The great blog X’s and O’s of Basketball highlighted an interview between New York Knicks coach Mike D’Antoni and Charlie Rose today. At about the 13:40 mark, Rose asks D’Antoni to talk about what types of players the Knicks “need” in order to be successful. D’Antoni replies that the Knicks are looking for “skilled” players that “know how to play.” When pressed to explain, D’Antoni makes an analogy between card players with “card sense” and basketball players that “understand when to pass, when not to pass.” D’Antoni says those are “your great players.”
Some analysts call it “basketball IQ” or “court awareness.” But it’s a unmistakable trait that great basketball players share. It’s almost as if they’re playing a game within the game. For my money, no player personifies those traits like Chris Paul. Paul knows when to look for his shot, when to look for his teammates, and where his teammates need the ball in order to be productive. Steve Nash is excellent at managing his team as well, but Nash is at his best when he’s orchestrating a helter-skelter pace. Paul manages a game with a surgeon’s precision. Great players like Kobe Bryant and LeBron James have their moments, but Paul is on an entirely different level when it comes to knowing “how to play.”
November 13th, 2008 at 9:04 am
I like Chris Paul too, but I’m not sure I’d say he “knows how to play” more than Kobe or LeBron.
Chris Paul is very quick, very shifty, and is a great ball-handler and like other guys today with that skill set: (Nash, Wade, Arenas) they can get into the paint at will against any NBA team. I’ve read that part of this is because of the rule changes against “hand-checks”. I truly believe it is more because they allow these uber-slick pgs some ridiculous leeway when it comes to the rule on “carrying” the ball. Make no mistake, every year for the last 4 the NBA has cracked down more and more on traditional traveling calls. I remember when they took away LeBron’s jumpstop move 3 years ago, and right now they call big men for traveling about 20 times a game. But they have done nothing about halting blatant palming and hesitation dribbles.
Each one of these guys has a move that they use almost every play which I believe is illegal. DWade in iso situations starts to move forward before he commits to which side he is going to drive by the defender. And at the very last moment he carry the ball from one side of his body to the other. He doesn’t ever have to plant off the opposite foot before he makes his move. He and Arenas do this move all the time – and I don’t think they have ever been called for a carry.
Nash and CP3 does these blatant hesitation moves that I scratch my head at. They are such incredible ball-handlers and have great court vision, so they can lift a ball up with one hand, and decide while the ball is at their hip and their hand under it whether they are going to throw a lob pass, a kick out, or if the defense doesn’t bite, they just put it back on the floor and set themselves up for a 10 foot jumper in the lane.
These are just things I’ve noticed. When I watched Chris Paul in the FIBA games, I was completely underwhelmed. He looked overmatched in the big games and I thought his decision making was terrible. I thought to myself, “How can this be the same guy that was always putting up such ridonkulous numbers night in and night out against the best NBA competition?”
Make no mistake, I still think he is one of the best players in the league, as is Wade, and Nash has been the best shooter in the NBA for the last 5 years, so I don’t want it to seem like I don’t appreciate what these guys bring in terms of talent, I just really don’t think a guy like Chris Paul, Dwade, Arenas, “know the game” any better than superstars like Kobe and LeBron. I really believe these are all guys whose game severely depends on being able to get into the paint at will – and I don’t think the way they are doing it is legit.
Also, it’s on defense where guys show that they “know the game.” Help side defense especially is a skill that some players, no matter how talented, never learn how to master.
November 13th, 2008 at 11:22 am
Let me help you out with the definition.
“Knows How to Play” – doing the opposite of what Stephon Marbury would do
November 13th, 2008 at 2:55 pm
Tsunami,
I see Kobe and LeBron take quite a few bad shots. Kobe takes shots that just don’t need to be taken. LeBron takes too many shots that are out of his range.
I VERY RARELY see Chris Paul take a bad shot. That’s because he’s a point guard you say? I VERY RARELY see the kid make bad passes either.
CP3’s basketball IQ is off the charts my friend.
D. Wade isn’t even in the discussion. Wade is a phenomenal athlete. And he has the heart of a champion. But Wade makes HORRIBLE decisions. It’s no coincidence that he’s led the league in turnovers two out of the last three seasons. Wade is on pace to lead the league in turnovers again this season.
Paul is the first player to record 20 points and 10 assists in the first seven games of the season. He’s better than he was last season (and remember, he was YOUR pick for MVP). CP3 is averaging 22.6 points, 11.9 assists and 3.1 steals this year. He’s shooting 55 percent from the field too.
My saying that Paul knows the game isn’t meant to be a slant on Kobe or LeBron. I enjoy watching Kobe, LeBron, and CP3 the most. But when it comes to knowing “how to play,” Paul is in a world unto himself.
November 13th, 2008 at 2:56 pm
Shooter,
Lol!
Duly noted.