Mucrisco
02-11-2015, 02:06 PM
I posted this in a response to a thread on Dodd's board. Figured I'd post it here too:
We are not that far away. We are just missing some pieces. I guess I am in the minority, but I do not believe that our most pressing need is at point guard. Do we need a change at point guard? Absolutely. However, I fully expect Duane Wilson to fill that role. He will already be in the system for the year and he'll understand what Wojo wants. If we recruit a point guard, I believe it will be a backup point guard or a combo guard type. What we really need is a shooter.
Take a look at our lineup next year. Let's say, you have a starting lineup of Duane, JJJ, Shooter(preferably one with length), Ellenson, and Fischer. Duane and Ellenson are good outside shooters, but not deadly. However, they will keep the defense honest there. If you have another deadly outside shooter, then you have space for Duane, JJJ, Ellenson, and Fischer in the paint. Take a look at the length in that lineup. With that, you have a good defensive team. It's not a surprise that we became a good defensive man to man team when we added length by inserting JJJ into the lineup. With that length, we will also be a better rebounding team. Plus, having guys with more experience in the system, we will be able to spend more time on rebounding.
Being a better defensive team with better rebounding, we will be able to transition better. We are good in the open court. Having more size and more options to score, we will be a better half court team. Take a look at this. We are replacing Derrick and Juan in the starting lineup. I love Juan. He does anything it take to win. Did anyone else see him dive after the ball at the end of the game with no concern for his body? Having said that, Juan is not an offensive threat. He is a glue guy. Derrick is Derrick. Everyone knows his limitations.
However, the piece that will be hard to replace is Carlino, who gives us an outside threat. He is asked to play a bigger role that I would like because we need him to shoot, but could you imagine if we could just keep a guy like that in the corner to either shoot or draw a defender away?
With how JJJ shoots, I just don't see him improving his shot. Still, he has potential to be a great defender with those long arms,, and is already showing he can be a good defender off the ball, and he is good in the open court. Team will be able to sag off of him, but as long as he plays hard, he still add value to the lineup. IF guys sag off of him, they still have to stay honest on Duane, the shooter, Ellenson, and Fischer. If it's too much of a problem that defenders are sagging of of him, then you put Cohen in the lineup.
On another point, and I love his effort, but having Derrick as our point guard really does hurt us. He always needs to take 1 or two dribbles more before he makes the extremely safe pass. His defender doesn't even guard him. With an offensive threat as a point guard like Duane, who defenses have to close out on, not only his he just more athletically gifted than Derrick, but his ability to shoot makes him that much quicker than Derrick because defenders have to close out on him. That adds space for our guys to operate because you have the defense shifting. What we are missing that Duke usually does well is the drive and kick game. A defender closes out, so we drive. Help has to come so we kick. A defender closes out on him. He drives and forces help to come. Then on that third kick out, we will have a wide open shot or a dump down pass to a post for a dunk. Currently, we have one drive and a kick and that pass is to Derrick who can't shoot, or to someone else who is covered by Derrick's defender because he is forcing the extra pass to Derrick, who can't shoot.
Basketball is a simple game. When you can draw two defenders and pass out of it, you will be a good offensive team. Look at our lineup. Who draws two defenders? I'd say Duane and Fischer. That's not enough. When they draw that second defender, it doesn't matter because teams don't have to close out on Derrick or to a lesser extend, Juan. Now put a third guy in there that defenses have to respect. Now you have more space to operate. Now put a shooter in there. He may not draw a double, but his defender can not be a help defender.
Finally, Wojo is a great teacher of the game. I have seen most of the biggest names in coaching speak and teach. I would put Wojo up there at the top in terms of teaching. He not only explains what to do, he tells you why you are suppose to do that. Our guys are going to improve in the off season, both in their skill development and in their IQ. I think we're going to be pretty good next year. We just have to find that shooter.
We are not that far away. We are just missing some pieces. I guess I am in the minority, but I do not believe that our most pressing need is at point guard. Do we need a change at point guard? Absolutely. However, I fully expect Duane Wilson to fill that role. He will already be in the system for the year and he'll understand what Wojo wants. If we recruit a point guard, I believe it will be a backup point guard or a combo guard type. What we really need is a shooter.
Take a look at our lineup next year. Let's say, you have a starting lineup of Duane, JJJ, Shooter(preferably one with length), Ellenson, and Fischer. Duane and Ellenson are good outside shooters, but not deadly. However, they will keep the defense honest there. If you have another deadly outside shooter, then you have space for Duane, JJJ, Ellenson, and Fischer in the paint. Take a look at the length in that lineup. With that, you have a good defensive team. It's not a surprise that we became a good defensive man to man team when we added length by inserting JJJ into the lineup. With that length, we will also be a better rebounding team. Plus, having guys with more experience in the system, we will be able to spend more time on rebounding.
Being a better defensive team with better rebounding, we will be able to transition better. We are good in the open court. Having more size and more options to score, we will be a better half court team. Take a look at this. We are replacing Derrick and Juan in the starting lineup. I love Juan. He does anything it take to win. Did anyone else see him dive after the ball at the end of the game with no concern for his body? Having said that, Juan is not an offensive threat. He is a glue guy. Derrick is Derrick. Everyone knows his limitations.
However, the piece that will be hard to replace is Carlino, who gives us an outside threat. He is asked to play a bigger role that I would like because we need him to shoot, but could you imagine if we could just keep a guy like that in the corner to either shoot or draw a defender away?
With how JJJ shoots, I just don't see him improving his shot. Still, he has potential to be a great defender with those long arms,, and is already showing he can be a good defender off the ball, and he is good in the open court. Team will be able to sag off of him, but as long as he plays hard, he still add value to the lineup. IF guys sag off of him, they still have to stay honest on Duane, the shooter, Ellenson, and Fischer. If it's too much of a problem that defenders are sagging of of him, then you put Cohen in the lineup.
On another point, and I love his effort, but having Derrick as our point guard really does hurt us. He always needs to take 1 or two dribbles more before he makes the extremely safe pass. His defender doesn't even guard him. With an offensive threat as a point guard like Duane, who defenses have to close out on, not only his he just more athletically gifted than Derrick, but his ability to shoot makes him that much quicker than Derrick because defenders have to close out on him. That adds space for our guys to operate because you have the defense shifting. What we are missing that Duke usually does well is the drive and kick game. A defender closes out, so we drive. Help has to come so we kick. A defender closes out on him. He drives and forces help to come. Then on that third kick out, we will have a wide open shot or a dump down pass to a post for a dunk. Currently, we have one drive and a kick and that pass is to Derrick who can't shoot, or to someone else who is covered by Derrick's defender because he is forcing the extra pass to Derrick, who can't shoot.
Basketball is a simple game. When you can draw two defenders and pass out of it, you will be a good offensive team. Look at our lineup. Who draws two defenders? I'd say Duane and Fischer. That's not enough. When they draw that second defender, it doesn't matter because teams don't have to close out on Derrick or to a lesser extend, Juan. Now put a third guy in there that defenses have to respect. Now you have more space to operate. Now put a shooter in there. He may not draw a double, but his defender can not be a help defender.
Finally, Wojo is a great teacher of the game. I have seen most of the biggest names in coaching speak and teach. I would put Wojo up there at the top in terms of teaching. He not only explains what to do, he tells you why you are suppose to do that. Our guys are going to improve in the off season, both in their skill development and in their IQ. I think we're going to be pretty good next year. We just have to find that shooter.