RRyder823 wrote:I love PG13 and think come playoffs he'll step it up but the fact that every talking head instantly rates him so much highly over Middleton this year is an indictment on sports journalismChad34 wrote:We don’t know what we’re getting from Middleton, but we know what we’re getting from PG, as they show he hasn’t scored over 11 in 4 straight games
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These "journalists" don't have time to watch every game. They watch the team they supported on their way up (usually a big market team). They base everything else on reputation. Most of them have seen one full Midds game all season and it was the Sixers Xmas Day Championship Cornation.
It becomes especially glaring when we see something develop on a game by game basis that is different than the overall reputation. For example, Midds gets in the best shape of his life, takes his game to a new level, is probably at his absolute peak, and Bud tailors his offense more to fit Midds' strengths. Guys only watching the Lakers and Clippers have no idea this has happened. All they know is PG was once great and theoretically should be a great fit with Kawhi (if you just ignore that he has struggled to stay healthy for the last half decade). Thus, in their mind PG >>> Midds. When in reality this season Midds >>> PG.
The same thing is going on with a lot of factors about this team. Giannis is on another level and his midrange and outside shot improvement has made him unstoppable. Bud's offense has added tons of diversity. It's no longer Giannis ISO at the top of the key and drive into the wall. Brook is the best rim protector in a league with very few rim protectors. DDV is the most impactful player on any bench in the entire league. Marvin, Wes, Korver, and Hill have waayyy more left in the tank than they get credit for. Robin is the best bench big in the league. He should be starting somewhere. Bled is the best on ball defensive PG in the league and was just first team all NBA defense and is a great penetrator/finisher and has improved his three point shot, yet he is viewed as some sort of massive liability based on two playoff series. The defense just does not allow shots at the rim. People not watching regularly won't understand how impossible it is to get to the rim.
