Grades v. Sonics 11/06

[Bricklayer]

Players change position pretty frequently when they make the transition from college to NBA. Gilbert Arenas, for example, was big enough to be a SG in college, but was PG sized by NBA standards, so fell to the second round as a hopeless tweener. But he did learn to play PG. While going from college to the NBA, Devin Harris has also gone from 2.25 assists (per 48) to 8.8, while his A/TO ratio has gone from 1.0 to 3.3. Kevin Johnson, Mike James, Smush Parker, lots of players have made the SG->PG change. Although it's an easier transition, maybe a quarter of NBA forwards played C in college, from Jerry Lucas to Elvin Hayes, Dolph Schayes, Carlos Boozer and Al Horford. So it's not as if it can't be done, or isn't.

A lot of SGs won't have the speed, or smarts, or court vision, or ball handling, or attitude to make the transition, so I'm not saying that he could do it, just wondering if it was ever considered. We seem to be trying it with Douby, who would have to unlearn his black hole habits, and it seemed like if he could try it, Kevin could try it too. *shrug*

I don't think they change THAT much. There is really nothing at all about Kevin's game that says PG. Its total anathema. Cisco is much closer to having those skills, as is Salmons. You could try something like that with those kind of guys who have a natural passing knack (as did Christie). But Kevin is on the far opposite end of the spectrum. It would be like turning Peja into a PG. Just not happening. The mentality and entire game are designed to be completely opposite.

 

[RaY Z]

Kevin isn't a point guard. The idea that you can "train" someone who is pretty clearly one type of player to be a different kind of player just makes no sense to me whatsoever.

Interesting that you say that. I remember when we drafted kevin, this scouting report...

http://www.nbadraft.net/profiles/kevinmartin.asp

...said that he had the ability to play point guard (on the last line of his "game description"), but throughout his nba career although i have seen some occasional but rare nice passes, i have not seen his ability to play point guard in the nba. I suppose he may have the ability to play PG but only at a college level. Be nice though to give the occasional spell at PG. I think his handles are whats keeping him from a few spells at playing PG.

 

[dude12]

Garcia is not a PG, nor is Douby. Christie wasn't either but was able to handle as part of different looks Adelman would draw up. But none of those guys are PG's or should be primary PG's anyway.

We had 2 or 3 great passing big men on those teams. Maybe the best passing big man of all time in Vlade and Webber was right there with him. Not sure if we really had a PG on the floor that whole time....more like a point center or point forward and guys who could cut and shoot.

 

[fnordius]

I don't think they change THAT much.

Yeah, maybe we were already too late for that. As was pointed out, he was considered able to play the point in college. On the other hand, he grew up worshipping Michael Jordan, carried Western Carolina as a scorer, and chose #23. It's kind of a pity that he didn't like Pippen better, or Magic Johnson. He's only a few assists a game away from shoot-first PGs like Jason Terry, Tony Parker or Gilbert Arenas, but without those he's likely to always be considered a bit of a one-trick pony. Somewhere on the Cuttino Mobley-Geoff Petrie continuum. And that won't get you into the All Star game unless you're Chinese.

The average NBA player will, for every 26.8 points he scores, have 11.5 rebounds and 5.8 assists. With Kevin, it's 4.3 rebounds and 2.0 assists, which explains how he can be the #4 scorer but in 26th place for PER.

Oh well, enough of my moping about what might have been. I'm really happy about what he's doing right. We just need Geoff to find some guys who will fill in those missing stats.

 

[PurpleHaze]

People forget that the Bulls won several championships with often no "true" point guard on the floor. They ran a three wing offense of Harper, Jordan and Pippen to perfection with Grant, Cartwright and Rodman rotating on the inside. Harper was the key distributer that resulted in three Bulls titles and then later Kerr (a true PG) helped get them more rings.

 

[zip95843]

People forget that the Bulls won several championships with often no "true" point guard on the floor. They ran a three wing offense of Harper, Jordan and Pippen to perfection with Grant, Cartwright and Rodman on the inside. Harper was the key distributer that resulted in three Bulls titles and then later Kerr (a true PG) helped get them more rings.

No wonder they won - having six people on the floor!...

 

[PurpleHaze]

opps, forgot the word rotating - now added.