TRIO COMBINED: MIN., PTS, AST:
72 mpg, 23.1 ppg, 11.5 apg
By Dr. Jack Ramsay
Special to ESPN.com
The Spurs point guards are more consistent than the Heat and are deeper, with Terry Porter, Avery Johnson and Antonio Daniels getting comparable minutes.
Johnson still hasn't gotten back to his starting position on a consistent basis. Terry Porter has more or less fallen into the starting role and has done well. But the combination of Porter, Johnson and Daniels is very strong. They seem to play in good harmony and complement each other well.
Johnson is a great playmaker who sets the tempo and the offense with each possession. He doesn't make many mistakes, and he'll score enough points to contribute. When an opponent doesn't think Johnson will go to the basket, he will go all the way and score. But he's primarily an efficient, setup player. Although Johnson is not a great defender, he's feisty.
For defense, the Spurs looks to Daniels, who can really get out and defend. He is strong, drives to the basket well, is a decent threat from the perimeter, and is very explosive going to the basket. With his strength and explosion, the Spurs can even use Daniels at small forward.
Porter is balance between Johnson and Daniels. Even though he no longer has great speed, he's a steady player who makes good decisions with the ball. He can also hit the three-point shot.
With their three point guards, the Spurs always have somebody who can handle the position and does it a little differently from the other two. Besides, it doesn't hurt to have that kind of quality depth at such an important position.
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DUO COMBINED MIN., PTS, AST:
56.8 mpg., 21.3 ppg, 9.9 apg
By Eric Karabell
ESPN.com
Can't argue with the effectiveness of San Antonio's three-headed point guard, but sometimes it's nice to have a go-to guy and that is Tim Hardaway. Sure, he has no knee cartilage left and his shooting percentage is one of the worst figures in the league, but Hardaway is a leader and better than any one of the Spurs' selections.
In the playoffs when benches are shortened, Pat Riley will lean on Hardaway heavily, while Gregg Popovich will likely not be able to find enough time for a Porter or Daniels. Those guys really don't know their roles. Hardaway, though, is clearly a key player for Miami and logging a lot of minutes, 33.9 of them. It makes it easier for the Heat big men to know one guy is playing two-thirds of the game.
And Carter isn't a throwaway either. A solid defender and ballhawk, he has had some pretty big games when his role has increased, especially in past playoffs when Hardaway wasn't available.
Hardaway plays with a great amount of pain in his knees and has managed to suit up for all but two of Miami's games this season, which says something about his heart and tenacity. And while one could keep pointing to his ugly .386 field goal percentage, he leads the league in threes and has a steady assist-to-turnover ratio.
You can't argue with success, and the Spurs have the best record in the league. But Hardaway is more than capable of directing a championship team as well.
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