Traditional
point guard
Traditional point Jason Kidd was November's Player of the Month. Al Bello/ALLSPORT
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By Marty Burns, CNNSI.com
Shoot-first point guards are like waiters who spin plates. Fun to watch, but do they get you the meal any hotter?
NBA basketball is a team game, not a one-on-one competition. Every team (except for maybe the Bulls) has at least three scorers on the floor, usually bigger players, who can put the ball in the basket. Pure points like Jason Kidd, John Stockton and Andre Miller understand this. They might not put up big scoring numbers, but they dominate by controlling the tempo, getting the team in its sets, and delivering the ball to the right players.
By keeping everybody involved, teammates are more willing to work at the other end, not to mention more ready to hit a big shot when needed. Also, pure points are usually better able to get back on defense, since they're not under the basket often.
Casual fans might find it more thrilling to watch Stephon Marbury hoist a 3-pointer in transition or Steve Francis take his man off the dribble, but true hoops mavens get just as much of a rush from a Kidd bounce pass in traffic or a Stockton no-look feed.
If you want to feast in the NBA, you're better served with a table-setter.
| Scoring
point guard
Scoring point Stephon Marbury is the reigning Player of the Week. Barry Gossage/NBAE/Getty Images
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By Jennifer Cooper, CNNSI.com
Just because a guy puts up 20 shots a game doesn't mean his teammates are going hungry.
The finger of blame seems to point quickest to a scoring point guard on a losing team, but there's a long tradition of points who were able to "swish and dish" their way to championships. Walt "Clyde" Frazier, for one.
In fact, a point guard who's talented enough to average at least 18 points and eight assists per night (think Magic Johnson or Isiah Thomas) is a valuable commodity for any team.
And, as long as his teammates are mature professionals who don't have a problem sharing the spotlight, he'll enhance, rather than detract from, his team's title chances.
Then there's the matter of putting fannies in the seats. The main reason the Suns sent Jason Kidd to New Jersey for Stephon Marbury was to liven up a stagnant offense.
"There were a lot of games I didn't enjoy myself, so how could I expect the fans to enjoy them?" Suns owner Jerry Colangelo said at the time of the trade. "We needed a little shot of adrenaline."
After all, NBA teams don't live on bread alone.
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