eyriq wrote:Fortune Teller wrote:I don't think AB's as good as his supporters think or hope. If he were, there is literally nothing preventing him from being the starting PG on this team. Fultz wouldn't even start on a G-League team, and Suggs was already moved to SG because of his challenges running the point. So if Black was even mediocre, just competent, the starting job would be his.
Supporters of this front office will argue, "well who says we drafted him to be a PG", which is the same argument we heard when it turned out Suggs wasn't much of a PG. But the answer in both cases is "everyone". Everyone said he was a PG, every draft board and prognosticator called him a PG, every TV talking head called him a PG. But we engage in revisionist history when it starts looking like the pick is a disappointment.
I really don't think we were setting expectations too high if we expected him to have more assists per game than Goga and Trevelin Queen, if he were playing the same or more minutes per game than them (which he is). And that's with 33 starts so he hasn't been surrounded by scrubs.
He's already a starting quality defender. His shooting is also already ahead of schedule. He's good enough to come in and be a lock down defender on the team's best guard, already. The fact that he's able to contribute to winning as a rookie is big, IMO. It's clear that he has a narrow role on the team that doesn't include typical PG playmaking duties. If you don't like him it's likely you've never liked him, because his performance has matched his role.
So I kinda see Black right now being pushed into the same envelope or role as Houstan / Okeke when they became starters. Catch and shoot boys.
Of the 3 I have seen more I like out of Black to make me pick Black over the other 2. Houstan had a chance to rise to the occasion and well. He just didn't. Doesn't mean he can't stay with us developing as 3rd string. He is still plenty young to develop.
The fact of the matter is Paolo is our Point Guard. Similarly, Ingles is a point guard when he is out there as well. Whether that is Mosby's fault or credit has yet to be truly known.
I think its part of the plan. A feature. Not a bug. We are hoping AB develops into an Ingles type with defense.