Charlie Ward

[kg_veteran]

Any interest? He's likely to be waived by the Suns before the end of the week.

Personally, I think he could be a more effective backup PG than Travis Best, but I don't want him unless Nellie intends to settle on him as the backup PG and stick with it.

On a side note, at least now that Ward has been traded we won't have to hear any more "Thomas and Ward" rumors -- just Thomas rumors.

[dirno2000]

He's a good 3-point shooter, but with Best starting to come around, I wouldn't bother. Ultimately it would probably mean less time for Marquis Daniels.

[grndmstr_c]

Hear, hear on the Thomas/Ward bit. I wouldn't mind picking up Ward, but if we do, we should be looking to trade Best (or we could just release him, I suppose). No reason to keep two backup points when Delk or Daniels could play the position in a pinch. Do you know if we would have to pay Ward the same salary he was due before the Suns cut him?

[DNNF]

how about we just dropped best and let daniels playing fulltime backup PG.

[madape]

Daniels doesn't look like a true point guard to me.

[kg_veteran]

Originally posted by: madape
Daniels doesn't look like a true point guard to me.

Looks like more of a shooting guard to me, too.

Basically, if you think that Ward is better than Best, pick Ward up and cut Best. That's the way I see it working.

[ddh33]

Wasn't Ward around when Nellie was coaching in NY? What was their relationship like, if any one remembers?

[kg_veteran]

Originally posted by: ddh33
Wasn't Ward around when Nellie was coaching in NY? What was their relationship like, if any one remembers?

I don't know that Nellie was in NY long enough to have relationship with him.

It might be a mistake to bring in a new backup PG at this stage to try and "learn the system"; I just think that Ward has a better set of skills for what the Mavs need.

[MavsFanFinley]

Ward released by Suns one day after trade

January 6, 2004

PHOENIX (AP) -- Charlie Ward was waived by the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday, one day after they acquired him in an eight-player trade that sent Stephon Marbury to the New York Knicks.

Ward, a 10-year NBA veteran, had been with the Knicks his entire career. He had a clause in his contract allowing it to be bought out before Jan. 10.

The Suns have said they plan to keep Antonio McDyess, Howard Eisley, Maciej Lampe and Milos Vujanic, whose rights they acquired from the Knicks along with two first-round draft picks.

The league office gave Marbury, Penny Hardaway and Cezary Trybanski clearance to play in the Knicks' game Tuesday night against Cleveland just 30 minutes before tipoff after the completion of physical exams for the players traded to Phoenix.

[EricaLubarsky]

Its funny that NY wanted him gone so bad- he'd been on the block for a LONG time and now even the Suns dont want him. I guess Barbosa's 27 point night the other night was good enough. He only had 4 assists....either the Suns are chalking that up to being a rookie and it will improve or the Suns dont really want a passing PG.

Back to KG's intelligent post
Charlie Ward
Ranks #11 in the NBA in Three-Point Field-Goal Percentage(0.428)
Ranks #14 in the NBA in Three-Point Field Goals Made(59.0)
Ranks #4 in the NBA in Three-Point Field Goals Per 48 Minutes(3.42)
Ranks #7 in the NBA in Assists Per 48 Minutes(9.9)
Ranks #9 in the NBA in Steals Per 48 Minutes(2.73)
NBA in Assists Per Game(4.9)
Assists Per Turnover(2.48)


to put that into perspective

Steve Nash, among other things,
Ranks #4 in the NBA in Assists Per Game(8.0)
Ranks #14 in the NBA in Three-Point Field-Goal Percentage(0.413)
Ranks #4 in the NBA in Assists(257.0)
Ranks #14 in the NBA in Assists Per Turnover(2.86)
Ranks #2 in the NBA in Assists Per 48 Minutes(11.5)

Travis Best only averages
Assists Per Game(1.9)
Assists Per 48 Minutes(6.9)
Three-Point Field-Goal Percentage(0.100)

Tony Delk
Assists Per Game(0.8)
Assists Per 48 Minutes(1.5)
Three-Point Field-Goal Percentage(0.283)

Nick Van Exel....because we are all following him
Ranks #18 in the NBA in Assists Per Turnover(2.75)
Ranks #16 in the NBA in Assists Per 48 Minutes(8.5)
Three-Point Field-Goal Percentage(0.304)
Assists Per Game(5.9)

Speedy Claxton (The Warriors' backup PG)
Ranks #19 in the NBA in Steals Per 48 Minutes(2.47)
NBA in Assists Per Turnover(2.57)

Derek fisher LAL backup point guard
NBA in Assists Per Turnover(1.96)
Is there something wrong with him? His numbers are darn good for a backup but somehow no one wants him.

Tony Parker
Ranks #19 in the NBA in Assists Per 48 Minutes(8.3)
NBA in Assists Per Turnover(2.61)


His As/To ratio is near Nash's and better than Tony Parkers (who is a starter for San Antonio), his three point shooting is 1.5% better (although he has shot about half as many so that will come down probably) and at least in New York, he was very effective at handing out assists. Only
1. Jason Kidd (New Jersey Nets) 32 308 12.3
2. T.J. Ford (Milwaukee Bucks) 33 217 11.5
2. Steve Nash (Dallas Mavericks) 32 257 11.5
4. Earl Watson (Memphis Grizzlies) 33 184 11.2
5. Howard Eisley (Phoenix Suns) 33 156 10.3
6. Damon Jones (Milwaukee Bucks) 34 163 10.2
7. Sam Cassell (Minnesota Timberwolves)
hand out more assists per minute. In his limited minutes he outassists players like Parker, Van Exel, Payton, Snow, Miller and Marbury.

....Hes also is an incredible thief- he outdoes everyone but the very elite
1. Darrell Armstrong (New Orleans Hornets) 34 65 3.68
2. Allen Iverson (Philadelphia 76ers) 22 63 3.17
3. Baron Davis (New Orleans Hornets) 34 89 3.06
3. Emanuel Ginobili (San Antonio Spurs) 33 69 3.06
5. Earl Watson (Memphis Grizzlies) 33 50 3.05
6. Juan Dixon (Washington Wizards) 30 32 2.94
7. Andrei Kirilenko (Utah Jazz) 34 74 2.86
8. Marcus Banks (Boston Celtics)
for steals per game.

I guess Phoenix just chose Eisley to be their backup point and they didnt think they wanted to trade him, but why drop him? they have a full roster so maybe they want to sign Milos Vujanic. Either that or there is some dirty secret to Ward that I dont know about. Too bad Ward outrebounds Eisley by minute and by game(Ward's 2.7rpg to Eisley's 2rpg playing similar minutes), outshoots him (.442/.428 to Eisley's .396/.329. Ward also outscored Eisley 8.7ppg to 6.7ppg) and outsteals him (1.34spg to .91spg and 2.73 sp48 to 1.98 sp48). The only thing that Eisley does better is assist to turnover ratio.

[Male30Dan]

Money money money!!!

[kg_veteran]

Erica, nice post. The stats demonstrate that Ward could come in and help this team.

The reason the Suns released Ward is that his contract was non-guaranteed if he was released before 1-10-04. They saved themselves a very nice chunk of change (I think in the 6-7 million range) by releasing him.

[Male30Dan]

Exactly as posted above... Its all about the money!

[Male30Dan]

Aww... Isnt that cute... Its my first double post!

[kg_veteran]

Looks like Ward might be signing with the Spurs. See the thread in the Around the NBA section for more details...

[uberfan]

My hunch is that he will end up in NJ.

[Dirkenstien]

A possibility of Ward on this team isnt very appealing to me..i say no on pursuing him