Bucher's comments had me thinking about our PG position. He talked like as if Blake was our longterm answer; yeah, Westbrook vs. Blake isn't a close comparison soon, KP has to be looking for an upgrade. Is Bayless too much of a SG? He can slash and get into the lane at will but his jumper is almost Sergio-bad. Who's on your wishlist? 1) Ramon Sessions 2) Stephon Curry I like Curry because he's not only a scorer but his playmaking ability is very underrated. Being the best shooter to come out of College in years only helps.
I think Bayless is a similar talent to Westbrook. Not a classic pass-first point guard, but a scorer who can create for others. I'm not that interested in Curry. I think he profiles the same way as Westbrook or Bayless do (scorers who can create for others), but isn't as talented a scorer, nor does he have their defensive ability/potential. I'm very interested in adding Ramon Sessions, but that would require a sign-and-trade by Milwaukee, so it depends on whether the Bucks are interested and what they would demand.
Ramon Sessions would be great, but probably unavailable. With Sergio, Blake, Bayless and Koponen overseas I think we have a wealth of PG potential. Steve Nash was pretty bleh his first few years. There are not that many great PG's and none that are probably available. I think Koponen might be our PG of the future.
Bayless is still the long-term answer at point guard. The kid should be a sophomore in college for crying out loud. He's raw, but there's no denying he's an elite talent and someone who's game compliments Roy's perfectly.
I'd like Scotty Renolds he reminds me of a Jameer Nelson type PG, that said I think Bayless will start to show his promise more next season or even in these upcoming playoffs if Sergio can't gaurd the opponents pg.
Scottie Reynolds isn't a great shooter-something people seem to think we need at PG next to Roy for spacing purposes. I do like him though.
The nice thing about Curry is that he is a fantastic shooter - so we will not lose any long-distance shooting from the PG position when he plays instead of Blake. What I have no clue about - is how good Curry is as a defender. In my opinion - if there is a way that does not break the core to get Rubio - you do it, after that it is a toss-up between Bayless and Session for me as who I want to see as the Blazers long-term PG. Who knows - maybe that Finnish kid, Kopo - would turn out all-right.
westbrook would be a soph to, fwiw. bayless could be the answer but he needs to come a long way this summer in his passing. he'll never have the court vision of a great PG but he could be a decent combo guard. i'm much more interested in see kop come over this summer and see what he can do with a second SL.
I'm on board the Ricky Rubio train for sure, but another option which would pay much more immediate dividends (and may work better next to Brandon) Steve Nash now, Stephen Curry later... I think Curry's stock dropped this year, and I think he'll be available in the 12-15 range, he's an incredible shooter, and I think his passing is very underrated. Nash we've debated quite a bit, but I personally believe he could work great next to Roy, as Roy can be much more dangerous as he learns to be a threat off the ball too (we're seeing this a little now in his current tear as he's cutting backdoor a lot and spotting up really well), and Nash is a great shooter who can still spread the floor even better than Blake. Curry could fit in well as a non-fantastic defender yet tough and smart complement to Brandon as a fantatstic shooter and master of getting open in the half-court, like Rudy. He could be tremendous with good bigs and might make Oden and Lamarcus' job much easier. Another thing about Curry is how good he is at passing the ball (perhaps not in a PG role)...Bob Knight elaborated on this a lot in this video and really sold me on him. I know other players' athleticism will give him trouble in the league, however his game isn't based on athleticism now and he's extremely intelligent, saavy, and a hard worker who can be a pesky defender and active in zones. [video=youtube;-JyTIQq5H-g]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-JyTIQq5H-g"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-JyTIQq5H-g[/video] down the line a primary backcourt of Roy/Rudy/Curry is unconventional but sure can stretch the floor and play off the ball well. I think a trade of Blake/Bayless/our pick for Nash/Curry could be a very good basketball deal for us, and a great financial deal for them (saves about 7 million) while giving them a reliable vet, decent pick, and good young prospect who's local. Nash/Sergio/Curry/Koponen Roy/Fernandez Webster/Batum Aldridge/Outlaw/Freeland Oden/Pryzbilla solid mix of youth, vets, complimentary skills, and a lot of shooting.
Nash has looked finished every time I've seen him this season, no thanks. I haven't seen much of Curry, but a decent defensive player is essential given how the rest of the West looks (Billups, Paul, Parker, Westbrook, D. Williams), and even in his best case scenario Curry probably won't be a good defender. I still see Bayless as the key to the PG of the future. With good coaching he could turn into a PG similar to Parker, and even if he never reaches that level he'll still be a quality starter. He's also one of our most valuable trade pieces, if KP wants someone like Rubio it'd probably take Bayless + _____ to get him.
Rubio is one of the only potentially attainable point guards that I'd give up Bayless for. I'm a big fan of Bayless' talent, but Rubio seems like a very possible star pass-first point guard.
