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Monday, November 20, 2000
On Guards: Anderson, Billups and more
ESPN.com
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Ric Bucher has a thing for guards, and now ESPN.com has a thing about guards, too: We're calling it "Ric Bucher On Guards" and it's about, well, guards. Look for this feature each Monday. Better yet, be on guard for it.
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| Billups |
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| Anderson |
This week's feature guards: The Spurs' Derek Anderson and the Wolves' Chauncey Billups.
These two, both free-agent acquisitions thrust into the starting two-guard role
by their new teams, illustrate just how hard it is to go from an also-ran to
a playoff contender. It takes mental discipline to play when every game
matters, execution is demanded every second and concentration lapses are
painfully apparent. Anderson's toughest challenge with the Clippers was
showing up and bothering to put on a uniform. For Billups in Orlando, it was
hoping his mail eventually would catch up with him, the the Magic being his
fourth team in three seasons.
Here's a more detailed breakdown of how they've done so far:
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RIC'S GUARD RANKINGS
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THE WEEK'S TOP 10
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| Kidd |
1. Jason Kidd -- Making Penny look expendable, Suns' improved defense starts
here
2. Reggie Miller -- Persevering despite a new crew of youth around him
3.Stephon Marbury -- Devastating scorer, playing through setbacks
4.John Stockton -- Big-time gambler on D but efficiency on O is machine-like
5.Gary Payton -- Individual play has been solid but needs to pull his team
together
6. Kobe Bryant -- Finding his groove after a rocky start
7. Allen Iverson -- Love that he's sharing the rock and showing up on time
8. Jerry Stackhouse -- Scoring big but still produces more turnovers than a
bakery
9. Michael Finley -- Broke Spurs' hearts with multiple clutch shots, isn't
consistent
10. Andre Miller -- Floor leader for upstart Cavs
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Movin' up: Anderson
(7 games, 14.0 ppg, 3.6 rpg, 2.3 apg, .351 FG, .927 FT)
He has exceeded coach/VP Gregg Popovich's expectations, largely with his
intelligence and ability to blend into the team's scheme. Anderson has
happily deferred to David Robinson, Tim Duncan and Sean Elliott in the
primary offense and served as the emergency go-to guy when the shot clock is
in single digits and they need someone to create his own shot in a hurry.
That should be factored into his FG pct. He has more turnovers than
assists, too, but more than half of the TOs came in his first three games.
Hidden in all the sub-par stats are that Anderson has helped develop a potent
Spurs' fastbreak game by running the floor and making the simple pass. The
biggest noticeable flaw has been at the defensive end, where he sometimes
loses track of his man or makes a half-hearted effort to get back into the
play after being beaten. But his willingness to take shots under pressure
without plays being run for him, attacking the basket and making free throws
down the stretch to preserve leads have been important elements in the Spurs'
strong start. San Antonio has to be excited about the future based on the
chemistry that has developed so quickly between Anderson and the established
stars.
Movin' down: Billups
(7 games, 17.1 ppg, 2.6 rpg, 5.3 apg, .443 FG, .862 FT)
His numbers are far more impressive than Anderson's -- 54.8 pct shooting from
beyond the arc, a better than 2:1 assists-turnover ratio and 17.1 points per
game to Anderson's 14. But Billups has not performed nearly as well at crunch
time and, in fact, contributed significantly to a couple of last-minute
losses.
He only missed four of his first 29 free throws, but two clunkers
were in the final seconds against Philadelphia that could've forced overtime.
His defense also has hurt the Timberwolves, allowing Anderson to outscore
Billups 29 to 12 in a head-to-head battle. He also got torched by John Starks
for 14 fourth-quarter points in a comeback victory by the Jazz. Granted,
Anderson's margin for defensive error is much greater with Robinson and
Duncan behind him, but Billups' primary problem is that he's been slow to
close out or rotate on the perimeter and his heart just doesn't seem to be in
it defensively.
Being much stockier and stronger than Anderson and
surprisingly quick, he could be a huge help as a perimeter defender to the
T-Wolves, who outside of Kevin Garnett are mediocre (at best) individual
defenders. Coach Flip Saunders has found ways to utilize Billups'
fearlessness about attacking the rim, using him in set situations to
penetrate and then kick to Terrell Brandon or KG for a spot-up J. But because
his ball-handling and pick-and-roll savvy are limited, matchups determine
when he can be used as a point guard. Another contributing element is that
Wally Szczerbiak, the team's other swingman, hasn't always been sharp about
execution this season, and the T-Wolves rely too much on precision to have
two players out of synch.
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| Snow |
This week's Guard to Watch:
Philadelphia 76ers Eric Snow -- He's had a couple of 20-plus-point games for
the first time in his career and offers a perfect counterpoint to Allen
Iverson's hectic style. Defenses are used to over reacting and trying to
guess where Iverson is going to go, allowing Snow to use head fakes and
simple step-through moves to get open shots. He'll always be undersized and
is limited athletically, but his composure and savvy take up a lot of the
slack.
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