RuffnReadyOzStyle
05-07-2009, 03:11 AM
Offseason Breakdown: Glut of Guards
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One of the unanswered questions–so far–of this offseason is trying to figure out how the Spurs see their 2009 backcourt. Personally, I see George Hill as a point guard and Roger Mason Jr. as a shooting guard. But that’s not how Pop played them down the stretch, and we have reason to wonder how things will take shape this summer.
In his year-end analysis, the dependable Jeff McDonald wrote that Roger Mason Jr. “Will become more valuable as he becomes more comfortable at the point.” About George Hill he wrote, “Will see more time once he learns to be a point guard.” Some of you might be thinking that McDonald mailed those sentences in. But that not the case. He’s got the pulse of a confusing backcourt situation. It’s the sort of confusion that may work itself out naturally as players develop, or it may require some front office intervention.
What We Know
Tony Parker is an ace. He’s entered into the land of elite players this season, and promptly set up camp and unfurled his flag. He’s only 26. He and Tim Duncan anchor the team. His task for the summer should be extending his range out to the three point line. We’ll see.
Unfortunately, we do know something about his summer. He’ll be playing for the French National Team. This is a trend which will continue through 2012, barring injury. In other words, between regular season games, postseason games, and international competition, Tony Parker is 26 going on 28. You can’t fault him for playing for his country, but it does make one worry. Nevertheless, he is near his prime, and in that respect the Spurs point guard situation is locked into stone.
Behind Parker, we have questions. The first is related to his French allegiance. Will Popovich limit Parker’s minutes next season–at least for the first half–in order to rest him. Speaking for myself, I’d like to see Coach Popovich sit the Big 3 out of most back-to-backs. And I’d like to see Tony Parker play closer to 30 minutes a game. Limiting his minutes would serve two important functions: resting his legs and allowing the Spurs time to develop their back up point guards. Popovich ought to make this a coaching prerogative for the 2009-10 season.
Who Is the Reserve Point Guard?
This is the question. With Jacque Vaughn’s contract now expired, the Spurs will have to find a 3rd point. This would typically seem inconsequential, but with their tight cap situation, it’s something worth thinking about. To my mind, the Spurs will either draft a point or find one through training camp. Near the end of the season, Marcus Williams played exclusively at point forward for the Toros. He knows the Spurs playbook, and would be an inexpensive option. Technically, he’s already under contract. At 6′7”, he’d give the Spurs a different look as a deep reserve point forward. I’m cheering for him to make the team, and I think his ability to advance the ball, initiate the offense and defend represent his best chance of sticking.
From a roster standpoint, the Spurs are not harmed by taking this risk because they have Manu Ginobili, Roger Mason Jr. and George Hill on deck. Any of those players can sub at point if the Spurs are in a pinch. And one of either Mason Jr. or Hill really ought to be subbing at point full time. Popovich does a disservice to the team by veering between Roger Mason Jr. and George Hill. He needs to choose one and consistently go to him in the role of backup point. But Pop’s problem is a real one–neither Mason Jr. nor Hill are really point guards. At least not yet.
Mason Jr. is a shooting guard. I’m not going to argue the point, because it should be obvious to everyone who watches Spurs basketball. He’s uncomfortable at point, he doesn’t have the skill set, and it goes against his best attribute, which is the ability to spot up and bomb. George Hill might be a point guard, but I’m not convinced it’s his natural position. It’s gonna take work. Moreover, Hill will receive the majority of his minutes on defensive duty, and this will often include the other team’s best wing. When the Spurs go to bench in this way, Hill routinely plays shooting guard by default because Popovich must give a defensive account for the opposing point guard. In other words, if Hill is on assignment against Jason Terry, Parker or Mason Jr. will have to guard Jason Kidd. Otherwise, the Spurs are simply robbing from Peter to pay Paul.
If Bruce Bowen has in fact played his last game as a Spur, and I think that he has, the Spurs need to place an emphasis on upgrading their defensive personnel. Bruce Bowen was such an outstanding defender that very few players in the world can replicate what he does within the Spurs system (Ron Artest, Shane Battier, Kobe Bryant, Tayshaun Prince, and, perhaps, Dimitris Diamantidis). Assuming that none of those players are with the Spurs next season, the next best option, and the only option readily available, is to replace Bruce Bowen with two or three above average defenders, giving lock down duty to more players than in year’s past. George Hill has already shown that he can be part of project. In this way, I think George Hill is more valuable to the Spurs than Roger Mason Jr. He’s cheaper, he has a higher ceiling, and he can defend. Too bad for the Spurs, that ceiling is still a long way off. Hence, the conundrum.
The Problem
If what I’ve said in the above paragraphs is true, then the Spurs have a problem. They’ll play George Hill at shooting guard for his defense, giving him what is leftover of Manu Ginobili’s minutes. And they’ll be forced to play Roger Mason Jr. at point guard, which is not his natural position. In short, I think the Spurs have too much going on at shooting guard (I haven’t even addressed Michael Finley in this discussion, even though he slides between 2 and 3). They have a makeshift yet workable situation behind Tony Parker at point, but it’s not really ideal in terms of player development or setting a consistent, dependable playoff rotation. Meanwhile, the Spurs have a black hole at small forward where Finley is too old, Udoka is inconsistent, underwhelming and out of contract, and Bowen is a dead man walking. It’s an ugly mess.
Where am I going with all this? If the Spurs need to add a sweetener to their expiring contracts in order to facilitate a trade, especially a trade for an All-Star wing, they should choose either Roger Mason Jr. or George Hill as that sweetener. They’re both good players, but will be fighting one another for minutes while the Spurs languish on the wing. This is not to say the Spurs have to trade either player, just that they could be expendable in exchange for a greater good. It’s one of those situations that calls one to kill a good thing so that the better thing can live. Put differently, Manu Ginobili, Tony Parker, George Hill and Roger Mason Jr. is something of an overkill when you have such a desperate roster need elsewhere.
I’ll pick up with Part Two of this breakdown tomorrow morning.
http://www.48minutesofhell.com/2009/05/06/offseason-breakdown-glut-of-guards/
Except for the compliment to Jeff McDonald (who is a decidedly below average Spurs beat guy... miss you Buck), he's spot on. These guys run a fantastic blog. Here's to you, Graydon and Timothy. :toast
PS ...and maybe describing JM as "dependable" was a backhanded insult. ;)
PPS It's worth looking at the reader comments after the article too. ome good posts.
Jump to Comments
One of the unanswered questions–so far–of this offseason is trying to figure out how the Spurs see their 2009 backcourt. Personally, I see George Hill as a point guard and Roger Mason Jr. as a shooting guard. But that’s not how Pop played them down the stretch, and we have reason to wonder how things will take shape this summer.
In his year-end analysis, the dependable Jeff McDonald wrote that Roger Mason Jr. “Will become more valuable as he becomes more comfortable at the point.” About George Hill he wrote, “Will see more time once he learns to be a point guard.” Some of you might be thinking that McDonald mailed those sentences in. But that not the case. He’s got the pulse of a confusing backcourt situation. It’s the sort of confusion that may work itself out naturally as players develop, or it may require some front office intervention.
What We Know
Tony Parker is an ace. He’s entered into the land of elite players this season, and promptly set up camp and unfurled his flag. He’s only 26. He and Tim Duncan anchor the team. His task for the summer should be extending his range out to the three point line. We’ll see.
Unfortunately, we do know something about his summer. He’ll be playing for the French National Team. This is a trend which will continue through 2012, barring injury. In other words, between regular season games, postseason games, and international competition, Tony Parker is 26 going on 28. You can’t fault him for playing for his country, but it does make one worry. Nevertheless, he is near his prime, and in that respect the Spurs point guard situation is locked into stone.
Behind Parker, we have questions. The first is related to his French allegiance. Will Popovich limit Parker’s minutes next season–at least for the first half–in order to rest him. Speaking for myself, I’d like to see Coach Popovich sit the Big 3 out of most back-to-backs. And I’d like to see Tony Parker play closer to 30 minutes a game. Limiting his minutes would serve two important functions: resting his legs and allowing the Spurs time to develop their back up point guards. Popovich ought to make this a coaching prerogative for the 2009-10 season.
Who Is the Reserve Point Guard?
This is the question. With Jacque Vaughn’s contract now expired, the Spurs will have to find a 3rd point. This would typically seem inconsequential, but with their tight cap situation, it’s something worth thinking about. To my mind, the Spurs will either draft a point or find one through training camp. Near the end of the season, Marcus Williams played exclusively at point forward for the Toros. He knows the Spurs playbook, and would be an inexpensive option. Technically, he’s already under contract. At 6′7”, he’d give the Spurs a different look as a deep reserve point forward. I’m cheering for him to make the team, and I think his ability to advance the ball, initiate the offense and defend represent his best chance of sticking.
From a roster standpoint, the Spurs are not harmed by taking this risk because they have Manu Ginobili, Roger Mason Jr. and George Hill on deck. Any of those players can sub at point if the Spurs are in a pinch. And one of either Mason Jr. or Hill really ought to be subbing at point full time. Popovich does a disservice to the team by veering between Roger Mason Jr. and George Hill. He needs to choose one and consistently go to him in the role of backup point. But Pop’s problem is a real one–neither Mason Jr. nor Hill are really point guards. At least not yet.
Mason Jr. is a shooting guard. I’m not going to argue the point, because it should be obvious to everyone who watches Spurs basketball. He’s uncomfortable at point, he doesn’t have the skill set, and it goes against his best attribute, which is the ability to spot up and bomb. George Hill might be a point guard, but I’m not convinced it’s his natural position. It’s gonna take work. Moreover, Hill will receive the majority of his minutes on defensive duty, and this will often include the other team’s best wing. When the Spurs go to bench in this way, Hill routinely plays shooting guard by default because Popovich must give a defensive account for the opposing point guard. In other words, if Hill is on assignment against Jason Terry, Parker or Mason Jr. will have to guard Jason Kidd. Otherwise, the Spurs are simply robbing from Peter to pay Paul.
If Bruce Bowen has in fact played his last game as a Spur, and I think that he has, the Spurs need to place an emphasis on upgrading their defensive personnel. Bruce Bowen was such an outstanding defender that very few players in the world can replicate what he does within the Spurs system (Ron Artest, Shane Battier, Kobe Bryant, Tayshaun Prince, and, perhaps, Dimitris Diamantidis). Assuming that none of those players are with the Spurs next season, the next best option, and the only option readily available, is to replace Bruce Bowen with two or three above average defenders, giving lock down duty to more players than in year’s past. George Hill has already shown that he can be part of project. In this way, I think George Hill is more valuable to the Spurs than Roger Mason Jr. He’s cheaper, he has a higher ceiling, and he can defend. Too bad for the Spurs, that ceiling is still a long way off. Hence, the conundrum.
The Problem
If what I’ve said in the above paragraphs is true, then the Spurs have a problem. They’ll play George Hill at shooting guard for his defense, giving him what is leftover of Manu Ginobili’s minutes. And they’ll be forced to play Roger Mason Jr. at point guard, which is not his natural position. In short, I think the Spurs have too much going on at shooting guard (I haven’t even addressed Michael Finley in this discussion, even though he slides between 2 and 3). They have a makeshift yet workable situation behind Tony Parker at point, but it’s not really ideal in terms of player development or setting a consistent, dependable playoff rotation. Meanwhile, the Spurs have a black hole at small forward where Finley is too old, Udoka is inconsistent, underwhelming and out of contract, and Bowen is a dead man walking. It’s an ugly mess.
Where am I going with all this? If the Spurs need to add a sweetener to their expiring contracts in order to facilitate a trade, especially a trade for an All-Star wing, they should choose either Roger Mason Jr. or George Hill as that sweetener. They’re both good players, but will be fighting one another for minutes while the Spurs languish on the wing. This is not to say the Spurs have to trade either player, just that they could be expendable in exchange for a greater good. It’s one of those situations that calls one to kill a good thing so that the better thing can live. Put differently, Manu Ginobili, Tony Parker, George Hill and Roger Mason Jr. is something of an overkill when you have such a desperate roster need elsewhere.
I’ll pick up with Part Two of this breakdown tomorrow morning.
http://www.48minutesofhell.com/2009/05/06/offseason-breakdown-glut-of-guards/
Except for the compliment to Jeff McDonald (who is a decidedly below average Spurs beat guy... miss you Buck), he's spot on. These guys run a fantastic blog. Here's to you, Graydon and Timothy. :toast
PS ...and maybe describing JM as "dependable" was a backhanded insult. ;)
PPS It's worth looking at the reader comments after the article too. ome good posts.