[redsoxfreak724Participant]

Just ran across an article from another site that shall remain nameless that proclaimed austin rivers an “immediate starter” next season in New Orleans what do yall think of this statement? Should he start at the point over Vasquez who came on strong at the end of last season and is more of a pure point?

[joecheck88Participant]

 I think he and Eric Gordon provide enough playmaking ability for themselves and others to offset the need of a true point guard. 

[RUDEBOY_Participant]

The preseason is the time for Experimenting with rotations,finding which players have the best chemistry..And having Rivers start at the point during those games should give coach Williams an idea of rather or not Rivers will start on opening day or should they make a trade for a starting point guard until Rivers is ready…

Vasquez was traded from Memphis because he spent so much time dribble the ball without going anywhere…He’s a good backup,hardworker and he’s a good spark off the bench,but not someone you want running the point full-time…

[MUbballfanParticipant]

Him and Gordon could become a Steph Curry/Monta Ellis type combo, 2 scorers who are more suited to play shooting guard than point guard, with both of them being rather small shooting guards.

[King CaluchaParticipant]

 Rivers is 6’5” on shoes. I think that’s a decent size for a guard…

[MUbballfanParticipant]

his height has been exaggerated, most reports say he is really 6’2-6’4.

[Raef LaFrentzParticipant]

Well he measured at 6’5 at the 2012 Draft Combine, man. Saying someone is 6’5 when he is 6’5 isn’t really exaggerating..

nbadraft.net/2012-nba-combine-measurements

[IndianaBasketballParticipant]

I don’t understand. Are the Hornets looking for Austin Rivers to do what he does best and score? Which is something the Hornets desperately need… Or are they looking for him to be a point guard and try to distribute the ball? 

Vasquez should start. He’s not a starting point guard, but he has better vision and passing ability than Rivers…

Rivers needs to back up Eric Gordon and play alongside Gordon when Gordon is playing spot minutes at the point.

[220Participant]

If you know you aren’t going to win a ton of games, which I’m sure the Hornets realize…then why not take the time to develop a guy. The sooner and more often they test Rivers out at point guard in real game situations, the sooner they can decide if they should continue the experiment.

[hooverballParticipant]

This team is not trying to win a Championship this year (or at least it isn’t going to even if they are trying). So they should put Rivers at the PG and see what he’s got. He has more potential to fill that need long term thanVasquez. Remember Anthony Davis is a good passer and Gordan can handle it as well. I think their offense will be fine with a starting lineup of:

PG – Rivers

SG – Gordon

SF – Anderson

PF – Davis

C – Lopez

Davis should be used a a Point Forawd to help compliment Rivers. In regards to the above lineup….the Hornets are going to be dialing alot of long distance…

[SiggyParticipant]

 Baptism by fire I guess. Whether erroneously or not, Austin and Monty Williams are convinced that Austin can be an NBA level PG.  I don’t agree with it but whatever. They’re obviously using Westbrook’s progression as a blueprint.  It doesn’t matter if he has poor instincts as a PG or not, they’re gonna force him to become a PG.

The Hornets are at a disadvantage because they have no starting caliber PG on their roster. Vazquez is a competitive dude, but he’s not a good shooter or defender, lacks athleticism and it takes him a while to get the offense into their sets. They’ll still benefit in a couple of ways though. Rivers will get his experience and the Hornets will ensure that they’re a high lottery pick next yr as well.

 

[fastdanParticipant]

I can’t possibly imagine they think Rivers is going to be a good full time PG. He’s a 2, and everyone knows it. but I think it’s the best way to develop their future in Rivers, while not killing the trade value of Gordon. Win-win I guess.

 

[220Participant]

Monty Williams said they planned on playing him at the point guard on draft night. So at least one member of the Hornets felt that way.

[Pistol Pete. The PelicanParticipant]

 As a Hornet’s fan, I’m hoping this works and I believe it will. Unlike most, I’m not looking for Austin Rivers to be a true point guard, I’m looking for him to attack and score and set up his teammates off of that. He says he wants to play like Westbrook, if it works then the Hornets have a great back court, if it doesn’t, we still have a great sixth man scorer, but I believe he will be more than a sixth man scorer, He has talent, and he’s a hard worker and a heady player. Having Doc Rivers as a dad, and Playing under Coach K, doesn’t hurt.

[SiggyParticipant]

What have you seen from Austin Rivers that would suggest he’s a "heady" player?

He’s not "heady" by association. He actually has to show on the court that he’s a good decision maker and so far in his progression he hasn’t.

[Pistol Pete. The PelicanParticipant]

 I saw that in his high school career when he got to play the way he wanted to, which is the same way he’ll be playing in New Orleans, in an uptempo, attacking system with the ball in his hands. He was a "Heady" player in high school. Everyone judges him from what he did at Duke when he was their LEADING SCORER as a freshman, yet all people can talk about is his turnovers, well you can’t forget his high school career, he wouldn’t have made it to Duke without being a good player in high school. So maybe he isn’t "heady" by your definition, but his work from high school to college, proves other wise. Also don’t try to use his physical deficienies as a knock on him being a heady and crafty player. It takes a heady player to know when to do a step-back, or a euro step, or do a tear drop floater, or go for a reverse layup. Headiness isn’t always about passing which is something no one seems to think he can do, and I bet you’re saying he isn’t heady from his assist to turnovers at Duke. 

[SiggyParticipant]

He wasn’t a heady player in HS either. He was one of the biggest chuckers I’ve seen in recent history at the HS level, taking awful shots and hogging the ball like no other despite only averaging like 2 assists a game.  Heady players show better shot selection, pick their spots better, don’t drive into brick walls and know how to take advantage of the defensive attention that they draw by getting easy shots for their teammates. Rivers didn’t do that in HS and didn’t know how to do that in college (hence more TOs than assists, which was the case in HS as well).  There’s a difference b/t running the point and dominating the ball.  Rivers knows how to dominate the ball but I wouldn’t consider him a heady player by any stretch of the imagination.  People tend to assume that just because he’s Doc’s son that he’s automatically a smart player but that simply isn’t the case.  There are no remnants of Doc’s game in Austin’s because Doc took a hands off approach and allowed Austin to become his own player.  Austin has a lot to learn about the position and a lot of bad habits and tendencies to break which is why people are already dismissing his ability to play the point at the NBA level.

[PyronParticipant]

 i’m still sad that the raptors didn’t select him lol… i know we’re looking for defensive players but the raps haven’t had a player who could break a defender down 1 on 1 since TJ Ford 🙁

[F_S]

 why are you sad?… terrence ross is much better than rivers

[PyronParticipant]

 i’m sure ross will be a solid player (i hope so as a raptors fan) but rivers is nice. the hornets have a good thing going with davis, rivers and gordon

[wizoaokoosaoParticipant]

wow

[Taylor Gang MikeParticipant]

 Vasquez should start. Let Rivers learn, but if they start him o well.. Austin has great potential

[llperez]

thats what the preseason is for. Get on the court and battle for that starting spot. Personally i think he is not ready to start in the nba. I know guys want to see him develop, but it probably isnt doing him any favors if hes ou there struggling to get things going and his teammates are all frustrated and the fans are moaning.

[BenchWarmerParticipant]

Vasquez has more experience so I say he starts, with rivers as the ideal sixth man being a combo filling in for either gordan or vasquez. But by the end of the season I see Vasquez as sixth man and rivers manning the point. They are young and have option and just gotta experiment and find what works.

[Kinguy11Participant]

Vasquez and Gordon should start imo. It’ll take the pressure off Rivers to perform straight away but he’ll still get decent minutes.

[TallmanNYCParticipant]

 Rivers is probably going to struggle big time. Remember he is still very young. Also he was very mediocre in college and that is while being on a very strong team with lots of weapons. I think it would be better for his development and confidence to keep his minutes low and get him matchups against weaker second unit players. If you throw him in there at point and he gives you as many TOs as assists while shooting 35% (which is basically what the stats predict he is going to do) people are going to be screaming bust by Christmas. Remember the responses to his summer league stinkers? We were all over him and then he got "hurt" and they sat him. The team should really try to avoid that from happening. 

If the national audience sees a stat line like this (Rivers’s summer stats) too many times, he will get killed in the media. 

Stats: 32.0 MPG, 10.0 PPG, 2.5 RPG, 3.5 APG, 21.1% FG, 12.5% 3FG

[joecheck88Participant]

 I think we fall in love with the pure point guard. It’s easy to do. You watch Chris Paul play and it is beautiful but the fact is you don’t need a pure point guard to be successful in the league. It’s about having multiple playmakers. Whether you have a true point guard it not, if you have playmakers you can win. Look at this years finals. There wasn’t a true point guard on either team with Westbrook being the closest. If you keep all this in mind, I don’t think there is any reason Rivers can’t be successful.

I don’t think NO is thinking they are starting Rivers at point and Gordon at the 2. I think they are thinking Rivers and Gordon are our starting backcourt. On offense, both will handle the ball some. Defensively will be the bigger adjustment I think for Rivers because he will have to guard the ones. He isn’t strong enough to guard 2s.

I think Rivers is a guy that will succeed. I don’t like calling him a chiclet in HS because honestly who in HS is on his level? The best chance for his team to win is for him to shoot. He also makes the effort to get to the rim. He doesn’t finish well yet but that will come in time. 

[PAIDUDUParticipant]

Brown said he elected to rest Gasol after deciding the four-time All-Star big man looked ”a little fatigued” in recent days. The coach rested Bryant for an exhibition last week, making both moves against the veteran stars’ good-natured objections.

[Author]

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