Why Is Nobody Talking About This Guy For 09-10?

[BlazersDozen]

I hear fans and talk show hosts talking about Andre Miller, Jason Kidd, Kirk Hinrich, Tayshaun Prince and Lamar Odom but there is one player out there who is still in his prime and fits this teams style of play perfectly. He's a point guard in the Eastern Conference who is a good shooter from all over the court, distributer (five assists per game and under two turnovers per game), he has good size and good bulk. He can run the ball up the court as well as run a half court offense. He doesn't need the ball in his hands to be effective, knows his role on all the teams he's been on and is an 11 year veteran.

Before I drop the name, look at the numbers and the teams success since he became apart of the team.

15 points
5 assists
3.5 rebounds
1.2 steals
1.6 turnovers
44% FG
39% 3PT
79 games played and started
35 minutes per game

Led his team to a 63-50 record since Feb 19th 2008.

Yes, for the most part Miller's numbers were a little bit better except Miller turns the ball over more and is a horrible three point shooter which does not bode well for this Blazer team which is a team that looks to penetrate the paint with Brandon Roy, Travis Outlaw and dump it inside to LaMarcus Aldridge and Greg Oden and then they look to kick it out to open shooters.

Kidd is near the end of his career and I still don't feel like he has the quickness to defend Chris Paul, Aaron Brooks, Deron Williams, Tony Parker or even Baron Davis on a consistant basis. Hinrich is Steve Blake with better defense but hes very inconsistant on the offensive end and hasn't shown that he can be the kind of guard that Portland needs outside of the defense.

Now I know that most of you have probably figured out the guy I'm talking about and I know his assist numbers arn't great but you also have to figure in that he has played with great passing big guys his entire career and now with a shooting guard who is worth nothing without the ball (Shareef Abdur-Rahim [twice], Chris Webber, Vlade Divac, Brad Miller, Joe Johnson) and in his first two years in the league without Abdur-Rahim, this guy put up 8+ assists per game. I don't expect him to do that with Roy by his side but I think he would be the best addition out of anybody in this years free agent class. He has everything Portland is looking for in their point guard and I'm about to e-mail KP about this.

BTW

I'm talking about Mike Bibby. Money shouldn't be a problem because I doubt Atlanta will pay him and he's looking to win right now and I'm sure seven million per year for three years at 10% increase would make him happy.

[Myth]

Bibby seems like he would be a good fit, but everything I've heard suggests that he is happy in Atlanta and Atlanta plans on resigning him. Blazer fans talked about him for a while, but Atlanta is proving to be good enough that Bibby won't be desperate to leave. Only way to steal him away would be to really overpay for him. Oh, and I don't think of Bibby as still in his prime. He is 31 and his stats are lower than they were years ago. Bibby use to be considered an all-star snub in years past. Now he is viewed as solid, but people don't talk about him being a near all-star anymore.

That being said, if we could get him for $7-8M a year for 2-3 years, I'd love to have him. I just don't see that happening.

[BlazersDozen]

I think part of his low point totals this year had to do with the emergance of Joe Johnson and keeping Josh Smith happy and Bibby's role was basically reduced to being something similar to Steve Blake in the Hawks offense.

I totally agree that he's happy in Atlanta but we all know what the Hawks hated paying Josh Smith last offseason so I don't think they will pay Bibby what he really wants. I'm just basing that off them crying about having to sign their franchise player for three months last offseason.

[blazerjimmy]

I like Bibby - I've been throwing his name around with my buddies, right there with Andre Miller - I've liked Bibby since he was in Sacramento. But I've heard nothing but that he wants to stay in Atlanta...and if Atlanta doesn't re-sign him, they don't really have anyone to take his spot.......