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Monday, December 18, 2000
On Guards: Stockton, Mookie 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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| Blaylock |
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| Stockton |
Nov. 27
This week's feature guards: Utah's John Stockton vs. Golden State's Mookie Blaylock.
Watching a player get old is never easy. Seeing them struggle to do what
they once did effortlessly is, if nothing else, disheartening, for it reminds
of us of our own mortality. Neither John Stockton nor Mookie Blaylock are
what they once were, but Stockton continues to flourish while Blaylock finds
himself, for the first time in his career, taking a backseat. Here's an
examination of why:
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RIC'S GUARD RANKINGS
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THE WEEK'S TOP 10
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| Miller |
1. Reggie Miller: Highest scoring average ever, highest rebound avg. in 10
years, highest assists avg. in 11
2. Jason Kidd: Only player averaging double-figure assists.
3. John Stockton: See above
4. Stephon Marbury: His refuse-to-lose attitude has kept the Nets afloat
5. Gary Payton: His near-suspension is why he isn't ranked higher
6. Kobe Bryant: Shot 60 pct or better last two games -- turning the corner?
7. Allen Iverson: Shot selection is beginning to slide
8. Jerry Stackhouse: Shot selection can't slide; scored 30-plus in three
straight despite 3 of 15 treys
9. Steve Nash: Back-to-back games of 17 and 12 assists, scoring threat, too
10. Baron Davis: How do you ignore two triple-doubles in a week?
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Movin' up: Stockton
(13 games, 11.8 ppg, 3.2 rpg, 9.2 apg, 1.5 stls, .525 FG, .778 FT)
All those summers of working on his game, squeezing the most out of his
physical gifts and refining the pick-and-roll with Karl Malone are paying off
now. There are nearly a dozen point guards in the league who, on any given
night, can take Stockton off the dribble, which should be no surprise
considering Stockton's 38-year-old legs have at least 10 seasons of pounding
up and down courts over most of the league's 1s.
The reason Stockton remains
effective is that he knows that and has adjusted his game accordingly,
relying more on his teammates and the ball than he has in a while; his
one-assist-every 3.3 minutes played is his best pace in the last five seasons
and he seems to let his eyes and hands do more of the work finding Malone.
Rather than rubbing his man off a hard Malone pick or driving inside to take
punishment elsewhere, the two seem to be running more slip screens and crafty
passing angles to get Malone the ball for layups, meaning less wear and tear
on both of them.
It also appears Stockton worked on his three-point range in
the offseason, which is another way to combat the loss of speed. (Force a
defender to guard you farther out on the floor and you have more room to get
by him.) So far, Stockton has made them pay for not coming out far enough,
burying 12 of his first 21 attempts. That's a 57-percent clip for a guy who
never has shot better than 44.9 for a season (in 94-95, when the arc was a
uniform 22 feet from the basket). He gambles more than ever now defensively
because it allows him to conserve energy and still try to be effective.
Rather than chase his man all over the floor, Stockton has a sense when his
man has drifted out of the play or ran to a part of the court where he poses
no threat. That's when he drops into the passing lanes or looks to slap the
ball from the clutches of an unsuspecting opponent. It's not vintage
Stockton, but with the departure of Howard Eisley, the Jazz have looked to
him for a bigger contribution again and he's delivered.
Movin' down: Blaylock
(11 games, 9.7 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 7.2 apg, 2.5 stls, .331 FG, .727 FT)
While Stockton has fought off the league's youth movement, Blaylock has
been trampled by it, losing his starting job to Bobby Sura last week. The
beginning of the end for Blaylock may have come in an overtime loss to the
Orlando Magic, whose half-court trap forced him into six turnovers. He still
collected 15 assists, but the Magic's athleticism forced him into a variety
of unforced turnovers, which included stepping on the midcourt line for a
backcourt violation.
The biggest problem is that Blaylock hasn't found ways
to get to foul line. He's attempted a grand total of 11 free throws in 11
games this season, five of the attempts coming in Saturday's win over the
Timberwolves. (Stockton is no flash, either, but he attempted 45 free throws
in the Jazz's first 13 games.) Blaylock remains an effective, savvy point
guard against second-teamers, amassing 15 assists vs. 2 turnovers in his
first two stints off the bench. But not having a Karl Malone, nor any other
player he can feed off to find his own opportunities, he no longer has the
speed or athleticism to operate efficiently with such greyhounds as Antawn
Jamison, Larry Hughes and Sura.
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| Williams |
This week's guard to watch:
Jason Williams, Sacramento Kings -- He doesn't log many fourth-quarter
minutes, but that could change as his efficiency improves. He's shot 45
percent or better the last three games and his assists (8.4) are at a
career-high pace while his turnovers (2.4) are at a career low. He's only
made 1 of 14 three-point attempts, but he's two-thirds off his pace of six
three-point attempts a game last season.
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ALSO SEE
On Guards (Nash, A.Miller), Nov. 20
On Guards (Anderson, Billups), Nov. 13
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