I like the comparison to Battier in this regard: Battier’s career became solid when he began to shoot the 3 consistently. If Mr. Fields could develop a few spots on the floor (corner, wing, etc) where he is money with the jumper, he is an invaluable member of this starting unit. His IQ at his age is also very high, and he needs to begin cutting and spotting up more effectively, ala Rip Hamilton, who doesn’t historically hold the ball more than a few seconds before his shot attempt.

There are ways to be a good player without all the tools, and I think that Mr. Fields is smart enough to sharpen the ones he has. With that said, the allure of having a defensive stalwart in the making at the starting 2 in the east is appealing, and if Mr. Shumpert plays well enough, he deserves to be there.

The Surprisingly yet Cautiously Optimistic C. J., #1 Gentleman: No he’s not. ’09 playoffs: 8.5 PER, .068 WS/48, TS% .50, and so on. He played with some of the league’s best players in a system that doesn’t require stellar point guard play. How could you possible think he’s overrated? If they had even an average point guard, there would be no reason for late-game heroics. How does this not make sense, Jon Abbey?

there’s so much you will never understand about hoops, and so many of the metrics that you rely on that I could give a shit about. there’s really no point in you and I debating anything.

Z-man:
@94 Saying he doesn’t, and saying he will not be able to, are two different things. A good comparison for me is Shane Battier, who has made himself into a better player over time.Fields and Battier had similar rookie seasons, Battier better on D and slightly on passing, Fields the much better rebounder and more efficient shooter.Battier could start on a playoff team in the right role, and may be a pivotal playerfor the Heat. Why are you so sure that Fields can’t develop in this way? It’s not like he isn’t athletic enough or has a low b-ball IQ.

http://www.basketball-reference.com/play-index/pcm_finder.cgi?request=1&sum=1&p1=battish01&y1=2002&p2=fieldla01&y2=2011

i would agree that battier and fields might make a reasonable comparison although their games are different. battier sports a lifetime 13.2 per which makes him a below average nba player. That doesn’t mean he can’t be useful to the right team in the right spot, much like fields.

you ask if he can’t improve. i don’t know, but he was a 4 year player in college and worked his balls off to get this far. his game isn’t predicated on great skill…. it is predicated on smarts and hustle which are great, but they will only take one so far.

someone compared him to david lee. lee was a far better athlete. he was the mc donald’s high school slam dunk champ and had lift for a big white guy before he injured his ankles. he was a total non shooter who taught himself to shoot from distance as a pro. fields shot 39% from 3 this past year. do you thin he’s going to improve that to 45% for his career. i think not. is fields going to mysteriously going to pick up quickness? probably not.

Derek Fisher is a really underrated player over the course of his career, and even in recent years he was a guard version of Robert Horry, seemingly saving all his baskets for the biggest occasions.

No he’s not. ’09 playoffs: 8.5 PER, .068 WS/48, TS% .50, and so on. He played with some of the league’s best players in a system that doesn’t require stellar point guard play. How could you possible think he’s overrated? If they had even an average point guard, there would be no reason for late-game heroics. How does this not make sense, Jon Abbey?

massive:
I’m pretty sure Landry Fields can start on a playoff team if Derrick Fisher was a starter on a team that won championships.

Derek Fisher is a really underrated player over the course of his career, and even in recent years he was a guard version of Robert Horry, seemingly saving all his baskets for the biggest occasions.

massive:
I’m pretty sure Landry Fields can start on a playoff team if Derrick Fisher was a starter on a team that won championships.

yeah and kurt rambis can start on an nba championship if you surround him with magic, kareem , worthy et al. I don’t see those guys on this roster.

my point being even though he was drafted by the beloved knicks, he is a way below average starting nba 2 guard. just like TD is a way below average nba starting point guard.

that is why knick management obsessed over a losing player like jamal crawford and practically fellated him to get him to sign and have been raking the garbage cans for bibby and a crippled davis.

http://www.basketball-reference.com/play-index/pcm_finder.cgi?request=1&sum=1&p1=battish01&y1=2002&p2=fieldla01&y2=2011

Z-man:
Good analysis, Frank.I would disagree on whether Baron is a “lockdown” defender, especially against the likes of Rose, Wall, etc., but he is definitely a plus defender.

Re: Fields, I think that we sometimes underestimate the mental side of the game.Landry is a guy that wasn’t in the top 100 in the draft on most prognostications besides Berri. His success in the first 2/3 of last year was based his ability to adapt to a role: a big, hi-rebounding, low-volume efficient 2 guard.

However, he now has a different role, one that absolutley requires hitting the open 3 with regularity.In the preseason game, he missed several open looks.That will get better because Landry will work at it tirelessly, same way David Lee improved first his FT shooting and then his range.Landry may never be a top defender at either the 2 or the 3, (as Lee is neither at the 4 or the 5) but to conclude that he will always suck because he got torched by one of the most savvy 2?s of all time as a rookie in the playoffs totally dismisses both the value of hard work and intellect, and the value of experience.I am confident that he will improve, find his new niche, and be a very valuable role player for us at 20-30 mpg.

as much of a feel good story as fields was last season , the fact of the matter is he isn’t a starting level player an an nba team with playoff aspirations.

he has 2 nba level skill for a 2 guard as he is a plus rebounder and a capable spot up 3 point shooter. he doesn’t shoot off the dribble, penetrate, create his own shot, create mismatches or defend at a plus level for a 2 guard and most of them at a minus level.

he’s a nice career back up who doesn’t shoot himself in the foot, but if he is playing anywhere near 31 minutes a game, the knicks are in deep do-do.

shumpert will be starting and getting the major minutes at the 2 by the…