Game Change

Think about it.
With 4:53 to go in the third quarter last night in Indiana, the Knicks trailed by 10.
Their season slipping away.

Then within 103 seconds, with the aid of 4 three pointers (three in a row by Iman Shumpert), the game was tied.

This was it.

The Knicks three point shooting finally came alive - to keep them alive. After going 35 for 106 in the first 5 games of the series (33% - but only 31% in their three losses), the Knicks would finish game six 13 for 30 from three (43%). Throw in Melo scoring 35 points through three quarters on a super efficient 13 of 22 shooting (59% - including a stretch in which he scored 17 of 22 Knick points to keep NY in the game) - this was the Knicks at their best.

Game tied going into the fourth.
At a stand still for much of the final period, the Knicks found themselves up two with the ball, 5:04 to go in the game. Melo, isolation on the right block. The Knicks were headed back to NY for game 7.

Then this happened:

And then the Final five minutes of the game happened.
A 16-7 Pacers run that moved them into the Eastern conference Finals and ended the Knicks season.
What a difference one play can make.

Is it too much to say that if Melo dunks that ball - on Roy Hibbert - the Knicks go back to New York for game 7? And really, is it too much to say that if Melo dunks that ball - on Roy Hibbert - the Knicks play in Miami on Wednesday for the Eastern conference chip?

You want irony? Remember that dunk by Jordan on a Knicks center from Georgetown? What if Ewing blocked that dunk? Might have changed the complexion of the series (though probably not).
But now the Knicks had the team Jordan guy, and their opponent, the Pacers, had the center from georgetown. Time for some pay back right? Wrong.

Oh,  that 7'2" Hibbert guy. He finished the game with 21 points, 12 rebounds, and 5 blocks.




So where do we go from here?

For New York.
It was a good season.
Yes, it's a little disappointing that they didn't make the conference finals - since they had all the tools necessary. After the finishing the regular season on fire, arguably the 2nd best team in the league, with talk of Melo having an MVP season (hey -  he got one first place vote) the Knicks just couldn't find their groove in the post season (something changed after that JR Smith elbow).

Had they shot at a high efficiency, they would be in the conference Finals. Had they made a couple of different plays in the fourth quarter last night, they would be in the conference finals. Had Amar'e not gotten injured, they would be in the conference finals. But as New Yorkers know - that's just the history of the Knicks.

And I'm not saying that facetiously. Just honestly.
And in all honesty, this season was a success because the franchise got themselves out of the doldrums of the league and spoke about competing for a championship without making you laugh. After their previous decade of basketball, that in itself was an accomplishment.

The problem is, things aren't going to get easier moving forward.
LeBron James will be 29 next year.
Only one of Indiana's 7 man rotation this series is over 28 (plus they get Danny Granger back).
And I honestly feel that if Derrick Rose is anything like he was his MVP year, with a healthy Luol Deng, the Bulls may be the favorites.

That's not to say the Knicks can't win.
Shumpert can continue to grow.
Smith can continue to be a 6th man of the year candidate.
Amar'e can finally be healthy for a season and get back to how he played for NY in his first year.
Melo can get better as well.
And maybe the Knicks can get the most out of both Melo and Amar'e at the same time.

As always, New York thinks the Knicks can (even those of us that left the team to root for Miami).
But as always, do the Knicks think they can?


For Indiana.
You have to be impressed with these guys.
No bonafide superstars. Just a bunch of rugged multi-faceted good players that all know their role. Almost all five of their starters are averaging double digits in the playoffs (Lance Stevenson averages 9.8 points per game). And they play defense (like best in the league for the regular season type defense). And they rebound (like best in the league during the post-season type rebounding) - 4 out of their 5 starters average almost 7 rebounds or more per game.

Can they push Miami?
Of course they can.
Can they beat Miami?
Well......
Anything is possible - especially if Wade is injured.
But do keep in mind, while Indiana pushed Miami to 6 last year - including a 2-1 series lead - they did so while Chris Bosh wasn't playing. And just like against Chicago, Bosh's value will really comes out against Indiana.

And let's not forget that Miami has LeBron James.

But, you could say that Indiana has...... Lance Stevenson.

As crazy as it is to think he can match up against LeBron - it might actually be worth watching. Was it me - or did Stevenson look really strong against the Knicks? In game 6 no one could stop him when he went to the basket. Nine lay-ups! See for yourself:

There were at least three times when he knocked Knicks defenders off balance when they tried to stop him. And he is averaging 8 rebounds per game in the playoffs. With Indiana's lack of depth, for sure he is the X factor this series.

Let's be clear. Stevenson is still raw and can't shoot a lick. He literally shot 2 "space balls" (not air balls) last night. The Heat will certainly take advantage of his deficiencies and they won't allow him to get easy buckets off of mistakes (both defensive and offensive). But throw in his tiny history with LeBron (making a choking gesture from the bench last year in the playoffs - which led to on the court physical retaliation by Heat reserves), and this could be fun to watch.

Brooklyn, your main man is ballin' this post-season!

In The Face!

What was the difference between the Knicks losing game 1 of their semi-final match-up against the Indiana Pacers and them winning game 2?

That's easy.
Carmelo Anthony's shooting percentage.

After shooting 38% in the first round series against Boston, Melo shot 10-28 (36%) in the Knicks game 1 loss to Indiana. In a word - yikes!

Game 2 win: 13-26 (50%).

There are several things that the Knicks need to do in order to be successful. Play defense. Make their three point shots. But by far the most important factor is Melo playing efficient.

This round presents an interesting match-up for Anthony - who is playing the 4 in a small Knicks lineup. He will be guarded Primarily by David West - a more canonical power forward. Anthony certainly has the speed and skill advantage in this situation to get any shot he wants. He can certainly get by West at will. But the Pacers also have another player named Roy Hibbert, who is 7'2" and waiting at the rim

Hibbert is averaging 4.5 blocks in the first two games (and has altered countless more).
Melo has 20 lay-up attempts in the first two game this series.
Believe it or not he has made only 7 of those attempts (35%) and has been blocked 8 times!
I'm gonna say there is some sort of correlation between Melo's shooting percentage at the rim and Hibbert's presence.

So here is a suggestion.
When Hibbert is in the game: Melo should post up or blow by his man for his mid-range shot. Or, perhaps ironically, like a point guard kick out to his three point shooters. And fear not, Melo is a guy capable of scoring 50 points without taking a singe shot in the paint.

But When Hibbert is not in the game...... do this:

Looks like a recipe for success!

And speaking of looking......


Look at the disparate facial expressions in reaction to Melo's dunk between Patrick Ewing and his companion. Actually, look at her face compared to everyone around her:

Ewing has been on both sides of this equation before - so while he may have been genuinely elated by Anthony's power move, I can understand if perhaps his emotions were tempered with empathy for Jeff Pendergraph.

She, on the other hand, has no reservations about conveying how nasty that dunk was.
Essh.
Way to not hold anything back Ms.
Way to support Melo and his efficient play.


So what do you think her facial expression was after this?

Flat top almost rim level!

Point Guard Project - Sam Cassell

Welcome to the 12th edition of the Point Guard Project.

Previous participants:
PGP1 - John Lucas
PGP2 - Luke Ridnour
PGP3 - Jrue Holiday
PGP4 - Ricky Rubio
PGP5 - Royal Ivey
PGP6 - Damian Lillard
PGP7 - Derek Fisher
PGP8 - Stephen Curry
PGP9 - Chauncey Billups
PGP10 - Derek Rose
PGP11 - Ty Lawson

Today we are joined by Sam Cassell

What you thought the PGP would be limited to only current NBA players?
Well, you thought wrong.

Why wouldn't we jump at the opportunity to talk to Sam? He played 15 years in the NBA with career averages of 15.7 points and 6 assists a game....to go along with three NBA championships.  His numbers may not seem too astronomical by today's point guard standards - but the chips mean a lot.

His first two years in the NBA he won with the Rockets. While he didn't have to do too much heavy lifting on those squads - he still made some really big plays during the playoffs (as many Knicks fans remember). After that he bounced around several teams throughout his career - but at almost each stop he had a dramatic affect on his team's performance.

He helped lead the Milwaukee Bucks to the Eastern Conference Finals in 2001 - averaging 18 & 8 that year. He helped lead the Minnesota Timberwolves to the Western conference Finals in 2004 (this was the first time Kevin Garnett got out of the first round) - averaging 20 & 7 along the way. His first year with the LA clippers he led them to the playoffs for the first time in 8 years (ultimately the 2nd round) - he averaged 17 & 6 that year. And finally, his last year in the NBA he served as a role player to help Boston win the NBA chip in 2008.

That means 1/3rd of Sam's career was spent in the conference Finals/NBA Finals. He also made one all-star appearance.

Sam is listed as 6'3" and 193 ibs. He was drafted 24th in the '93 draft out of Florida State. He currently is a coach for the the Washington Wizards and in particular works with John Wall.

Mr. Cassell, welcome to the Point Guard Project:




Summary of answers:

1) Grew up watching Jeff Hornacek. Favorite player in the NBA. When he got his time to play in the league and he saw him , he was like "wow, that's my idol right there." Hornacek was slow like him and crafty like him. He felt their games were similar.

2) First memorable Point guard match-up (or person he hated to play against): Kevin Johnson. Yes. Yes. Just speed... with a jump shot. He was John Wall with a hell of a jump shot. Had a hell of a first step. He was trouble.

3) Definition for the job of a point guard: Extension of the coach. Got to be able to pull guys together
and communicate on the court like the coach wants you to. You are the coach on the court, you orchestrate everything.

4) Pass vs shoot: He liked to shoot. But the game tells you what to do. If you play it the right way. Some nights he had to score 30, some nights he had to get 14 assists. He had the luxury to do both.

5) Typical workout: Never worked on ball handling. Just gifted and natural with ball handling. To work on it.....you got to dribble. No drill will teach you. There are certain gimmicks guys practice - bouncing two balls, between the legs - but those are just gimmicks. You have to be able to handle the ball. Change speeds, change directions - with pressure on you. Dribble the ball with pressure on you. Can't really teach that.

As far as shooting - wasn't a great three point shooter. So really mastered the mid-range game. Thought every pull-up jump shot was going in. Some times it didn't. But thought it was going in.
Make a 1000 shots a day - Pull-up jump shots, mostly off the dribble. Never got too many shots off the pass, his game was catered to shooting off the dribble. And utilized a lot of pick and roles because he couldn't out quick nobody.

6) For aspiring point guards: Oh. It's a hard job. It's a demanding job. But it's a fun job.
There are a lot of responsibilities to being a point guard, especially on this level (NBA). Everyone wants the ball. You just have to maintain a strong mind. And make the next play.





Wow. This was fun.
There are some guys that you can tell just love to talk about basketball. Line up the questions and they'll knock 'em down! Sam Cassell is one of those guys. He was just gushing and smiling while dropping knowledge. And after the interview, when I said "thank you," he shook my hand! It was as if he was saying, "thank you for letting me rap about the game."

I never would have guessed Hornacek was his favorite player. Besides that fact that Hornacek was a shooting guard - would you expect a black kid from Baltimore to grow up idolizing a white guy playing in Phoenix/Utah? But that is part of the beauty of the game - what it transcends. Surprises aside, perhaps recognizing a similar style of play (slow and crafty) is an important thing. Such a commonality with someone in a profession you dream about having enables a certain confidence that it is possible to achieve it yourself. It provides sort of a tailor made blueprint.

There are a couple of things that really interest me here.

Remember last time, with Ty Lawson, I brought up the fact that he mentioned that he doesn't really work on ball handling? Here is what I said:

"Why waste time with convoluted moves when you can simply blow by your man? And what is complicated about a quick change of direction to create space......and if worse comes to worse, just use a screen to either get by your man or create a mismatch on a switch. 

Perhaps more than anything, the essentials of ball handling for points are: changing speed, changing direction..... and mastery of the pick and roll. All of these are suffice to keep your defender at a disadvantage"  

Well, Sam Cassell told me that he never really worked on ball handling and that:

"No Drill will teach you......bouncing two balls, betwen the legs - those are just gimmicks. You have to be able to change speeds and change direction.......and utilize(d) a lot of pick and rolls." 

Wow.
How amazing is it that Sam Cassell  - perhaps a future hall of famer - essentially said the same exact thing?!? Not bad for a biomedical scientist. I guess you can say that "I'ma get Bucks like Milwaukee cause like Sam, I Ca-Sell."

But let me just clarify something. It is important to work on ball handling - just in a fundamental way. There are perhaps several essential moves/adjustments (crossover, changing speeds, hesitation, protecting the ball) that through repetition develops conditioning and strength as well as a level of comfort when faced with pressure by a defender. And of course you can always get creative - nothing wrong with having a diverse repertoire in you tool box. Most you'll never use, but will have just in case a situation in a game requires it.  The trick is to make sure you practice game relevant moves.

I also love Sam's description of his practice routine for jump shots. He knew his strengths and weaknesses. "Not a great three point shooter - so master the mid-range game." "couldn't out-quick no one, so utilize a lot of screen and roles." And therefore "practice pull-up jump shots, off the dribble."
For practice, form fits function. And for point guards, that means handling the ball a lot and trying to penetrate - which means shooting off the dribble and coming off screens. Now get up a 1000 of those shots a day!

Finally, working in a genetics lab you learn to appreciate evolution. How unexpected it can be but looking back, how purposeful it is. So think about this lineage development:
Jeff Hornacek to Sam Cassell to Chauncey Billups to John Wall.
The middle might be unsurprising but could you have suspected the origin or current iteration?

How about a slow and crafty shooter becoming a slow and crafty point guard? This step, Hornacek to Cassell, is perhaps a minor step in terms of evolution - a merging of functional skills that may be found in cis.  The Cassell to Billups path is more of a duplication event that validates the importance of this new trait/type of player for overall fitness/survival in the ever changing landscape of the NBA. So what's the next logical jump in terms of evolution? How about transferring all these crafty shooting/balling handling skills as well as the leadership qualities of a point guard to a freakish athlete? How much of a major leap is this? Now we're talking about the merging of traits found in trans - functional skills and physical attributes.

Can't wait to see what John Wall evolves into!

Of course, while some components of this evolutionary process are genetic - it by no means is a passive event. Much of the skills have to be learned and practiced to a level of mastery. And that indeed is a difficult job. But when considering the end results - it can surely also be a fun job!

Much thanks to Sam Cassell for his time!
I hope you enjoyed this edition of the Point Guard Project!
Stay tuned for more!

Point Guard Project - Ty Lawson

Welcome to the 11th edition of the Point Guard Project.

Previous participants:
PGP1 - John Lucas
PGP2 - Like Ridnour
PGP3 - Jrue Holiday
PGP4 - Rickey Rubio
PGP5 - Royal Ivey
PGP6 - Damian Lillard
PGP7 - Derek Fisher
PGP8 - Stephen Curry
PGP9 - Chauncey Billups
PGP10 - Derek Rose

Today we are joined by Ty Lawson

You might have heard the Miami Heat had a 27 game winning streak recently.
Well the Denver Nuggets weren't too shabby during that stretch either with a 15 game winning streak of their own. And Ty lawson had a lot to do with that winning. During that run, after which the Nuggets currently find themselves as the 3 seed in the western conference, Lawson averaged about 20 points and 6 assists a game.

Drafted 18th in '09 out of North Carolina (after leading them to a NCAA championship), Lawson is in his 4th year in the league. This season he is putting up career numbers: 16.9 points (on 46% shooting) and 6.9 assists a game.

He is listed at 5'11" (no sure if I believe that) and 195 ibs.

Mr. Lawson, welcome to the Point Guard Project




Summary of answers:
1) Grew up watching Allen Iverson & Michael Jordan. Tried to emulate Iverson and Chris Paul when he got into college.

2) First memorable point guard match-up: Chris Paul in New Orleans.
Chauncey Billups was hurt so he got to start and the first half was killing - like 17 points 5 assists! Paul only had 8 assists (only?). But in the second half he showed why he is Chris Paul - ended up with 30 and 12. Was definitely a battle though, he finished with 25 points & 7 assists.

3) Definition for the job of a point guard: be a manager, do what the team needs when they need it. Goes from setting people up for get easy shots to taking over games at a certain points. (When he refers to tonight having to take over a game - he was taking about his game in Boston, when he scored 29 points to go along with 8 assists and 6 rebounds).

4) Pass vs shoot: early in the game try to get people involved and see if they are knocking down shots. If people aren't knocking down shots you have to take it into your own hands. Most point guards can get to anywhere they want on the court. So once you get there you have to be able to knock down shots.

5) Typical workout Not too much ball handling - unless on the court playing pickup. Try different things, even in practice. Work more on Shooting: step backs & floaters. Also work on Passing with left hand. In the summer, make at least 500-600 shots a day. During the season make 100 a day after practice.

6) For aspiring point guards: Keep working on your craft. More ball handling- so you can get anywhere on the court. But once you get there you have to be able to knock down the shot. If you're a speedy point guard those are the two things that can make you deadly. One of the best at that right now is Kyrie Irving. He can get anywhere on the court and he can make the shoot. So you have to honor that. And when you do (honor the shot) he can go by you, so you are at his mercy.




Wouldn't you expect a player like Ty Lawson to grow up watching Iverson? A super quick guard that gets anywhere on the floor he wants to score? In fact, the more I interview point guards in the league - as the position has evolved into that of a scorer - the more I see how big of an influence Iverson really had on this generation.

A couple of things that are interesting to me.
Ty Lawson doesn't really work on ball handling. Now, I'm not sure how much he did when he was in high school or in college (in fact or aspiring points he says it's key), but it seems as a pro further development of this skill isn't a necessity for him. Kind of counter intuitive for a point guard, no? Well maybe not when you consider his speed and the advantage it grants him in terms of always having a step on his defender. In fact, in this case it makes sense that less is more. Why waste time with convoluted moves when you can simply blow by your man? And what is complicated about a quick change of direction to create space as your defender is still catching up to your initial move? And if worse comes to worse, just use a screen to either get by your man or create a mismatch on a switch.

Pretty straight forward no?

Perhaps more than anything, the essentials of ball handling for points are: changing speed, changing direction (a nice crossover does the trick most of the time - and doesn't have to be like Iverson's) - which is embellished by your speed, and mastery of the pick and roll. All of these are suffice to keep your defender at a disadvantage.

Of course, not everyone is as quick as Ty lawson. And I would argue these types of point guards might have to work on their craftiness and ball handling skills a little more. Would it make sense to say that there is an inverse correlation between a player's speed/athleticism and how many tricks they need to have with the ball? Of course, having speed/athleticism and skills are a defender's worst nightmare.

Regardless of how it is manifested, it is enlightening to hear Lawson say it is a necessity for point guards to be able to get to any spot on the floor. But while ball handling is an essential component to making that happen, being able to knock down shots is an essential component for taking advantage of making it happen. In fact, in his praising of Kyrie Irving, Lawson mentions how the defender "has to honor his shot." And this, perhaps more than anything is what puts the defender "at his mercy" and enables him to get by the defender.

How ironic.
A point guard has to be able to shoot to be effective. A point guard has to make the defense honor his scoring ability to be able to facilitate. Rather than running a team/offense and then taking what the defense gives you (if you're open, shoot) you have to make the defense play you (look to shoot) and then work off of that. Kind of turns the traditional notion of a point guard on it's head.

Truth be told, no matter how fast you are defenses can adjust how they play you. And if you can't shoot the ball a team will simply play off you several feet daring you to shoot. This is sort of the game plan when defending Rajon Rondo - which makes makes it even more amazing that he is still able to lead the league in assists. But if you can shoot, defenses sort of have to pick their poison between allowing you to penetrate and facilitate or score the ball on jump shots.

Finally, when to pass vs shoot seems to be an easy decision in this case. Early on, you're looking to get others involved and giving them the opportunity to makes plays. But if things aren't working out, you have to flip the switch and "take over the game."

Both attributes, in the right proportion, are essential to be successful: Make everyone around you better, but if need be score at will by getting anywhere you want on the floor.

Sounds fair enough for contemporary point guards.

Much thanks to Ty Lawson for his time!
I hope you enjoyed this edition of the Point Guard Project!
Stay tuned for more!

Point Guard Project - Derrick Rose

Welcome to the 10th edition of the Point Guard Project.

Previous participants:
PGP1 - John Lucas
PGP2 - Luke Ridnour
PGP3 - Jrue Holiday
PGP4 - Ricky Rubio
PGP5 - Royal Ivey
PGP6 - Damian Lillard
PGP7 - Derek Fisher
PGP8 - Stephen Curry
PGP9 - Chauncey Billups

Today we are joined by Derrick Rose

You might have heard a lot of talk lately about D. Rose and his possible return to the Bulls this season. Out all year while recovering from a torn ACL, Rose was recently cleared medically to play. However, Rose has maintained for the past month and a half that he is unsure wether he will return this season at all. Of course this has led to numerous rumors and speculation......which will not be discussed here.

The reality is when healthy, Rose is a top 3 point guard in the league and perhaps a top 5 player. Mind you, he is the only player in the last 4 years to win MVP other than LeBron.

In his MVP year, Rose averaged 25 points and almost 8 assists a game while leading Chicago to the 1 seed in the East. For his career he is at 21 and 7, respectively.
24 years old and waiting to play his 5th year in the league, Rose is listed as 6'3" and 190 ibs. He was drafted #1 overall by Chicago in '08 out of Memphis (after leading them to the championship game).

He also won a gold medal with team USA during the 2010 World Championships.

Mr. Rose, welcome to the Point Guard Project:



Summary of responses:

1) Grew up watching Michael Jordan (you think?). But never wanted to play like anyone. Everyone has their own way of playing. You can take some moves from people but can't take their whole game.

2) Memorable point guard match-up: First game in the league was against Jason Kidd. It was pretty awesome. They (the Bulls) Lost. But it was still great.

3) Job of a point guard: Be the captain on the team. The point guard leads other players and sees if anyone is down. Picks others up emotionally. Has to make sure the game is very stable and make sure the offense is runs correctly. And being the voice while the coach is sitting down.

4) Pass vs shoot: Different for him - he is a scoring point guard. He has to score. Pass? Not really.

5) Typical workout: Hard. Go for about an hour and a half. Take a lot of jumpers,  probably 500-700. A lot of floaters and lay-ups and finishing with contact.

6) For aspiring point guards: Love the game. Appreciate it. Dedicate your lives to it and take it very serious.




Short and to the......point.

Growing up in Chicago, I would have been more shocked if Derrick said he watched anyone other than Jordan growing up. But there is an interesting consequence when a point guard takes moves from Jordan. I suppose the logical result would be a player like Derrick Rose - an extremely athletic & powerful scoring point guard. But think about how this has changed the norm for his position in the game today.

I do like the fact that he mentioned he "never tried to play like anyone else." This is actually a really important realization.

With regards to when to pass vs. shoot, it's obvious that when healthy Derrick is the best player on his team and the best scorer. And there is no point in denying this and not playing to his strengths. Absolutely he should always be looking to score first and get assists as a result of the defense converging on him and leaving his teammates open. Of course - it does take practice to read defenses and still be willing to make the right pass. More times than not, Rose will face a double team - so it is a hard task not to overpass and play into the defense's priority of getting the ball out of his hands. At the same time, there is a balance to keeping the ball when facing a double team and making your teammates happy by not taking bad shots over 2-3 people when someone else is open.

But either way, it seems like in the past year the answer of when to pass vs. shoot has become more clear for Rose. Listen to his response when I asked him the same question about a year ago:

Pass vs. Shoot

Last year, there was no question he seemed to still be learning the game and figuring out how to balance his incredible skills with his leadership obligation. And it was mentioned that his coach has to constantly remind him - yell at him if need be - that he is Chicago's first and second option offensively (I would say that is great coaching). He response this year was almost as comical as it was self-assurded: "He is a scoring guard - he has to score." "Pass, not so much."

So here you have a case where a point guard shouldn't be looking to pass first. And for him and his team, this is actually the right way to play.


Finally, I found his advice for aspiring point guards interesting and telling of his current situation.
"Appreciate the game."
After going from reigning MVP to not playing for a whole year - I'm sure Rose has a new found appreciation for the game. As great and young as these players are, nothing is guaranteed. And that's just about the truth in everything. I guess you can say there is something to living in the moment and always putting your best foot forward - because you never know how long something will last.

And how about:
"Love the game."
"Dedicate your lives to it."

Don't get me started on love and dedication.
My first year coaching high school basketball I asked my kids:
"Have you ever dedicated yourselves entirely to something?"

Isn't this a requisite for love? Yes. But I would say, as much as this is a necessity - it is also a concept that can evoke a lot of fear. The question that inevitably comes up is "what if I fail?" What if I dedicate my life to something and I don't succeed? And let's be honest, for aspiring point guards, most of you won't become Derrick Rose.
I didn't.
But that's okay.

I would argue, it's the process itself that is most important. The simple act of dedication - as irrational as it may be - to a game. It will transform you. No question there are things more important than basketball. But perhaps basketball can prepare you for those other things. The trick is knowing when to apply the ability of love and dedication, as well as the transformation it induces, off the court to areas that become more important - relationships and helping others. And in that regard "love for the game" becomes transferable and actually has the ability to transform others as well.

You can also argue that whether or not you obtain your ultimate goal (although these things change over time), just having experienced that sort of love and dedication - the act itself - is the important thing.

Is this a basketball blog or a romantic novel???
Well I never claimed not be be a romantic at heart.

But I believe this. And when you hear someone like Derrick Rose mention this - it evokes a an appreciation and respect for those that follow their passion.

And that's a journey worth taking.


Much thanks to Derrick Rose for his time!
I hope you enjoyed this addition of the Point Guard Project!
Stay tuned for more!

Point Guard Project - Chauncey Billups

Welcome to the 9th edition of the Point Guard Project.

Previous participants:
PGP1 - John Lucas
PGP2 - Luke Ridnour
PGP3 - Jrue Holiday
PGP4 - Ricky Rubio
PGP5 - Royal Ivey
PGP6 - Damian Lillard
PGP7 - Derek Fisher
PGP8 - Stephen Curry

This time we are joined by Chauncey Billups

Where hasn't Chauncey been and what hasn't he done in his 16 year NBA career? Selected 3rd overall in the '97 draft out of Colorado, Chauncey has had stints in Boston, Toronto, Denver, Minnesota, Detroit, Denver (again), New York, and now finally in LA with the clippers.

Of course, Mr. Billups was most revered while in a Pistons uniform. During those 6 years he averaged
17 points and 6.3 assists a game with 3 all-star appearances. He also led Detroit to 2 NBA Finals, winning the chip in '04 while earning Finals MVP honors.

But he didn't stop there. After moving back to Denver, he helped lead Carmelo out of the first round for the only time (just saying) and into the conference Finals - making it the 7th consecutive conference Finals appearance for him (one of only 5 players to do so since 1970). Chauncey was a two-time all star in Denver, averaging 18.3 points and 6.1 assists while there.

Listed at 6'3" and 210 ibs, Chauncey has career averages of 15.5 points and 5.5 assists per game.
Additionally, he won a gold medal with team USA at the 2010 world championships.

Mr. Billups, welcome to the Point Guard Project:



Summary of answers:

1) Grew watching Jason Kidd, Gary Payton, Stockton, Mark Jackson, Sam Cassel, & Rod Strickland.
Took several things from all of those guys and made himself.

2) First memorable point match-up: Will always remember his match-up against Sam Cassel. Felt like he had some advantages over him going into the game: younger, faster, jump higher - felt like he could have his way....... When game was over he had like 12 points, 4-5 assist and 6-7 turnovers. Cassel had like 36 points and 11 assists! And he felt like he got all of those 36! Was the most humbling game he had ever been apart of. Cassel was just smarter. But, it made him realize he wasn't ready and that he had a ways to go.

3) Job of a point guard: Facilitate, keep everybody happy on the team, and just make sure you put your guys in a position to look good.

4) When to pass vs shoot: One of the toughest things to learn. It's all about game type situations. Having a feel - who's open and if thats their shot or if you have the advantage at the time. there are about 4-6 different reads that you have to make quick. And it takes time to perfect that.

5) Typical workout: Mostly done in the summer. Weight room first - core activation and full body workout. Then to the court. Warmup with some dribbling. Then start inside out: Post-up stuff and stay close to the rim. Then move to mid-range: floaters with right and left hand. Then work on three pointers. Finally work on pick and roll stuff.

6) For aspiring point guards: Study the game and how the game is played - the right way. Playing the game the right way means it's not just about highlights and stats. If you're a point guard you have to demand the respect of your teammates. The best honor for a point guard to have is for everyone in the locker room to say they enjoy playing with you.



First off, don't you just love the background theme music playing in the Clippers locker room??? It certainly made for a more crunk experience.

As far as Chauncey himself, it's easy to tell this guy has a wealth of knowledge about the game and more importantly for us is willing to share it. I absolutely love the story about Sam Cassel. Yes, talent can earn you being selected third in the NBA draft, but it means squat against wily veterans that have mastered their craft. Perhaps everyone needs a good humbling experience early n their professional careers to learn what it takes to be successful. And by the way, I certainly remember Cassel, when he was making big shots in the '94 Finals to help the Rockets beat the Knicks.

To tell you the truth - I always think about Chauncey Billups when considering the difficulties for point guards to determine when to pass vs shoot. As he mentioned "it's one of the more difficult things to learn." But Chauncey is a great example of how mastering this skill can transform your career, let alone those of the teammates around you. Yes, there was a lot of trial and tribulation - like bouncing around 4 teams in his first 5 years in the league. But Chauncey found a home and really became an elite point guard in Detroit. The story goes that Larry Brown, as coach, kind of taught Billups to play the "right" way and become more of a traditional pass first point guard that runs the team rather than looking to score all the time. And thus he learned how to "facilitate," make "everybody on the team happy," but most importantly "put guys in a position to look good." What was the result? 7 conference Finals in a row.

Ironically, becoming a pass first point may have made him more of a consistent weapon offensively. It must have taken pressure off him and it probably forced him into taking higher percentage shots. And if the defense realizes your strength is passing - they probably will play off you in certain instances to force you into shooting the ball. Therefore you don't have to create, just take what the defense gives you. Imagine how that feels if you came into the league as a scorer to begin with?

But truth be told, Billups had the right pieces around him to enable this development. And certainly not all point guards should or can become this type of player. When coach Brown moved to New York - he tried to convince Marbury to become a similar player - and that didn't work out too well. You may want to insert some jokes about Marbury here - but I would argue that he was just a tad ahead of his time. Try telling Derrick Rose or Russell Westbrook to become more traditional points. Sometimes you have to let these guys play to their strengths.

Finally, how about a nicely detailed and fairly straight forward workout routine?
Start in the weight room and on the court with post ups (he is 210 ibs). Was he inspired by Cassel to go to the post? Has he come full circle at this stage in his career?

In general, start in close and then work your way out - yes, you need to develop your touch inside before you take 30 footers! And work on game situation shots - finishing floaters with both hands and pick and roll stuff. As a facilitator it's your job to get guys in the right spots. But hone your skills for situations when the defense leaves you open and have to take advantage of it. Pass vs shoot - difficult to decipher? But maybe easy to practice.


Much thanks to Chauncey Billups for his time!
I hope you enjoyed this edition of the Point Guard Project!
Stay tuned for more!

Point Guard Project - Stephen Curry

Welcome to the 8th edition of the Point Guard Project.

Previous Participants:
PGP1 - John Lucas
PGP2 - Luke Ridnour
PGP3 - Jrue Holiday
PGP4 - Ricky Rubio
PGP5 - Royal Ivey
PGP6 - Damian Lillard
PGP7 - Derek Fisher

This time we are joined by Stephen Curry

The PGP questions:

1) Who did you watch play growing up? And whose game did you try to emulate?

2) What was your first memorable point guard match-up, when you first got into the league?

3) What is your definition for the job of a point guard?

4) How do you determine when to shoot vs. when to pass?

5) What is a typical workout for you like?

6) Do you have any words of advice for young aspiring point guards?



In case you didn't hear, Stephen had himself a game last week in New York:
career high 54 points (11-13 from three!)....to go along with 7 assists and 6 rebounds.

And here I thought 50 point games at the Garden were only reserved for the Likes of Jordan, Kobe, and LeBron.

Truth be told, in his 4th year in the league, Stephen is coming into his own - posting career bests in scoring and assists at 22 (on 45% shooting) and 6.6, respectively (to go along with 4 rebounds a game).

Son of former NBA player Dell Curry (16 years in the league - best season averaged 16.3 points and 2.7 assists a game), Stephen is listed at 6'3" and 185 ibs. and was drafted 7th overall by Golden State out of Davidson. As a sophomore in College, he led Davidson to the Elite 8, where they lost to Kansas (the eventual national champions). Stephen also helped Team USA win gold at the world championships in 2010.

Mr. Curry, welcome to the Point Guard Project:




Summary of answers:

1) Grew up watching a lot of guys - not one in particular. Just a fan of basketball. Try to take bits and pieces of top elite point guards and emulate a combination of all of them.

2) First memorable point guard match-up: None really stick out, but was always a fan of Steve Nash and worked out with Chris Paul before rookie year. It's always fun to play against guys you have a relationship with and try to have a good game.

3) Job of a point guard: being a leader, trying to make all the right plays, and being aggressive. The point guard is the starting point for both the offensive and defense ends. Good point guards make an imprint on the game early and often.

4) When to pass vs. shoot: read the defense and let the play decide for you. Got to be aggressive and get in the paint and make plays. For those that can shoot the ball you have to use that as a threat.
Usually the play develops and will tell you what to do. If you have a guy that's held up on a screen you got to knock down the shot. But if he is right on your tail and you can still get in the paint then you have to make plays.

5) Typical workout: Such a hard question (well, I try my best). Get up as many shot as you can in the summer. 300-500 makes a day - however long it takes. During the season continue to work on your game, protect your legs and stay fresh - but there is still opportunity to work on your game.

6) For aspiring point guards: continue to be a student of the game. You can always learn and get better. And practice at game speed. That's the best way to add those things you learn by watching other players when you are in the gym by yourself.

How about a little bonus???
Care to see Stephen work before a game?

Here you go:

As usual, a few things.

First, I am really into the part about watching many different people growing up and taking something from each one of them and adding it to your game. An amalgamation of skill sets that create a new unique player. Is it not like some sort of evolution?

And it's interesting that Curry mentions Steve Nash - because you can sort of see the similarities in their respective games in terms of shooting ability and craftiness with the ball.  Shooting wise, this year Curry is at 45% from the field and 45% from three (47% and 45% for his career, respectively). Nash, currently in his 17th season, is shooting 51% from the field and 44% from three (49% and 43% for his career, respectively). I would argue that Nash is one of the best shooters of all time. Curry is perhaps one of the best contemporary shooters in the league.

How do you get there?
300-500 makes, presumably a day in the summer. And then keeping your game sharp during the season. Look at the workout above - the whole thing took perhaps 10 minutes - but was super efficient.

And there is a flow to it.
First off - start in close with one legged floaters and layup/hook shots. This makes a big difference and helps to get going. Then move out to the mid-range and go around the world. A lot of spot ups, but in the middle get a little rhythm by mixing in one dribble moves: between the leg pull up, behind the back pull-up, step-back, between the leg then step back. All fairly simple variations on a theme, but extremely effective. As a shooter, all you need to do is just create enough space to get your shot off - so sometimes less dribbling is more. The less energy you expend the better!

Then check out his pick and roll work in the second video. Besides a quick one dribble move to create your own shot, pick and rolls are the other way point guards do most of their damage (Steve Nash). In Curry's pre-game routine, make 5 shots coming off either side of the screen. They will mostly be mid-range pull-ups, but mix in some step backs. And on the wings, mix in some drives to the basket/floaters as well as coming off a screen without the ball. And check out how much contact he makes with the screener - you don't want to allow any room for your defender to get over the screen!

Now that you have this skill set and can essentially score from anywhere on the floor - it gives you the confidence to follow his words of advice: "be aggressive - you have to make plays. And the good point guards do it early and often."

Well if you can shoot like that then it's probably something you relish doing!

Much thanks to Stephen Curry for his time!
I Hope you enjoyed this edition of the Point Guard Project!
Stay tuned for more!