Re: Billups

[Adam A Suchocki <Twilight@world.std.com>]

Thought I'd chime in on the Billups issue:

What bothers me most...
Billups does not appear to be exceptionally fast or powerful in leaping.
He was billed as a great athlete, but appears to be more of a finesse
player.

Billups is struggline more than any other point guard drafted, including
Jacque Vaughn, Bobby Jackson, and Brevin Knight.  Even a few second round
picks are having more of an impact in some games than Billups.

Now this in itself isn't that  big of a deal, except for the fact that
Pitino listed the  main reason for picking him over the likes of Battie,
Thomas, Foyle, and McGrady is that Billups would have an immediate impact,
while the others were more long term projects.  This appears to be the
exact oposite of reality.

Also, despite decent assist numbers at times, Billups is a serious head
down pound the ball dribbler when pressured.  Despite the desire for
up-tempo basketball, more often than not, Billups uses up half the shot
clock himself, often not being able to get in position to make the entry
passes.

I'm still willig to give him a lot of time, but I am very disapointed at
the level of skill and athletic ability shown versus what was advertised
by the Celtics and the draft experts.  Though I do remember that even a
few weeks before the draft,  most experts had him going between 7th and
9th, not 3rd.  Combined witht he fact that neither Wallace nor Pitino
worked him out or saw him in person even once from the time they took the
job to the time they drafted him makes me a little concerned over the
whole issue.  After hearing about Battie's progress, I fear we may come to
regret that we don't have Battie instead.

Adam

PS.  I want to see Billups develop to his full potential, and be a key
player for the celtics.  That being saaid, I think  it is asking to much
to have him be one of the best point guards the Celtics have had, not when
they include Bob Cousey and Tiny Archibald.






 On Sun, 26 Oct 1997, Mike
Allen wrote:

> In my honest opinon Billups will be extremely good, it's just a matter of
> giving the kid some time to adapt.  You have to remember that the 1 is the
> toughest position in the league especially if you're still jsut a kid, like
> Chauncey.  Not only does he have to orchestrate the team but he has to do
> this using the "Kentucky" system, which is not something he was accustomed
> to playing in Colorado.  So, he has to learn a new system, which is
> difficult to get use to, be the coach on the floor (being the PG), take the
> pressure of being the 3rd overall, get use to a higher level of competition
> than he faced in college and get use to being in the most popular pro
> sports league in the world.  Give him time, it took him a little bit of
> time to really shine in college (if memory serves me correct) and it'll
> take him a little time to get use to all of the above, but I believe if we
> wait this out and stop putting everyone in the trading hotseat (which WE
> SHOULD, I mean come on, we haven't even played 1 regular season
> game!!!!!!!), we will have potentially one of the best point guards that
> our fabled franchise has ever laid claim to.
> 
> But, that's just my opinon
> 
> Mike
> ----------
> > From: K. Kveraga <6166kkver@taurus.cc.umb.edu>
> > To: celtics@igtc.COM
> > Subject: Billups
> > Date: Sunday, October 26, 1997 12:33 AM
> > 
> > I know that it's still very early, that it's a new system, that some
> > players take longer to adapt and blossom, and that the point guard
> position
> > is the hardest for a rookie to pick up, but, after 8 games, shouldn't we
> > have seen at least SOME glimpse of the talent that Billups allegedly
> > possesses? I want to believe that we have a gem in Billups as much as the
> > next guy, but it's getting harder and harder to do so. If someone who was
> > not a high lottery pick had played like Billups did in the preseason, he
> > would've been cut a few games ago (unless he had a
> Brown/Barros/Minor-sized
> > contract, of course). I was watching the recent high picks on both teams
> > tonight and trying to remember whether any had been so unimpressive even
> at
> > this point of their first season. I don't think it was the case with
> > Iverson, Stackhouse, Coleman, even Weatherspoon, and certainly isn't the
> > case with Tim Thomas. It wasn't the case with Walker, or even E.
> Williams.
> > I think Ellison looked better at this point in his rookie year. Yes,
> > Billups is a point guard, and a very young one at that, but so were (are)
> > Iverson and Marbury. I heard that Daniels is not doing well either, but
> > that could just mean that there are two Danny Ferrys in the lottery this
> > year, rather than the usual explanation that it just takes longer for PGs
> > to adapt and shine in the NBA (how about Penny, Tim Hardaway, Isiah,
> Magic
> > - Bilups was picked in the same range?). 
> > If there's anyone who sincerely believes that Billups will be a great
> > player, I'd like know to why you think so (please, no "he's a #3 pick,
> thus
> > he must be good" stuff)- maybe you could allay the doubters' fears. 
> > K. Kveraga  
> > 
>