Mo on Q
1 - 7 of 7 Posts
Why not play Miles at point guard? He has even more NBA experience than Q. I think he's a better ball-handler as well. Either one of them should be able to handle the job. They're both much taller than Stoudamire, which will help them see over the defense and make better entry passes. They should both be better defensively than Stoudamire, too. I'm not worried about our point guard position. It couldn't get any worse than it already is, and it's probably going to get better. McInnis was NOT the answer at point.
Joined
·
782 Posts
I got a question: in the story Nash says normally you would have a guy (Qyntel) practice as a point guard starting in summer league , then training camp, exhibitions, etc....... Then why didn't we do this; we've known we had a problem at point guard. I suggested that they have D.A. do this last summer (before he got hurt).
Also in the story Cheeks relates about how Qyntel didn't realize you need to guard the player closest to the basket first, since that player obviously presents the most danger to score. It seems to me that this principle is the most fundamental in defense: I taught it to 9th grade soccer players and they had no trouble absorbing it. Why doesn't Q know it already?
Also in the story Cheeks relates about how Qyntel didn't realize you need to guard the player closest to the basket first, since that player obviously presents the most danger to score. It seems to me that this principle is the most fundamental in defense: I taught it to 9th grade soccer players and they had no trouble absorbing it. Why doesn't Q know it already?
I'm sure Miles will get an assist or two while a Trailblazer, but I'm not ready to annoit him to run the team from the top of the key. One problem with his game projecting there is that the defense won't have to respect his outside shot. Damon has his well documented problems making entry passes, but since the guy guarding Miles would probably be slumping off him playing that pass, I'm not sure he wouldn't have at least as many problems directing the team in the half court game.
While Miles can handle the ball well for a guy his size, I think DS is probably the much better choise for bringing the ball up. As big of a critic of Stoudamire's game that I've been, I've never had a problem with his ability to get the ball over half court against pressure. I think the half court game should flow better with Darius in then Ruben, and I'd love to be proved wrong about him as a point, but I see his game projecting the same way he does in Nathan Bishop's latest writeup... as a 3.
I expect Nash to sign a backup 1 in the next few days.
STOMP
Well, yes and no. Clearly, you would prefer your guards to have outstanding outside shots. But it isn't true that the defense has it made when a player like Darius Miles is trying to feed the post (to presumably Zach). With his ability to drive with the ball (assuming proper spacing in the half-court set), Darius can dribble penetrate into the paint if his defender slumps off him too far. With his ability to finish close to the basket and reasonable passing skills, that is not what the opposition really wants, it puts them in a scrambling, rotating mode.
With Damon, the defense has to respect his outside shot, but they find it easy to bother his post feeds, and are often successful in busting the play that way. They also are not too fearful of his driving, as his percentage of finished layups is abysmal, and his ability to make wrap-around passes in traffic is low. So what if Damon dribbles into the paint the defense says?
That said, I see Darius as very much a bench player anyway. He has a lot of improving to do before he is a) starter quality and b) a good fit with the current Blazer starting lineup.
If it were me, I would spend a lot of time working with Q and DA running the offense in the half-court sets. Sure Damon (or lots and lots of other guys) can competently bring the ball across the time line, but I would order him to get it right away to DA or Q. Both, though streaky, have range. Both are very good at driving to the hoop. And both have the length to feed the post over defenders. Therefore, they both have the ability to take what the defense gives them.
We still need a PG type player. Damon until he is gone. Someone has to guard opposing PGs for a good chuck of the game, something DA and Q can't be expected to do for 48.
PG skills in the half-court set (which is only a portion of skills needed to be a complete PG in the NBA) are 3 legs of a stool - post entry passing, outside shooting, ability to drive to the hoop and make a play.
Damon has one leg
Darius has two
DA and Q have three, IMO.
Why haven't the Blazers done this all along? Ask Mo. He is the one that won't run a system conducive to this style of play. His loosey, goosey, unstructured offense with the PG running the show, requires one main guy to be the man. Dominate the ball, run the plays, control the tempo, "feel" the game and know what to do and when to do it - when to shoot, when to pass, when to feed the post, when to ride the hot hand, etc. etc. We don't have anyone on the roster capable of that anymore. Mo should have adjusted, implemented a structured offense, called plays from the sideline, and taken the ball out of the "PG"'s hands in the half-court.
He expected Damon as a many years veteran of the NBA to grow up and learn from his benchings last season to morph into the player Mo wants him to be. Mo should of asked us on this board if that was much of a possibility.
1 - 7 of 7 Posts
Join the discussion
Join now to ask and comment!