BrutusBobcat
Icon and Entertainer
Great post, B&B. What stands out in reading it is that we have a bunch of guys who all have half a game. In other words, young guys who haven't developed as college players. As an example -- do you play DL more, knowing that his offensive game just isn't there? If so, who do you sit? Hunter? KK? The same problem exists when considering Hill as the PG and moving Butler to 2. Hill is going to have more turnovers than Butler and isn't an effective scorer. The Turner/Diebler discussion is another such point. Diebler plays good D and has sound court awareness, but his shot isn't falling. Turner gives the team a player who can penetrate, but as you mentioned, isn't seeing passing opportunities.
Ultimately, this team won't get better until individual players start to address the weaknesses in their game. Part of the issue may be confidence -- playing four top 25 teams in under two weeks is tough. Three sound beatings by teams which could all very well wind up in the Sweet Sixteen may have done more harm than good.
We like to talk around here about Matta being as good a coach as he is a recruiter. This season is going to test that theory. No one doubts or denies that all of these guys have a world of potential to become great players, but right now they don't form a team.
Last year's squad benefited tremendously from the fact that Oden and Conley had been playing together since grade school. Team chemistry formed around a PG and C who had already developed their games together. This team still lacks the on-court understanding of each other that comes from playing time. You can see this in the simple/non-existent offensive sets and the fact that Matta has yet to have this team in man-to-man for meaningful minutes.
I've been hoping and expecting that chemistry issue to improve game-by-game. The fact that it hasn't is becoming a concern. We may be seeing a team that only wins big games when one or two guys gets hot from the three-point arc, and the rest of the time tries to hang on with tough defense and by forcing turnovers.
The rebounding issue is a complete mystery. I have never seen a college basketball team consistently rebound this poorly. No blocking out, no following shots -- the only boards we get seem to be the accidental ones which happen to take a freak angle coming off of the hoop and which land in someone's hands. Maybe it is worth it to play Lauderdale for more minutes just to get some attitude in there. I like his size, strength and positioning. He's going to be a good one.
Really, we can say that about a lot of these young guys. Hill, Diebler, Lauderdale and Turner have all shown flashes of what the next couple of years could be like.
This may not be the place for this, but is everyone still sold on the idea that KK is one and done? I know that the mock drafts are still showing him as a top 10 player, but I'm starting to wonder if he's slipping in the minds of the guys who actually make the picks. His lack of physical play was already known, but he's proving to be even less physical than projected. Is there a place in the NBA for a 7-footer who hasn't shown much in terms of rebounding or defending against players his own size?
Anyway, I think we all are sharing the disappointment of this game. After the win over Syracuse and a surprisingly strong showing at times against UNC, I think we'd all hoped that the team would look a lot better after some time off. If they can't find some motivation level for Florida, then I am very concerned about how the rest of the season will go. I'm not ready to throw in the towel on an NCAA bid just yet, but we need to see something.
Ultimately, this team won't get better until individual players start to address the weaknesses in their game. Part of the issue may be confidence -- playing four top 25 teams in under two weeks is tough. Three sound beatings by teams which could all very well wind up in the Sweet Sixteen may have done more harm than good.
We like to talk around here about Matta being as good a coach as he is a recruiter. This season is going to test that theory. No one doubts or denies that all of these guys have a world of potential to become great players, but right now they don't form a team.
Last year's squad benefited tremendously from the fact that Oden and Conley had been playing together since grade school. Team chemistry formed around a PG and C who had already developed their games together. This team still lacks the on-court understanding of each other that comes from playing time. You can see this in the simple/non-existent offensive sets and the fact that Matta has yet to have this team in man-to-man for meaningful minutes.
I've been hoping and expecting that chemistry issue to improve game-by-game. The fact that it hasn't is becoming a concern. We may be seeing a team that only wins big games when one or two guys gets hot from the three-point arc, and the rest of the time tries to hang on with tough defense and by forcing turnovers.
The rebounding issue is a complete mystery. I have never seen a college basketball team consistently rebound this poorly. No blocking out, no following shots -- the only boards we get seem to be the accidental ones which happen to take a freak angle coming off of the hoop and which land in someone's hands. Maybe it is worth it to play Lauderdale for more minutes just to get some attitude in there. I like his size, strength and positioning. He's going to be a good one.
Really, we can say that about a lot of these young guys. Hill, Diebler, Lauderdale and Turner have all shown flashes of what the next couple of years could be like.
This may not be the place for this, but is everyone still sold on the idea that KK is one and done? I know that the mock drafts are still showing him as a top 10 player, but I'm starting to wonder if he's slipping in the minds of the guys who actually make the picks. His lack of physical play was already known, but he's proving to be even less physical than projected. Is there a place in the NBA for a 7-footer who hasn't shown much in terms of rebounding or defending against players his own size?
Anyway, I think we all are sharing the disappointment of this game. After the win over Syracuse and a surprisingly strong showing at times against UNC, I think we'd all hoped that the team would look a lot better after some time off. If they can't find some motivation level for Florida, then I am very concerned about how the rest of the season will go. I'm not ready to throw in the towel on an NCAA bid just yet, but we need to see something.
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