NBA Free Agents 2011: 10 Lightning Quick Guards to Target

If there is one thing that the 2011 NBA Finals is going to have popularized by the time the league and players stop holding fans hostage, it's the lightning-quick guard.

The Dallas Mavericks' J.J. Barea showed just how important it is to fill that role. He not only sped past the likes of Mike Bibby and Mario Chalmers, but he also completely changed the pace of the game and possibly the outcome of the whole series.

In a world where pretty much any amount of hand checking is illegal, small, lightning-quick guards are becoming the trend—especially off the bench in a change of pace scenario for the offense.

The über-fast player can be used as your main option at guard, but teams need to be careful not to overvalue his speed. It is only speed unless it isn't coupled with other good basketball skills.

It would be like having a player who can steal a bushel of bases in baseball but can't hit or get on base worth a damn.

So, for when the NBA comes back into business, and teams are itching to get their hands on quick guards, I've gone ahead and picked out the top 10 speed demon free agents.

10. Sasha Vujacic

J.J. Barea is going to get a lot of credit for being that ideal quick guard off the bench, but really Sasha Vujacic was doing the same thing two years ago, albeit in a different style.

The speed that Vujacic brings to the game is an intense kind of speed. Like that of a shutdown cornerback or roaming safety in football.

In the Lakers' 2009 run to the title, he was much more valuable in the Western Conference playoffs, pretty much disappearing in the Finals. But in 2010 it was kind of the opposite, playing a sizable role in Games 5 and 6.

Vujacic isn't the change-of-pace point guard that Barea is, and he probably never will be because he isn't a ball handler. But he is a guy that can speed past a defense and put a spark into the rest of his team.

9. T.J. Ford

For a guy who is closer to 30 than he is to 25, T.J. Ford has held onto his speed quite well, even though he has been injured on and off. Plus the fact that he doesn't really fit into the Pacers system doesn't help his case very much.

Back in 2007, Ford was voted the fastest player in the game in a Sports Illustrated poll of NBA players, and he has held onto his speed quite well for the most part.

It seems that Ford is going to come out as a free agent when the league comes back together and get a modest contract, depending on who signs him. He will end up being one of the pleasant surprises of next season, so long as he stays healthy.

8. Leandro Barbosa

In that same SI poll that named Ford the fastest player back in 2007, Leandro Barbosa received the third-most votes, and he really deserved it. In fact, Barbosa has routinely been in the top three of that poll.

Barbosa is an interesting type of fast, with the ability to change directions at the drop of a dime.

I would call him a shifty quick player, which is a great skill for a guard of his size. He is able to shake a defender and get the ball pretty routinely and blow past whoever may have the task of wrangling him in whenever he wants to.

7. Rodney Stuckey

Rodney Stuckey isn't going to blind you with his speed, rather he is going to surprise most of the people out there.

When he runs, it almost looks effortless, and when you run with that kind of ease, people don't always realize how fast you're going.

Stuckey glides down the court kind of like Micheal Vick looks when he is breaking out of the pocket to head down field.

The biggest thing holding Stuckey back is the slow pace that the Pistons have had for years. And he would probably benefit from going to a faster-paced team with which he could really show off his speed from baseline to baseline.

6. Nick Young

Nick Young is turning into a promising young basketball player, and depending on how good John Wall does this year (assuming he re-signs with the Wizards of course), he could turn into quite a weapon for the Wiz.

Young has a herky-jerky type of speed, meaning that one moment he can be going at top speed in one direction and then the next he is going in a completely different direction at a faster speed.

He has such acceleration due to his youth and athleticism that it's hard to keep him in check, even for some of the best defenders.

5. Von Wafer

Von Wafer has gotten his fair share of chances in the NBA. Some he has taken advantage of, others he hasn't.

The fact is that he has many tools that a good basketball player needs. He is a good shooter, super speedy and can dribble; but he is also boneheaded.

Wafer has been on six different teams in four seasons, making it obvious that he is not only desired but very volatile at the same time.

4. Ronnie Price

With a bit of work on his shot selection and some improvement in his passing game, Ronnie Price could be a very good point guard.

For now, however, Price is a guard with blinding speed. He can run a trench in a basketball court if he runs up and down it too many times.

Price gets up to speed so quick that it seems like he is coming off starting blocks every time he takes off. He just has that extra step in him that makes him so impressive.

3. Patty Mills

The little Aussie has such speed and agility that it amazes me how often he is given the room to get up to speed with the ball in his hand.

When Mills takes off, it almost seems unexpected, as if he did something completely out of character. But he does it so often when he is on the court that it's hard to imagine him doing anything else.

Mills is still a raw player with a ton of refining to do, but if and when he gets to a point where he can be a starting point guard, then look out, because he is going to do some damage.

2. J.J. Barea

The darling of the 2011 NBA Finals (unless you are talking to Miami Heat fans, in which case many refer to him as "that little guy" with many different four letter words stuck into the place of "guy") is going to end up with a big payday, but I'm not sure that he is worth what he is going to get.

He will almost undoubtedly be given starter money by whoever signs him, and will likely start, but it seems most of his value comes from his ability to change the pace of a game and take advantage of the second team offense.

Barea is a slippery little devil, and he can get past anyone in the NBA with the right first step. But teams can adjust to slow him down, or they can just have Andrew Bynum tackle him.

1. Aaron Brooks

Aaron Brooks had a down year last season, especially when he was with the Houston Rockets. But once he arrived with the Suns, there couldn't have been a better place for him to be.

I remember a tricky, young point guard quite like him back in 1996, with tons of potential, just needing the glue to put all the pieces together.

Who was that again? Oh, yeah. Steve Nash.

What better way to learn how to become a great point guard than to play behind Nash for a year or two?

Brooks is on his way to becoming a very good NBA point guard, I just hope he has the sense enough to stay in Phoenix and use his time with Nash as a learning opportunity.

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