One Must Wonder....

By HPTMatt

Yes, I'm aware that I may be knee jerking, and I'm not afraid to admit such.

But I found myself ruminating (and trust me, that always gets me in trouble...) on the way home from the Grizz/Pacers preseason game on 10/13 about chemistry, the Grizzlies back court, and the coaching and management staff of the Grizzlies.

Sorry Dr. Zack, you know what's coming here...

Kyle Lowry seems not-so-enthralled with his current role on the Grizzlies, which is hard to believe, since he's one of only two cats currently seeing time at PG. It's buried somewhere on the Internet, but I recall with fair distinction an interview with Kyle just after Conley was drafted where the "I just got mildly slapped" connotation was not so hard to perceive through the normal "well, competition will make us all better" platitudes he was spouting....and I think that the drafting of Conley has engendered some negativity in Kyle's attitude. This aspect of his attitude has certainly not been pervasive, but it has been present from time to time, usually manifesting itself in hands-raised-palms-up at the bench after a blown play or a (sometimes not-so-)discreet look over his shoulder at the bench. The "playing favorites" among teammates is not so much rooted in malicious intent by Kyle, IMO, however-Hak and Rudy are almost certainly the two most likely scorers usually playing with Kyle..I'd pass them the ball too.

Another issue that this "coachability" discussion raises is particularly salient in terms of this preseason-where's Javarence Kinseyton? Another way to ask the question....how much must have Critt have unimpressed the staff in summer league and the beginning of camp for him to be seeing so precious little court time, especially if there is a question regarding (HUGE gulp before I utter this term) potential insubordination by your #2 PG? Isn't preseason about working out kinks and trying out options? Wasn't Critt one of the "coveted" pieces in the Pau trade? I'm not a Critt homer, but I do think he deserves a fair shake (and I subjectively think he hasn't gotten such thus far in this preseason despite what Chip wrote yesterday). Right-the question is begged....has JCritt dug himself a hole underneath Iavaroni's doghouse so deep that possible uncoachability (yeah, I just made up that word) by Lowry isn't enough to dig him out?? One must wonder....

UPDATE after the Houston game: Critt plays 27 minutes and leads the team in assists. Sure, he made several TOTAL bonehead maneuvers with the ball, but it was nice to see him get some run and be allowed to make the same mistakes Lowry has been making in rather ubiquitous fashion throughout the preseason. Good thing that OJ got in early foul trouble (a frighteningly familiar occurrence) and that Marko Jaric IS COMPLETELY USELESS and that Buckner got zero mins tonight. Come on Critt, keep workin' on it.

Previewing the Point Guards:

by Chip Crain

This is the official kick off 3 Shades of Blue's pre-season coverage of your Memphis Grizzlies (like you came here to read our views on any other team anyway!).

Each day this week the guys at the 3SOB will cover a new position in detail to give our readers the most comprehensive and informative information on this website. We hope to have the most comprehensive coverage over the Internet but don't want to get too far ahead of ourselves just yet.

To begin the pre-season review it seemed appropriate to start at the most debated position on the team: point guard.

Memphis returns three players who consider themselves point guards from last season's team and none of the players have two full years of experience nor have reached their 23rd birthday yet (Conley, Lowry and Crittenton). So what do the Grizzlies do on draft night? They trade away their best returning performer and their draft pick who filled a need for a player who considers himself a point guard (Mayo). Included in the trade for Mayo is the old man of the group in 29 yr old Marko Jaric but is expected to be low in the rotation for playing time at the point. That's five players capable of playing the point out of an expected 13 roster players for Opening Night.

And people wonder how we never run out of topics to discuss over here.

The Players:

Mike Conley - Mike returns as the starting point guard on the team despite missing all or parts of 30+ games his rookie season due various injuries. In the 52 games Mike played in as a rookie he put up respectable numbers when compared to other point guards around the league's rookie numbers (Steve Nash, Tony Parker, Deron Williams to name a few). That isn't to say that Conley will match those players in the future. Rather that he has shown the potential to do so. Especially when you consider that he was as young or younger than any of the aforementioned players his rookie season. One major difference between Conley and the others has been his durability but he has looked much stronger this off-season than he did last season. That strength will be important if Conley plans on putting the injury reputation behind him.

Kyle Lowry - The former Wildcat has become a bulldog on the Grizzlies roster. Kyle lit the city on fire on opening night of his rookie campaign when he announced his presence with authority posting 6 points, 10 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 steals in leading the Grizzlies 2nd half charge. Suddenly Kyle Lowry was the most exciting rookie in franchise history (which is pretty impressive considering Shane Battier, Shareef Abdur Rahim and Pau Gasol had preceded him). Just as suddenly he was gone for the year after breaking his wrist in the 10th game of the season. His sophomore season was a struggle as he fought for playing time behind veteran Damon Stoudamire and rookie Mike Conley. Kyle's wild play energizes the team on the defensive end but his lack of control hurts the team on the offensive side of the ball. Still Kyle produced at a rate similar to Conley in nearly the same amount of time on the court and usually with inferior players around him. While his game seems best suited for a backup role right now Lowry's grit and determination means that no one is going to take the starting spot without a fight.

O.J. Mayo - O.J. Mayo looks to supplant Kyle Lowry as the most exciting rookie acquisition in franchise history this year. O.J. Mayo has been preparing himself almost since birth to be an NBA star and anything short of brilliance will disappoint his legion of supporters around the city. Mayo looked impressive at times in summer league and practising against the US Olympic team but he has also looked sloppy with the ball and unable to really explode past defenders. Mayo lacks the blinding speed of Conley and other PG's but he compensates that with a good passing ability and nice size for a PG. Mayo is also a workaholic who is in excellent physical condition. While no rookie can prepare himself for life as an NBA player, Mayo should suffer less than most because of his excellent physical condition. Mayo is already considered the best defensive player in the Grizzlies backcourt and quite possibly the best defender on the team which is a trait not often associated with a score first PG. For now at least the plan appears to be to play Mayo at the shooting guard position this season where his clutch long range shooting and defense are needed more but one can't ignore the possibility with a trade of Mayo taking over the point during his career.

Javaris Crittenton - When JCrit arrived from LA after the Gasol trade he felt a wave of relief. He was now going to get the chance he was denied at the Lakers. It hasn't worked out exactly that way so far. Instead of being behind Derek Fisher and Jordan Farmar, more typical PG's for Phil Jackson's triangle offense, JCritt found himself behind Conley and Lowry who were equally quick and young but had the inside tract with the coaches. JCritt has been working hard this summer on some perceived weaknesses in his game including the outside shot and better court vision. Javaris wants to play the point in the NBA but right now the minutes just don't seem to be there. JCritt will need to show he can play the SG position as well if he wants anything more than token minutes this season. One strong point for JCritt is his defense which should hold him in good standing with new coach Kevin O'Neill and his preferred pressure style of play.

Marko Jaric - Finally we reach the one PG on the team that has actual NBA experience in playoff games. Wait a minute. You mean Jaric has played 6 seasons in the NBA and never made the playoffs??? How can that be? Well first off he hasn't played on many good teams but he also hasn't made bad teams better by his presence. One thing Marco definitely does have is a smooth long distance shot and excellent height for a PG at 6-7. What he doesn't have is a scorer's mentality as he has never reached 10 ppg over a season. It is unknown right now if a team with OJ Mayo and Rudy Gay not to mention Hakim Warrick, Marc Gasol and Antoine Walker really needs another player looking for his shot. Defensively Jaric is considered decent but not excellent. His 6-7 frame does cause problems for opponents trying to get a shot off over him and his 1.4 spg over his career means he is smart enough to get into passing lanes despite a noticeable lack of foot speed for a point guard.

Conclusion: Memphis has a problem that most NBA teams dream about in having too many young, talented Point Guards but that doesn't mean it is not a serious problem. How the Grizzlies can manage to find playing time for all 5 players will be a nasty juggling act for Marc Iavaroni. Heading into camp it appears that Conley has the inside position as the starter with Lowry backing him up. Mayo and Jaric are expected to split time at the two guard while JCritt floats back and forth but nothing is written in stone. Memphis is willing to discuss a move for any of the potential PG's but isn't interested in helping another team out by giving one of their players away for nothing.

Right now JCritt and Lowry look to be in a dead heat to be the first player moved while Mayo is the only player among the group entrenched on the roster. Conley should be safe unless he can't separate himself from Lowry this year. Jaric may be here a while because of his bloated contract but could be moved to bring in someone with a larger contract (maybe Zach Randolph for example). JCritt needs to find a place to get some minutes either here after someone else is moved or somewhere else for himself.

The Grizzlies are okay at the point this season and should be heading toward strong by next season. They just need times to find their legs and learn the game. Making a clear decision on who is going to be the starter and who's going to be first off the bench should help the players understand their roles and what they need to improve on going forward.

I can't believe I wrote about the point guards and didn't mention Adriana Lima one single solitary time!

That didn't count there at the end did it?

Math: When 1+1 Does Not Equal 2

Robert Ruark's famous Old Man once said: "One boy is all boy, two boys is half a boy and three boys is no boy at all." In the same vein, football has adopted the saying that "two quarterbacks equals no quarterback". In a way, they both say the same thing, which is that sometimes, there is indeed such a thing as too much of a good thing.

As of right now, the Grizzlies depth chart for the players in contention for the much-maligned Three Year Plan looks a little something like this:

PG: Mike Conley/Kyle Lowry
SG: O.J. Mayo/Javaris Crittenton
SF: Rudy Gay
PF: Hakim Warrick/Darrell Arthur
C: Darko Milicic/Marc Gasol

The other players on the team are as follows:

Marko Jaric (PG/SG/SF?), Antoine Walker (SF/PF), Greg Buckner (SG/SF?)

Notice something about those young guys at four of the five positions above? That's right -- there are two of them fighting for the same minutes at the same position. At this point, we suspect that we know who the eventual winners will be, but in reality we don't actually know yet. That doubt in our minds is even more present in their's, because each of them truly believes that they deserve the lion's share of minutes. Well, except maybe for Darko. I don't know what he believes -- mostly because I'm too petrified of him to study him at length. Do you blame me?

Danica McKellar, who actually authored a math book.

There are 48 available minutes at each of those 5 positions and at some point in this season, a player is going to step up and show that he is worthy of 28-35 of them, rather than 13-20. But until that happens, it is anyone's game and that is when issues can arise.

Many people lambasted Chris Wallace for not moving one of the young guards (typically either Kyle Lowry or Javaris Crittenton) during the draft or in the offseason to this point, feeling that there were too many good young players with not enough places to play in the backcourt. I agree about the core idea (too much/not enough), but not about their solution. In this regard, I think that these players have to prove which of them is better and thusly deserve to stay and play in Memphis. In particular, the quartet of Conley, Lowry, Mayo and Critt have proven absolutely nothing to anyone at this point and all should be striving to show what they are capable of. When that happens, then a move can be made based on good evaluations and information. That might be after two months, at the trade deadline or possibly even next offseason. But once it becomes apparent that Player A is a keeper and Player Q is expendable, a move must be made before chemistry is upset and that player's value takes a hit.

With all of that said, I have had some interesting conversations lately about who the perceived "odd man out" is. Fans around the league seem to believe that it is Javaris Crittenton, as his name has popped up in numerous trade rumors. In my unqualified, unmedicated opinion, it would appear that Kyle Lowry is the far more likely choice based on a number of reasons.

First, he was the last draft choice of the old regime led by Jerry West, while the other three guards have been brought in by Chris Wallace. That alone has to count for something, as has been noted by my co-blogger Zack on numerous occasions.

Next, while he is full of grit, determination and tenacity, the perception is that his upside is much more limited than the other three players fighting for minutes in the backcourt. As we all know, perception all too often becomes reality when dealing with unmeasurable qualities like potential. The notion than Conley will become better than Lowry, even if he isn't yet there in many people's minds, will be an important factor in this decision.

Finally, he is a PG and a PG only. Whereas Mayo and Critt (both in the 6'4"-6'5" range) are reputed to be capable of playing either guard spot, meaning that a three guard rotation of Conley/Mayo/Critt is capable of splitting the 96 minutes at PG & SG without there being a dropoff. As anyone who saw the Grizzlies put Conley and Lowry on the floor at the same time last year could tell you, it might have given the team an extra quality ballhandler on the floor, but the lost size was a big issue. That, above all else, proved that 1+1 did not equal a 2 guard on the floor.

Hopefully, all of these things will work themselves out and the Grizzlies will find themselves with quality players at all 5 positions by the end of the season, putting them in a position to draft based solely upon "Best Player Available", rather than worrying about need. Because that's how you truly get better thru the draft -- which appears to be the best way that Grizzlies will have to rise up through the ranks once again and return to the postseason.

The Case for Not Trading a Point Guard

There has been a lot of discussion among Grizzlies fans about the apparent logjam at Point Guard on the team and how Memphis needs to make a move immediately to address this problem. I disagree and for some simple reasons.

First off Conley is only 20 yrs old and has started a grand total of 46 games in the NBA. That is not exactly a ringing endorsement to give him the keys to the franchise. Sure his statistics almost mirror Tony Parker's when he was a rookie and are actually superior to such prominent PG's as Gilbert Arenas, Chauncey Billups and Steve Nash as rookies but that doesn't mean you can stamp the future All-Star label on Mike just yet. Lowry doesn't have much more experience after only playing 10 games his rookie season. Right now it appears Conley will be the superior PG in the NBA to some people but he hasn't shown that on the court yet. There is no reason to rush the decision before someone has clearly won the job.

OJ Mayo is a dynamic player who has stated that he feels his best position is PG. That doesn't mean he is right and from what we have seen so far that is simply not the case. Mayo is a scorer who struggles against quick PG's and makes bad decisions at times when pressured with the ball. He may develop into an excellent PG at some point but right now he is a turnover waiting to happen.

Javaris Crittenton is similiar to OJ Mayo without the outside shot. He has excellent size to be a PG (compared to the dimunitive Conley and Lowry) but his ability to control the ball and run the offense hasn't develop yet. He also doesn't appear to NBA level vision when driving in the lane. A PG can always drive in the lane and shoot but to be a truly effective PG you need to get into the lane and then find the open man as the defense collapses. So far I haven't seen Crittenton capable of making that play.

Jaric can play PG, SG and SF. He is very versatile in that respect. He came over playing PG but last season he was almost exclusively a SG and at 6-7 he has decent size to play SF. Frankly with his lack of foot speed I feel more comfortable playing Jaric as a SG/SF than at the point. Jaric will bring experience and knowledge to the young guards on the team and that is important. His role is clearly more mentor than player at this point.

What's more, Lowry and Conley give the Grizzlies two different PG skill sets that most teams will struggle matching up against. Right now JCritt and Mayo don't appear to take care of the ball well enough to run the point but both can defend well at the SG and allow the Grizzlies to add more playmaking ability to the backcourt.

This doesn't even take into account the serious problem the Grizzlies have had lately keeping Point Guards healthy. In 2005 Damon blew his Patello Tendon out. In 2006 Kyle Lowry broke his thumb and missed the remained of the season. Last year Mike Conley hurt his shoulder and missed a total of 30 games. It isn't like the Grizzlies haven't had a big need for strong backups at the point lately.

At some point in the future I expect at least one of the backcourt players to be moved to fil a hole in another part of the team but that definitely doesn't mean they have to make a move right now.

Guest Post: It's That Easy

Today we have a guest post from Jonathan Kiersky who has written for Divingin2Memphis and is the new owner of The Hi-Tone Cafe in Midtown Memphis.

Memphis needs Derrick Rose. And by Memphis, I don't mean the Tigers. I mean the Grizzlies. And it could happen, without much having to go right. (I'm staring at you 2003 Ping Pong balls…)
Here's the scenario- the Miami Heat, in desperate need of any talent, but really in need of someone that can get the ball across the half court line, get the #1 overall pick. Memphis gets the second or third pick in the upcoming draft. Memphis would then package Mike Conley Jr, Javaris Crittenton and their pick to Miami for the #1 overall pick and some cap filler like (cough) Earl Barron. Memphis takes Rose and Miami takes either Michael Beasley or Brook Lopez. Pretty simple, no?

The deal is a win-win operation for both clubs. Miami now has Conley and Crittenton to run the point next to Dwayne Wade, Shawn Marion, Beasley/ Lopez and Udonis Haslem. Their bench has Dorell Wright, Crittenton, Ricky Davis, Mark Blount and Daequan Cook. Memphis now starts Rose, Miller, Gay, Milicic and Warrick with Lowry coming off the bench. (And wider ranging deal with Miami would have the Heat send Shawn Marion to the Grizzlies in some sort of sign and trade, but I doubt the numbers and players could be matched up.) With the expiring deal of Kwame Brown and some other pieces not being re-upped (I'm looking at you Andre Brown and the living corpse of Casey Jacobsen), a second round pick and some signings in the off-season (as well as whatever Juan Carlos Navarro can bring you in trade), suddenly the Grizzlies are relevant again. The Heat all of the sudden look, well, undead.

Look, there certainly are other motivations for the Grizzlies to get a once-in-a-generation point guard into their lineup. First, this city adores Derrick Rose. Second, we need to see him play more than just one year in the FedEx Forum. We deserve that as basketball fans. You hear it all of the time, but this kid really can change an NBA game just by stepping on the court. Third, and this is a very big third, name the top 10 point guards in the NBA right now? (I'll give you the requisite two minutes to name the top 7 and after that all we're doing is arguing semantics.) Now name the top 10 power forwards or small forwards depending on which position you believe Beasley play in the pros. The lists can be compiled in twenty seconds each. The point is both simple and clear- if you get the chance to get a great point guard, you snap him up any possible way you can think of. If you have a game changing point guard who is in the middle of completing on of the great runs for your hometown college team, a team that half the city considers their kids, who will immediately bring credibility and exposure to an otherwise questionable and folly ridden franchise, you do anything short of kidnapping the children of the GM with the #1 overall pick.


Pretty clear, right?

Jonathan Kiersky

Possible Damon Buyout?

According to Ron Tillery in this morning's Commercial Appeal, the Grizzlies are working on a buyout for the 34-year old point guard.

A more pressing issue is with veteran point guard Damon Stoudamire, whose agent publicly said his client wanted a trade or contract buyout if the team doesn't intend to play him.

Stoudamire was recently replaced in the starting lineup by rookie Mike Conley. The veteran's issue isn't that Conley received a promotion; rather, that he's suddenly not playing.

Heisley understands, which is why he's working with Stoudamire on a buyout that could be finalized any day if the 13-year veteran is willing to forgo part of his future earnings.

"Damon wants to play. He's at the end of his career and I understand that," Heisley said. "He's been an outstanding teammate, leader, captain and person."

Well isn't that interesting. Wasn't it Heisley that said that he wasn't going to buy out any more players after doing so with Eddie Jones last year? Nice little flip-flop there when it looks like it might save him a few bucks.

Here's what I suggested to a few people yesterday for the betterment of the team. Activate Damon, put Kyle Lowry on the Inactive List and let Damon backup Conley for a few games. Lowry has obviously hit the "rookie wall" and could use a little time off to regain his bearings and recharge his batteries. The team could use a PG who has a perimeter shot that is actually perceived to be a threat. It is a win-win situation for the team.

Over on The Fanhouse, Tom Ziller has some poignant thoughts about the matter that I recommend checking out.

Links: Point Guard Evaluation, MVP/ROY Rankings, Sam Smith is still Sam Smith

Our old pal David Berri took a look at the Memphis point guards today from his usual statistical perspective on the Wages of Wins Journal. When it was all said and done, Dave arrived at the same conclusion I did in the preseason:

Still, if the numbers for Lowry and Conley hold, Memphis will eventually have to make a decision about who to start and who ultimately to keep. At this point only one thing is certain. The team is not going to keep starting Stoudamire.

It's nice to see confirmation of my evaluation of the PG position from someone who has a lot more clout in academic circles. Another fine post that I recommend reading in its entirety.

We here at 3 Shades of Blue are participating in a season-long ranking of Most Valuable Player and Rookie of the Year candidates that was organized by Alex of BrewHoop. The other blogs participating are as follows:

BrewHoop
Sactown Royalty
Third Quarter Collapse
20 Second Timeout
Posting and Toasting
Queen City Hoops
TWolvesBlog
Sixers 4 Guidos
Bullets Forever
Green Bandwagon
The Bratwurst
Indy Cornrows
Blog A Bull
Clips Nation

You can view our first rankings of the season with commentary on BrewHoop now.

Yet another far-fetched Pau Gasol to the Chicago Bulls rumor/fantasy out of the Windy City -- this time from delusional old man Sam Smith who is no stranger to making up his own trade proposals involving Memphis Grizzlies. I'm sure everyone remembers his obsession with Shane Battier a few years ago. Really, this one is more like a plea for the Bulls' management to make an offer for the Spaniard than it is a trade rumor. That makes it even worse. What's really funny is how he proclaims how much the Bulls need him while downplaying his abilities at the same time. Reminds me of a certain group of posters on the Grizzlies message boards. Here's an example of Smith's continual contradictions:

Now with a new general manager, a new coach in Marc Iavaroni and a new style,
it's clear that Gasol is lost and likely expendable. At least that's the belief around the NBA, and teams expect a shot at Gasol by the trading deadline. The question is how much you really can give up for a seventh-year player who never has been a good rebounder or defender and hasn't been on the winning side in a playoff game.

If Gasol is such a poor rebounder/defender and is labeled a "loser" then why would Chicago benefit from his presence? Of course, if he had bothered to read Ron Tillery's fine article in yesterday's Commercial Appeal, he'd know that Gasol is working very hard to adjust to Iavaroni's new system, and isn't pleased at all with his current level of production. Of course, that wouldn't get Bulls fans excited about Gasol's "availability", would it? Don't worry Grizz fans -- just another bogus rumor that shouldn't receive any attention beyond this blogger taking the time to shoot it full of holes. If the Grizzlies do decide to trade Gasol, it will take more than Tyrus Thomas and Andres Nocioni to acquire him.

Update: Over on AOL's NBA Fanhouse, Bethlehem Shoals called out Sam Smith for being a doddering old fool for many of the same reasons I did regarding the Pau Gasol wishlist piece. Once again, it is nice to see that I am in agreement with people held in higher respect than myself in the blogosphere.

Rank Me Please! 25 Point Guards

It is time once again for me to get entirely too serious about Tony Mejia's positional rankings. This is an annual rite of passage for me, just so you know. You can look at his efforts on CBSSportsline.com: Point Guards, Shooting Guards, Small Forwards, Power Forwards and Centers.

First, let me say that I know it is impossible to do these rankings and satisfy all basketball fans. Inevitably, fans will think that their guy deserves to be higher and Player X that they despise should be lower. I understand and appreciate that fact. However, what I usually take issue with is ranking players under the wrong position -- an issue where Mejia is a habitual offender. If Jason Terry and Devin Harris both start for the Dallas Mavericks, then how can both of them be ranked as point guards? Larry Hughes is undeniably best described as a combo guard, but he starts at SG for the Cleveland Cavaliers, the same position he played on his previous team, the Washington Wizards. So why is the oft-injured Hughes listed among the point guards? For the purposes of my rankings, combo guards get ranked with shooting guards since they are SG's in a PG body. Enough nit-picking though -- let's get to my rankings! Today we'll do Point Guards. I'm following Mejia's system of ranking them for the next 12 months, based on talent/skill level/expectations, regardless of their salary.

Point Guards

1. Steve Nash - There is competition for this spot, with Nash, Jason Kidd and Tony Parker all viable candidates, but Nash's playmaking and scoring ability make him the best choice.
2. Tony Parker - Conventional wisdom would have Jason Kidd -- one of the best PG's in NBA history -- in this spot. I think that Parker took a big step forward last season en route to winning the honors of Finals MVP and that he'll continue to progress as the team around him gets older.
3. Jason Kidd - Slightly slower due to various injuries throughout the years, but still one of the best pure playmakers the game has ever seen. If his scoring ability was more prolific, he'd probably be in the top spot.
4. Chauncey Billups - As clutch as they come, Billups' decision making rarely ever results in a turnover or a bad shot attempt.
5. Gilbert Arenas - Agent Zero is one of the most unbelievable scoring machines in the league. If his shot selection and decision making can improve, he could see his name much closer to the top of this list next year.
6. Deron Williams - His playoff performance vaulted him over CP3. They have almost identical stats, so the fact that Williams played in 17 more regular season games didn't hurt either.
7. Chris Paul - If he can maintain his health, Springfield will be calling his name in another 10 years. Great playmaker with impressive scoring and rebounding ability.
8. Allen Iverson - His efficiency improved across the board upon his arrival in Denver. If he can duplicate that this season, perhaps he'll help Melo reach the 2nd round of the playoffs for the first time in his career.
9. Baron Davis - He averaged 20ppg and 8apg, so why is he so low? Because missed 19 games and still cannot accept that he's not a great perimeter shooter. He shoots 30.4% from behind the arc, the same as T.J. Ford. Ford is smart enough to only try 1 per game, though, while BD throws up 4.4 attempts per game. That's gotta change, even in Nellie's free-wheelin' system.
10. Kirk Hinrich - Captain Kirk is tenacious and smart, displaying no outstanding strengths, but no obvious weaknesses either.
11. Andre Miller - As consistent as they come, Miller is a true playmaking PG who looks to score as a last result. He's like a mini-Jason Kidd, right down to the non-existent perimeter shot.
12. T.J. Ford - Despite splitting time with the underrated José Calderón, Ford ranked #6 in assists per game. The players with more assists per game than Ford last season averaged 6.3 mpg more as well.
13. Raymond Felton - He needs to improve his mid-range game, as well as his overall shooting ability, but he's a very talented playmaker. (Side note: How about the PG's from the 2005 draft?)
14. Maurice Williams - Forgive me if I want to see Mo duplicate last season's breakout performance before singing his praises. He posted career highs in ever category except 3PT%, so let's see if he maintains that or falls back to Earth.
15. Mike Bibby - Some choose to see Bibby's performance last year as an aberration, but I think it is a sign of an inevitable decline, as his assist numbers have dropped each of the past two seasons after posting a career high of 6.8 apg in 2004/05.
16. Devin Harris - He has a lot to prove after signing a sizeable contract in the offseason, having been handed the starting spot with Terry's move to SG last season.
17. Rajon Rondo - Another classic playmaker with suspect shooting, Rondo will have a lot of pressure on him to step up his game with three All-Stars wanting the ball.
18. Stephon Marbury - I should rank him higher based on his testimony in Isiah Thomas' trial this summer and for his affordable shoes, but Starbury is a player with good stats on bad teams. He never should have left Minnesota.
19. Randy Foye - He finished the season strong after a typically inconsistent rookie campaign. That's good, since he'll be the logging the bulk of minutes at the PG spot. Unless of course, Sebastian Telfair rediscovers whatever it was that made him a lottery pick.
20. José Calderón - He'd start for a lot of teams, but still makes the list because he's that good of a playmaker, even with only 21 mpg on the floor.
21. Mike Conley Jr. - Couldn't have this list without Mr. I Can Bowl With Either Hand, now could I? I think he'll be the starter by January and will post similar numbers to Chris Paul and Deron Williams in their rookie years. In short, he'll be impressive.
22. Sam Cassell - If I believed that he was going to be a consumate veteran leader, he'd be in the Top 15. But I don't believe that, so the Alien drops to #22 because I expect him to sulk and complain until the Clippers trade him to Boston, Miami or Cleveland.
23. Mike James - Surely he'll rebound from the horrific season he had after signing that big contract last offseason.......right?
24. Jameer Nelson - He's unhappy that he's not the current owner of a Devin Harris-level contract extension, so expect him to elevate his game to show the Magic what he believes he's worth.
25. Damon Stoudamire - He'll prove that he's healthy, get traded to a playoff contender and resurrect his once-thought-to-be-dead career. His rehab from that knee injury was supposed to take two years anyways, wasn't it?

A few guys who could jump up into the Top 25 this season: Delonte West, Kyle Lowry, Daniel Gibson, Marcus Williams, Sergio Rodriguez, Acie Law IV.

Don't see your team's PG on the list? Then you should probably be worried. Tell your GM to call Houston, Portland or Seattle, since they all have multiple PG's on their roster and are willing to part with one or more of them. Direct all praise or poison to the comments section.