Shaun Livingston to Start for Washington Wizards?
When discussing Shaun Livingston over the past 3 years following his debilitating February 26, 2007 injury the words “gruesome injury” followed by the inevitable “he was so talented” have become monikers leading to a laundry list of “what ifs” regarding how his career might have panned out.
Well, what if Shaun Livingston becomes the starting point guard for the Washington Wizards to finish up the 2009-10 season?
During a Saturday night game against a far superior Orlando Magic, and with Randy Foye continuing his self-imploding inability to play point guard, Wizards head coach Flip Saunders game Livingston his largest sum of minutes, 30:54, to strut his natural abilities running the Wizards. He finished with 18 points on 8-11 shooting with 8 assists.
Foye may as well prepare himself to ride some pine, especially after Saunders post game comments, undoubtedly inadvertently aimed towards Foye.
When asked if Shaun Livingston might replace Foye as the starting point guard:
- “I’ll take a look tomorrow and see, I don’t know.”
- “Randy’s in a tough spot. I’m tough on point guards, you know, I’ve had great ones. I expect a lot out of them. If the team doesn’t function well, it’s kind of like in football, they blame the quarterback. It’s the same way [with point guards].
- As point guard you have to have thick skin and it forces you to become a leader.
- “There’s a certain mentality to play that position. It’s very difficult to have someone who’s been a predominant scorer and now say, ‘we want you to think “we” instead of “me”.”
It seems like the writing is on the wall. And why not? 18 points and 8 assists is exactly what you want from a PG.
Livingston is a natural at running a team. (Credit: picapp.com)
Speaking as a huge fan of Livingston’s, why not play him? He is on a 10-day contract, the Wizards have absolutely zero chance of going anywhere this year, so there’s nothing to lose. He represents the ultimate low-risk-high-benefit type of gamble that a rebuilding team should want to take a chance on.
Another reason to let him play: he is still only 24 years old.
It is not a question about his ability. Everyone in the basketball world knows the kid has skills, and an uncharted NBA IQ. He is coming back from an injury that will always have major asterisks attached to his name, but the guy is still a kid. With his smarts, and height (6’7″), he is a valuable asset for any team.
If Livingston can finish the season posting solid numbers and staying healthy while showing the natural born leadership (according to Flip Saunders) that no other point guard in Washington (inadvertently according to Saunders) seems to possess, then why not sign him to a multiple-year deal at the league veteran minimum?
Why not at least try pairing Livingston with Arenas, allowing Arenas play the 2. Arenas is more naturally suited for and unquestionably a prolific scorer, but a true point guard he is not.
The reality: Shaun Livingston is showing signs of life in Washington, and people around the league are taking notice. If he is not resigned by the Wizards, look for someone to take a chance on him and lock him up if he finishes the season logging starters minutes running the show in D.C.
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Sun, Mar 14, 2010 by Adam Sedie
News, Opinions