A Perception of the Present from a Piston Perspective

It's been over a week now since Allen Iverson was traded from the Denver nuggets, swapped with Chauncey Billups of the Detroit pistons. It is still very early days, and alot of people are over-analysing AI's first two games. In the last seven days, I've heard pistons fans say "2009 NBA champions!", "LeBron is coming to the Detroit!" and "we won't make the playoffs this year", this all after two games. People are jumping to conclusions far too soon with no sustainable proof or evidence to back up their case.

When Iverson arrived in Toronto on Wednesday, he was exhausted. He was then expected to start at the most important position on the floor leading a team built around chemistry who just lost their captain and court leader. The team then had to get back to Detroit to play against the current nba champions and best defense in the league within two days. Did you honestly expect that to end well?

The nba schedule has gifted Detroit with an impeccably timed west coast road trip, including Golden state, Phoenix and the L.A. lakers. Rodney Stuckey didn't make the flight with the rest of the team, putting Iverson as the consistent point guard for the trip. Any long term effects of the AI move shouldn't be judged until at least a month into the trade.
However, one big problem I do have with the currrent squad is their prevention of penetration. Friday night Harris got to the rim with ease, possibly because of Iverson's fatigue, or perhaps just his regular defensive principles. I love Iverson's attitude, but I dislike his mindset. To find success in this game, the heart has to go in at the defensive end first, placing offense as a second priority. Iverson certaintly has the speed, and should be athletically capable of staying in front of his man, it's just a case of his effort. We hear so much about his heart but until he learns to lock down his man, I will continue to doubt just how much AI wants it. Despite this, I have previously mentioned, it is still too early to pass concrete judgement on Iverson in Detroit, so I won't continue the argument on Iverson's defense until we can witness more evidence.

I have a serious bone to pick with Rasheed Wallace. I actually wish he didn't have the range which he does, then maybe we could see him physically work down low for his points, and play as a genuine big man. When the three is falling for him, it's fantastic, when it isn't, he becomes a cancer. The potential of Wallace's career is (was) phenominal, he has already achieved enough to be called a success, however it is possible for him to of accomplished so much more if it weren't for his paint allergy and charismatic yet dangerously unstable attitude.

The fact of the matter is, an nba championship cannot be won without a legitamate post player. Aside from Jordan's bulls, no nba team has won a championship over the past decade without a dominant big man. The spurs of '99 had the admiral, the lakers aquired Shaq and won three straight championships, one more when he left for Miami. Duncan led the spurs to the '03, '05 and '07 championships and Garnett was the foundation of the celtics' title last year. The 2004 pistons seem to be the only team to break the chain, and they still obeyed the guidlines more or less, going all the way thanks to all round intimidating defense, particulary that down low from Wallace and Wallace. Back then a guard would fear a drive into the paint, aware that an invasion of big Ben's territory would end in a painful and humiliating rejection.

In my opinion, Joe Dumars is the best GM in the NBA. I can't recall one mistake since the 2003 draft, and even without the Darko pick the pistons may never of traded for a then-hungry Sheed. Since the pistons took possession of Iverson's $21 million expiring salary, the names of alot of free agents have been thrown about, Boozer, Bosh and Stoudemire to name a few. I have doubts about how realistic the aquisition of these players are, however I do believe the pursuit of one of these may well be the long term motive in making the Iverson move.

The pistons now have a number of options. The current team is so versatile, with so many ways to break down a defense, perhaps a reason for Dumars to make the unlikely move of resigning AI at the end of this year, Iverson has already said he would take a pay cut for a shot at the championship. However, this could affect the growth of talented yet still developing Rodney Stuckey, indicating Iverson will most likely not return to the D. If Joe allows both Iverson and Wallace's contracts to expire, he then has a ridiculous amount of money to spend on a temptingly tasty free agent market. The core of the pistons is slowly but surely aging, and we may find out tommorow another move has been made, finding a whole new face in the D (Kaman's on the market, very unlikely but worth noting).

Joe Dumars knows what he's doing, any pistons fan with genuine knowledge of their team knows this. He's made risks in the past, and has most certaintly sampled the benefits of them. The future of Detroit is very unpredictable, with a lot of big decisions to be made, but as long as Dumars is in the driving seat, pistons fans have nothing to worry about.

The Perception of the Point Guard

Due to my age, I am unfortunate enough to have never witnessed Magic run the showtime lakers. I have never experienced the sight of Stockton play for the jazz. The only spectacular feat of Zeke I've witnessed is the absolute destruction of the Knicks. I will not be able to participate in the best point guard of all time argument. I can, however, tell you the best point guards playing in the NBA today.

What exactly is the purpose of a Point guard? Is it really such a significant role? An ideal Point guard is designed to take care of the ball, score when necessary, and hit the open man. The point guard determines how the offense plays out, and every possession goes through him. Without a legitimate Point Guard, a team is nothing. Look at last year's playoffs, where the only teams with a point guard issue were the Nuggets, Celtics and Cavaliers. The nuggets were the only team to get swept in the postseason, the celtics team had 3 hall of fame candidates, and the cavs have a player in contention for the greatest of all time. Even the 8th seed Atlanta couldn't make the playoffs until aquiring Mike Bibby. The '08 celtics and Jordan's bulls are probably the only teams in nba history to win a championship without a genuine Point Guard.

I rank the nba's best point guards based on efficiency, value to their team, and ability to win.

#10 Andre Miller

Andre Miller is very underrated. Last season he put up 17 & 7, as well as leading the sixers to 2 playoff wins against the pistons. Whilst he was in Denver he made the playoffs every season, and never had a losing record. 2 years after the AI trade, the nuggets are actually regretting trading Miller for one of the greatest scorers of all time.

#9 Jose Calderon

Jose Calderon put on an All-Star performance last season, averaging 11 points and 8 assists in 30 Minutes per game. As well as that, he shot 52% from the field, 43% from downtown, and led the league in assist to turnover ratio, with an astonishing 5.83 to 1 average. After finally getting rid of T.J. Ford, Calderon is now in the driving seat for the raptors. Much of the raptors success this season depends largely on the performance of Calderon, who's expected to repeat his efficient performance of last year.

#8Baron Davis

3rd of may 2007, Baron Davis finishes with 20, 10 & 6 in the biggest upset in playoff history. 2 years on Baron's left his warriors and the fast paced offense he ran to go play for Los Angeles. Baron's a superb player who is (was) extremely valuable to the warriors, and that amazing upset wouldn't of happened without him, but he does have his weaker attributes, and things such as his defense can let him down. This season the warriors will suffer without him as their triggerman.

#7 Jason Kidd
Once the best in the league, mister triple-double is now aproaching the end of his career. He's not nearly as good as he used to be, but Kidd is still relevent, racking up 9.9 assists per game last season. Rick Carlisle has promised to play more of a Jason Kidd style game in '09, and we can expect Kidd to stay one of the top tier point guards for a few more years at least.

#6 Gilbert Arenas

The definition of a 'pure point guard' can be argued, but one thing we can be certain of is that the term doesn't apply to agent zero. A point guard needs to find the balance on offense, knowing when to score and when to make the pass. Gil most definitely doesn't pass as much as he should, but he's a phenomenal scorer, the reason I place him on this list. In his last 2 healthy season he's averaged over 29 ppg, the only point guard of this era to do so. His selfishness almost defeats the object of a point guard, but his magnificent scoring ability is extraordinary. If he can consistently stay healthy and not be so selfish, I honestly believe in the not to distant future the wizards can make a run at the title.

#5 Tony Parker

Tony Parker is a great slasher, good distributor, and the envy of every man. He exploited Cleveland's lack of a quality PG in the '07 finals, taking home the MVP due to this. The spurs multiple titles can be partially credited to him, and he is an integral piece of the spurs dynasty. Despite this, he's not nearly as important to the team as Ginobli or Duncan, he operates as a 3rd offensive option and wouldn't excel nearly as much on a weaker team as a primary weapon.

#4 Chauncey Billups

Some may disagree with Billups being this high, but I can assure you that he's a top 5 PG. Regularly one of the best in assists per turnovers every year, and the vital captain of the piston's consistently efficient offense. The finals MVP has made a name for himself as a good defensive player, and even a mentor, spending a big majority of last season helping the development of the promising rookie combo guard Rodney Stuckey. Billups has fantastic chemistry with the rest of the pistons and plays a crucial role in their success.

#3 Deron Williams

Deron is everything you want in a Point guard. He can score in a variety of ways, distribute the ball beautifully, play defense, and run the pick and roll immensely. Last season he averaged career highs in points (18.8) and assists (8.8) whilst leading the Jazz to 54 wins. All of this and he's still only 24 years old.

#2 Steve Nash

Steve Nash is a unique point guard. He has remarkable court vision and runs the fast break better than any other player in the league. Since moving to Phoenix he's averaged 11.2 assists and 17.5 points, with over 54 wins each season he's spent in Arizona. Steve knows how to win games, and the last time his team won less than 50 was 8 years ago. A magnificent offensive player, but Steve's found out time and time again that it's defense that wins championships. even without a ring, his career will still be legendary, and will unquestionably go down in the hall of fame.

#1 Chris Paul

Chris Paul is the best point guard in the league. I find it incredible how a 6 foot 23 year old can be such an amazing player. He is a perfect model point guard. He has an endless scoring arsenal, a brilliant leader, plays well under pressure, and always hits the open man. On top of this, CP3 executes the pick and roll to perfection, scoring off it on an amazingly consistent basis. He can get to the rack and score, or draw help and hit Stojakovic for the open 3. If they double the big man, Chris is at the rack getting the and-one, or swishing the mid-range jumper. They double Paul and he hits West at the basket, or if he rolls out for the automatic 15 footer. If the defense switches, he'll cross up a big man, using his combination of handles and speed to exploit the advantage. This is why I feel the lakers may not be returning to the finals this season, as we seen against the celtics, the lakers struggle against pick and roll teams.

Chris excels defensively too. He led the league in steals this season, earning All-defensive team honors. On D, Paul doesn't just gamble and playing the passing lanes, but straight up locks down his man.

Chris is an extremely talented player, he possesses abnormal basketball skill, combined with a ridiculous level of intelligence for his age. Throughout his career Chris will excel and most definitely achieve success.