(Presuming we get Mcgrady) Who should be the starting pg next season ??

I'd like to see a link with that statement but it won't matter for numerous reasons.

In Van Gundy's offense there is little difference between SF & SG. The basic difference is the 2 guard is almost always on the weakside of the court from Yao which is why you saw many more low post entry passes from Jackson than Mobley. It does not make good basketball sense to have a size mismatch at a position (Jackson is 2-3 inches shorter than McGrady) and not use that size advantage for the low post entry pass.

The second basic difference is that the SG (Mobley) was almost always on the weakside of the court when the low post play was initiated. The Rox will absolutely not continuously leave McGrady planted at the weakside arc or weakside corner.

Lastly, SF or SG as a label is irrelevant defensively. JJ or TMac will take the better matchup. If it's the Lakers with Fox (or Walton) and Kobe, McGrady would take Kobe. However, if it's the TWolves with Wally Z and Spree, JJ takes Wally and TMac takes Spree (SF). Defensively, it will always be about matchups and not position labels.

 

Yeah. The point guard's job is to get the ball up the court in a hurry, dump it to Yao , Tmac or a designated tall entry passer, then spot up. We don't need a "distributor". On defense, we need size at the perimeter, playing team d, funnelling the opposing guards to the center or trapping on the baseline. Barry is the man. Fisher is a horrible choice, and he knows it - so he's looking elsewhere. Also, Feigan wrote or said somewhere the other day that Brent Barry was the Rocket's target, and they were going after him, as soon as they wrap this little Mc Grady deal up.

 

What worries me about Derek Fisher is that he’s just not a very good one-on-one defender. Throughout the Lakers reign, the point guard position has been their weakest link. If you’re going to beat the Lakers, the point guard match-up was the way to do it. Bibby, Francis, Hudson, Parker, and Billups have torched Fisher in past playoff runs. I don’t want the same to happen with the Rockets.

Go for a taller point guard that’s a better one-on-one defender.

 

Great Post! Barry should be an allout Target for the ROX

 

Barry - Yes. With numbers like that and his IQ, I think he'd be THE pickup for us at PG

Hudson - OK if we can't get Barry, but I wouldn't pay too much for him.

Fisher - pass. If he puts up those numbers with Shaq and Kobe, I can only expect them to be worse with the new team and the JVG O - which would be really bad. His D is not as good as he's labeled. Not even for Vet min.

 

I like Barry.

Assuming Lue is in the deal, we have an OK smallish but quick and more traditional PG. Add a player that something different. Barry is tall for a PG, a veteran, great shooter and understands the game well both in terms of setting up others and moving without the ball. 3 year deal for like 18 mil should be very fair to all parties.

After Barry, I'd like Alston next (similar to what Lue provides, but a little bit tougher/better version), followed by Fisher (OK but health concerns), than Hudson (decent player but more of a gunner on a team that has T-mac and Yao to runt he offense through), than Arroyo (Ok in all facets but just doesn't have that spot 3 ball). As you can see Barry really sticks out as providing something radically different than what Lue can.

The only drawback (to Barry) is then we don't have the MLE to go for a Swift, Etan Thomas, or similar player. If we lose Cato we are offensively gifted in the big men spots with Yao, Howard and Mo, but soft and slow.

 

33

 

I thought Maloney went off a couple of years ago. How much longer is he on the books?

 

Hey. Here's a question. How much would we need to spend to get Jamal Crawford at pg? He's a free agent isn't he?

Dude dropped 50 last season. He's a very good point guard I think and damn the guy is tall.

 

He's much more selfish than SF, isn't interested in defense, and spent most of last year playing the two. Plus, he'll probably be looking for a big deal from a bad team

 

HAHA, never forget when he hit that shot on minn in the playoffs and barkley was having MAN LOVE WITH HIM!!!

 

Brent Barry. He is a tall PG who can shoot and pass. On a team with McGrady and Yao, that is all you need. I am not convinced that Fisher's prowess (read: flopping ability) on the defensive end would make up for him clanking the open shots he gets from all the attention the defense must show TMac and Yao. Hudson shouldn't even be an option, in my opinion, as he is too much of a Francis type player that is only looking for his own points. That guy takes some seriously ill advised shots.

 

For those of you who think Fisher is a poor defender, you should watch Barry play sometime. He makes Fisher look like the 96 version of Gary Payton.

You think Piatkowski was a washout with this team because he couldn't shoot? He's a great shooter. He just never got minutes because JVG doesn't like to play unathletic guys who can't defend.

 

Jamal Crawford

 

Jeff was able to work with Grandmama and Houston, who weren't very athletic defenders. I think that if a player can play a major part in the offense and understands team defense Jeff will be willing to play him starters minutes.

Besides, even though his defense was bad Piatkowski's decision making (for a player with a reputation for being very smart) was worse. He took a lot of bad shots and had a lot of turnovers in his limited playing time.

 

At least Brent Barry will make the opposing point guard work on defense. Fisher does pretty much nothing but stand behind the 3-point line, allowing his defender to not have to expend any energy at all on defense.

I’m not completely sold on Barry at the point either. I’d prefer to play him as a point-forward and find a defensive minded guard to play the 1.

 

I also like Barry over Dfish. However, my main concern is defense. It seems to me that Van Gundy would prefer Fish over Barry bc Fish is a much better defender. Also, I wanted to throw another name out there- Charlie Ward. He was putting up great #'s last year starting for NY and splitting time with Eisley before he got traded to the Spurs and disappeared. Also, Im pretty sure he's a FA.

 

fisher, then barry.

either would be nice

 

Who wouldn't want Barry with the way he shoot the ball...it's rediculous....BUT, that guy is old. Do you want to invest in an old guy?? He's 33 or something and Fisher is 30 and Hudson is 28...which would u rather have. With Fisher, i know he's going to get killed by the Western guards like Bibby and Nash and Parker cuz it's been proving. But the thing is ....you have to understand that JVG's defense is different from Phil's defense...and plus ROx have Yao inside to stop any penetration....so therefore Fisher can have a lot of chances in term of how to defend the pick and roll...just as Steve Francis have done under Van Gudny and I don't think Francis is a good defender and look what JVG have turned him into....he turns Steve and Mobley into great defenders. So i think Fisher might be the right choice and plus he's a little younger than Barry. Fisher's number have gone down last year due to the fact he's not starting but giving the starting spot back..he could turn into a player again.

As far as Hudson...i think he's wild and sort of out of control type of player...not fit under JVG's system. And he turn over the ball almost twice as much as Fisher. He's a good shooter and penetrator..but Fisher is as good a shooter as he is statistic-wise.

 

Carlos Arroyo