ESPN Insider has high praise for Bibby

#1
http://proxy.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=1881986



Team-first all-stars hard to find

By Terry Brown, ESPN Insider, 9-15-04

Where's Jeff Hornacek when you really need him?

Where's the guy who can pass and dribble and shoot and take off his game shorts one leg at a time without tripping over his platinum medallion?

Maybe we finally get the point after watching our star-studded Olympic team get drubbed in Athens on the heels of the glamorous
Los Angeles Lakers <http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/clubhouse?team=lal> being dismantled in the playoffs by the blue-collar Pistons. So we've gathered a few scouts from around the NBA to help us put together a list of players who, in the words of Pistons and Team USA coach Larry Brown, play basketball the "right" way.

Instead of vertical leaps and wind sprints, we used such categories as court sense, chemistry, coachability, fundamentals and work ethic.

Originally, we wanted to rank each position player-by-player from 1 to 30, but our scouts balked. If they couldn't say anything nice, they weren't going to say anything at all, and there simply weren't enough praises to go around in these categories, which pretty much sums up the state of our national team.

Instead, we asked the scouts to give us their top 10 at each position.

Couldn't do it.

Top five?

Couldn't do it.

Remember, commercial endorsements don't count, nor do all-star credentials or highlight reels that blur out the scoreboard. We were looking for guys who could dribble with both hands -- without having to go between their legs while smiling at the camera with a bassline thumping in the background. We would settle for a layup if it came with a mid-range jumper. And we wanted as little ego as possible.

So we made it as simple as we could: Let's find 12 guys, one team, from among the 400 or so players in the NBA that best fit our criteria. Let's go with five guards, five forwards and two centers. And that would be our team that played the "right" way.

Forget the multi-karat earrings. We want a gold medal.

Today we'll look at the guards, with forwards Thursday and centers and a summary Friday. The numbers in each player's chart reflect the average of a 1-10 rating by our panel of scouts.

Jason Kidd <http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?statsId=2625>, PG, New Jersey Nets <http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/clubhouse?team=njn>

Court Sense

10

Lockerroom Chemistry

6

Coachability

6

Fundamentals

7

Work Ethic

9



Pluses:
No better floor leader in the game today, with unparalleled passing skills and deceptive speed and strength.
Minuses: If he really is the consummate point guard of his generation, how come he could very well end up playing for five different teams while in his prime? And don't try to blame it all on the fact he may end up with the worst jumper in the entire Hall of Fame.
Scout's take: "Because of age and injuries, his game may not be what it used to be, but the fact that he's still at the top of this list proves how good that game really is."

Ray Allen <http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?statsId=3080>, SG, Seattle SuperSonics <http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/clubhouse?team=sea>

Court Sense

6

Lockerroom Chemistry

8

Coachability

8

Fundamentals

8

Work Ethic

8



Pluses:
Not just a pretty face. But because he shoots so well, people often overlook the fact that his game is very well rounded. Sure, he leads the Sonics in scoring, but he's also second in assists, second in steals and third in rebounding.
Minuses: Maybe he's too nice. In eight seasons, he's participated in only 26 playoff games as a four-time all-star.
Scout's take: "You use his jumper to teach little kids how to shoot a basketball."

Mike Bibby <http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?statsId=3245>, PG, Sacramento Kings <http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/clubhouse?team=sac>

Court Sense

8

Lockerroom Chemistry

8

Coachability

8

Fundamentals

9

Work Ethic

8



Pluses:
In this discussion of all-around skills and well-rounded players, has anyone ever said anything bad about Mike Bibby from the time he became the No. 2 overall pick in 1998 for the Grizzlies to his latest last-second shot for the Kings?
Minuses: Slowly becoming more shooting guard than point guard at 6-foot-1.
Scout's take: "He's not super-quick and not a super athlete, but he's fundamentally solid and has guts. His game is old school smarts."

Brent Barry <http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?statsId=3017>, SG, San Antonio Spurs <http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/clubhouse?team=sas>

Court Sense

7

Lockerroom Chemistry

8

Coachability

8

Fundamentals

8

Work Ethic

7



Pluses:
When was the last time a slam-dunk champion shot better than 50 percent from the field, 40 percent from long range and 80 percent from the line? Well, Barry has done it -- twice.
Minuses: Has come off the bench for both the Clippers and the Bulls in the last seven years. That has to leave a mark.
Scout's take: "One of the most underrated players in the game today who can play both guard positions with either hand in any conference."

Fred Hoiberg <http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?statsId=3054>, SG, Minnesota Timberwolves <http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/clubhouse?team=min>

Court Sense

9

Lockerroom Chemistry

9

Coachability

9

Fundamentals

7

Work Ethic

8



Pluses:
Last year, he scored two or three baskets a game for the Timberwolves, but few noticed that the Timberwolves were winning games by two or three baskets.
Minuses: Hard to argue that he's not just a 3-point specialist when he's averaging only 18.7 minutes per game over his nine-year career.
Scout's take: "He just knows how to play the game. His basketball IQ has to be at the top of the league, and just as important, he knows his role."

 
#2
Pluses: In this discussion of all-around skills and well-rounded players, has anyone ever said anything bad about Mike Bibby from the time he became the No. 2 overall pick in 1998 for the Grizzlies to his latest last-second shot for the Kings?

Not only has anybody said anything bad about M. Bibby. No one now complains about his $80 million price tag.
 
#3
I don't agree with the synopsis of Mike's game at all. The last time someone said something bad about Mike was the last time someone was asked about his defense. It's been subpar for the last two years. And he's one of the best game management point guards in the League; just because he doesn't initiate our offense as much as he would playing for a traditional team doesn't mean he's turning into a shooting guard. That's absurd, if you ask me.
 
#6
Anyone feel that Espn Insider is worthless? Doesn't seem like anything good ever comes out of there. The Mike Bibby synopsis is off and on, and the Fred Hoiberg analysis is just funny. You'd think he'd have a 70mill contract starting for almost any team with numbers like that.
 
#7
C Diddy said:
Anyone feel that Espn Insider is worthless? Doesn't seem like anything good ever comes out of there. The Mike Bibby synopsis is off and on, and the Fred Hoiberg analysis is just funny. You'd think he'd have a 70mill contract starting for almost any team with numbers like that.
This article supposedly reflects the thoughts of scouts, not the writer's opinion. That being said, Fred Hoiberg?
 
#9
No one on the list plays a lick of defense, except maybe Kidd, who now has injury issues to deal with. Still, I would much rather prefer to have Brent Barry here than now in Silver and Black...
 
#10
Before we all pounce on Hoiberg, let's take a minute and remember all those three pointers he threw down on us in games 1-4. That said, this article is still pointless.
 
#11
thedofd said:
This article supposedly reflects the thoughts of scouts, not the writer's opinion. That being said, Fred Hoiberg?
Fred should send Peja and the Kings a nice big thank you letter for his new-found popularity as an NBA player. The Kings gave him so many open looks that he couldn't help but hit them, and Peja did nothing to force the Twolves to put the 6'3" Hoiberg on the bench when he was guarding Peja.