How do the C's address the starting PG issue?

[Hemingway]

What is the issue with point guard? Give Smart time. We still have Turner to help out moving the ball next year. PGs and centers take the longest to develop. Hopefully we learned that lesson with Billups. Also Smart showed a lot more at the end meaning he was getting better.

I'm not really that concerned with the 3 spot. Sure we could upgrade everywhere but I'm fine rocking with Smart/IT at the 1 and Turner/Crowder at the 3 for next season. Lets upgrade the 5 and maybe 4. 

[Ilikesports17]

Thoughts?

Ew.  Hot pockets.


I think your analogy could cover the whole state of the franchise right now.

It's like we ordered a pizza, expecting it to arrive in about half an hour.  After ten minutes, the delivery guy shows up and we're all so impressed at how fast the food came, but it turns out that he's only got the complementary breadsticks and dipping sauce.

Now we're like, well the breadsticks are nice.  But when's the pizza gonna get here?  Those breadsticks were nice, but that's not the meal we ordered.  Yet it's still only been like 12 minutes.

Hahahah so true. Everyone's freaking out and wants to cancels the orde and order again but that's silly now because you've already waited 12 minutes and paid for the breadsticks.

But at the same time there is a legitimate fear that they may just bring more breadsticks and well have waited a half hour and ended up with no pizza.

[Ilikesports17]

What is the issue with point guard? Give Smart time. We still have Turner to help out moving the ball next year. PGs and centers take the longest to develop. Hopefully we learned that lesson with Billups. Also Smart showed a lot more at the end meaning he was getting better.

I'm not really that concerned with the 3 spot. Sure we could upgrade everywhere but I'm fine rocking with Smart/IT at the 1 and Turner/Crowder at the 3 for next season. Lets upgrade the 5 and maybe 4.

I think we are "fine" at all 5 positions. I actually think gaurd is the last id upgrade but we just have to make sure to bring in as much talent as possible without losing flexibility.

Ideally for me that means upgrading the 3 and 5 but if it means upgrading the 1 and 4 so be it. In fact the only thing that I think would be counter productive would be to add 2 starting gaurd

[PhoSita]

But at the same time there is a legitimate fear that they may just bring more breadsticks and well have waited a half hour and ended up with no pizza.

Yeah.

If that's what happens, I have a feeling we'll end up "ordering" from Dominoes a couple nights in a row in the hopes that our parents will stop by, see the old Dominoes boxes, and take us out to a fancy dinner in the North End because they feel bad for us.

[Forza Juventus]

Point guard is not an issue. If Lawson is really undervalued I would trade for him but we already have Smart and Isaiah so it is not a position of need.

[DarkAzcura]

Yeah the backcourt is least of my worries right now. I'll take any upgrade to the roster we can get if it is a reasonable price, but this is definitely far from a priority. We have Thomas/Bradley/Smart locked up for 3-4 years at ~18 million total. Thomas + Smart + ball movement based offense is enough "PG play." We don't need a pure point guard, and Smart will likely develop into a fine PG so there is nothing obvious about this as others have said.

As a side, if I hear another Smart and Tony Allen comparison I'm going to scream. Their similarities start and end on the defensive side of the floor. Their offensive games couldn't be any more different. One is an erractic, out of control offensive player with no jumpshot (like completely broken) and no playmaking ability at all and a high dribble. The other plays much lower to the ground, has a tighter handle, has shown an ability to run actual offensive sets, and is a much better 3PT shooter as a rookie. He's generally in much more control on the offensive end. He struggles in the pick and roll, but he can develop that. Again, they couldn't be anymore different offensively.

This league is now a PG driven league. Just look at the playoffs... Mike Conley, Steph Curry, Chris Paul, James Harden (you may say he's not a PG but he's the guy that is able to create his own and get others involved), Chris Paul, Jeff Teague, John Wall, LeBron (Point Forward/See Harden) and Kyrie, and Derrick Rose.

These teams go as those guys take them. Granted there are other players on those team that aided them to get there but the PG have a major part in that.

As comparing Smart to Allen. They are the same height, about the same weight and built. They are similar in their defensive tendencies and they have similar offensive tendencies. Smart has the greenlight under Stevens to take shots that Allen understands isn't his game, which would be the 3 ball. Yes Smart has been ok taking the 3 ball but he is still shot 33.5%. Allen shot 34.5% from 3 on less attempts. They are more similar than you think...

No, sorry, they really aren't similar offensively whatsoever for everything I stated. They play the game completely differently. Their approach is different. The quality of their handle is different. Their passing ability and understanding of offensive sets is different. I don't mean to lash out at you, but the Allen-Smart comparison I've been seeing every now and then is just...lazy.

[Moranis]

start Thomas with Smart and bring Bradley off the bench.  Problem solved.

[PhoSita]

I don't mean to lash out at you, but the Allen-Smart comparison I've been seeing every now and then is just...lazy.

The Allen comparison, I think, is mostly about what Smart is good at defensively and what he lacks on the offensive end.  It doesn't have much at all to do with what Smart does well offensively or his actual skills and playstyle.

Like you said, it's lazy.

I like George Hill and Patrick Beverley a lot more as comparisons, if only because the role they play, in my view, is much more similar to what Smart does.  Smart's bulk and strength sets him apart from those guys, though, which is where the TA comparison comes in.