May 18 2009
Positional Progress: Point Guard
For this whole week, Trail Post will be going over each position with a mildly fine-toothed comb. I mean, you’ll get some good analysis, but don’t expect too many revelations. This is Trail Post, not Hollinger.
Anyway, today the point guards are up.
What We Have
A mediocre point guard that is ideal for the system
A mediocre point guard whose career may be getting strangled by the system
A question mark that could be one of the team’s better playmakers
A Finnish guy that can’t make the leap
What We Don’t Have
Defense
What We Need
A starting-quality point guard that can play defense
Let’s start at the bottom. Petteri Koponen saw some run with the Blazers during the summer league. He looked like a slightly worse version of Sergio Rodriguez. Probably the best thing to come from his weak performance was that its relative horribleness allowed Nicolas Batum to come over despite his inept summer season.
Next up is Jerryd Bayless. His season reached its peak before the regular season even started. He won the summer league MVP, and it seemed like it was just a matter of time until he took over the starting point guard role. Never happened. Blake held on with an iron grip and coincidentally, every one of Jerryd’s shots only drew iron. Jerryd has all the physical tools to become the point guard we need. He has a great body for defense, incredible athleticism, and a great aptitude for driving. Too bad the most important characteristic for a PG in this system is outside shooting (with court vision being a close second). Luckily for Jerryd, these things can be learned and practiced. Luckily for us, Jerryd doesn’t do anything but practice.
Sergio Rodriguez won the second PG spot by what seemed like default. He fit into Nate’s system a lot more this year. He played better defense, his offense was more in control, and Rudy Fernandez showed up. Basically, he needs to give a lot of credit to Rudy for his role. Early on, he was the only one with any rapport with Rudy, and their chemistry made the second unit almost as exciting as the first. As the season went on, he started losing his spot in the rotation until eventually it disappeared in the postseason. Rumor has it that Sergio isn’t happy with his place on this team and thinks he would do better elsewhere. He’s right. His style of play will continue to be stifled by Nate McMillan if he stays in Portland.
Steve Blake is right for Portland. Still, he’s exceedingly mediocre. That’s not a trait you want in a starting point guard for your title contender. Blake’s greatest asset is that he doesn’t screw up that often. He doesn’t really turn the ball over, and he usually takes good shots at the right time. His defense is lacking. It’s hard to have an issue with Steve because he fits the Blazers so well. However, it’s obvious that he’s not our guy going forward. He’ll be an ideal bench player for the next five years, but this team will have trouble winning anything in the playoffs with him as a starter.
Going Forward
Portland is extremely deep in borderline point guards with Sergio, Blake, and Jerryd. Each would work as an above-average bench player. Unfortunately, title contenders need a starter. Out of these players Jerryd’s the only one that could improve enough to become the starting PG we need. There are a few players out there that could address our needs. Some good savvy veterans to be had include Jason Kidd, Mike Bibby, and Andre Miller. All of these guys would be willing to let Brandon Roy continue to be the top dog. Kidd would be a perfect fit for the team as a mentor for Bayless, as well. Of course, there are also those incessant trade rumors for Kirk Hinrich. It’s understandable, too. We have Steve Blake, who’s a borderline starter. It makes sense to upgrade to Steve Blake+. It only depends on what we would give up for him. Basically, this position has a lot of questions and weaknesses, but they’re not nearly as serious as the fan base makes them sound. If we leave things the way they are, everything could work out: Bayless could improve, Blake could stay on the course he’s on, we get out of the first round. If we make a move for the right player, we could be a title contender.
