Here are Hollinger's write-ups (with most easily identifying references removed) on four PG's that are "reasonably" available if we want to replace Andre Miller, at least for this year. I chose players based on their compatibility with a pick and roll/pop game (quickness to finish, mid-range jump shot, passing off the screen). Whether they are available was my subjective choice. I ruled out a lot of popular players from trade proposals I have seen based on whether their game fit the criteria above. You can guess who they are but keep it to yourself if possible and refer to them as Player A, B, C or D in your posts. I will positively identify them tomorrow after most of the regulars have had a chance to vote here. some are vets, some are young guys who might flourish as starters:
Player A
2007-08 season: A hyperactive ball of energy who was essentially playing his first pro season, Player A might have been an all-defense selection if anybody watched his games. On a team for which a lot of players were going through the motions, his extra effort stood out. Player A drew 47 offensive fouls, the fourth-most in the league; on a per-minute basis, the only perimeter player to draw more was the Lakers' Derek Fisher.
Player A's other defensive metrics were outstanding, too -- among point guards he was sixth in blocks per minute, 12th in steals and seventh in defensive rebound rate. Overall, his team gave up 5.7 points fewer per 48 minutes with him on the court.
The only reason he didn't play more was his shaky outside shot, combined with a refusal to acknowledge its shakiness. Player A took nearly two 3-pointers a game but made only 25.7 percent, a major reason his shooting percentage was so low. He was much better on long 2s, making 44.8 percent, but they were a less-utilized part of his arsenal. Player A also killed himself at the line. He led all point guards in free-throw attempts per field-goal attempt, but converted only 69.8 percent.
Scouting report: Player A is only 6-1, but has superb speed and quickness combined with incredible toughness; that combo is what makes him so willing to throw his body into the fray, draw charges, rebound and defend effectively.
Player A is a very hard driver going to the basket, especially to his right, and can use his jets to get past defenders and draw fouls. He has to improve as a passer and decision-maker, however, as his pure point rating was subpar and most of his drives seemed to be for his own offense. Player A is good at advancing the ball in transition, throwing pinpoint alley-oops from midcourt and sending it ahead when shooters are free.
Player B
Player B has made steady progress as a shooter, improving to 35.9 percent on 3-pointers and 78.3 percent from the charity stripe last season. The latter figure is important, given that drawing fouls is one of his main skills -- Player B ranked 11th among shooting guards in free-throw attempts per field-goal attempt. He's light as a feather and gave nothing on the boards -- he was 61st out of 63 shooting guards in rebound rate -- but in spite of that finished 18th at his position in PER.
Scouting report: Player B would be a better defensive player if it weren't for the magnets in his uniform that slam him into every screen. Though he has breathtaking speed and quickness that enable him to get steals, he seemingly runs right into every pick set in his path, whether it's on or off the ball, and can be caught napping and ball-watching from the weak side. Additionally, his size is a major issue when he plays shooting guard.
Offensively, Player B is difficult to keep away from the basket because of his blazing speed. This makes him a force in transition and on quick drives in the half court, and as his shooting improves he should only become more difficult to guard. There's still some room to grow here -- while his 3-point numbers were respectable he only made 36.2 percent of his long 2-pointers and was phenomenally bad (33-for-114) on "in-between" shots.
Player B plays the point on occasion, but his shoot-first mentality and occasional sloppiness with the ball make him a tough fit there. However, if he's ever going to be a starter it almost has to be at the point for defensive purposes, unless he's paired with a very big point guard who can switch assignments with him on defense.
Player C
2007-08 season: Player C's gentle decline continued apace, as his free-throw rate completely evaporated -- he earned half as many per game as the year before and ranked in the bottom third of point guards in free-throw attempts per field-goal attempt. He also lost three points off his 40-minute scoring rate, and largely because of the free-throw decline his TS% fell, too.
The other interesting part about Player C's season was his overwhelming preference for the left side of the floor. He took 42.7 percent of his 2-point shots from the left side, second only to Sam Cassell, and had the greatest difference between right and left in all of basketball -- nearly twice as many tries coming from the left side. He made more shots from the left, too -- 42.1 to 38.5 percent -- so there was some method to his madness. And his attempts were just as staggered if you include 3-pointers.
Scouting report: Player C has a reputation as an indifferent defender, though he did draw 12 offensive fouls in 33 games with the Team 2. However, both Team 1 and Team 2 defended much better when he was off the court. Because he's relatively small for the position and doesn't possess outstanding quickness, this end of the floor will always be somewhat problematic for him.
Offensively, he's a deadly 3-point threat who is as comfortable firing off the dribble as he is off the catch. He prefers to operate on the left side and likes to go baseline from there, although often he's looking to pass in that situation. Otherwise, he likes to use a quick dribble left away from the pick-and-roll to get free for a mid-range jumper. Though he's not a true drive-and-kick point guard, he doesn't dominate the ball either -- he just moves it along if nothing's there for him.
Player D
2007-08 season: I'm a fan of Player D, but he did not have a good year at all. The second year guard shot only 35.2 percent from the floor, including 29.3 percent on 3-pointers, and his high assist rate was more than offset by the fact he was insanely turnover prone. Only four point guards had a worse turnover ratio, and only two had a worse TS%, so between those two things and his relatively high usage rate, he was an empty-trip generator.
The one excuse I'll make for him was how he was used. Player D played 72 games, but averaged only 8.8 minutes per, which is very odd. Usually somebody who averages fewer than 10 minutes will play in half his team's games or less; conversely, usually somebody who plays 72 games is a big enough part of the rotation that he'll see extended minutes in at least some of them. Player D didn't have an outing longer than 21 minutes all year and he had a whopping 42 contests where he played less than 10 minutes.
Since my research has shown players perform worse when their minutes come in dribs and drabs like this, it's quite possible Player D was a better player than he showed last season. The Catch-22 is he can't prove this unless he plays better in these little dribs and drabs.
Scouting report: Player D is very quick and has great passing instincts, which makes him a good playmaker who can see the floor and set up shots for teammates off a pick-and-roll and penetration. Too often, however, he forces passes that aren't there, and his inability to score on his own allows defenders to play him for the dish.
Player D badly needs to improve as an outside shooter, but he also needs to improve around the basket. At 6-foot-3 with his speed he should be able to get a lot of layups, but he only shoots 45 percent in the immediate basket area for his career with a poor free-throw rate. It also might help him to relax a bit -- right now he's trying to create a shot on nearly every trip, so he's forcing plays.
Defensively, Player D fouls too much on the perimeter trying to pressure the ball and gets beaten too easily because he's playing overly close. With his size and quickness he should be a quality defender once he figures out he just needs to stay in front of people.
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