Thoughts on Sergio Rodriguez

Shout out to BIG C, owner of fromthebaseline.com for this interesting article on the future of Sergio Rodriguez.

"....So what has Sergio Rodriguez done to be demoted from a starter to a backup point guard to only playing 10 minutes a game in such a short span? I will tell you. So far Sergio Rodriguez has not lived up to expectation. During games he has shown some signs of pushing the ball to an up tempo style of play that Coach Mike D’Antoni is looking for. However, he has also been a turnover machine. In just 20 minutes a game he has averaged 2 turnovers a game. It also seems that with Sergio Rodriguez some nights you may not know what you are getting. In some periods of the game he looks like the second coming of Steve Nash. In the next quarter of the same game Sergio looks like carbon copy of Chris Duhon and Howard Eisley in one player.

I feel the main problem I see with Rodriguez is his stamina and his rushed shot selection. We all know that he is not logging in 35 plus minutes. However, the reason why he looks good in the beginning of games is because he is not tried. As the game progresses he gets tired and starts not completing baskets as well as turning the ball over trying to players that are not ready for the pass. I guess running up the court top speed with the rest of the team trying to play catch up will make a player tired. Not to mention he does not play good man-to-man defense. On the other hand, Rodriguez does play the passing lanes well (unlike Chris Duhon who does not push the ball or get steals). Both Rodriguez and Duhon can play the pick and roll. The problem is most teams have learned to adjust to both players. Apparently the word is out that both Rodriguez and Duhon have a better chance at hitting the lottery than hitting an outside shot.

If Sergio Rodriguez wants to return to the Knicks next year he has to play his game and play under control. Currently he is shooting 44% from the field and 27% from behind the arc. Unfortunately he does not know his own strengths and weakness. When he is in the game he should focus on his strongest area, i.e. his passing. Yet for some reason Rodriguez tries to shoot 3 point shots that miserably turn into bricks.

That being said I like his passing game. His passes sometimes are a work of art. He also pushes the ball well. However, his shot selections and turns kill his chance of improving. At this point I still see him as an upgrade over Duhon who stops the offense from flowing whenever he enters the game. With only a few games left it might be too late for Sergio to make his case to Coach Mike D’Antoni. We will see if he returns next season.

I agree with most of these points. I think an extremely slow release really hinder Sergio from ever becoming a threatening outside shooter. His on ball defense is way below average, probably even worse than Duhon's. Regular minutes would only benefit Sergio as he still has an upside unlike Duhon who despite an above average basketball IQ has zero athleticism and has reached his potential in this league. I have mentioned a few times that Duhon very well, may have played his last games in this league already. I like Sergio's ball-push ability and I do like his passing, I still am trying to figure out what type of style is best for him. It's clear that he watched Jason Williams growing up by that doesn't mean very much. I'd like to see some more of Sergio these last 11 games of the season, more so to evaluate him as a pint guard in D'Antoni's system.