I don't understand all this crap about Bayless not being a point guard. It's a position. If you start at point guard, you are a point guard. The point position does more than just pass. The NBA has seen an assortment of different types of players at that spot. Scorers, passers, defenders, etc. If a team needs a distributor at the one, they play a distributor. If they need someone who can play lockdown defense, they go with a solid defender. If they need a scorer, they play a scorer. Just because Bayless isn't the best passer doesn't mean he isn't a point guard. Last time I checked, Blake isn't exactly the best passer either, yet nobody here questions whether Blake is a point guard. The only reason why I said we should bench Sergio and give Bayless a shot is because I hardly think Bayless is going to step into the starting role right off the bat, and Blake is playing too well offensively for McMillain to bench him. Sergio may be the only real distributor on the team, but that doesn't mean he wins by default. He has many deficiencies and his passing isn't nearly good enough to warrant a free pass.
Because its their only excuse when they argue against Bayless. This guy responded to my post and all he could say is "Bayless isn't a PG". Anyway, if I had to give my game ball out last night, its to Sergio. I thought he had a great game. All I want is whoever is best for the team out there. But it this kid is agressive and gets to the rim, THAT is what we need, tbh.
http://blog.oregonlive.com/behindblazersbeat/2008/12/is_jerryd_bayless_the_shot_in.html Who knows if Quick really has his finger on the pulse of the situation or not, but looks like there could be a callup from the "minors" on the horizon.
nate's a fool and will not be a head coach here for long. listen if bayless is working his tail off props to him and he deserves it, but this is a major coping out and a bitch move by (as another poster on here calls him) mcmuffin. to cite defense as the reason when his little blakely boy is just as horrendous is, as barkely would put it, terrrrrable. i say good ridence to nate and his poor coaching. sarge was great for a couple years but it's time to hand the reigns to someone else now.
I enjoyed reading the article. It's exactly as I felt when people here were praising Sergio for his 4-4 night when the guy had a -10 for the game and gave up everything he was getting for us on offense anyways. Sergio needs to stop playing. Give Bayless a shot.
Yeah, it's defense Nate was screaming for during the last few games. Wait, no it wasn't. It was "pushing the ball", it was "attacking the basket", it was "keeping them on their heels". At least, when he was miked up during timeouts and when you could hear him saying it after a rebound and stuff. And what's happened? Blakie has 9 TO's in 2 games...many of the "passing to where he shouldn't, when he shouldn't" variety. I'm not saying Sergio should start, but if you think that Sergio's defense is any worse than Blake's, I don't know what to say. Why are you bringing up single-game +/- as a personal stat? Let's dig a bit, shall we? Sergio comes in at 3:21 left in the first. 24-18 Mavs. He's guarding Kidd for 2 minutes, then Barea comes in at :48. Neither one scores or gets an assist for the rest of the first quarter, and we cut from a 6pt lead to a 4pt lead. Sergio has a 3, the amazing assist to Rudy, a layup and sets up Joel for his 2 FTs. So how does he have a bad rating ? Then, to start the second, Sergio again scores a layup. Then another one. Then the man he's guarding gets the first points or assists in 7 minutes of play when Barea gets a rebound and layup. Sergio then comes out. We're now down 43-33. How can that be? Well, I'm glad you asked. I know Sergio is the whipping boy right now, but perhaps Nate should rethink his idea of having Frye and Outlaw out there at the forward spots at the same time. B/c here's what happened for Dallas around those timeframes...2FTs by Terry, Howard 3, Nowitzki 2, 2 buckets by Singleton, a Wright 3. AND: Travis 0-3, Frye 0-1, Rudy 1-2, Joel Travel, Sergio Bad Pass. But I'm sure it's all the fault of Sergio and his disgusting defense. FFwd to the 4th quarter. 80-77 good guys, Sergio comes in, immediately commits the foul on Barea. Then Rudy is 0-1, Travis 0-1, Roy 0-2. Meanwhile, DAL goes miss by Terry, miss by Barea (Sergio's guy), make by Nowitzki, make by Bass. Sergio leaves with it 81-80 them. So to recap: when Sergio was in the game he was 4-4, 9pts, 1 turnover. The man he was guarding was 1-4 with 0 assists. His teammates were 1-10, 2-4 FTs and 1 turnover, while the other team (aside from Sergio's man) were 6-12. Must've been Sergio's disgusting defense. Couldn't be that teammates were missing shots, getting lit up on their own by leaving their men open (and I'm looking at you, Rudy, Travis and Frye). By all means, replace that loser Sergio with Bayless. Then maybe Travis and Frye will play defense. Maybe then they'll hit shots.
It was Sergio's second half that was so atrocious, he lost all focus on defense and got completely lit up. But I think this could be as much about injecting a guy into the lineup that will rub off on other guys as it is about a singular bad defensive performance from Sergio; all of our guards have been awful, but Blake, Rudy and Roy are not going to sit down before the backup point guard. If Bayless ends up getting some extended minutes tonight against Toronto it could be a tailor made situation; Calderon is a terrible defender, but a brilliant offensive player. If Bayless can hassle him as he's trying to initiate the offense and then torch him on drives to the hoop, or kicking out to wings on dribble penetration he could end up looking like a hero. We'll see what happens.
Like I said, I'd love Bayless to be the hero, take the starter's role and run with it. I don't think that'll happen b/c Nate's not letting a starting PG be a rook (for whatever reason). I pray I'm wrong. Bayless shouldn't be taking Sergio's minutes, he should be taking Blake's. He was in for two minutes in the second half. His man didn't score or get an assist, though he missed a jumper.
No. Many teams are not blessed with competent PG's so they use other players to cover their gaping hole as best as they can. Like how many teams have to use a PF for backup C. Ideally, a PG is a major playmaker (primarily setting up players for high % shots by spreading the floor, drawing extra defenders, confusing and deceiving the opposition, screening for shooters), a phenomenal passer, the vocal leader and director of the team at both ends of the floor, keeping all players informed, alert, and active. That is the description of pretty much all the best PG's in history. Defense hardly even enters the conversation. Nearly all great PG's have been mediocre defenders at best. Most were only average scorers. As for defending against PG's, disrupting the passing lanes (cutting the head off the monster) is much more important than preventing the PG from scoring. In theory, an opposing PG who gets past his defender is supposed to be stopped by your big men on his way to the hoop. The only Blazer who gets this is Joel. The next thing to take away from an opposing PG is his outside shot so he can't spread your defense. Sergio excels at this and gets most of his steals near the 3pt line.
Pure fiction. Sergio did not get scored on at all in the second half. His guy went 0-1. OTOH, Roy and Blake certainly did get lit up, over and over and over, and embarrassed on the boards too.
I'm trying to find the link...ESPN or somewhere that I read yesterday... "Sergio would be starting for half the teams in the league". If we're showcasing him, I think Mission's Accomplished. EDIT: http://myespn.go.com/blogs/truehoop/0-37-99/Live-Blogging--Dallas-at-Portland.html 8:12pm Actually, it was just the Kevin Arnovitz live blog. Nevermind.
If all you pay attention to is traded baskets or man defense you'd be right. Here's Sergio's run in the first minute of the second half. -Fouls Barrea -Barrea pulls down an offensive rebound -Barrea misses an open 3 point shot. Fiction my ass.
You've got a pretty narrow definition of what a point guard is supposed to be. As for your assertion that defense hardly ever enters the equation, I think Oscar Robertson, Jason Kidd, Walt Frazier and Gary Payton would all like a word with you. With respect to Sergio, you've constructed the most elaborate fantasy I've ever seen around a player. The ONLY thing Sergio does at a high level is pass the ball, his defensive awareness is nowhere near elite, he is NOT good at defending the 3 point line, and letting guys cut into the lane does nothing but rack fouls up on Joel, LaMarcus and Greg. He also does a terrible job of drawing extra defenders because of his spotty shooting, and I've never seen him acting as the vocal leader for the team on the defensive end of the floor. I agree Sergio is not a terrible player, but the fact that you think he's got Steve Nash, John Stockton or Bob Cousy potential is hardly backed up by observable facts.
