Examing NBA Point Guards

Last season, fifteen point guard's played more than 2,000 minutes and had an assist to turnover ratio that was less than 2.50.

1) Smush Parker, 1.49
Parker, now with the Heat, struggled greatly last season with the Lakers. In Miami, Parker will be looked upon to come off the bench and handle the ball more effectively, as well as shooting the ball from the perimeter at a high percentage.

2) Jameer Nelson, 1.79
Nelson was a suprise for me to be so high on this list. With the addition of Rashard Lewis this season, Nelson will most likely greatly improve this ratio. He will be expected to take care of the ball more effectively this season and look to score less.

3) Gilbert Arenas, 1.88
Arenas is a combination guard, who has no limitations of offense. Arenas will most likely land in a similar spot next season.

4) Mike Bibby, 1.97
Bibby had a rough season last year as the Kings did not make the playoffs. This season, Sacramento hopes that Bibby will play more of the role of a pure point guard and that some of their young players will develop into more of scorers.

5) Devin Harris, 2.03
This is a pivotal season in the development of Harris. At this point, Harris needs to enter into the class of one of the league's best pure point guards. The Mavericks hope to make it to the NBA finals this season, and Harris will play an important role in this.

6) Mo Williams, 2.06
Williams is a combination guard, who spends most of his time at the point guard spot. Williams signed a long-term deal with the Bucks this season and they hope he will continue to develop as a player.

7) Leandro Barbosa, 2.17
Barbosa is a unique player who gets the green light at all times. He is more of a shooting guard than a point guard, but does play the point guard spot occasionally to spell Steve Nash. Barbosa looks to provide energy and score points and looks less to distribute the ball to teammates.

8) Tony Parker, 2.20
Again, it was suprising to me that Parker landed in the top ten in the assist to turnover category. Being that San Antonio is coming off a championship, it will probably work well for them if he lands in a similar spot this next season.

9) Jarett Jack, 2.23
Jack is in a pivotal time in his career. With a competitive situation at point guard for Portland, Jack will need to have a strong season. With a handful of scorers on the roster, Jack needs to do a better job of protecting the ball and increasing his number of assists this coming year.

10) Stephon Marbury, 2.25
Marbury has struggled during his career to find his proper place on his team's offense. Although he is a talented scorer, he is in a point guard body. If he could maintain his scoring numbers, increase his assist numbers, and decrease the number of turnovers, he would be a better player and his team would be better off.

11) Derek Fisher, 2.28
Fisher is a shoot-first point guard at this time in his career. Backing up Deron Williams last season, Fisher was looked upon to provide energy and scoring off the bench. This season with the Lakers, Fisher will be expected to distribute the ball more and provide experience.

12) Mike James, 2.30
James is a combination guard who struggled last season to find his role in Minnesota. This season with Houston, James will need to perform well right from the start. With a great deal of competition at the point guard spot, if James does not take care of the basketball immediately, he will be relegated to a bench role. If this is the case, the Rockets will most likely use him as their primary bench scorer.

13) Luke Ridnour, 2.36
Ridnour is in a very critical season for his career. He fell out-of-favor last season with Seattle's coaching staff, but have a whole new group of coaches this year. Seattle will spend this season determining if Ridnour is the guy to lead them in their rebuilding process, or if he will be expendable.

14) Earl Boykins, 2.43
Although Boykins is the smallest player in the league, he is more of a scorer than point guard. Boykins became a free agent after last season, when he forgoed his $3,000,000 player option on his contract with the Milwaukee Bucks. He will likely join a team to fill the role of an experienced scoring guard off the bench.

15) Jamaal Tinsley, 2.47
Tinsley has struggled to improve throughout his career with the Pacers. This season may be his last with Indiana if he does not show improvement. The Pacers have begun to rebuild their roster, and they most likely need a point guard who excels at distributing the ball and playing tough defense. Tinsley does neither of these things well.

Scouting Report: Leandro Barbosa

Last season, Leandro Barbosa made a big leap from a young player with potential to nearly an all-star. This season, the Phoenix Suns hope that he will continue his development and become an all-star. With the expectation that the Suns will get limited support from their bench, Barbosa's contributions will become even more valuable this season.

Player Name: Leandro Barbosa
Current Team: Phoenix Suns
Ideal Position: SG
Drafted: 28
Height/Weight: 6'3"/188
Birthdate: 11/28/82
Hometown: Sao Paulo, Brazil
High School: -
College: -
Agent: Merle Scott (BDA)

Contract:
2003-04 $674,400
2004-05 $870,000
2005-06 $930,000
2006-07 $1,679,733
2007-08 $5,600,000
2008-09 $6,100,000
2009-10 $6,600,000
2010-11 $7,100,000
2011-12 $7,600,000 (Player Option)

Notes:
Speaks Portuguese and English; Fifth Brazilian in the NBA; During the 2003 draft, his rights were traded by San Antonio to Phoenix for a 2005 conditional first round pick.

Strengths:
Plays like he's been shot out of a cannon; Only needs the slightest brush-screen to gain a quarter-step advantage that he can easily transform into a layup; Three-point shooting off the catch; At his best when he brings the ball up the left side of the court and then blazes to the hoop for a layup; Anticipation for steals; Excels offensively when being defended by big point guards; Energy; 6'10" wingspan; Excels when coming off a screen.

Weaknesses:
Only gets to the hoop when he starts from a dead-stop with the ball in his hands; Can only be completely contained by his own out-of-control drives and passes; Gambles for steals too frequently; Left-handed layup; Has an unusual delivery on his shot, in which he holds his arms well in front of his body and releases from a low point; Limited mid-range game; Rarely shoots off the dribble or with a man in his face; On-ball defense; Help defense; Strength; Fares much better when defending point guards than shooting guards.

Video:

Scouting Report: Alando Tucker

With some of the Phoenix Suns core players aging, it will be necessary for the Suns to develop some of their young players like Leandro Barbosa, D.J. Strawberry, and Alando Tucker. Tucker most likely will not see much playing time this year, but he will most likely play a factor next season.

Player Name: Alando Tucker
Current Team: Phoenix Suns
Ideal Position: SG
Drafted: 29th
Height/Weight: 6'6"/205
Birthdate: 2/13/84
Hometown: Lockport, IL
High School: Lockport Township High School
College: University of Wisconsin
Agent: Kevin Bradbury

Contract:
2007-08 $931,920
2008-09 $1,001,880
2009-10 $1,071,720 (Team Option)
2010-11 $1,934,455 (Team Option)
2011-12 $2,901,681 (Qualifying Option)

Notes:
Broke Michael Finley's school record with a standing 38-inch vertical leap; Bench-press max of 360 pounds; Was a fifth year senior; Straight-edge kid; All-time leading scorer at Wisconsin; All-time leader for most points in a signle season; Big Ten Conference All-Freshman Team; 2005-06 and 2006-07 Preseason John Wooden Award candidate.

Strengths:
Wingspan; Hands; Lateral quickness; Vertical leap; strength; leadership; Improved left hand; Posting up smaller defenders; Going to the basket against bigger defenders; Pull-up jump shot; Elevation on jump shot; Dangerous from tripple-therat position; Intelligence on court; Great offensive rebounder; Finishing at the basket; Rotates well defensively; Quick feet; Patient.

Weaknesses:
A tweener in the NBA; Needs more of a perimeter game; Improved ballhandling skills would make him a more effecting NBA guard; Catch-and-shoot ability.