The NBA season is now past the half way point and its becoming very clear to me that last years draft class could have been one of the worst guard classes in quite some time. Highly regarded guards like Mike Conley Junior and Acie Law IV where considered the price gems of their class. Half way into this NBA season their General Managers thought they where polishing a diamond and now after rubbing off the top layer they are beginning to see that they ended up buying a cubic zirconium!
Mike Conley Junior decided after his freshman year at Ohio State University that him and best friend Greg Oden where ready for the big show. With the 4th overall pick in the draft the Memphis Grizzlies selected Conley to become their point guard of the future. This season Mike Conley Junior has been averaging 9.2 points per game, 4.6 assists per game, just 26.6 minutes, 28.6% from the three points line and averages 1 steal a game. To some those statistics are not that terrible for a rookie but when your drafted 4th overall I believe a franchise expects a bit more out of you.
Acie Law IV came out his senior year from Texas A&M University. The Atlanta Hawks decided to take Law with the 11th overall draft pick to become their franchise point guard of the future. This season Law is averaging just 4.6 points per game, 2.3 assists per game, just 17.3 minutes, 19.4% from three point range and averages just 0.6 steals a game. Far worse than Conley in this instance and the Hawks are so disappointed with Law’s performance this season that the team made a trade for Mike Bibby this year!
This class was full of potential at the guard position and after looking over the draft board im having a real hard time finding one guard that is having a break out season. The guard position is one of the most important positions on the floor and the best point guards in the NBA are the most experienced at their position. Steve Nash and Jason Kidd are probably the best at their position and at least for Nash it took him a handful of years to develop into the player he is. Today’s young point guards are not developing in the college ranks whether its leaving too early or just not being in a system that relies on the point guards leadership.
It’s a bit too early to consider this class a bust just yet or even the worst of all time but if the guards of this class don’t start playing at a higher level you can expect that this will be considered the worst guard draft class of all time.
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