The Indiana Pacers just acquired a point guard that made a measly $1.3M but averaged nearly 19 points and 9 assists in the starting role while Chris Paul was hurt. After Paul was injured, Collison had his first 40+ minute game in which he dished out 18 assists. He started 37 games and is bringing exceptional experience for a rookie point guard to the Pacers.
Collison also had a notable PER (Player Efficiency Rating) of 16.55 which ranks 16th among the 68 point guards that qualified for a rating - quite impressive for a rookie (the only rookie above him was rookie of the year Tyreke Evans). However, PER does not place enough emphasis on a player's defensive capability and it fails to account for the intangibles of the game such as leadership and hustle. Collison is a natural leader, a true point guard. Becoming an unexpected starter mid season as a rookie behind arguably the best point guard in the league is not an easy task, but Collison seemed to take it on with ease. He hustles for loose balls, plays aggressive defense (a product of a defensive minded UCLA squad), and has a high basketball IQ. Though the Hornets had to make a move in order to ease Paul's woes, it seems they may regret this decision in the future.
4-team trades are rare enough, but even rarer is the 4-team trade that actually makes sense for all 4 teams -- as this one does.
ReplyDeletePacers get their point guard -- and yes, the best single player in the deal.
Nets get a stretch 4 to take the pressure off Brook Lopez and help on the boards.
Rockets solve their logjam at the 2 & 3 positions and get a nice bench scorer.
And the Hornets finally get an athletic wing to run alongside Chris Paul.