Building the Ideal NBA Point from only Lottery Players

So I had this idea a few days ago that it would be fun to build an ideal (or close to it) players at each position from only Lottery team players at those positions.  For example, you would add one players size to another player’s athleticism and then scoring, passing and so on.  I identified the categories as Size, Athleticism, Shooting/Scoring, Passing, Rebounding, Defense, and Intangibles/Character.  I then scoured statistics and film to attempt to find the best players (from lotto teams) at each of these categories.  This week I started with the point guards and will do a different position each week, so without further fanfare, here is my ideal Point Guard.

Size:  Greivis Vasquez

It pains me, and I mean that literally, to choose Vasquez for anything beyond most annoying Maryland player ever (and that’s saying something), but even I cannot disregard his excellent size for an NBA point.  Vasquez stands at 6’6.5” in shoes (and does anyone play without shoes?), with a 6’7” wingspan, 8’5” standing reach, and weighs in at 211 pounds.  I chose Vasquez not only for his above average height, but the bulk he can carry that other freakishly tall points lack (i.e. Shaun Livingston).

Athleticism:  John Wall

John Wall lacks a few important characteristics of a successful point, but athleticism is certainly not one.  How many players can get out in transition like Wall and also manage to leap over almost any player in the league?  At the Pre-Draft Combine he showed this with a 30” no-step vertical to go with a 39 inch max vertical.  Not to mention he completed the 3/4 court sprint (that’s 70.5 feet) in a blazing 3.14 seconds.  Can you imagine a 6’6” point with John Wall’s speed and leaping ability?

Shooting/Scoring:  Kyrie Irving

This may have been the easiest category to choose, as Irving was only outscored among points by Russell Westbrook, and Irving had better percentages.  No other point in the Lottery, and possibly the NBA, can score in the variety of ways or as efficiently as Kyrie Irving.  The Cleveland point averaged 22.5 PPG this season while shooting 45.2% from the field and 39.1% from beyond the arc.  He also shot above 38% from every section of the floor, proving he can score efficiently from anywhere.

Source: Basketball-Reference

Passing:  Ricky Rubio

Everyone knew that this kid could pass coming into the league, and he has done nothing if not proved that assumption correct.  Rubio can make flashy passes that only a few other guys in the league even attempt, let alone complete.  Rubio had the fourth highest amount of assists per 48 (11.9) trailing only Rajon Rondo, Chris Paul, and Greivis Vasquez.  He averaged 7.3 assists this year in 29 mpg, while not even being the primary point in most situations, and even assisted 38.8% of all team field goals while on the court.  That is an impressive percentage for a guy who was not always the primary ballhandler.  He could benefit from lowering his turnovers but at only 22 years old, maturity will only help that number.

Rebounding:  Kyle Lowry

How many six foot guys do you know who led their position in percentage of total rebounds grabbed?  Lowry grabbed a position-high 9.5% of available rebounds while on the court, which came out to 4.7 per game.  The points that rebounded more per game were an average of four inches taller than the Toronto lead guard.  I cannot ignore how amazing this feat is for such a tiny player, and can you imagine our “ideal point” having that type of rebounding ability at 6’6” with Wall’s leaping ability?

Defense:  Kyle Lowry

Defense is always the hardest category to judge, as defensive statistics such as steals and blocks are not good indicators of a good defender (Monta “Matador Defense” Ellis was 4th among points in steals).  To find my ideal defender I looked at numbers like points per possession allowed (.81 PPPA), opponents FG% (37%), and percentage of plays ending in a score (36.3%).  Kyle led Lottery points in the majority of these categories while giving up height and weight to most opposing guards, something I commend him for.

Intangibles/Character:  Kemba Walker

Walker was a winner his whole basketball career up till now, an NCAA champion, team leader, and the kind of player who THRIVES in clutch situations.  The undersized point is also a team leader as only a second-year player.  This category is hard to quantify, but as my coach always said about guys like Walker- “When the s**t hits the fan, he’s the guy you want in YOUR foxhole.”

Well there you have it, our “ideal Lotto point” has Vasquez’s size, Wall’s athleticism, can score like Irving, passes like Rubio, rebounds and defends like Lowry, and competes like Walker.  Would anyone want to have to play against a guy like that?  I wouldn’t.

All stats and tables from either SynergySports or Basketball-Reference.com

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