"The role of the pass-first point guard is dead."
If you're a true basketball connoisseur, you know this is a bone-headed statement. The idea of a shoot-first point guard strains logic. A shoot-first point guard is a shooting guard, and so there would just be two shooting guards in your line-up, with one designated with the arbitrary task of bringing the ball past mid court. With two shoot guards, and nobody to help the bigs run plays, one team becomes two, and there's no chemistry.
Alexander was covering the Stanford @ U Dub game with Kanoa Leahey. It was U Dub's first game without the NCAA's number 1 shot blocker Robert Upshaw (4.4/game), a guy who until now had more blocks than any other PAC12 team combined. Alexander's only redemption was late in the second half when he said "[b]y the way, get the Sonics back to Seattle." The glaring irony of that statement was that the Sonics were successful largely because they had point guard Gary Payton racking up assists feeding power forward Shawn Kemp and bad-hair specialist Detlef Schrempf.
Alexander was covering the Stanford @ U Dub game with Kanoa Leahey. It was U Dub's first game without the NCAA's number 1 shot blocker Robert Upshaw (4.4/game), a guy who until now had more blocks than any other PAC12 team combined. Alexander's only redemption was late in the second half when he said "[b]y the way, get the Sonics back to Seattle." The glaring irony of that statement was that the Sonics were successful largely because they had point guard Gary Payton racking up assists feeding power forward Shawn Kemp and bad-hair specialist Detlef Schrempf.
Coach George Karl looks on, after telling
Schrempf to get rid of the flat top.
What does this have to do with the Zags????
Kevin Pangos is the quintessential pass-first point guard, and any true Zagaholic will defend that definition of the position. Pangos fuels the Zags high-IQ offense with one of D1's best assist/turnover ratios (does anyone have exact figures and rank? If so, please comment).
The Success of a "Floor General" over a "Combo Guard"
Not only that, Coach Mark Few teaches a pass-first point guard offense.
Exhibit A: When David Stockton was a senior off the bench, Coach Few would pull Gary Bell Jr. within a few minutes of the tip, move Pangos to the 2, and put Stockton at the 1. Pangos would set back picks and knock down threes, and Stockton would thread passes inside and rotate along the baseline. Starter or not, that lineup constituted the majority of the minutes. Pangos' points average before conference play this season tanked exactly because Coach Few didn't have Stockton to turn to, and he had Pangos passing. It only turned at BYU December 27th when Przemek Karnowski got gassed working the post in the second half, and Coach few gave firing orders to Pangos and Bell Jr to stretch the defense.
Pangos, Stockton, and Angel Nunez celebrate the
2014 WCC Tournament quarterfinals.
Exhibit B: Coach Few makes sure his guys know their roles. It's always fun when a player steps out of their role and does something positive. Karnowski drained an NBA-range three on an in-bounds mistakenly thinking the shot clock was lean when there was really 15 seconds left. But that doesn't mean Coach Few is going to start running high screens or kick outs for the big man.
Coach Few's point guard philosophy is no different. Coach Few publically reprimanded Stockton after Stockton blocked Anson Winder's lay-up in the WCC tournament championship game.
5'11" Stockton blocks Winder's lay-up.
With Stockton sitting at his side for the post-game press conference after a convincing win to take the conference title and tournament auto-bid, Coach Few said:
"I don't think we need to be encouraging him out in the media. We like
our 5'6" guys to strip guys and to take charges."*
The Pass-First Point Guard is Not Dead
Not only is it alive, it's the second critical component of the best way to win titles (the first being a coach who has the team's respect). Rarely has there been a successful team that doesn't have a heady floor general selflessly catalyzing the team's offense by rewarding good on and off ball movement with open looks and buckets. It's the difference between a chemistriless, Kyrie Irving losing to the Utah Jazz without recording a single assist, and a Tony Parker-led Spurs team who left shoe deals and sex appeal at the door to systematically lock down on the league, winning the 2014 finals 4-1.
There's a reason Alexander is talking into a mic and not playing. He should recognize that and stick to calling games, not his opinions. To the Delon Wrights, Melo Trimbles, and TJ McConnells ignore the noise of selfish basketball, listen to your coaches, and we'll continue jealously marveling at your careers.
*Stockton is listed as 5'11". He's not. I'm 5'11" and I met him at the old bookstore before the COG was knocked down. I had a few inches on him. But as Sam Dower Jr. pointed out, Coach Few's 5'6" assessment was definitely unfair.
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