ctorres wrote:Anyone in here familiar with BJ Armstrong's skill set, style of play, and talent level from the '93 through '95 seasons when he was the starting PG for those Bulls teams coached by Phil?
I've only looked at a few YouTube highlights and stats, but BJ Armstrong seems like the most "modern" PG to play within the triangle.
I don't want to use Gary Payton as an example because he admittedly struggled with the triangle and only played in it for one year.
Any other PG's under Phil were either guys in the twilight of their career (Steve Kerr, Ron Harper, Brian Shaw) or guys who on any other squad were either reserves or not even NBA-caliber players (Derek Fisher, Jordan Farmar, Smush Parker).
BJ Armstrong had 3 years of strong play with the Bulls from '93 through '95 and one pretty solid season with the Warriors in '96. However, by '97 (his 8th season in the league at 29 years old), his production had drastically diminished.
Nevertheless, during the 4 solid years I referenced, BJ Armstrong's production seems comparable to what you'd ideally get from a Mike Conley, Brandon Knight, J'rue Holiday, Goran Dragic, or even Darren Collison playing in the triangle. Their numbers would potentially be decent enough to justify their salaries, and also appease each player in the sense of allowing them to have an important role on a good team without having to completely sacrifice their individual stats.
However, I would not expect the same type of production from a high assist/ball dominant PG like a Rajon Rondo, Ricky Rubio, John Wall, etc.
Judging on his athleticism from YouTube highlights as well as his ridiculously good FG percentages, I am assuming that BJ Armstrong was much more talented than the likes of a Mario Chalmers-caliber point guard.
To put it short, could anyone in here just tell me how good BJ Armstrong was and if it's realistic to target a PG that plays like him? If anything, I may go into the Bulls thread to ask them about him.
Remember Charlie Ward? My recollection of BJ Armstrong is of him being not much better than that, maybe a little bit better on the drive his first few years.
Jordan and Pippen were the "Point Guards" of those teams. Phil isn't a moron, he adjusts to the players he has. He had two guys, 6'6" or taller, who could pass the sh*t out of the ball, among other things.
That left filling the PG position with someone who first strength was shooting. BJ Armstrong was probably the most "well rounded" PG, followed by Paxson, then Kerr, who was basically a SG in a PG body.
For God's sake (pun intended), I'd take Charlie Ward right now, and he really was only ever just adequate as PG. Yes, he played hard D, but really, he was just average at best.
