team of guys who instinctively know how to make plays and/or have the raw size/athleticism to do things others can't are tough to beat.

Portland could conceivably could be a dynasty with Blake at the starting PG and playing as he did this past year... they would just need some of the other positions to improve dramatically. Greg turning into the absolute beast that most (including I) projected would probably do the trick. Nic and Bayless seem to have some ceiling left too... and whats KP going to pull out of his hat next? Maybe a new PG?

STOMP

 

[Nikolokolus]

Why? Why can't Roy spend most of his time playing off the ball? As we saw when he was paired up with Chris Paul, it works sort of well. It certainly didn't hamper Allen Iverson in his MVP season (there - you made me do it!)

You're right it worked great in an all-star game where zero defense was being played and no real offense was being run. Next you'll say Martell was going to have a break out year based on the way he abused the Kings in last year's exhibition game.

 

[THE HCP]

You're right it worked great in an all-star game where zero defense was being played and no real offense was being run. Next you'll say Martell was going to have a break out year based on the way he abused the Kings in last year's exhibition game.

Shit. After that game I thought we should have traded BRoy's ass!

 

[Rastapopoulos]

You're right it worked great in an all-star game where zero defense was being played and no real offense was being run.

And your evidence that it wouldn't work is what exactly? Are you saying that better defense would have stopped Roy playing off the ball? Because...?

 

[Nikolokolus]

And your evidence that it wouldn't work is what exactly? Are you saying that better defense would have stopped Roy playing off the ball? Because...?

My point is that just because something works well in an exhibition game is no evidence that it would work well in a real game situation ... furthermore Chris Paul is a transcendent talent; I don't think it matters who he plays with, he finds a way to make it work.

To further clarify, the burden of proof isn't on me. I know that Brandon plays well on the ball, you're the one making the assertion that he should/could move to playing more off the ball. IMO using the all-star game does not provide enough evidence that he'd be good playing the Reggie Miller/Ray Allen/Rip Hamilton style of shooting guard role.

 

[STOMP]

If a team has multiple players with the ability to handle the ball, drive, pass, and shoot, how is that anything but a plus? Keep the ball moving, set some picks, make some cuts... good stuff will happen. And if doesn't you can still give it to Brandon on a top of the key iso if the 24 second clock is winding down.

STOMP

 

[Nikolokolus]

If a team has multiple players with the ability to handle the ball, drive, pass, and shoot, how is that anything but a plus? Keep the ball moving, set some picks, make some cuts... good stuff will happen. And if doesn't you can still give it to Brandon on a top of the key iso if the 24 second clock is winding down.

STOMP

You're absolutely right, you need more than one or two players who can do this, but where it breaks down a little is when you try to mix players together that only thrive with a high usage rate or if you were to add a point guard with little or no ability to catch and shoot and at least play off the ball some. Kidd can catch and shoot, Mo Williams can catch and shoot, Kirk Hinrich can catch and shoot (though he's somewhat streaky) as can Bibby, Mario Chalmers, Fisher and even Billups. If you want to get the most out of both Brandon's talents and whomever plays alongside him in the backcourt they need this ability along with an ability to run the pick and roll and/or drive -- this is why I still think Bayless can be a good "guard" for the Blazers ... if/when he rediscovers his shot that was good in college.

 

[Rastapopoulos]

You're absolutely right, you need more than one or two players who can do this, but where it breaks down a little is when you try to mix players together that only thrive with a high usage rate

You mean, like Ray Allen, Paul Pierce and Rajon Rondo?

or if you were to add a point guard with little or no ability to catch and shoot and at least play off the ball some.

You mean, like Rajon Rondo?

Kidd can catch and shoot,

Really? I guess he's picked that up in his declining years now he's tired of taking teams to the Finals.