the problem with rookie points

[R Howe]

Just want to throw my two yens worth on the C's offseason PG search /need thing. I think if they are going to draft one or find a journeyman backup it has more to do with addressing replacing Dan D. than replacing Greene. Greene was drafted, then made the team as a 3rd string. developmental backup PG. He did not have a summer to get ready for the training camp and with Dan D going down early was forced to play way more than he was ready for. Early you could see he was an unselfish pass first PG possed decent ball handling skills, played better than average NBA level defense, was pretty athletic and had ability to get to to the rim (not finnish). His shot though not good from beyond 18 ft was not bad from the midrange in. What we saw as his minutes and expectations were increased beyound his first year capability was a wearing down not just physically but more mentally. I think if Greene improves as much as any normal rookie improves with a full summer and camp that the C's
 fans will be pleasently surprised. A quality backup that can run a team well even as a spot starter.
   
  I hope the C's are able draft a big to eventually replace LaFrentz and compliment Perkins and Jefferson. Go C's

Kim Malo <kmalo17 at verizon.net> wrote:
  At 11:00 AM 5/28/2006, Jim Hill wrote:
>Well something to consider is that very good PG's, that are not past their
>prime, don't really get traded or go into FA that often.

Right. Most of what's out there is going to be a Delonte with more 
experience kind of combo guard and you have to wonder how much of a 
help that will be. Especially since to sign anyone worthwhile you're 
probably going to have to offer them more than one year. Sigh. I 
still think this whole getting the right guard thing has more to do 
with Danny and the fact that he played the PG without really being 
one than anything Doc does.

>The fact that Bank's didn't/doesn't have the mental strength to run a team
>is hardly River's fault. No amount of cajoling would have led him to stick
>with the team if he wasn't going to be able to what they wanted him to do.

Hmmm, dunno as I thought of the issue as mental strength. I think 
he's sufficiently pigheaded. I just don't think he has particularly 
good court vision or feel for pacing, and I suspect his personality 
didn't endear him to some of his teammates any more than some of the 
coaches (and that issue BTW predates Rivers)

> Greene was given the dream shot most bubble guys would cut off
>an arm for. What he learned from Rivers may be all that keeps him in the
>league for the next few years. He has some skills, but no other team even
>wanted him. Many wannabe's should be so lucky to be chewed up as he was.

OK, this I think is more unfair - he basically belonged in the DL all 
season but they needed him here. NBA ready on defense perhaps, but 
otherwise not really. While very few of even the best pure PG succeed 
in their rookie seasons in the best of circs and this wasn't. That 
being said, I don't see his potential as any less than it was - big 
athletic guard who can play defense, and sees the court reasonably 
well but is still too hesitant and too weak in his own offense for 
the offense to be smooth when he's on the floor. I still see him as a 
potentially a solid backup in a couple of years, who will be seen as 
more of a defensive PG stopper than creator.

>So you have one actual point who plays the game they way you want it played
>in West. That you still need another guy at point would make the position a
>priority. To me, the next priority is another Big. But under 10 in the
>draft you have to go with BPA regardless of what position they play. IMO.

Yeah, I agree with BPA, even if it means exactly what we don't need - 
another swingman. I know you can't coach height, but the fact is that 
some of our best young talent is already in the front court. You 
don't want to take minutes from them and there's only so much 
development in one slot you can have going on at once. So I don't get 
this Big for the sake of Big most are posting about. That was the 
mentality that got us guys like Acie Earl and Michael Smith et al. If 
we had a real need for young frontcourt talent because we were aging 
or all smalls, that would be one thing, but that's a vacuum we don't 
happen to have. So you only go for an significant upgrade or someone 
with freakish athlete upside like say Sene who hopefully won't be 
ready for a year or two anyway. Otherwise BPA slanting more toward 
need if there's a toss up.

I don't watch college hoops that much so I just don't know, but back 
to the points, what does everyone other than Mark Berry think about 
Williams? I respect Mark's opinion, just hoping to hear from others 
who've seen more of him than I have. I've a friend who has a clue who 
sees him as not Chris Paul level but not in that mode. I'd be very 
happy with that, using Delonte more as the two or in a sort of Joe 
Dumars both PG/SG depending upon who else is on the court role.

Kim 


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