Today's golden era of point guards, and Linsanity

[Soflasnapper]

NBA fans, and college hoops fans, have been blessed to see probably the deepest field of superb point guards ever seen at one time.

Preternaturally quick speedsters abound. Burners!

Jeremy Lin is only the latest incarnation of the type, joining maybe 10 others, although as a totally unique one.

Generally, they enter the pro league with considerable expectations and resumes, like a Derrick Rose or John Wall.

Lin was cut by maybe 4 teams, sent to the D-League 3 or 4 times, and then basically unplayed in his rookie year except in garbage time.

When given a chance to start, his first 4 starts saw him scoring 109 points, the highest point total in 4 starts ever since the NBA/ABA merger, with the next couple of players in that regard named Kobe, Shaq, Allen Iverson and Jordan. While averaging double digit assists.

True, his scoring came with both Stoudamire and Carmello out with injuries, and it will almost certainly fall as they return and demand the ball.

But an undrafted Harvard grad, a Taiwanese-American, and a guy sleeping on his brother's couch until his contract just got guaranteed? Some story line!

I just don't understand how this kind of talent went unrealized by so many for so long, since sports is a business. Unless he REALLY improved in his D-League sojourns, which is possible, as the 'D' stands for 'Developmental.'

[sack316]

What an amazing feeling it must have been for him to get MVP chants from the fans at MSG in one of his first starts! Excellent story this kid has, and hope he is able to keep up his level of play!

Sack

[eg8r]

Could it be that the league as a whole is getting a bit soft?

eg8r

[Soflasnapper]

I don't think so. There may be fewer 'great' teams, but far more 'very good' teams. And certainly it isn't the case at the point guard position.

As athletic and quick and determined to play team defense as the Heat is, these speedsters wreak havoc on our team (like most!), penetrating and dishing at will. They are literally unstoppable from getting in the paint.

The Heat resorts to putting the much taller and stronger, although slightly less quick, LeBron James on Rose, particularly in the 4th quarter. That works only because Rose's spot up longer distance shooting is relatively weak (as Jordan's was, when he first came in).

[sack316]

I do agree with you here Sofla, but I also think the league itself has something to do with it.

There is greater parity, as you said, with many pretty good teams. But the rules... well back in the day a little man driving the paint took a hard foul from a big man so he'd know whose house that was. Do it now, may find a suspension coming.

Sack

[LWW]

A young Oscar Robertson would humiliate them.

[Soflasnapper]

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: sack316</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I do agree with you here Sofla, but I also think the league itself has something to do with it.

There is greater parity, as you said, with many pretty good teams. But the rules... well back in the day a little man driving the paint took a hard foul from a big man so he'd know whose house that was. Do it now, may find a suspension coming.

Sack </div></div>

Totally correct, and I was remiss to omit mention of the rules changes. Starting with the man guarding the guard, who USED TO be able to hand-check him (i.e., HOLD him from going around him), which is now illegal contact yielding a foul.

That doesn't count the flagrant foul rules now, and in the olden days, such flagrant fouls took the role of the brush-back pitch, high and inside, by which the pitchers intimidated the batters.

[Soflasnapper]

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: LWW</div><div class="ubbcode-body">A young Oscar Robertson would humiliate them. </div></div>

I didn't see him except in his later years w/Kareem (then Alcindor), but I do not remember him having super quickness, which he didn't need with his size advantage. He pounded the ball and backed up the person guarding him down in the low post, or shot the outside shot over smaller guards.

IMO, there are several large shooting guards now and small forwards that are very much of the Big O's type and equal, and have been going back to Magic Johnson's quite similar physique and game, and now with LeBron and Iguodola (the poor man's LeBron) the leading avatars of that type.