RealGM

It is an annual thing from ESPN/Simmons. I typically don't read anything ESPN-related but this was interesting to say the least. The list is compromise from 40 to 1.

According to the list, Evans has the 15th best trade value in the NBA. Kevin Martin just missed the top 40 but he gets HM though.

Tyreke Evans (Group D: "Effectively Untouchable"):

15. Tyreke Evans
The prototypical 0-guard: Someone who handles the ball all the time, looks for his own shot, gets to the rim at will and operates best if his teammates spread the floor to watch him. You can't call these guys point guards, and they handle the ball too much to be 2-guards. So they're 0-guards. Ideally, you want to surround 0-guards with spot-up shooters, one rebounder and a pick-and-pop forward who can make 18-footers. Gilbert Arenas created the 0-guard position, for better or worse; Dwyane Wade mastered it; Brandon Roy strikes the best balance between selfish and unselfish; and Evans might have the most raw talent of any of them. I've personally seen him turn four or five games into layup lines this season. And yet, would I want to play with him? Right now … not really. Some day … maybe.

(Here's the part where you say, "You can't play with him, you're a 40-year-old washed-up white guy who wasn't even good to begin with." Good point.)

Kevin Martin (Honorable Mention):

Kevin Martin (30): My favorite possibly available trade piece -- great contract, proven scorer, high hoops IQ, someone who'd thrive on a veteran team that protected him defensively and ran plays for him. Right now he's playing on a glorified pickup team with Tyreke Evans, who thinks "point guard" means "I get to dribble over midcourt." Not gonna fly. Someone like Martin is a luxury. You pamper him. You set him screens. You hook him up on slash-and-kicks. You go to him after games and say, "Hey, what's the best place to deliver the ball for you -- chest high and a little to the right?" He could absolutely be a contender's No. 1 scoring option like Reggie Miller or Rip Hamilton once upon a time. Stay tuned.

Well first of all, it's good to see that Evans is viewed highly (trade-value wise), especially Evans is only a rookie. But I don't agree some of what Simmons description of Evans i.e "who thinks "point guard" means "I get to dribble over midcourt." I think it is obvious that Simmons hasn't watch as many of Kings game to fully evaluate Tyreke Evans. His description is too one dimensional and simplistic. It's essentially false.

But other than that, it is a very good read.

.........

He also listed the top 25 worst contracts in the league. There is no Beno on the list (!) But oddly enough, he added Francisco Garcia to the list. (And as well as Nocioni as expected)

17. Andres Nocioni -- three years, $21m

13. Francisco Garcia -- four years, $23.2m

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/st ... 100208/one

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So, what do you guys think?

I thought it was right on point and very funny.

I think Simmons watches a lot of basketball. He basicly gets paid to watch basketball and he obviously loves the sport. 1+1.

He's not wrong, but he loves to exaggerate for the sake of a humor.

I read Simmons book and have much respect for him, but he's been wrong about Tyreke from day one, when he called the pick a natural disaster (later he took it back but still said we should have taken Rubio, which is wrong in multiple ways, most of all because we couldn't take seasons of waiting for Rubio to get out of Spain.)

He does need to watch Tyreke more, pure and simple. Tyreke isn't so incredable selfish that he can't pass, or WON'T. He trives with driving and finding teammates while everyone is watching him. I'd love to sit and watch a whole game with Simmons and see how long it takes him to take back the "0-guard" label. Tyreke, like LeBron or Wade, needs the ball to be effective (thats all I'm saying, don't take that out of porportion) and he's a unselfish enough player to know what to do with it, and will continue to learn.

pass first wrote:he loves to exaggerate for the sake of a humor.

I agree. it's fine to be smart, but he shouldn't have to be proving it all the time. I'm not a fan of Simmons. Mark Kreidler And Scott Howard Cooper are two of my favorite journalist....


Garcia Is not a bad contract...

David Aldridge is my favorite hoops analyst. I like Kreidler, but ever since he stopped writing for the Bee I stopped following him.

I'm going to agree with Cisco's contract assessment atm. He hasn't really proven anything and his contract was given based on his potential.

I think he is exaggerating Tyrekes domination of the ball more than a tad, but I agree with the way he says to build a team around him.