TRUE PG's...we dont NEED one...but its nice to have

I have been observing, over the month and a half or so i have been apart of Blazersedge (i love it), as people continually call for a PG upgrade, calling for a TRUE pg.

Please read the whole post before voting, or commenting.

Firstly, the criterion, as I understand it, that we want our PG to possess

1. Better Defense, to protect our bigs from foul trouble

2. Can create offense to take the load off of Brandon

3. Can hit open 3's

4. Plays well off of Brandon

What is being described here, is an all-star, all time, PG.  That is not a bad thing, because I think that every team wants (and should want) the best player then can get their hands on at every position.  That is how a team SHOULD be run, otherwise you start working against yourself, which sucks as a fan (imagine being a Warriors fan...I live in the Bay Area, so i can relate to that most easily).  However, it is unlikely that we can get our hands on a player like that, especially without giving up substantial pieces.  There are FEW point guards that sufficiently fill those criterion:

Chris Paul (not sure about his off-ball play), Deron Williams (off-ball play?), Kirk Hinrich (does most of these things OK but not great), Mike Bibby (a shell of the former Bibby, hardly counts), Jameer Nelson, Baron Davis (defense on quicker guards?), Gilber Arenas (i dunno that he can guard faster players NOW), and Chauncy Billips.

I left of a substantial number of elite point guards because they really didn't fulfull all four points.  This, I think, illustrates the unlikeliness of grabbing a point guard we want, without severly crippling ourselves at other positions.9

ALSO, this illuminates how little we need an elite point guard.  Of those players listed, Chauncy is the ONLY one that has won a championship.  This is telling because his team is the ONLY one in the last 10 years to win without a star/elite offensive SG or SF (Rip and Tay are good, but offensively are no Dwade or Broy).  This lends itself to the fact that great wings DO NOT NEED (though its nice to have, as you want the best players) elite pg's.  In Fact, when you look back over the past decade at who has won a title, Chauncy Billups and Rajon Rondo are the two best PG's.  Keep in mind that Rajon was much better this year than last and that Chauncy's team was not centered on the traditional superstar composition but had a balanced roster.  I think this evidence supports the idea that Dominant players, mostly big men, win championships, not PG's.  The value of a true, elite pg is overstated, especially when you have dynamic playmakers on the wings.  Kobe has never had a very good PG, but has 4 rings.  The year he arguably had his best, with Gary Payton, he lost to the Pistons and Chauncy. 

Now, the Spurs HAVE won with Tony Parker, an excellent pg, but he CANNOT shoot the 3.  Tony was not an elite player when the first won the title.  They were driven by their dominant post players in Duncan and Robinson.  Even Still, they did win two more titles with a very accomplished Parker running the point.  Also, GInobili's season stats don't suggest he is very good, but his substantially higher playoff stats suggest otherwise. SO, it appears he IS a very dynamic wing, especially in the playoffs, so don't start claiming that because of his season avg's he isn't that good.

Recent Cahmpionship teams that have had Elite wings did not need a great PG, because it is a duplication of ability.  The wing will often overshadow the PG for various reasons ie: easier to finish at the rim, easier to get shot off, and other things I cannot fathom.

This brings me towards a discussion of what we REALLY need from the PG position.

1. A point guard that can create for himself, and moderately well for others

2. Knows how to maximize the talents of those around him

3. Decent Defense, to protect our bigs (new rules make this virtually impossible, as no contact allows speedy guards to to watever, unless Rondo is guarding them)

These criterion are far more skewed towards the strengths of Tony Parker (though his defense could very well be a product of Popovich, who masked the flaws of and aged Michael Finely, Matt Bonner, Rasho Nesterovic, and Brent Barry...None of the players can really guard much of anything.  So, as much as I don't want to, I think I will take his defense with a grain of salt.) and not Chris Paul (not saying I don't want him though).  This greatly widens the scope of adequate PG's we can pursue and IF we even need a new one, because more PG's cant score/ create for others/ play decent defense, but can't shoot.

Our PG doesn't really need to know how to "run a team" or "manage a team", that really is Brandon Roy's job, as evidenced by the other elite wings in the league: Kobe Bryant, Lebron James, Dwayne Wade.  The list stops there because Brandon IS the fourth best wing player in the league.  All of these players really control the flow of the game for their team.  What is the point of having a PG control the game if the SG or SF has the ball most of the time, and often is the one bringing the ball up and initiating the offense?  In addition, Nate's micromanaging, isolationist offensice style works against a pg helping the team greatly.  Ball and player movement alone would cause opposing defenses to react to all the players on the court not just Brandon.  It's when our offense resorts to "brandon watching" that we have problems.  This WILL NOT be remedied by adding a PG.  What our PG should do is be a threat, hopefully off the dribble as we have ample shooters, to score.  The penetration that our PG has will create another dynamic to our offense that is currently only offered by Brandon. 

This is why I am advocating for a backcourt of Steve Blak and Jerryd Bayless.  They both offer considerably different styles of play that allows for more versatility in our lineups, offensively and defensively.  Blake "manages" games with the best of them, with the exception of the fast break (but we hardly do THAT anyways).  Bayless adds the attacking mentality that we really lack in any capacity, other than Brandon. This is more of a question of getting more offensive weapons that can score for themselves and relying on unselfish play to make sure that we get everyone involved.  Specifically, we need people to get the ball to the rim, as their style of play, and get us some easier buckets.  This is what Jerryd brings to the table.  He can develop adequate "managing" skills.  I don't think that has ever been questioned.  I think people are looking at if he can be a "True PG" which, frankly in my opinion, we don't need. 

(Look at Russell Westbrook, he is regared as a great youg PG, but he really is also just a SG in a PG body.  His 5.3 to 3.3 assist to turnover ration is atrocious...He shot less than 40% from the field and much worse from 3.  However, his attack the rim style is a great compliment to the jumpshooting Durant.  This comparison stretches over to Rondo who cannot shoot worth a lick.  However since his teamates, save Perkins, can shoot, it makes him effective and hides his inability to shoot, and the "true pg" we want HAS to be able to shoot.)

I just want to point out to people that everyone on the floor does not need to be able to do everything well, thats what superstars and allstars do.  Rather, We need to create a team of individuals whose skill sets compliment each other and allows them to play well together.  That does not mean that everyone has to be a dead eye 3 point shooter.  Nor that players who cannot shoot cannot play with Roy.  Having some players that can shoot the three, and we have alot (rudy, webster, roy, blake, outlaw, batum), is great.  However, we need a more balanced offensive attack, so adding bayless to the rotation gives us more of another dynamic that we don't have, people the at attatck the basket.  Of the players on our roster, Roy and Bayless are the only two that can really do this.  Therefore, in the interest of compiling a versatile team, Bayless should get burn at the PG, at least 18 minutes.  I am not saying we should not upgrade, rather that it just is unlikely we get the pg most people want, and that what we have should be sufficient.  Furthermore, don't judge Bayless about his slow PG development, as that will have to come with season experience.  You cannot develop your ability to set up you teammates by yourself...it just doesn't work.

If you don't agree, please say why below. 

OHH and in case people didn't get my south park references from the poll, here are links in order to help.

manbearpig

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xf69EEL3WBk 

Fishsticks

http://www.allsp.com/l.php?id=e186

Snuke

http://www.allsp.com/l.php?id=e157