MaNu4Tres
01-18-2018, 02:35 PM
Pretty spot on article.
https://www.fanragsports.com/do-the-spurs-have-a-point-guard-problem/
The San Antonio Spurs have a deep roster yet again this season. Despite an injury-plagued campaign, Gregg Popovich has given minutes to many players, most of whom have proved ready to contribute when their number is called.
The point guard position is an example of this depth. Patty Mills (24.3), Tony Parker (21.7) and Dejounte Murray (17.6) have all gotten substantial minute-based workloads this season.
The problem? None of them are playing at the level suitable for the starting point guard of a contender. Of course they all have strengths, but their weaknesses are glaring.
In NBA Math’s Total Points Added metric, Mills, Murray and Parker rank 30th, 33rd and 39th, respectively, out of the 63 point guards with at least 400 minutes played this season. This is an excellent summary of what the Spurs are getting from their floor generals this season. All three main point guards look like strong backups, but no one is stepping up as a viable starter.
Let’s briefly discuss each point guard’s performance and then speculate how Popovich can make the best of this situation.
TONY PARKER
Parker isn’t done as an NBA contributor. San Antonio’s starting point guard is still pretty quick, even at 35 years old. He’s good for heady pick-and-roll play and solid finishing at the rim, when he’s able to get there.
The problem is that his older self is not a good fit with the modern NBA. He’s not a 3-point threat, his free throw rate is about half of what it was in his prime, and his slight frame is an easy target on defense. Nowadays, offenses are all about finding mismatches and attacking them.
That said, the Spurs desperately need ballhandlers who can ignite the drive-and-kick game. Parker is San Antonio’s best option for that — he usually makes the right decision when he reaches the paint.
Parker’s defensive IQ also isn’t bad. It’s just that his physical disadvantages often override his mental advantages, especially against the better offensive teams.
PATTY MILLS
Mills is not a fan favorite, and for good reason. The Spurs have the 29-year-old locked in through 2021 at about $12.5 million per year. His performance has been very uneven this season.
Unfortunately, Mills’ value is heavily tied to his shooting, so he’s a major net negative when he’s in one of his slumps.
Like Parker, he’s a target because of his size on defense. However, Mills doesn’t anticipate the moves of ballhandlers as well as Parker does, so he gets beaten off the dribble more than San Antonio’s longtime starting point guard does.
Patty is not a playmaker, either. He’s not nearly as mistake-prone as some fans might have you believe, but he also doesn’t make good plays with the ball.
Mills is at his best playing 16 to 18 minutes per night, primarily with lineups that have few ball-stoppers. With that minute load and combination of teammates, he can be more of a gnat on defense and get into a rhythm on spot-up shots that are a product of strong ball movement.
DEJOUNTE MURRAY
The first three games of the season may have raised expectations too high for Murray. The 21-year-old point guard started the campaign averaging 12.7 points, 9.7 rebounds and 4.7 assists per contest.
Since then, Murray been very up and down. Some of this may be due to an inconsistent role, but his offensive game is still clearly in its development phases. He commits too many turnovers and has hit just three of his 15 3-point attempts all season. He occasionally converts nicely at the rim, but he often shies away from contact.
The defensive end is an obvious positive for Murray. His long arms are everywhere, including the defensive glass. He’ll will make some young-player mistakes, but they don’t come close to erasing the positives he brings.
FINAL THOUGHTS
The Spurs are in a difficult position with their point guards, though it might not be super apparent in the regular season.
Many of the Spurs’ most effective postseason lineups would probably not include Parker, Mills or Murray. The team has many other more impactful and versatile players at other positions.
There’s no rule that says NBA teams need to keep a player labeled a point guard on the floor at all times. A lineup can have enough ballhandling and playmaking abilities without a traditional point guard.
Manu Ginobili, Danny Green, Kawhi Leonard, Rudy Gay and LaMarcus Aldridge might be the best all-around unit for the team. Kyle Anderson could also replace Ginobili.
Against good teams, Parker and Mills just don’t offer enough on the offensive end to offset their defensive weaknesses. While Murray has all the potential in the world, his offense needs some work before he earns a big role in a playoff series.
The unfortunate thing for Pop is that withholding a rotation role from any member of his point guard trio is detrimental in some way.
Not playing Parker would be extremely disrespectful to one of the top players in franchise history. Taking away too many of Mills’ minutes would make his contract wasted money. Dropping Murray completely out of the rotation would stall his development.
A healthy San Antonio squad this year is very good, regardless of the point guard situation. The Spurs should at least make the second round if they don’t have too many injuries.
However, the shaky point guard situation will be an issue to watch as the team gets healthy. Will Popovich continue to go with one of Parker, Mills or Murray on the floor at all times? Or will he go outside the box with more no-point guard lineups?
https://www.fanragsports.com/do-the-spurs-have-a-point-guard-problem/
The San Antonio Spurs have a deep roster yet again this season. Despite an injury-plagued campaign, Gregg Popovich has given minutes to many players, most of whom have proved ready to contribute when their number is called.
The point guard position is an example of this depth. Patty Mills (24.3), Tony Parker (21.7) and Dejounte Murray (17.6) have all gotten substantial minute-based workloads this season.
The problem? None of them are playing at the level suitable for the starting point guard of a contender. Of course they all have strengths, but their weaknesses are glaring.
In NBA Math’s Total Points Added metric, Mills, Murray and Parker rank 30th, 33rd and 39th, respectively, out of the 63 point guards with at least 400 minutes played this season. This is an excellent summary of what the Spurs are getting from their floor generals this season. All three main point guards look like strong backups, but no one is stepping up as a viable starter.
Let’s briefly discuss each point guard’s performance and then speculate how Popovich can make the best of this situation.
TONY PARKER
Parker isn’t done as an NBA contributor. San Antonio’s starting point guard is still pretty quick, even at 35 years old. He’s good for heady pick-and-roll play and solid finishing at the rim, when he’s able to get there.
The problem is that his older self is not a good fit with the modern NBA. He’s not a 3-point threat, his free throw rate is about half of what it was in his prime, and his slight frame is an easy target on defense. Nowadays, offenses are all about finding mismatches and attacking them.
That said, the Spurs desperately need ballhandlers who can ignite the drive-and-kick game. Parker is San Antonio’s best option for that — he usually makes the right decision when he reaches the paint.
Parker’s defensive IQ also isn’t bad. It’s just that his physical disadvantages often override his mental advantages, especially against the better offensive teams.
PATTY MILLS
Mills is not a fan favorite, and for good reason. The Spurs have the 29-year-old locked in through 2021 at about $12.5 million per year. His performance has been very uneven this season.
Unfortunately, Mills’ value is heavily tied to his shooting, so he’s a major net negative when he’s in one of his slumps.
Like Parker, he’s a target because of his size on defense. However, Mills doesn’t anticipate the moves of ballhandlers as well as Parker does, so he gets beaten off the dribble more than San Antonio’s longtime starting point guard does.
Patty is not a playmaker, either. He’s not nearly as mistake-prone as some fans might have you believe, but he also doesn’t make good plays with the ball.
Mills is at his best playing 16 to 18 minutes per night, primarily with lineups that have few ball-stoppers. With that minute load and combination of teammates, he can be more of a gnat on defense and get into a rhythm on spot-up shots that are a product of strong ball movement.
DEJOUNTE MURRAY
The first three games of the season may have raised expectations too high for Murray. The 21-year-old point guard started the campaign averaging 12.7 points, 9.7 rebounds and 4.7 assists per contest.
Since then, Murray been very up and down. Some of this may be due to an inconsistent role, but his offensive game is still clearly in its development phases. He commits too many turnovers and has hit just three of his 15 3-point attempts all season. He occasionally converts nicely at the rim, but he often shies away from contact.
The defensive end is an obvious positive for Murray. His long arms are everywhere, including the defensive glass. He’ll will make some young-player mistakes, but they don’t come close to erasing the positives he brings.
FINAL THOUGHTS
The Spurs are in a difficult position with their point guards, though it might not be super apparent in the regular season.
Many of the Spurs’ most effective postseason lineups would probably not include Parker, Mills or Murray. The team has many other more impactful and versatile players at other positions.
There’s no rule that says NBA teams need to keep a player labeled a point guard on the floor at all times. A lineup can have enough ballhandling and playmaking abilities without a traditional point guard.
Manu Ginobili, Danny Green, Kawhi Leonard, Rudy Gay and LaMarcus Aldridge might be the best all-around unit for the team. Kyle Anderson could also replace Ginobili.
Against good teams, Parker and Mills just don’t offer enough on the offensive end to offset their defensive weaknesses. While Murray has all the potential in the world, his offense needs some work before he earns a big role in a playoff series.
The unfortunate thing for Pop is that withholding a rotation role from any member of his point guard trio is detrimental in some way.
Not playing Parker would be extremely disrespectful to one of the top players in franchise history. Taking away too many of Mills’ minutes would make his contract wasted money. Dropping Murray completely out of the rotation would stall his development.
A healthy San Antonio squad this year is very good, regardless of the point guard situation. The Spurs should at least make the second round if they don’t have too many injuries.
However, the shaky point guard situation will be an issue to watch as the team gets healthy. Will Popovich continue to go with one of Parker, Mills or Murray on the floor at all times? Or will he go outside the box with more no-point guard lineups?