[NBA] 2017-2018 Regular Season

Eric Bledsoe tweeted on Sunday afternoon, "I don't wanna be here."

The Suns opened up the 2016-17 season with three horrendous blowouts, and Bledsoe obviously has not been thrilled with the early results. The 27-year-old guard doesn't make much sense on the rebuilding Suns' team, but him seemingly publicly requesting a trade on Twitter isn't exactly the best way to handle things. Suns owner Robert Sarver is reportedly going to meet with head coach Earl Watson today, and Bledsoe will assuredly be a part of that conversation. Bledsoe isn't in a great spot for fantasy value in Phoenix, so a trade wouldn't necessarily be a bad thing here.
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watson just fired.
 
sammyrocks said:
Social media-conscious fans of about 30 teams just fired up ESPN’s trade machine. I know I did.
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cancer said:
wont lie, okc lost by double digits but westbrook's facilitating to his teammates wasn't bad at all. they just weren't executing.

westbrook showing he can be a floor general is far more impressive imo. okc will have some painful losses but the investment is worth it.
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Ah yes, 14 turnovers in two games is highly indicative of future success as a pass first point guard.

Good analysis!
 
A true "Pass-first point guard" is a waste of a player.

I also think it's a concept that doesn't really exist, it's a misnomer. You can't be a "pass first" anything. The very first option for anyone on the court, at any time, is to get a good shot. It has to be. If you're not looking to score, you're not a threat. If you're not a threat, the D doesn't have to worry about you, and that just puts more pressure on the rest of the team.

So I'd hesitate to think of even someone like John Stockton as a "pass first" point guard. Score first. Pass if you can't score. The entire point of an offence is to get the ball in the hands of someone with a good shot available to them. If you bring the ball up the court and find yourself with a good scoring opportunity available, it's pretty much your duty to exploit it.

Westbrook is IMO the embodiment of the modern PG. Ridiculous agility that can get that first step on a defender and then make the most of it. Keep going to the basket if the help doesn't come - work through it if it comes late, or find the easy dish if it comes early. Passing is like... option #3.

I don't think you'll really get a PG in the mould of a Stockton.. or even a Jason Kidd or Steve Nash with the way the game is officiated these days. Back before the era of the untouchable PG, defenders had a much better chance to shut that sort of player down 1-on-1. Now you don't have that instant feedback you could get from a hand on the hip, you can't get away with a bit of a bump. The playing field was a lot more level in that era. These days the offence gets to play downhill and dictate the terms with impunity. In that environment, while the deft slight-of-hand no-look pass to pick out a cutter through a crowded key is still a valid option, it's so much more reliable (and easier) to have that explosive acceleration that lets you blow by a hapless defender and force the D to rotate away.

That said: yeah, Westbrook's been turning it over way too much. This OKC lineup is all about volume scoring, and they need to keep their completed possessions high if they want results.
 
Was just reacting to the comments about Westbrook.. I'd been watching the ESPN special on the Bad Boy Pistons and was getting all nostalgic about when people were allowed to play defence. The style of PG that dominates the game today - that Westbrook is pretty much the epitome of.. That wasn't something that really existed back then, it just didn't work.
 
MC Hamster said:
A true "Pass-first point guard" is a waste of a player.

I also think it's a concept that doesn't really exist, it's a misnomer. You can't be a "pass first" anything. The very first option for anyone on the court, at any time, is to get a good shot. It has to be. If you're not looking to score, you're not a threat. If you're not a threat, the D doesn't have to worry about you, and that just puts more pressure on the rest of the team.
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and a true pass-first point guard identifies what the best shot for the team is and how to get it. an effective pass-first point guard has a significant and meaningful impact on getting a good shot for his offense.

So I'd hesitate to think of even someone like John Stockton as a "pass first" point guard. Score first. Pass if you can't score. The entire point of an offence is to get the ball in the hands of someone with a good shot available to them. If you bring the ball up the court and find yourself with a good scoring opportunity available, it's pretty much your duty to exploit it.
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why would anyone pass if they can score first. the point of an offensive possession is to score. so in that sense, getting the ball in the hands of someone with a good shot is not the entire point of an offense. whereas exploiting the defense and finding the best scoring opportunity is. a floor general or pass-first point guard does exactly that.

Westbrook is IMO the embodiment of the modern PG. Ridiculous agility that can get that first step on a defender and then make the most of it. Keep going to the basket if the help doesn't come - work through it if it comes late, or find the easy dish if it comes early. Passing is like... option #3.
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agreed

I don't think you'll really get a PG in the mould of a Stockton.. or even a Jason Kidd or Steve Nash with the way the game is officiated these days. Back before the era of the untouchable PG, defenders had a much better chance to shut that sort of player down 1-on-1. Now you don't have that instant feedback you could get from a hand on the hip, you can't get away with a bit of a bump. The playing field was a lot more level in that era. These days the offence gets to play downhill and dictate the terms with impunity. In that environment, while the deft slight-of-hand no-look pass to pick out a cutter through a crowded key is still a valid option, it's so much more reliable (and easier) to have that explosive acceleration that lets you blow by a hapless defender and force the D to rotate away.
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if scoring PG's were as dominant as you describe, kyrie and isiah thomas would be the two best players in the league. they are two of the best scoring point guards in the history of the game, by multiple metrics. i dont think anyone would pick either of them over a giannis, kawhi, KAT, AD, lebron, list goes on.
 
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1teaminlondon said:
and a true pass-first point guard identifies what the best shot for the team is and how to get it. an effective pass-first point guard has a significant and meaningful impact on getting a good shot for his offense..
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You're absolutely correct. I'm kinda arguing semantics and being a bit silly about it.





if scoring PG's were as dominant as you describe, kyrie and isiah thomas would be the two best players in the league. they are two of the best scoring point guards in the history of the game, by multiple metrics. i dont think anyone would pick either of them over a giannis, kawhi, KAT, AD, lebron, list goes on.
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My point is more that that driving, athletic PG is a far more dominant force now than they have ever been - in my memory, at least. That doesn't mean other styles of player aren't viable though. Some are certainly diminished, but that doesn't mean it's not possible - especially when you have the sort of freaky combinations of humanity you listed.
 
According to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, the Suns are engaged in trade talks for Eric Bledsoe with several teams.

Bledsoe was sent home from the morning shootaround and it doesn't sound like he will play for the Suns again -- he's already been ruled out for Monday's game. Until we know what teams are interested, it's hard to predict what type of value he will have in a new city. The good news is that a move would reduce his shut-down risk since the Suns are tanking harder than any other team.
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