That’s the big difference right there.

I bet Sergio stays in the NBA (he came here early for a reason), but he isn’t good enough even when at his best for a coach or team to adjust their gameplan or philosophies for. You do that for stars. So, he has to be a role player and fit what the coach and team wants, but right now his shooting holds him back bigtime as an offensive PG.

It’s not just confidence and coaching philosophies— no one could have him as a starter or big minute guy on a good team because he can’t shoot.

Similar to Martell, Sergio has been best when he’s sorta been the focus of a team (ball in his hand, playing his style, or in Martell’s case a steady diet of shots), but he isn’t good enough overall to warrant that focus regularly… so, his overall game suffers since the rest of his game isn’t suited for being a role player, only a main dude.

Sergio is very young and could still develop a shot. It’s just way different than someone like Nash or Jason Williams, who both could always shoot. Sergio’s shot has a looooooooooong way to go to even be NBA sub-average for a PG, but it doesn’t mean he can’t get there. He’s just starting from a spot much worse than other PGs in his sort of situation.

Right now, he can sometimes be very effective as a pace changing momentum creater for the 2nd unit. When he’s off, we lament our PG woes, when he’s on it makes our 2nd unit the back breakers. His “on”-ness is hard to recreate sometimes though, and because his game is still so one dimensional (passing to go with passing, not passing to go with shot creating or stand still shooting), if that one dimension ain’t working he can’t do much for you.

Sergio’s situation is pretty unique, both with his skillset and deficiencies. To me, it’s pretty hard to compare him to guys who blossomed later like Nash or Billups, because of their different levels of skill in their respective ways.

Sergio is Sergio, and it’s hard to use past players as reasons for or against Sergio’s chance of having a successful career.

Mortimer

Now, Sergio should be GREAT at pick n’ roll, so I’m harder on him with this skill perhaps.

Here’s what he does wrong: he doesn’t use the pick correctly still, either not rubbing his man off on the pick or leaving too early. He also does this thing where the pick is set, and Sergio backs up a little get to get a running start. Well, backing up and getting a running start is fine one on one, but not when someone set a pick for you… because what happens is, where the big set the pick is not where Sergio is going to run to once the defender has some space between Sergio and the defender, so the big is forced to set a weak ineffective pick, or (at worst) a moving pick that gets a foul called on the big.

One reason the P & R worked better Sergio’s rookie year, is because he was an unknown. They would still try to guard him, leaving Magloire open on the roll for the easy dunk. Now, when they realize who they are guarding, Sergio’s defender goes under the pick and the big defender stays with the big man… no complicated switches, no mismatches, no miscommunication, because Sergio’s shot makes it too easy to defend the pick and roll.

And, very surprisingly to me, when he does execute the pick and roll correctly he’s opted to kick the ball out to a shooter over hitting Oden for the slam. When Oden was coming off the bench the first go-around, I said a few times that Oden could be Sergio’s salvation. I thought it could be the Sergio/Magloire combo times a billion, now that Sergio has a big who can catch passes pretty well (better than Joel at least), bounce passes even, and is a big huge target that could roll HARD to the basket.

Turns out, the problems Sergio has using a pick, or wanting the big to set the pick way past the 3 point line so that Sergio can get a running start, and then a surprisingly lack of recognition when the big (usually Oden) is rolling hard and open, made the pick and roll not a strength of Sergio… not when compared to even someone like Duhon, who executes it textbook— and there’s no reason Sergio can’t do that, with his passing ability and cleverness.

Right now, he’s too easy to guard (why fight with the screen when he won’t take the jumper?), doesn’t use the screen (either leaves too early or wants to get a running start), and passes out for the jumper far too often.

There have been plenty of times where it has been executed very well by Sergio, so it isn’t something similar to his lack of shooting… he just should be able to do it in his sleep by now, as a pure lifelong PG in his 3rd year. He still does too many of the same things he did coming into the league (which, back then, could be partially explained as being used to Euro-ball’s allowance of moving screens so he wasn’t used to waiting for a pick to be fully set).

LMA doesn’t set great screen with his stick body, so that doesn’t help, and Oden isn’t experienced enough to compensate for Sergio’s mistakes (and vice versa). It’s not all Sergio’s fault.

He’s an incredibly natural passer and playmaker, and his dribbling and passing ability should be tailor made for a pick and roll offense (even with his lack of a jumper to scare the enemy). Maybe it’s all little things he’s doing wrong, but it adds up, and he should have better fundamentals on the pick and roll. The fact that it IS as successful as it is right now is a testament to his passing ability and court vision, but it could/should be a helluva lot easier.

Mortimer