The future of the league at PG?

[Pinwheel1]

Speaking to Orlando Magic season ticket-holders at an exclusive event on Thursday, general manager confirmed the team's worst-kept secret: it intends to use first-round NBA Draft choice Victor Oladipo at point guard in his rookie season. "We see that as the future of the league," Hennigan said. Orlandoinstripedpost.com
Read more at http://hoopshype.com/rumors.htm#wIezrlQHRsC6CvoJ.99

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Not sure I agree with this. There is a trend towards more of a combo guard at the point, but IMO this is a stretch. I can't see that experiment lasting long. Oladipo just does not have the handles.

 

[Natebishop3]

Who knows.... might work.

 

[PapaG]

Who knows.... might work.

No it won't. Wow, talk about playing a guy out of position.

 

[Natebishop3]

No it won't. Wow, talk about playing a guy out of position.

Wasn't Gilbert Arenas just an "athlete" coming out of college though? He ended up being pretty awesome as a point guard.

 

[Rhal]

Wasn't Gilbert Arenas just an "athlete" coming out of college though? He ended up being pretty awesome as a point guard.

Didn't Arenas have good handles though? I thought he was an Athlete who couldn't really shoot and made bad plays but could dribble coming out of college.

 

[Pinwheel1]

Don't they still have Jameer Nelson? I assume they will start Oladipo off as the backup PG?
Playing Oladipo and Afflalo together will be interesting.

 

[PapaG]

Wasn't Gilbert Arenas just an "athlete" coming out of college though? He ended up being pretty awesome as a point guard.

Don't get all fired up on me. I just think playing on obvious SG/undersized SF at PG is stupid, considering he's never played the position.

 

[Natebishop3]

Don't get all fired up on me. I just think playing on obvious SG/undersized SF at PG is stupid, considering he's never played the position.

Fired up? I was just thinking about another player that could be a comparison for Oladipo.

 

[MickZagger]

I think Oladipo can be a tremendous SG in the NBA. At PG? Not so much.

 

[Masbee]

Can you say:

Is there a more obvious tank?

 

[Natebishop3]

Don't they still have Jameer Nelson? I assume they will start Oladipo off as the backup PG?
Playing Oladipo and Afflalo together will be interesting.

I was wondering the same thing. What happened to Jameer Nelson?

 

[Rhal]

Can you say:

Is there a more obvious tank?

I was listening to the BS report a month or so ago when it first came out that Orlando wanted to start him off at point this year and Bill Simmons and Zach Lowe were laughing about that exact issue. The "Secret" way to tank while it looks like your trying your best to develop players.

 

[jlprk]

After a Sonic trade, McMillan changed his starting backcourt from PG Gary Payton and SG Brent Barry, to PG Brent Barry and SG Ray Allen.

Tht 6-5 Barry, who wasn't a great dribbler and had never been a PG, did just fine in his remaining 2 Sonic years as the PG. How did he dribble? Verrrry carefully, hunched over, protective. It can be done.

 

[UKRAINEFAN]

Didn't Cheeks try playing Darius Miles at PG for a very short time?

 

[Boob-No-More]

Didn't Cheeks try playing Darius Miles at PG for a very short time?

No, it was Qyntel Woods. Even worse. Let's see, the guy was 6'8", had never played the position and was dumber than a box of rocks. Exactly the type of guy you don't want running your offense and making decisions with the game on the line. At least it only took Cheeks a game and a half to realize this was a stupid idea.

BNM

 

[Pinwheel1]

After a Sonic trade, McMillan changed his starting backcourt from PG Gary Payton and SG Brent Barry, to PG Brent Barry and SG Ray Allen.

Tht 6-5 Barry, who wasn't a great dribbler and had never been a PG, did just fine in his remaining 2 Sonic years as the PG. How did he dribble? Verrrry carefully, hunched over, protective. It can be done.

Barry was a much better dribbler than Oladipo and an excellent passer. I see no comparison between the two, other than they could both jump pretty well.

Bones was not as explosive as Oladipo but I believe he did win the slam dunk contest. And of course not nearly as good of defender. But again he was an excellent passer.

 

[Boob-No-More]

This reminds me of P.J. Carlesimo playing Kevin Durant at SG his rookie year.

BNM

 

[UKRAINEFAN]

No, it was Qyntel Woods. Even worse. Let's see, the guy was 6'8", had never played the position and was dumber than a box of rocks. Exactly the type of guy you don't want running your offense and making decisions with the game on the line. At least it only took Cheeks a game and a half to realize this was a stupid idea.

BNM

Yes, you are right. I wonder if he thought about it because when trying to look up something about it; I saw he was quoted to the effect they had different options for Miles when they traded for him. And also ran across something that Allen Iverson was angry at Cheeks because Iverson thought Cheeks had a really bad idea, to try Iguodala at PG.

 

[BrianFromWA]

This reminds me of P.J. Carlesimo playing Kevin Durant at SG his rookie year.

BNM

Which earned the Sonics the right to draft Russell Westbrook. Genius.

 

[jlprk]

Barry was a much better dribbler than Oladipo and an excellent passer. I see no comparison between the two, other than they could both jump pretty well.

Bones was not as explosive as Oladipo but I believe he did win the slam dunk contest. And of course not nearly as good of defender. But again he was an excellent passer.

At SG, Barry looked ahead, dribbling freely, bounding about. At PG, he looked down, paranoid of the quicker PG trying to steal the ball, carefully measuring his passes. He bent over, using his body to shield the ball from his shorter defender.

My point was that a SG who's a good dribbler can be a PG who's an adequate dribbler.

 

[Pinwheel1]

My point was that a SG who's a good dribbler can be a PG who's an adequate dribbler.

I can agree with that ........if the SG (or SF for that matter) is a also a good passer. Scottie Pippen for example could run the offense just fine. Of course he like Brent Barry was taller and their height helped their passing skills into the post.

I have no idea yet how good of a passer Oladipo is.

 

[BLAZINGGIANTS]

Darius Miles had some brief run in a few games playing point, but Woods was the big PG experiment (and failure).

 

[Pinwheel1]

Darius Miles had some brief run in a few games playing point, but Woods was the big PG experiment (and failure).

Another factor is how smart the player is. (At least from a basketball standpoint) Brent Barry was smart, Pippen= smart, Miles and Woods......not so smart. Oladipo is supposed to be extremely smart, so maybe there is a chance.

 

[Boob-No-More]

Which earned the Sonics the right to draft Russell Westbrook. Genius.

And also got Carlesimo fired. Worked out great for the Sonics/Thunder, but not so "genius" for P.J.

BNM

 

[mook]

This is probably as deep in quality as the NBA has ever been at the PG position. There have been eras with higher top-end talent (Magic/Stockton/Isiah) but it's never been this strong among the total top 10-15. Kind of like PF's in the early 2000's. You have to have a really good PG (or LeBron) just to be in the conversation.

And it isn't just hand-checking rules, or else you'd see a lot of dominant SG's as well. It's pretty much the shittiest at SG I can ever remember, where even a guy like Matthews is arguably top 10, and possibly top 5. The hand-checking rules help, but that's not all of it.

 

[BBert]

Or is the league shitty at SG because so many good shooting guards are playing the point?

 

[BrianFromWA]

And also got Carlesimo fired. Worked out great for the Sonics/Thunder, but not so "genius" for P.J.

BNM

One could say that hiring PJ as your head coach = starting Durant at SG.

 

[mook]

Or is the league shitty at SG because so many good shooting guards are playing the point?

I was wondering a little about that myself, but guys like Lillard and Curry are pretty small for SG in the modern era. In times past when we had lots of great SG's you are generally looking for 6'4 - 6'6 guys in this position, and none of the bumper crop of PG's are that size.

 

[illmatic99]

No it won't. Wow, talk about playing a guy out of position.

Reminds me of OKC playing Westbrook at PG after the dude played SG primarily at UCLY.

 

[PapaG]

Reminds me of OKC playing Westbrook at PG after the dude played SG primarily at UCLY.

Does it? Playing Oladipo at PG, when he's never been a PG, doesn't remind me of OKC playing Westbrook at the position he played in HS, and split with Collison at UCLA, at all.