RE: billups as 2 guard

[John Lyell <Jlyell@concentric.net>]

If he stays at the point he may be the next Pearl Washington or Pooh 
Richardson.  The point mentality is not there, and usually you don't see 
players learning it at this level.  Maybe he is just a very slow starter 
and will turn out to be a Payton type. On the right team he could fit in , 
with other players who have the ability to make their own shots, as Dennis 
Johnson was not a perfect point, but time will tell.  But from my memory 
most top points, Stockton , Payton, Thomas, Marbury, Anderson, Magic, and 
currently Bibby & Baron Davis,   show in college that they have the floor 
leader mentality, sense of court awareness,  & ability to thread the lane 
on smart passes . This is what Cousy & Heinsohn kept stating they did not 
see in Billups, and many others at all levels did not either.  Not to say 
he can't mature into this type of player with some hard work and under the 
right tutelage.  I think playing under a veteran point for a year or two 
like Nash was able to do would be better for his development than thrown to 
the wolves for OTJ.

.








On Sunday, February 22, 1998 8:42 AM, Alex Wang [SMTP:awang@mit.edu] wrote:
> I would be sorry to see Billups moved to the 2 because it would
> most likely mean the end to any chance he has of being a star
> player in the NBA. He doesn't have the size to excel at that
> position. Right now his assets are that he's big and strong for
> the point guard position. He'd be short and small as a shooting
> guard, and he's not a great leaper which would make it even worse
> on both offense and defense.
>
> Alex
>