Wednesday, October 22, 2008

Efficiency is a key to the point guard position

Reports out of Miami and Oakland are that young players will be starting at the point guard spot, the toughest position in the NBA.

It shows that both the Heat and the W's are basing playing time strictly on performance, not on contract size or draft status.

For young players, it demonstrates why you should hang in there, keep working hard, and set your goals high.

In MIA, Coach Spoelstra has said that his club is more efficient when PG Chris Quinn, a third-year player from Notre Dame, is on the floor. Spectacular? No. But that's not his role. In fact, if you look at the definition of "efficient," it's exactly what a point guard should be:

"Causing effects; producing results; that makes the effect to be what it is; actively operative; not inactive, slack, or incapable; characterized by energetic and useful activity; as, an efficient officer, power."

As for Golden State, DeMarcus Nelson, who played for Coach K at Duke but wasn't drafted, has moved into Don Nelson's starting lineup.

According to the local paper, "Nelson, who has coached such point guards as [Baron] Davis, Steve Nash, and Tim Hardaway, likes his point guards sure and in control."

Listening to DeMarcus, you can tell he had good coaching in college and understands his role:

"I have a lot of scorers. My job is to get the ball to those guys in scoring situations and then do the rest of the things on the court I do -- playing defense, rebounding and making the hustle plays."