Building a young PG

[HexNBA]

Greg Anthony ESPN Insider piece
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Point guard is basketball's equivalent of football's quarterback.

The point guard is an extension of the head coach, and it's the hardest position to learn.

For some, it takes time to develop into the player a coach can trust to make the decisions that might determine that coach's job security.

This is the process that Mavericks rookie Devin Harris is undertaking and in his case, it is both a blessing and a curse.

It's a blessing in that the former Wisconsin star plays on a wonderfully-talented team with championship aspirations. He doesn't have to set the world on fire, he just has to play smart, make good decisions and not lose games.

That sounds like a formula that won the Baltimore Ravens a Super Bowl when quarterback Trent Dilfer's job description was "Just Don't Lose, Baby."

The point guard's curse is this: If you rein in your quarterback and order him to play it safe, you can stunt his growth. That would especially hurt a player who has immense ability. The fear of making mistakes puts a stranglehold on the potential he has.

Remember, a young player will have struggles from time to time with his confidence, but the really good ones eventually figure it out.

Harris reminds me of three guards. Two are retired: Jazz legend John Stockton (career averages 13.4 ppg, 10 apg, 47 percent FG) and former Suns star Kevin Johnson (17.9 ppg, 9 apg, 49 percent).

The other is the guy whom Harris is helping replace in Dallas, Steve Nash (12.6 ppg, 6 apg, 47 percent FG). Each of the established stars started slowly, but each turned out to be pretty good.

Whether Harris' abilities allow him to reach that level of excellence remains to be seen.

Each star point guard dealt with adversity and had the good fortune of having solid players in front of them early in their careers. Each fulfilled his potential. In Stockton's case, he will head to the Hall of Fame, KJ might follow and Nash certainly has that type of potential.

When Stockton entered the NBA in the mid-1980s with the Jazz, he played behind veteran Rickey Green for the better part of three years.

In Stockton's rookie year he averaged 5.6 ppg, 5.1 apg and shot 47 percent from the floor while averaging 18 minutes per game.

I mention Green because he most resembles Jason Terry, Harris' tutor in Dallas. Like Green, Terry is a better-than-average guard who played both ends. Terry has the talent to warrant starting ahead of Harris, just as Green was good enough to keep even a future great like Stockton on the bench for a while.

That is important because the veteran point guard in each case is effective, but his talent does not overwhelm his understudy. This makes for competitive battles in practice.

Nash had a little different experience in playing behind Johnson when both were in Phoenix in 1996-97, Nash's rookie season. Johnson was player who was one of the best point gaurds in the league and on top of his game when Nash arrived.

Nash got spotty playing time that year, as he averaged about 3.3 ppg, 2.1 assists and shot 42 percent from the floor in about 10 minutes per game.

A lot of people thought Nash, who starred at Santa Clara, would not pan out to be a regular. In July 1998 he was traded to the Mavericks and it still took him a couple years to come into his own. He eventually became an all-star before returning to Phoenix last summer, where Nash has continued blossoming into a possible MVP candidate this season.

So while Harris has the ability and talent to become a top-tier point guard in this league, that is only a part of the equation.

The development of a all-star point guard requires patience on both the coach and player's part, plus the player's unwavering work ethic and desire to be great.

He also needs a good teammate to help with the preparation and ready the young point guard to handle being the coach on the floor.

Remember, it's a process which can be both a blessing and a curse.

[bloodyhell]

Interesting article. Speaking of guards I wouldn't mind seeing Travis Niesen http://santaclarabroncos.collegespor..._travis00.html come to play with the mavs as a future replacement for finley. That kid can tear it up in points.

[orangedays]

Awesome, thanks alot for posting this I've been looking around for a while.

[#41]

He really reminds me of KJ at times.

[jacktruth]

Failed to mention Avery Johnson as coach and mentor.

[EricaLubarsky]

Who's Travis Niesen other than a future undrafted college player?