"A point about point guards"
Feb 17, 2009
All year long fans and some members of the media have been giving NC State Coach Sidney Lowe the business about the way he rotates his point guards. Their message for the coach: “pick a point guard and stick with him.”
Sidney Lowe has made the judgment that none of his point guards brings the consistency he’s looking for in all phases of the game. But each has skill in certain areas and can be a difference maker, depending on the opponent and style of the game.
Javi Gonzalez brings quick hands and quick feet. Farnold Degand is a more physical presence, a guy who can bull his way to the basket and also add defensive toughness in the half court. Julius Mays is still learning the offense, but he has demonstrated an ability to shoot the ball. Each has demonstrated an ability to get the ball to State's shooters, and each of these three point guards has made at least one critical play in the late stages of NC State’s four ACC victories.
Fans and many in the media like conventional solutions. Sidney Lowe in fact would prefer to play primarily one point guard. But he believes this season rotating Gonzalez, Degand, and sometimes Mays gives the Wolfpack a better chance to win. Sidney Lowe carries impeccable credentials when it comes to judging point guards. He remains the ACC’s all time leader in assist/turnover ratio. During Lowe’s four years running the show as State’s point guard, he averaged nearly three assists for every one turnover. Not even Ty Lawson can match that.
I disagree with those who say you can’t win if you rotate two or three players. I’ll give you some examples:
In 2001, Duke center Carlos Boozer suffered a late season injury against Maryland. Mike Krzyzewski, in perhaps the finest coaching job of his distinguished career, went to a three guard line-up, and rotated three lightly used big men alongside all-america forward Shane Battier. Krzyzewski generally started the shot blocking Casey Sanders, then followed with the slower but immovable Matt Christensen. He would also give minutes to one-time tight end Reggie Love, who always brought great energy to the court. Things worked out pretty well for Reggie Love, who is now President Barack Obama’s personal assistant. And things worked out extremely well for that Duke team-which did not lose another game en route to the national championship.
In 1977, North Carolina lost its center Tom LaGarde to a late season injury. Dean Smith pieced together a rotation of three freshmen big men. Rich Yonaker was the best passer and scorer. Steve Krafcisin and Jeff Wolf provided physical defense and rebounding. That team, which also suffered injuries to Walter Davis and Phil Ford, came within one Jerome Whitehead blocked shot of beating Marquette in the NCAA final.
Or you could go to football. In Urban Meyer’s first season at Florida, Meyer rotated talented freshman Tim Tebow with established veteran Chris Leak. Both quarterbacks played a key role as the Gators won football's national championship.
The issue for Sidney Lowe: It’s not necessarily what can one player do at the point guard position, but what is the sum of the three parts. Gonzalez, Degand, and Mays collectively are averaging 14 points and 7.5 assists per game. Those numbers compare favorably with many point guards in the league. The problem is this trio also averaged 6.7 turnovers per game. However, in recent weeks, especially as Lowe has used more of the big line-up and shortened his bench, the point guard turnovers have decreased.
One day next year, or perhaps the year after that, NC State will have a point guard that thrives at both ends of the floor and in all game situations. In the meantime State fans should keep the faith. Lowe’s plan for shuttling point guards really could work.
