There seems to be an assumption among some basketball experts that not only are “pure point guards” an endangered species, but also preferred for basketball success.
Former NBA head coach and basket-blogger Eric Musselman captures that sentiment with a recent blog post entitled “Where have all the point guards gone?” He quotes an old NY Times article that states,
"Traditional point guards like Bobby Hurley, Kenny Anderson and Mateen Cleaves, who dominated past N.C.A.A. tournaments, have become as rare in college basketball as thigh-hugging shorts. Since 2000, the number of players averaging more than seven assists a game has decreased from 11 to 2."
A similar trend has been observed in the WNBA for years, with traditional point guards like Shannon Johnson and Ticha Penicheiro nearing the end of their careers. Taking their places as the top point guards in the league are point guards that can balance scoring and passing.
This new breed of point guard is best embodied by the styles of Lindsay Whalen and Sue Bird, who will face off Sunday when Bird’s Seattle Storm travel to face Whalen’s Connecticut Sun for a 1 PM EST Sunday matinee on ABC. Both are versatile point guards that have the ability to adjust their games in response to what their teams need, whether that be setting up scorers, scoring themselves, or deferring to others.
In a sense, Sue Bird and Lindsay Whalen -- easily the top two point guards in the WNBA -- make playing point guard look like more of an art form than an arbitrary positional classification.
On one hand, there are times when they can dominate a game by creating scoring opportunities for themselves, seemingly able to get to any spot they want on the court. But on the other hand, they might not score for long stretches, usually because they’re trying to get others involved or trying to establish the tempo of the game.
Either way, they usually seem to have complete control over the action, choosing their opportunities wisely and making the best decision for their team’s success. And right now, they're both carrying their teams. Ultimately, they are combo guards in the truest sense of the term – they are versatile enough to adjust their style to play the role of either facilitator or scorer depending on what their team needs.
Although both are versatile point guards, Sue Bird’s versatility will take on increased importance when the Storm face the Sun on Sunday. The Storm will be without reigning MVP and Defensive Player of the Year Lauren Jackson for the remainder of the season and if they want to keep their championship hopes alive, they’ll have to collectively make up for her lost production on both ends of the floor.
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