Is Beno good enough?

[King Baller]

I see a lot of posts questioning Beno's PG skills. I saw a pretty darn good young PG step right in and make the Kings better last year. No off season knowing which tean he would be on. No training camp with the Kings. Got cut by the Twolves. Then Petrie signs him and the young man played well.

So I see these posts saying Beno's OK for now. But we need a PG that can dish and shoot the 3, Like Steve Nash. I'm not saying Beno is Nashlike, but Beno has an upside. Here are some stats for each players first 4 seasons:

Nash
MPG APG PPG
10.5 2.1 3.3
21.9 3.4 9.1
31.7 5.5 7.9
27.4 4.9 8.6

Udrih
MPG APG PPG
14.4 1.9 5.9
10.9 1.7 5.1
13 .0 1.7 4.7
32.0 4.3 12.8

Let the young man play. Lets see how he develops

KB

[deNIEd]

No

[KF10]

I think Beno could move up a level in terms of tiers IMO. If Theus wanted to see Beno average around 7/8 assists per game. I think he will average close to that IMO. Probably 6/7 tops. We have to take into consideration of our offense as a whole. After the Artest trade, we are a different offensive team. We are now a more running/up tempo-ish team. We usually run isos for Artest. But I can see a more fluid offense after the removal of Artest IMO. Probably, we will play the most Princeton Offense post-Adelman. I could see Beno's assists shoots up.

[ICMTM]

The difference between Nash and Udrih is that Nash has always been a talented athlete and can pass the ball and shoot like no other. He just didn't get his chance to shine in the league until later in his career.

Udrih IS NOT Steve Nash

Udrih for all the good things he's done the thing that I still think is questionable is his passing ability. He is still inconsistent. I don't know if that is due to the fact he's just streaky or hasn't had the playing time. We will see of course but I'm not comparing him to Steve Nash.

[aznmaburi3]

honestly i see beno as an average pg. not a star pg to carry a team to a title...but just enough...maybe to make it to the first rd of the playoffs. will see. hard to predict right now. anything is possible. GO KINGS!

3 More Days!

[KM44]

Beno is a really solid player and he will be for years. He is not a star though. He is going to be a starting pg on mediocer teams or a backup on a serious contender. I think the kings should keep him until we get a young star to make our team extraordinarily deep and a viable option to contend. Beno is good, but he won't be our starter for the future.

[pillwenney]

Is it possible he gets to be good enough? Yeah it's possible, I mean he's still young and has some pretty clear areas that he needs to improve on. But it's not likely. I think there's a good chance we'll need a star at the PG spot for the future, and I think there's a good chance Beno just won't ever be that good.

[King Baller]

The difference between Nash and Udrih is that Nash has always been a talented athlete and can pass the ball and shoot like no other. He just didn't get his chance to shine in the league until later in his career.

Udrih IS NOT Steve Nash

Udrih for all the good things he's done the thing that I still think is questionable is his passing ability. He is still inconsistent. I don't know if that is due to the fact he's just streaky or hasn't had the playing time. We will see of course but I'm not comparing him to Steve Nash.

Yep, Udrih is not Nash. But for a moment forget all you know about Nash, league MVP and all that. Just look at the stats from his first four seasons, could anyone have predicted how good he would become?

So Beno's upside is really an unknown. If he plays only as well as last year then he's a good player. If his game improves he could become very good. We will just have to see how it plays out.

KB

[Cassius]

At the end of the day, Nash still hasn't taken a team to the promised land.

Beno's a solid point, that doesn't screw up a lot. For a developing team, having a guy that isn't going to get your team in trouble is huge and it gets even more important as you add better pieces around him, to simplify his role even further. It may be frustrating now because your team has to play above its head to beat most of its opponents, but once the roster is set, have a no F-up point guard will be invaluable.

As a Raptors fan, it's been really hard watching Calderon pass up fast break after fast break to set up the offense because despite our offensive proficiency, we really struggled to get shots off in pressure situation. Now that we have two real scoring options in JO and Bosh, Jose's deliberate style is going to ensure that our most talented players will take the most shots. If we ever get a quality SG like KMart, Jose will be the perfect complement.

So, until you have bigs that set solid screens and score enough for Beno not to have to create much, live with some of his failings. I think he's a solid guard who won't hurt your team, which is a lot more than a lot of NBA teams can say about their point guard.

[ICMTM]

The difference between Nash and Udrih is that Nash has always been a talented athlete and can pass the ball and shoot like no other. He just didn't get his chance to shine in the league until later in his career.

Udrih IS NOT Steve Nash

Udrih for all the good things he's done the thing that I still think is questionable is his passing ability. He is still inconsistent. I don't know if that is due to the fact he's just streaky or hasn't had the playing time. We will see of course but I'm not comparing him to Steve Nash.

Yep, Udrih is not Nash. But for a moment forget all you know about Nash, league MVP and all that. Just look at the stats from his first four seasons, could anyone have predicted how good he would become?

So Beno's upside is really an unknown. If he plays only as well as last year then he's a good player. If his game improves he could become very good. We will just have to see how it plays out.

KB

When I responded I was thinking of Steve Nash when he was at UC Santa Clara and not the MVP to begin with. That's why I said Nash has always been a talented athlete....

I was trying to stay within the parameters of your argument. Now I wouldn't have called Nash an MVP guy 5 years ago. To put things in perspective at best I'm saying Udrih will make an all star team. The thing about that is I'm okay with it if he turns out that good. I just think comparing him to Nash is a bit much just based on raw talent even.

[king125]

some of you crack me up! steve nash is league mvp with how many championships? the starting point guards in the finals this year were not Super Stars. They were not even All Stars.

So please quit bashing Beno. The dude is sick and will be a perfect fit for what the Kings need for the next 5 years. As soon as Kevin Martin has a Super Star to play with (preferably a C or PF), we will be contenders. The rest of the team, Beno included, are role players.

And to answer the original post.....Yes, he will be good enough!!!!!

[ICMTM]

I don't recall bashing Beno. I didn't say he isn't capable. That he is. When you compare him to everyone who plays his position "sick" isn't the adjective I'd use. If Paul and Williams are the top young points with Parker in the mix somewhere I'd definitely say Beno isn't there. I think at best he's on Kirk Hinrich's level. Just an FYI I'm big on Hinrich.

[pillwenney]

some of you crack me up! steve nash is league mvp with how many championships? the starting point guards in the finals this year were not Super Stars. They were not even All Stars.

So please quit bashing Beno. The dude is sick and will be a perfect fit for what the Kings need for the next 5 years. As soon as Kevin Martin has a Super Star to play with (preferably a C or PF), we will be contenders. The rest of the team, Beno included, are role players.

And to answer the original post.....Yes, he will be good enough!!!!!

But that's the thing--looking at our roster, we don't have the talent of the Celtics big 3 or Kobe and company to make up for having a "nice" PG. So unless something else changes, we'll probably need someone really good there.

[deNIEd]

How do you plan on getting that super star

[Smills91]

I don't recall bashing Beno. I didn't say he isn't capable. That he is. When you compare him to everyone who plays his position "sick" isn't the adjective I'd use. If Paul and Williams are the top young points with Parker in the mix somewhere I'd definitely say Beno isn't there. I think at best he's on Kirk Hinrich's level. Just an FYI I'm big on Hinrich.

At half the price to boot, too.

[pillwenney]

How do you plan on getting that super star

You can't "plan" on getting anyone unless you have total control over a situation--which doesn't happen in this league. Regardless, I would plan on it through either the draft, free agency or via trade.

[KM44]

some of you crack me up! steve nash is league mvp with how many championships? the starting point guards in the finals this year were not Super Stars. They were not even All Stars.

So please quit bashing Beno. The dude is sick and will be a perfect fit for what the Kings need for the next 5 years. As soon as Kevin Martin has a Super Star to play with (preferably a C or PF), we will be contenders. The rest of the team, Beno included, are role players.

And to answer the original post.....Yes, he will be good enough!!!!!

There are a few things that are really wrong with this post. This is only your third post, and you are talking like you are a grandpa listening to kids talk. I am not very experienced here either, but the guys here made solid points and you can't just laugh at them because you disagree. And no one was bashing beno, they were merely saying is he good enough. That means that he's good, but is he good enough to lead the team. As for the past PGs not being superstars or even all stars the past few years, I would say that tony parker and chauncey billips might have something to say about that. Rondo isn't a star, but when you have the kind of people around him that Boston does, I could play point. And finally, the kings won't be contenders any time really soon, so a couple of guys won't just make us a terrific team.

[Ballings7]

With star PGs, it depends on how good the make up of the guys around him are, and how much you rely on the star PG...

The Hornets for example, so far, rely too much on CP3, and don't have enough offense after him to be a title contender. They're set up that way again for the coming season. They don't have enough offensive diversity after CP3 and West (who with his game and on their team is more of a third option playing a 2nd). Unless they get it outside of the team, Julian Wright eventually (probably won't be this season) needs to become an all-star caliber scorer, because his facilitating and off-ball abitlity is going to be good. But if he's not that good of a scorer, then they still lack that legit extra offensive creator (for self and others), after CP3 and West. With Wright then being a complementary player, rather than a credible top offensive option.

On the other side of it, the Pistons with Isiah and Billups, were/are relied on significantly, but the difference is they had/have numerous offensive options to go to, in addiition to themselves. Dumars, Dantley, Aguirre, Laimbeer, V. Johnson, Edwards, Salley; Rasheed, Hamilton, Prince, Corliss, McDyess.

Tony Parker, similar deal with his responsibility, but the difference with his other offensive support, it's two high-level players in Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili.

Both teams of course had the more limited offensive players who made shots, got clean up baskets, passed, and moved the ball.

So, generally, what you need with a star-level PG is a couple other star-range players, or a multitude of players who are multi-skilled offensively (ranging anywhere from superstar, 2nd-tier, 3rd-tier, border-line all-star, offensive role-player in there). With a big-time star and a star PG, it depends what the make-up of each player is.

[chriswebb86]

I think something people need to look at is the championchip teams from the last 10 or so years. Many of them did not have a superstar pg. They had an average pg, the played the postion how its suppoed to be played. I think Beno could be a fixture at point for us for many years. He does things a pg needs too do. While he may need to improve his passing game he still gets the ball to the players who can score. He gets the hoop pretty easy too. Finally, he does not turn the ball over much. While, it would be awesome to have a superstar pg I think we are better off having superstars at other positions.

[Ballings7]

With this team, probably don't have any superstars right now (to turn out as), I don't think we will, but all-star level players. So we need either a dynamic offensive SF (who isn't just ordinary defensively), or a star PG. Other-wise we are going to be lacking something, if we don't expand, increase, the offensive level of ability in the starting line-up.

Hawes
Thompson
Salmons/Garcia/Utility guy/Greene if he turns out right for SF
Kevin
Beno

Bench: 6th man somebody, a few others

I don't see that kind of team having what it takes to compete as a title contender, and be good enough in general to go far into the playoffs with a notable chance for a championship. I know partly it's too early because of the youth, but just on the out-look of it all, I'm leaning to no. I think we'll need that extra very good or even great piece offensively.

Greene has to turn out to be a star player, be able to be a real offensive creator, and pretty good defensively. If not Greene (who probably would come off the bench), then Thompson and what he'll be able to do as an all-star level player.

There needs to be another stand-out offensive source in the starting line-up after Hawes/Kevin/Thompson, because there isn't that big-time star player to allow for less versatile offensive players needed. Where then, typically, you just have 1-2 other quality offensive players, because of that large anchoring force offensively.

For example, Duncan + Robinson/Elliot, Duncan + Manu/Parker, Wade then Shaq, Shaq + Kobe-Kobe/Glen Rice, Jordan then Pippen, Hakeem + Drexler (in 93-94 it was Hakeem + a bunch of different above-average complementary players).

Sometimes there are two or even three relatively high-level star players. Like with all those Celtics teams (including the PGA Tour team this past season), pre Shaq/Kobe Laker great teams.

I think something people need to look at is the championchip teams from the last 10 or so years. Many of them did not have a superstar pg.

I don't think that really matters though, rather how much a team would rely on that star PG, and what the make-up of the other core offensive players are around the PG. Depending on how the team is made up.

I'll put another example out there with team make-up with a star point guard being a contender.

The Jazz. They just need a creative offensive player at SG (probably Almond), and a solid defensive center to complement Boozer, to alter and block shots. Then they're a title contender. What they've been missing is a good interior defensive presence (which will then lessen all the over-fouling they do, as an underlying factor), and versatile offense from the wing. That's why they've been knocked out the last two years.

With Deron, he's obviously relied on a lot, but again, he would have a serious deal of offense around him, combined with the complementary players. Deron + Boozer + offensive wing creator/Almond + AK47 + Okur/Koufos + Korver+ Millsap + Harpring + Brewer.

That situation for the Jazz isn't in place yet, but it could well be with a couple developments. In theory, that kind of offensive group (combined with the improved defense, and the already present rebounding) will have a good chance to make it to the finals and win it all.