Derek's Question-Can J.J. Barea be a legitimate starting pg in this league, or will he forever just be a spark off the bench type player? (Does what he brings to the table outweigh the things he takes off of it because of his lack of size/defence)
Its easy to look at a guy like Barea and make claims as to why he won't achieve much in his NBA career. He is little, nba.com claims he is a below average 6ft…really, are you sure? Is that right? Is that with or without heels?…Anyways, he is not a great defender nor a consistent shooter from mid or 3 point range.
That being said NBA teams are not all the same and each has its own needs and dynamics. So what I'm saying is that in a league were Derek Fisher and Luke Ridnour can be starters, yes, I think Barea could be in the right situation. There would need to be adjustments made in a rotation and he would likely find himself below the usual mins that a regular starter would play. Mostly due to defensive match-ups as he can't guard some of the bigger point guards effectively.
To reach the next level he needs to increase his passing ability, which is decent, but needs to get better, and gain consistency in his shooting. Teams like to go under screens on him as he is exceptionally quick off the dribble and he needs to be able to make them pay for giving him and open shot. Otherwise he is a decent pick and role guard who has a good sense of when is the right time for him to get his shots. Plus he can get hot and drive another team crazy. (Ex. Andrew Bynum attempting to crush him assuming he was a fly).
In short, he is a streaky player and will likely always be, but with experience (Soak up all the Jason Kidd you can before he's gone J.J.) a guy with his determination will always surprise his critics, its in his nature, heck he is dating former Miss Universe, Zuleyka Rivera, he's a competitor. I could see him finding a team were he fits their needs and a team willing to take a risk on a little Puerto Rican…Really 6ft, your kidding me.
Evan's Question- What does LeBron need to do to preserve (or redeem) his reputation as the best player in basketball today?
We might all disagree on the importance or place of legacy in the NBA. Whether you feel it is important for a super star to worry about their legacy or not we all have to agree that King James' legacy has taken a couple of self inflicted hits this season. Whether it was leaving his loyal fans in Cleveland for, the less then dedicated, Miami fan base, him holding a self indulgent hour long special to honour his decision, or the choice to seek a quick fix to his championship woes by joining Wade and Bosh, all these actions have proved LeBron is not the guy we thought he was.
Now he finds himself in the NBA finals down 3-2 to Dallas. With 2 sub par performances in games 4 and 5. How does he redeem himself? He needs to win. He needs a foot hold to steady himself on and show people he made the right choice coming to Miami. Maybe with a victory people will start to forget all that has transpired with the James show in the last year, but that might be too optimistic. To the majority of basketball fans he has cast himself as the villain rather then the hero. No longer the home town guy, but the sell out. The most despised player in basketball, that might not be fair but no one hears more boos then the King.
Will people forget and forgive with a championship or two? Maybe? Its his best hope. Now though he is facing competition to his claims at the top from a less familiar breed of super star. Humble players like Derrick Rose, the MVP, and Kevin Durant, the scoring leader, who combine their exceptional play, apparent loyalty to their fans and their humble demeanours to draw fans way form the less the loveable LeBron.
LeBron appears to have sold all he had for a championship. He is close, but might not have what it takes, at least this year, to reach his goal. LeBron has 1 maybe 2 games to show us how dominant he can be. With stellar, and I mean mind blowing, performances in games 6 and 7 and a championship ring he can start to prove to us again that he his who we thought he was. Anything below perfection in the next two games from James, even with wins, he will fall short of redemption. If he comes in behind Wade as MVP of the finals he will be labelled 2nd fiddle, dare I say Pippin, with a loss to Dallas he will be seen as a choker who can't finish. Perhaps with a ring and an MVP he might be able to gain back some, not all, of the respect people had for him.
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