Primary ball handler is the most necessary position

[Black Jack]

Maybe not most valuable but most necessary ie you need one is "primary ball handler". Teams that don't have one or two primary ball handler types are just not going to win anything.

Okay you have 7 footers and huge wings but if you don't have someone that can bring the ball up the court against pressure who's going to get them shots where they want them?

And now, you HAVE to be able to shoot too as on ball guy or they just collapse the key on you when you try to score. Guys like Ja are easy to game plan for in the playoffs especially with weak shooters on the roster.

Scorers ultimately are the stars but you need a ball handler on the court.

[UcanUwill]

I think thats always been the case really, maybe except for like 50s and 60s its been guards' game, as Lithuanian fan, I can tell, we didn't have best NT when SAbonis was playing, we had best NT when Jasikevičius, Macijauskas and Šiškauskas were playing. It is incredibly rare to become chanpion at any level if you do not have star guard play.

[Black Jack]

I think thats always been the case really, maybe except for like 50s and 60s its been guards' game, as Lithuanian fan, I can tell, we didn't have best NT when SAbonis was playing, we had best NT when Jasikevičius, Macijauskas and Šiškauskas were playing. It is incredibly rare to become chanpion at any level if you do not have star guard play.

Even in the 60s the Celtics dominated and always had a guard to help Russell and the rest.

One more point, Jokic has changed the game, if you have a big man who is skilled and mobile enough to run point that becomes a huge advantage. I am curious if we get more clones of Jokic or not. Sengun may be one!

[nate33]

Yes. Your offense is dead in the water unless it has one guy who can score efficiently against single coverage. You need a guy who can force teams to help and get into rotation. And in an era where fronting the post is now possible (thanks to zone defense rules allowing weakside help on off-ball players) you can't expect a post player to consistently get enough touches to regularly bend the defense from the low block. It has to be a ball handler.

[UcanUwill]

I think thats always been the case really, maybe except for like 50s and 60s its been guards' game, as Lithuanian fan, I can tell, we didn't have best NT when SAbonis was playing, we had best NT when Jasikevičius, Macijauskas and Šiškauskas were playing. It is incredibly rare to become chanpion at any level if you do not have star guard play.

Even in the 60s the Celtics dominated and always had a guard to help Russell and the rest.

One more point, Jokic has changed the game, if you have a big man who is skilled and mobile enough to run point that becomes a huge advantage. I am curious if we get more clones of Jokic or not. Sengun may be one!

Yang suppose to be that first real Jokic clone, were he grew up watching and trying to play like Jokic. There will be Jokic clones, but it is very unlikely they will be at such star level.

[garlic]

I think thats always been the case really, maybe except for like 50s and 60s its been guards' game, as Lithuanian fan, I can tell, we didn't have best NT when SAbonis was playing, we had best NT when Jasikevičius, Macijauskas and Šiškauskas were playing. It is incredibly rare to become chanpion at any level if you do not have star guard play.

Even in the 60s the Celtics dominated and always had a guard to help Russell and the rest.

One more point, Jokic has changed the game, if you have a big man who is skilled and mobile enough to run point that becomes a huge advantage. I am curious if we get more clones of Jokic or not. Sengun may be one!

Yang suppose to be that first real Jokic clone, were he grew up watching and trying to play like Jokic. There will be Jokic clones, but it is very unlikely they will be at such star level.

I think we are likely to see plenty of "Jokic-emulating" centers but I'll be very surprised if any achieve anything near actual Jokic level of gameplay. Let alone for season after season.

At his size, that's a much smaller pool of candidates to start with. And then Jokic has so much unteachable talent and feel. I think Jokic is more 'once in a lifetime' than he is 'generational'.

[UcanUwill]

Even in the 60s the Celtics dominated and always had a guard to help Russell and the rest.

One more point, Jokic has changed the game, if you have a big man who is skilled and mobile enough to run point that becomes a huge advantage. I am curious if we get more clones of Jokic or not. Sengun may be one!

Yang suppose to be that first real Jokic clone, were he grew up watching and trying to play like Jokic. There will be Jokic clones, but it is very unlikely they will be at such star level.

I think we are likely to see plenty of "Jokic-emulating" centers but I'll be very surprised if any achieve anything near actual Jokic level of gameplay. Let alone for season after season.

At his size, that's a much smaller pool of candidates to start with. And then Jokic has so much unteachable talent and feel. I think Jokic is more 'once in a lifetime' than he is 'generational'.

Yes, thats what I meant too. Great, popular and succesful players always have immitators, like we had plenty of Kobe immitators, but a lot of them play overseas. Everyone wanted to be new Kobe, but very few people in the world had that talent. I bet plenty of bigger guys will want to be Jokic.

[Black Jack]

Even in the 60s the Celtics dominated and always had a guard to help Russell and the rest.

One more point, Jokic has changed the game, if you have a big man who is skilled and mobile enough to run point that becomes a huge advantage. I am curious if we get more clones of Jokic or not. Sengun may be one!

Yang suppose to be that first real Jokic clone, were he grew up watching and trying to play like Jokic. There will be Jokic clones, but it is very unlikely they will be at such star level.

I think we are likely to see plenty of "Jokic-emulating" centers but I'll be very surprised if any achieve anything near actual Jokic level of gameplay. Let alone for season after season.

At his size, that's a much smaller pool of candidates to start with. And then Jokic has so much unteachable talent and feel. I think Jokic is more 'once in a lifetime' than he is 'generational'.

I am not as concerned with Jokic's goat level of play here, more like will we see more big men that are primary ball handlers. I say we will.

[Chuck Everett]

There are a million guards in the NBA and yet so many don't have the ability to finish with either hand nor are they able to make an entry pass.

[UcanUwill]

Yang suppose to be that first real Jokic clone, were he grew up watching and trying to play like Jokic. There will be Jokic clones, but it is very unlikely they will be at such star level.

I think we are likely to see plenty of "Jokic-emulating" centers but I'll be very surprised if any achieve anything near actual Jokic level of gameplay. Let alone for season after season.

At his size, that's a much smaller pool of candidates to start with. And then Jokic has so much unteachable talent and feel. I think Jokic is more 'once in a lifetime' than he is 'generational'.

I am not as concerned with Jokic's goat level of play here, more like will we see more big men that are primary ball handlers. I say we will.

Big men dev changes probably most drastically. 20 years ago at least in America, very few bigs could shoot at all, no one even thought they need that, and now of course you need to shoot. As game evolves, more and more will be asked from these players, just being tall is not good enough anymore. Like I see at guy like Plavzic who plays for Zvezda, I think 25 years ago that guy probably would have been in the NBA, and now he barely plays on Belgrade team...

[lilswift01]

You need multiple ball handlers who can make things happen to win a championship. Not just a primary

[JujitsuFlip]

Honestly, i think it's to the point ya really need 2 or 3 guys who can do this, if ya wanna make deep playoff runs.

The fact some teams have zero is wild.

[Bornstellar]

I don't know if it's the most necessary but it's definitely up there. Watching my Spurs try to function with no real primary ball handler since Harper went down has been painful. Castle is not a PG. We desperately need Fox back ASAP

[KokoKaizer]

Maybe not most valuable but most necessary ie you need one is "primary ball handler". Teams that don't have one or two primary ball handler types are just not going to win anything.

Okay you have 7 footers and huge wings but if you don't have someone that can bring the ball up the court against pressure who's going to get them shots where they want them?

And now, you HAVE to be able to shoot too as on ball guy or they just collapse the key on you when you try to score. Guys like Ja are easy to game plan for in the playoffs especially with weak shooters on the roster.

Scorers ultimately are the stars but you need a ball handler on the court.

Can you PM the Magic GM ?

Thanks in advance

[Black Jack]

Maybe not most valuable but most necessary ie you need one is "primary ball handler". Teams that don't have one or two primary ball handler types are just not going to win anything.

Okay you have 7 footers and huge wings but if you don't have someone that can bring the ball up the court against pressure who's going to get them shots where they want them?

And now, you HAVE to be able to shoot too as on ball guy or they just collapse the key on you when you try to score. Guys like Ja are easy to game plan for in the playoffs especially with weak shooters on the roster.

Scorers ultimately are the stars but you need a ball handler on the court.

Can you PM the Magic GM ?

Thanks in advance

My first draft of this post named the Magic and Mavs as examples of why no ball handler isn't feasible but I felt that would have derailed it

[KokoKaizer]

Maybe not most valuable but most necessary ie you need one is "primary ball handler". Teams that don't have one or two primary ball handler types are just not going to win anything.

Okay you have 7 footers and huge wings but if you don't have someone that can bring the ball up the court against pressure who's going to get them shots where they want them?

And now, you HAVE to be able to shoot too as on ball guy or they just collapse the key on you when you try to score. Guys like Ja are easy to game plan for in the playoffs especially with weak shooters on the roster.

Scorers ultimately are the stars but you need a ball handler on the court.

Can you PM the Magic GM ?

Thanks in advance

My first draft of this post named the Magic and Mavs as examples of why no ball handler isn't feasible but I felt that would have derailed it

No, that's just spot on sir !

[Black Jack]

Honestly, i think it's to the point ya really need 2 or 3 guys who can do this, if ya wanna make deep playoff runs.

The fact some teams have zero is wild.

Right. But even just to get through a game without a bunch of ugly plays you need at least one ball handler!

[YogurtProducer]

There are a million guards in the NBA and yet so many don't have the ability to finish with either hand nor are they able to make an entry pass.

The real reason is because the athletes defensively are crazy.

Any of those guards would come to your local Y and destroy you even if you tied their dominant hand behind their back

[Frank Dux]

Definitely. Guys who can create their own shot, handle the ball, and play-make are pretty much the most valuable assets in the league.

This is why under no circumstances do you trade a guy like Luka for Anthony Davis.

[JujitsuFlip]

I don't know if it's the most necessary but it's definitely up there. Watching my Spurs try to function with no real primary ball handler since Harper went down has been painful. Castle is not a PG. We desperately need Fox back ASAP

Shams said Fox gonna make his season debut tomorrow.