Ric Bucher has always liked nothing more than breaking down guards, whether it be on a
playground or on paper. Here he does it for ESPN.com. We call it "On Guards" for obvious reasons. Look for this feature each Monday. Better yet, be on guard for it.
This week's feature guards: Clippers rookie Keyon Dooling and Pistons rookie Mateen Cleaves.
No position is harder to handle for a rookie than point guard, and it can
be particularly hard trying to run a sub-par team. Could it be any worse?
Yeah, try initiating the offense for the second unit of a sub-par team. Such
are the duties of Dooling and Cleaves this season.
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RIC'S GUARD RANKINGS
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THE WEEK'S TOP 10
1. Steve Francis - Put the Rockets on his back and carried them into playoff
contention
2. John Stockton - Double-double vs. Clips in 24 minutes, one missed shot, no
turnovers
3. Jason Kidd - The more the rest of the Suns look like they've quit, the
harder he plays
4. Reggie Miller - Leads Pacers to big win over Kings, first NBAer to reach
2,000 treys
5. Kobe Bryant - Making concerted effort to get teammates involved, at least
early
6. Steve Nash - Mavs are 38-16 with him, 5-7 without him
7. Cuttino Mobley -- Had never posted back-to-back double-doubles until
stringing three in a row last week
8. Baron Davis - 7.2-1 assist to turnover ratio over last four games
9. Ray Allen - On pace for career highs in assists, rebounds and FG pct.
10. Gary Payton - Averaged 24 points, shooting 47 pct. as Sonics win 5 in a
row
(Note: the weekly ranking is based on performances each week, not
overall)
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On the rise: Keyon Dooling
(6.1 ppg, 2.4 apg, .5 stls, .418 FG, .702 FT, .339 3s)
He hasn't been able to nudge Jeff McInnis out of the starting spot, but
that's a testament to McInnis' surprising steadiness more than anything else.
Dooling's D is shaky, especially on pick-and-roll plays, but that's pretty
standard for all rooks, no matter what position. What I liked watching
Dooling against the Jazz and venerable point guard John Stockton was his floor
presence and aggression, finishing with 13 points, four assists and no
turnovers. He never looked rattled or forced shots, even though the Jazz
frequently sagged to clog the post, daring him to shoot early in the clock.
Instead, he patiently waited until he found a passing angle into the post or
simply reversed the ball. He also caught Utah's big men sleeping in soft
transition, blasting past Stockton and getting to the cup before help could
arrive. Either the Clippers don't emphasize weight-training or Dooling has
limited himself to those plastic-covered aerobic hand weights, but he remains
frighteningly skinny (ditto fellow Clip rook Darius Miles). Add some muscle
and he'll look like a bona fide pro point guard. He already carries himself
like one.
On the slide: Mateen Cleaves
(5.5 ppg, 2.5 apg, .7 stls, .426 FG, .714 FT, .364 3s)
Nothing has shocked me more this season than watching Cleaves play against
the Miami Heat. I'd heard favorable reports about his pre-draft workouts last
summer and figured it was only a matter of time before he took over the
Pistons' starting job. Then I saw him live and understood why he isn't
getting more minutes. What baffled me is how this could be the same guy who
led Michigan State to an NCAA title. The confidence and aggression I saw then
were wholly absent. Instead, Cleaves was turning the ball over in the
backcourt, making desperation bounce passes against a trap and picking up his
dribble only to get smothered and stripped. Even in his eight minutes against
the Bucks, who didn't trap him, he looked happy simply to get the ball
upcourt and into somebody else's hands before he lost it. Losing his brother
so tragically certainly could be having an affect on his concentration, but
there are certain elements to a point guard's game that are instinctual,
elements that I thought Cleaves had. Now I'm not so sure.
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| Miller |
This week's guard to watch: Reggie Miller, Pacers
He's graciously served as Mr. Stop-gap
after a torrid start as a scorer, stepping out of that role to be a floor
leader and help organize the young Pacers' attack and do what he can on
defense. If Indiana is smart, it'll get him going as a scorer again as they
battle for a playoff spot down the stretch.
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ALSO SEE
On Guards (Allen, Stackhouse), March 13
On Guards (T. Hardaway, Atkins), March 5
On Guards (Marbury, K. Anderson), Feb. 28
On Guards (Terry, Hughes), Feb. 19
On Guards (S. Smith, R. Harper), Feb. 6
On Guards (Brandon and R. Strickland), Jan 29
On Guards (Hunter and E. Strickland), Jan .22
On Guards (Francis and Eisley), Jan. 16
On Guards (McKie and N. Anderson), Jan. 7
On Guards (Rose and McGrady), Dec. 28
On Guards (Bibby and Jackson), Dec. 18
On Guards (Stockton, Blaylock), Nov. 27
On Guards (Nash, A.Miller), Nov. 20
On Guards (Anderson, Billups), Nov. 13
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