Goran Dragic - Most Improved?

[Arizona's Finest]

Just because i believe that Dragic should start next season doesn't mean i'm knocking Nash....this is what the fanboys don't get or understand.

LOL

Yeah that was your other 5,400 posts that knocked Nash I guess. Nash is having one of the best PG seasons EVER (as in the history of the NBA) for a 36 year old player and yet you continue to bash him. Your lack of appreciation for him is astounding at its best, and straight ignorance more then likely.

 

[carey]

I doubt any fan outside of phoenix even knows who he is.

Read twitter sometime.

 

[mojorizen7]

Nash and Hill are not part of the problem with a youth movement on a thirteen man roster.

Explain to me how you can make this statement with a straight face.
I wasn't necessarily calling you a fanboy Street. I apologize if you felt i was.
Its a pleasure discussing SUNS with you. We have agreed to disagree on a few subjects.

 

[mojorizen7]

You don't have to eat it....but as long as you choose to sit at this table, you're gonna see it

Scroll back a few posts and looksee who's panties got ruffled first.
Nevermind. Here, i'll quote it for you.
AZ's Finest:

You might be the least knowledgable Suns/NBA fan I have encountered.

 

[mojorizen7]

LOL

Yeah that was your other 5,400 posts that knocked Nash I guess. Nash is having one of the best PG seasons EVER (as in the history of the NBA) for a 36 year old player and yet you continue to bash him. Your lack of appreciation for him is astounding at its best, and straight ignorance more then likely.

Now you're just flat out lying and showing your true fanboy colors.
I can say(without a doubt) that my criticism's of Nash have been purely objective in terms of his horrific defense and how it has effected this team.....and how reliant his teammates are on Nash getting them shots, dominating the offensive flow etc...

Similiarly, i've repeatedly recognized Nash as one of the greatest offensive PG's to ever play the game,and i've also recognized him for his tremendous character.

This team is JUST NOW(after 6 yrs) finally beginning to show that it can compete without Nash the MVP,the face of the franchise on the court....this is a great sign. A sign that says: Despite what many of you think, this team isn't going to fall of the face of the earth if Nash were to depart.

Now, do you want to discuss opinion's, or take ignorant pot shots on the internet from Florida?

 

[joshstmarie]

So we've won like 2 games without nash and suddenly he can be the dragons backup? yikes. We are talking about a two time mvp, whos putting up better numbers than his mvp seasons.

 

[Mainstreet]

Explain to me how you can make this statement with a straight face.

It's easy to keep a straight face because I just don't understand how two great older players detracts from building a young team. I think most young NBA teams would jump out of their shoes to have Nash and Hill on their roster... and probably starting too. Now if you could argue that the Suns have two better players on their team that play PG and SF better than Nash and Hill, then you might have an argument. In regards to these two players, when the understudy becomes greater than the master everyone will know grasshopper.

I wasn't necessarily calling you a fanboy Street. I apologize if you felt i was.
Its a pleasure discussing SUNS with you. We have agreed to disagree on a few subjects.

No offense taken. I just do not buy up all the stock in one player and deny the reality of things changing. Our basic conflict seems centered around how the Suns transition into the future. I just don't put expiration dates on players. I believe if/when Dragic surpasses Nash everyone will know including Nash. Personally I'm hoping Nash can play to forty like Stockton and retire with the Suns. If Dragic develops as much as you think, there is no reason why both could not be starters. JRich can even play SF if the Suns keep him. LB would continue his role as a sixth man. Dragic and Lopez do seem to be the Suns future long term. I'm not sure about Amare especially since the Suns are not certain about him either.

 

[jagu]

Dave (Phoenix)

Last year, you called Dragic arguably the worst player in the NBA. Tell me how surprised you are with him this year, on a scale of 1 (not surprised) to 10 (holy double hockey sticks Batman!)?
John Hollinger (12:07 PM)

9.5. I talked about this last week, but the change in his shooting stroke ... I mean, there was just no way to see that coming, and it's opened up his whole game. Other thing that's helped is that he's getting some burn at the 2; I've always thought he's more natural there than the 1.

http://espn.go.com/sportsnation/chat/_/id/31224

 

[Yuma]

Dave (Phoenix)

Last year, you called Dragic arguably the worst player in the NBA. Tell me how surprised you are with him this year, on a scale of 1 (not surprised) to 10 (holy double hockey sticks Batman!)?
John Hollinger (12:07 PM)

9.5. I talked about this last week, but the change in his shooting stroke ... I mean, there was just no way to see that coming, and it's opened up his whole game. Other thing that's helped is that he's getting some burn at the 2; I've always thought he's more natural there than the 1.

http://espn.go.com/sportsnation/chat/_/id/31224

I guess people didn't watch the Suns down the stretch when Gentry started playing Lopez, Dudley, Dragic, and Amundson more minutes. I saw improvement in Dragic. In fact the last game I watched the commentators were saying how much improvement they saw in him. You could tell coming into this season Dragic was going to improve.

The guy who looked bad was Lopez. He went through a stretch last year where you could see glimmers of improvement on rebounding and defense. Then he seemingly went down the tubes and was in foul trouble, a LOT! His offense was non-existent. This season he has played significant minutes without being in foul trouble, arguably lead the Suns into a second win streak this season, and his offense is WAYYYY better than last year! I think Lopez has improved the most. He's improved DURING this season as we have been watching him.

Anyway, it's a good argument to have, who has improved the most on the Suns!! Heck, Dudley and Amindson have improved over last year, too! Nice to be able to argue over who has improved the most on the Suns!

 

[joshstmarie]

Hollinger is a turd. His mechanics have been fine all along. And I call BS on the ole "I always thought he was a better 2 rather than 1" Prove it ya fraud.

 

[CardsFan88]

You know that guy in the video we watched on/around draft day. He's now that guy in the NBA. (except for maybe his shooting a tad).

Dragic is just starting, and the mental aspect of his game is going to be the key. Court vision, he has it. I loved that half court bounce pass to LB layup at the end of the Suns thrashing of T-wolves. Not only was it a pretty play, it was the type of move that has be breathing a sigh of relief. We've found our backup pg. We probably have found Nash's replacement, and he's going to be good.

 

[elindholm]

I don't know, making flashy plays with a 50% success rate on a garbage-time fast break doesn't exactly scream "point guard of the future" to me. You know who else used to make a lot of highlight passes? Jason Williams.

 

[SactownSunsFan]

I don't know, making flashy plays with a 50% success rate on a garbage-time fast break doesn't exactly scream "point guard of the future" to me. You know who else used to make a lot of highlight passes? Jason Williams.

Difference being, Goran can actually play some D.

 

[elindholm]

Difference being, Goran can actually play some D.

Right, but playing defense doesn't make him a point guard. I still project him as a Steve Kerr type, obviously with more athleticism.

 

[Suns_fan69]

I don't know, making flashy plays with a 50% success rate on a garbage-time fast break doesn't exactly scream "point guard of the future" to me. You know who else used to make a lot of highlight passes? Jason Williams.

Jason Williams actually turned into a very capable starting point guard. His early days were definitely all flash but he got his turnovers and shot selection under control when playing for Memphis. I'd take that version as our starting PG for sure.

 

[AzStevenCal]

Right, but playing defense doesn't make him a point guard. I still project him as a Steve Kerr type, obviously with more athleticism.

I can't see that comparison at all. I think Dragic is at least a solid back-up point guard something Kerr never really was. Kerr was a legit point guard in college until a serious injury cost him at least a full step that he never regained. After that he was mostly a pretend point guard who could shoot lights out but was a huge liability on defense.

Steve

 

[mojorizen7]

Right, but playing defense doesn't make him a point guard. I still project him as a Steve Kerr type, obviously with more athleticism.

A role player who can come off the bench?
No way. He will start and run an offense for somebody. Hopefully for us when Nashy retires or stops having fun.

 

[Errntknght]

Its somewhat hard to tell about Goran because its still an offense that is geared to Steve's unique game. Its both a blessing and a curse to be Steve's understudy - he can learn much from Steve but he's not getting experience playing in a traditional NBA offense. How much he'll suffer from the latter is hard to guess. We'll probably still be guessing when we have to decide whether to re-sign him or not.

As far as whether he's the most improved, to me Robin gets the nod - I can hardly believe the way he's changed since he joined the starting five. I wasn't in the 'midget clown' camp but he was as bad a rebounder for his size an anyone I've ever seen in the league and a foul machine, on top of that. My top projection for him was Jarron Collins...

 

[Mainstreet]

Right, but playing defense doesn't make him a point guard. I still project him as a Steve Kerr type, obviously with more athleticism.

This is a cruel comparison for Dragic. I watched Steve Kerr from the time he was a Suns rookie. He was slow as molasses. Also his career stats are surprisingly less than mediocre. He was mostly a shooter that could hit the wide open shot... not much more. See link below.

http://www.nba.com/playerfile/steve_kerr/index.html

 

[elindholm]

Maybe I'm too harsh on Dragic, but in my eyes, he still has a long way to go to be viable as a PG. Tonight's game provided yet another glaring example.

 

[jagu]

Maybe I'm too harsh on Dragic, but in my eyes, he still has a long way to go to be viable as a PG. Tonight's game provided yet another glaring example.

Yea one game does provide a glaring example. How about the game where he scored like 24 points on Utah in one half? Tonight sucked for GD but he's a lot better player than what he showed there tonight.

 

[elindholm]

Yea one game does provide a glaring example. How about the game where he scored like 24 points on Utah in one half?

Remind me what his assist and turnover numbers were in that game? A point guard needs to be able to distribute the ball effectively and accurately on a regular basis. I don't have a problem with Dragic's scoring.

 

[Bufalay]

Remind me what his assist and turnover numbers were in that game? A point guard needs to be able to distribute the ball effectively and accurately on a regular basis. I don't have a problem with Dragic's scoring.

He's definitely a better scorer than Kerr.

 

[82CardsGrad]

He's made nice strides... But IMO, he's no starting NBA PG. He's a tremendous off-the-bench guy, but no way a starter...

 

[BC867]

He's made nice strides... But IMO, he's no starting NBA PG. He's a tremendous off-the-bench guy, but no way a starter...

Dragic's overall improvement and producing as a starter is reason for hope.

Unlike Leandro, he's showing that he's not just a tweener, a 2-Guard in a Point Guard's body.

And, as has been said, it is not easy trying emulate Steve Nash. That's why he has done so much better the few times he's started at PG as opposed to giving Nash a breather for a few minutes.

But I wouldn't give up on him ultimately being an effective starter.