Four Point Guards

The Bulls apparently have room for Crawford, Drew, El-Amin, and Guyton at PG. If these four guys had showed up at the Portland camp (Stoudamire, Greg Anthony, Erick Barkley, Gary Grant) or the Phoenix camp (Jason and Penny), how many would have made the cut?

Mike McGinley Hoffman Estates, IL

Assuming those other teams still retained all their current players I think the only two guys that would have a chance to make those rosters would be Drew and El-Amin, which isn't to say they would. Phoenix might have the room to hold on to Crawford for the future but I really wonder if Crawford will be a pg in a few years after he has put on some weight.

Odd isn't that we picked up four point guards and still don't have a clear starter?? And that we traded Mihm for a point guard who is god only knows how far away from starting consistently, and yet we still don't really have a center?? I like Ruffin but he aint a center and he is clearly outplaying Miller right now and Tarlac is apparently starting every game with three fouls.

I really don't think the Bull's center situation is going to be a big problem. Of the 29 nba teams, I rank the Bulls 29th in center talent, but it basically isn't important nowadays to carry a decent center. Most teams end up playing pf's at the 5 spot anyway because of their own 7-footers imcompentence. And even with the Bulls having the worst starting center in the NBA in Ruffin (who makes a decent pf), the disparity is minimal between him and teams ranked in the middle of the pack.

Miller is a complete waste of whatever talent he might have in the triangle offense because he has no vision or court awareness, probably the most important skill he needs to be successful in this offense. This is what made Luc Longley look like a skillful player, because he knew how to keep the ball flowing in the triangle. But put him in Phoenix, and then Longley is exposed for the worthless player that he is. His best move ever was getting shipped for Ron Artest.

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A stud center may not be a problem in the East but you still need someone who isn't playing out of position to be a good team. Mihm may or may not turn out to be better than middle of the pack, I tend to think he will.

The last two title teams were led by centers and a dependable center is likely going to be the thing that keeps Portland out of the Championship Series this year too.

The main reasons I see for teams to worry about stocking up on quality centers would be to get Shaq tired or into foul trouble by making him guard someone. A 7-foot defensive wizard guarding Shaq will always get help, so bringing in 2 scrubs to double team him isn't a huge downgrade. Otherwise, you can compensate for a lack of offensive production from your centers by having a team with good post up games from the 3 and 4 spots.

Sabonis should be healthy by then, and Kemp and his flabby frame can compete with any center in the league weight-wise. I predict a victory triangle in the playoffs. 3 teams will be unstoppable, and depending on how the playoff picture evolves, I see the Lakers over Spurs, Spurs over Blazers, and Blazers over Lakers. The rest can go home, including the entire Eastern Conference.

It could be even odder when we have to match up against a team with two big guards. Artest may be needed against a Jalen Rose or Tracy McGrady when they play PG.

If McGrady plays poing guard against the Bulls, Floyd should be looking forward to a victory that day.

Not being able to match up with a quality center is always going to be a problem. Teams can compensate assuming they have an advantage somewhere else but that advantage isn't guaranteed.

Sabonis is 900 years old. He will never be 'healthy' again, he will only be in greater or lesser pain. Kemp, in his heyday, couldn't play center.