Whatever...if you think he's a little overrated then okay, but he's going to be a great NBA player. And if you haven't realized yet, everything Vitale says is exaggerated.
How many PG's are better then Marbury? For all his weaknesses, Marbury is a great PG in the right situation. He should have never left Minnesota. If he stuck around until Garnett matured into the player he is now, Minnesota would have already gotten out of the 1st round of the playoffs, and Marbury probably would average 6 less points a game but 3 more assists. It is true though that Phoenix isn't a cohesive team, and they do have talent, so it's either Marbury or coach Skiles. Peter Vecey reported long ago that Skiles really wants to quit but management keeps talking him out of it, so maybe that is the problem. As much as I hate Duke, I think Williams is the best player in College and will be a great pro.
On paper, Marbury is a great PG, but he will never win in the NBA. Minnesota is better off without Marbury and with Brandon (though he's hurt). Garnett may not be as good offensively as he is now, if he had Marbury around to take 15-20 shots a game. Obviously, J-Will is winning in college, since he has the best team. But, he will be a 25 ppg scorer and 6-8 assists a night, for a .500 team. Fact is, that the best NBA teams don't have PG's as their #1 or even #2 option. If J-Will were a PF or C, with the same dominating capabilities, then I would think he's the best thing since sliced bread. Without a doubt, he's the best college player. But, in the NBA, he will realize that shot selection will be much more important in the NBA than in college, where Duke beats every team by 20 points anyway. To me, Williams just is not that smart of a player. Moreover, he doesn't seem to have PG intangibles. I don't think his leadership skills are that great for a PG of his caliber.
Kidrock, I think Marbury has just been unlucky on his timing. Wasn't he on Minnesota before Garnett really came into his own? And then with the Nets there was always injuries, and right when he left everybody seemed to be healthy. And now with the Suns, they just simply aren't that great of a team. I don't quite understand what you mean when you say HE will never win in the NBA. I thought a team wins and loses, not a player. You can't win in the NBA without a big man anymore (just ignore the Bucks to help prove my point), and unfortunately that's a luxury that Marbury has never had. So yes, if Jwill is put on a crappy team with no big man, then he probably won't be winning very much.
If Marbury were traded to the Lakers for Derek Fisher, would the Lakers all of a sudden become a .500 team? Don't think so...
JWill is without a doubt the engine that drives Duke. Last year him or Battier could share the leadership roll, this year it is all Williams. Dunleavy and Boozer are very good college offensive players, but they are helped by the degree the opponents try to stop Jason Williams and their limitations are less apparent because of the team they play on. Jason Williams is like a stronger Marbury <i> with a winners attitude. </i>. (I hate to put it this way, but there is more evidence for JWs leadership so far than either for Marbury's or Steve Francis's fo rthat matter). With the bricks Duhan and James put up, why shouldn't the guy shoot? If Dunleavy is open from the outside or Boozer on the inside--about the only time someone else has a higher % shot than him taking a covered one, Williams doesn't hesitate to get them the ball. In short, the guy is the reason Duke got the NC last year, and if they get one this year it will be because of him. No one else on Duke can carry the team by themselves. I agree saying JW is the 2nd best pg in the planet is total BS--so by this maybe he is overrated. But he might be in the top 10 or maybe top 5 in the world the first day he steps foot on an NBA court and could rise to the top quickly. I think ya'll are fooling yourselves if you don't see that in his athletic ability and his leadership.
You don't get it do you? If Marbury goes to LAL, and wants to be the #1 option, yes LAL will be a .500 team.
My whole point is that Marbury will never win as long as if he is the #1 option. Marbury could win if he was the #3 or so guy. I feel the same about Williams. I don't think you can really build around a score-first PG. Can anyone name me the last NBA team to win a title with a score-first PG? No, Magic Johnson was not a score-first PG.
Also, Duke wins because of Williams. I give him that. However, the college game is dominated by guards, while the NBA game is dominated by big men. So, any direct translation used to ensure that Williams has success in the NBA is pretty much futile.
I don't agree with this. Between MJ, Magic and the Pistons guards, the majority of the NBA champions of the last 15 years or so have been lead by their guard play. I personally think that it was mostly coincidence--and Hakeem, Duncan and Shaq are evening this out. Basically, if you are a trully great player and great leader, it doesn't matter what position you play. Again, last year J Williams showed winning and leadership that neither Marbury or Francis has. Not saying I would rather have Williams than Francis, but the former does have a track record for winning and playing big in big games.
Okay, I guess I missed the whole point, but I think if Williams was put on a team with a good big man, he would give up the ball some and take the role as #2 option. Who knows, Marbury might do that too, but he's never gotten a chance to prove it. And I'm sorry, even if Marbury went to the Lakers as the #1 option, they would be better than a .500 team.
Maybe I should have been more specific with PG. SG's obviously account for something with Kobe and MJ the last decade. What team last won a title with their PG being their #1 scorer? You would have to go out of your way to count Magic as a scoring PG, to use him as an example.
No. The Lakers are great because Shaq and Kobe are 2 of the best 3-4 players in the league. By freezing them out, the Lakers don't really benefit at all. Marbury would have to take a role as 3rd banana, something he didn't want any part of in Minn. Marbury is a loser until he realizes the team must come first.
kidrock I do not think you are taking into account Williams' overall game, as well as his attitude. As scar said, he is the best scoring option for that team, so if he were to be a pure distributor, I don't think Duke would be near as good. I think he WILL be the type of guy that takes a backseat if it helps his team win, and I really think it is really idiotic for people to label him as "not a true point guard." Sure, he shoots a lot at Duke, but like I said, he has all the ability in the world to get it to his teammates if need be.
Magic and Isiah were both 20+ PPG scorers and 10+ assist men. They knew how to distribute, but it is the former-- they knew how to score for themselves when they need to--that distinguished them. It is also this aspect of their game that makes them greater players than the likes of other great point guards like Kidd or Stockton. Gary Payton probably falls somewhere in between--but never could quite offensively dominate as much as Magic or Isiah. In sum, I would take a Magic, Isiah or Payton (in their prime) over a Kidd or Stockton to win a championship. Jason Williams has a lot in common with Isiah or Iverson--the latter who also does many of the things a PG does as well. Francis could join this mix--his raw athleticism might be the best of the lot, but he has even more to learn about leading a team then Williams does IMO.
You may be right about this, but I don't think Marbury would be this selfish a player on the right team. In Minnesota he distributed alot more and allowed Garnett and Gugliotta to be option 1 & 2. I think Issiah Thomas was the last score first PG. I agree that it is very rare that you can win in the NBA with that type of PG. However, I think Jason Williams will adjust his game when he is surrounded with talent in the NBA.
Wait, one cotton-pickin' moment. It looks like Marbury was dishing out 9.3 assists per game in his last season in Minnesota before he was traded. He was third in the NBA in assists, and the year before that he was fourth. How much more did you want the guy to pass it? Plus, it looks like Garnett, Gugliotta, and Stephon were all averaging about the same amount of points per game. Around 17 or 18. I wouldn't neccesarily call that being a ballhog. It looks like he was much more of a point guard than Steve is, seeing how Steve is averaging over 20ppg and only 6.5 apg.
