Cole's thoughts

[cole256 17,084]

I received a couple of PM's asking my thoughts on the team so far. I usually don't like to give analysis until after around 3 conference games or so but when I get a little more data I'll postmy stuff!

[Grumps 3,705]

39 minutes ago, cole256 said:

I received a couple of PM's asking my thoughts on the team so far. I usually don't like to give analysis until after around 3 conference games or so but when I get a little more data I'll postmy stuff!

How about specific questions?

Barkley said he really like this team but was concerned about shot selection. Do agree with Barkley that our shot selection is bad? How easy is it to learn better shot selection?

[akillshot 299]

Glad to see your post. I'd tried to PM you today to see why no posts in the basketball forum. Look forward to your thoughts

[cole256 17,084]

12 hours ago, akillshot said:

Glad to see your post. I'd tried to PM you today to see why no posts in the basketball forum. Look forward to your thoughts

My bad I need to clean my dm's up so people that want to contact me can. I'll be sure to do it today. I appreciate you even think enough of me to want my opinion. Thanks!

[cole256 17,084]

14 hours ago, Grumps said:

How about specific questions?

Barkley said he really like this team but was concerned about shot selection. Do agree with Barkley that our shot selection is bad? How easy is it to learn better shot selection?

Yes, I'll answer any question you may have. So first let me say this is my opinion.

So as far as Pearl offenses they have always worked best when we had a big guard or forward that can pass well and initiate the offense. With that being said from as long as I can remember all the way back to Tennessee he has always been fine with his guards being aggressive in their shot taking.

That can lead to bad shots at time but he'll take that as long as it leads to a bunch of mismatches and tempo shots. You take the good with the bad. With our guards being new to the system yes right now we're going to make mistakes and take bad shots.

Our guards are learning their niche and are finding where they fit, and what are their roles. I think it will get even worse the beginning of SEC play because the pace will change again and it will take some getting used to. Eventually though you hope guys will mature, roles will be defined and with experience playing together and chemistry getting right bout time it's time for a NCAA run we'll be clicking

I should also mention flannigan coming back will cause a disruption as I look for him to actually be the alpha of the entire team and he'll have to integrate himself. So maybe right now it doesn't look optimal we can feel good that we have a higher ceiling than most contenders. I hope that helps!

[casatiger 514]

I remember at the beginning of our final 4 season being appalled at the shot selection of our guards.   Worked out pretty well by the end of the year.  Saying that, it will be a limiting factor if these guys don't mature and keep making the same mistakes.   But, I have already seen growth from those guys and that is a good trend.  The guy that I believe has matured mote than anyone is Cambridge.  Really impressed with his game lately.  

[toddc 13,194]

I really like the improvements in Zep’s  facilitating role , and his three point shot. The first few games I thought he might be a liability but boy was I wrong. His defense was always good and he seems to be getting even better. I think he leads the nation in assist/to ratio! He would be my most improved player. He’s going to be needed in SEC play

 

Edited December 17, 2021 by toddc

[gravejd 3,272]

34 minutes ago, casatiger said:

I remember at the beginning of our final 4 season being appalled at the shot selection of our guards.   Worked out pretty well by the end of the year.  Saying that, it will be a limiting factor if these guys don't mature and keep making the same mistakes.   But, I have already seen growth from those guys and that is a good trend.  The guy that I believe has matured mote than anyone is Cambridge.  Really impressed with his game lately.  

Second the props to Cambridge. I’m not sure if he has made a leap this year or is just playing better because we have guys that can get him the ball. But he is the surprise of the season foR me so far

[steeleagle 2,945]

3 hours ago, cole256 said:

Yes, I'll answer any question you may have. So first let me say this is my opinion.

So as far as Pearl offenses they have always worked best when we had a big guard or forward that can pass well and initiate the offense. With that being said from as long as I can remember all the way back to Tennessee he has always been fine with his guards being aggressive in their shot taking.

That can lead to bad shots at time but he'll take that as long as it leads to a bunch of mismatches and tempo shots. You take the good with the bad. With our guards being new to the system yes right now we're going to make mistakes and take bad shots.

Our guards are learning their niche and are finding where they fit, and what are their roles. I think it will get even worse the beginning of SEC play because the pace will change again and it will take some getting used to. Eventually though you hope guys will mature, roles will be defined and with experience playing together and chemistry getting right bout time it's time for a NCAA run we'll be clicking

I should also mention flanigan coming back will cause a disruption as I look for him to actually be the alpha of the entire team and he'll have to integrate himself. So maybe right now it doesn't look optimal we can feel good that we have a higher ceiling than most contenders. I hope that helps!

Totally agree with Flanigan and a temporary disruption.

I am a big Hockey fan and time and time again I have noticed my Penguins when Sid Crosby has been out with an injury, the team actually is cohesive and plays as a unit better, and gone on a nice winning streak.

THen when Sid gets back to playing, since he is a vet and a major focal point of the offense, like Flanigan fits that criteria, all of a sudden we can't win a game for a while. Because of that change of the offense's focal point, and trying to sync back with Crosby, it takes time to get back to that winning formula.

 

[autan 753]

Flan will probably have 4 new (to him) teammates in the starting lineup when he returns. So it will take time.

[alexava 6,973]

I haven’t seen much of the games so far but I like what I’m seeing. Kessler is better than I thought inside and I don’t think we lose much when Caldwell comes in. Jabari finishes good when he gets the ball inside too. Still not sure about the guards but they look comfortable in the offense. Look forward to league play!

[Rednilla 5,401]

On 12/19/2021 at 7:07 PM, alexava said:

I haven’t seen much of the games so far but I like what I’m seeing. Kessler is better than I thought inside and I don’t think we lose much when Caldwell comes in. Jabari finishes good when he gets the ball inside too. Still not sure about the guards but they look comfortable in the offense. Look forward to league play!

Kessler and Caldwell have both been outstanding, you're right. I kinda get the feeling that Dylan picked up a couple of things defensively from Walker, because he seems to be protecting the rim better.

Can't wait to get Flanigan in the rotation so he can start getting into rhythm. It's exciting to think about adding his firepower to the lineup.

[TXaubie 567]

@casatiger
Agreed,  Shot selection has always been frustrating!!  Kind of shook my head when Chuck said that. I was like what’s new, and yes this team’s shots are not near as bad as the final four team. Like not even in the same ballpark. They did go in when it mattered. Which made it even more exciting!!

[AUlurker 178]

I think the bad shots are a couple of things.

1. Bruce has confidence in his guards, and they'll take those bad shots because they are confident in making them.

2. Offensive set goes stale with little to no movement, which creates a bad shot at the end of the shot clock.

There are times where we lack focus and take low percentage shots, and we go 4-5 minutes where we look like last years team. I like our effort, but our defensive rebounding is pretty bad considering how much bigger we are than other teams. 

 

I like how we can go on a quick run with a few different guys that can make shots in bunches. Kessler has improved our paint defense where we were getting abused last year. I hope Cardwell learns a thing or two from Kessler on keeping the ball in bounds after a block.

[AUpreacherman22 3,892]

8 hours ago, AUlurker said:

but our defensive rebounding is pretty bad considering how much bigger we are than other teams

I’ve noticed a few times I felt like we needed improvement here.   I didn’t get to watch the SLU game, but I saw where they absolutely destroyed us on the boards, and that deeply concerned me.  This has to improve significantly if we’re going to be near the top of the SEC and make a deep tourney run!

[AuburnNTexas 7,197]

10 hours ago, Rednilla said:

Kessler and Caldwell have both been outstanding, you're right. I kinda get the feeling that Dylan picked up a couple of things defensively from Walker, because he seems to be protecting the rim better.

Can't wait to get Flanigan in the rotation so he can start getting into rhythm. It's exciting to think about adding his firepower to the lineup.

Initially his biggest impact will be defending other teams big guards and rebounding. He will score because he is very talented but this year our two weakest areas have been defending big guards and rebounding from the guard spot.  We got hammered on the boards by SLU and the difference was in number of rebounds their guards got versus our guards. When teams miss 3 point shots they often go long where the guards need to get them. The U-Conn game their big guards dominated us down low. a healthy Flanigan and we beat U-Conn and SLU game isn't even close. 

The real question is how fast he can get into game playing shape where he can contribute more than a few minutes a game. Also as a bigger guard it will be easier for him to see the big men when they get good post position. As the year has gone we have gotten better passing to the bigs on pick and roll situations leading to a lot of dunks but still are not very good at feeding the bigs when they get good post position and make themselves  available. 

Edited December 21, 2021 by AuburnNTexas

[cole256 17,084]

So like I mentioned about gaining momentum and being able to really gauge a team it's right around conference play. I said we had more potential than any school playing because we were waiting on Flanagan to return and I stand by that statement.

I also thought of something that I will do. On the basketball board I think I had the majority of arguments with evaluating players. Imo it's hard for people to see the real and the fake as far as basketball. So what I'm going to do is make separate threads on individual players and explain what they bring to the team and the importance of time individual.

My first player will probably be Flannigan as he was a guy I was having trouble getting people to see just how valuable he really is. I look forward to this and please help critique me in my writing style or if there are certain aspects you'd like to make sure is covered. Thank you

[Grumps 3,705]

3 hours ago, cole256 said:

So like I mentioned about gaining momentum and being able to really gauge a team it's right around conference play. I said we had more potential than any school playing because we were waiting on Flanagan to return and I stand by that statement.

I also thought of something that I will do. On the basketball board I think I had the majority of arguments with evaluating players. Imo it's hard for people to see the real and the fake as far as basketball. So what I'm going to do is make separate threads on individual players and explain what they bring to the team and the importance of time individual.

My first player will probably be Flannigan as he was a guy I was having trouble getting people to see just how valuable he really is. I look forward to this and please help critique me in my writing style or if there are certain aspects you'd like to make sure is covered. Thank you

It was surprising to me to see how much better we looked with Flanigan back. I had forgotten how much he adds on both sides of the ball. And I expect his offense to improve. Green or Jasper/KD/Flanigan/Smith/Kessler-- that is a killer line up offensively and defensively. And surely no one has our depth.

[AUpreacherman22 3,892]

7 hours ago, cole256 said:

So like I mentioned about gaining momentum and being able to really gauge a team it's right around conference play. I said we had more potential than any school playing because we were waiting on Flanagan to return and I stand by that statement.

I also thought of something that I will do. On the basketball board I think I had the majority of arguments with evaluating players. Imo it's hard for people to see the real and the fake as far as basketball. So what I'm going to do is make separate threads on individual players and explain what they bring to the team and the importance of time individual.

My first player will probably be Flannigan as he was a guy I was having trouble getting people to see just how valuable he really is. I look forward to this and please help critique me in my writing style or if there are certain aspects you'd like to make sure is covered. Thank you

I’m looking forward to those posts @cole256    Thank you!

[mustache eagle 2,416]

I was expecting AF’s presence to be a net negative his first few games.  I was wrong.  His offense may have been off a tad but most everything else was a positive to the team.  Curious to see if we play 11 players … and … if Moore, berman kd and Cambridge will simply share losing minutes?  Or will someone lose a lot of minutes.

[toddc 13,194]

41 minutes ago, mustache eagle said:

I was expecting AF’s presence to be a net negative his first few games.  I was wrong.  His offense may have been off a tad but most everything else was a positive to the team.  Curious to see if we play 11 players … and … if Moore, berman kd and Cambridge will simply share losing minutes?  Or will someone lose a lot of minutes.

Some of that might depend on the flow of the game. I think CBP likes to get as many minutes to players as he can to wear an opponent down and then pounce. Bringing in the best five at the end with fresh legs.

Edited January 1, 2022 by toddc

[War to the Eagle 364]

14 hours ago, cole256 said:

So like I mentioned about gaining momentum and being able to really gauge a team it's right around conference play. I said we had more potential than any school playing because we were waiting on Flanagan to return and I stand by that statement.

I also thought of something that I will do. On the basketball board I think I had the majority of arguments with evaluating players. Imo it's hard for people to see the real and the fake as far as basketball. So what I'm going to do is make separate threads on individual players and explain what they bring to the team and the importance of time individual.

My first player will probably be Flannigan as he was a guy I was having trouble getting people to see just how valuable he really is. I look forward to this and please help critique me in my writing style or if there are certain aspects you'd like to make sure is covered. Thank you

Would greatly appreciate this, and would love to read it.

[JwgreDeux 1,279]

On 12/31/2021 at 6:00 PM, mustache eagle said:

I was expecting AF’s presence to be a net negative his first few games.  I was wrong.  His offense may have been off a tad but most everything else was a positive to the team.  Curious to see if we play 11 players … and … if Moore, berman kd and Cambridge will simply share losing minutes?  Or will someone lose a lot of minutes.

Strangely, Cambridge being out may have helped with that. I would still expect to see some growing pains materialize as CBP figures out the rotation. No doubt they are going to lose minutes. I think you will see CBP play with the rotations for a few games as AF gets back in real game shape, but eventually I think you will see Moore lose the most minutes. Berman fills a need somewhat in the guard/wing rotation, whereas Moore is a wing/forward. All seem to have great attitudes and buy in, so hopefully they respect that AF is ahead of them in the pecking order and accept their roles. 

[AUpreacherman22 3,892]

On 12/31/2021 at 6:00 PM, mustache eagle said:

I was expecting AF’s presence to be a net negative his first few games.  I was wrong.  His offense may have been off a tad but most everything else was a positive to the team.  Curious to see if we play 11 players … and … if Moore, berman kd and Cambridge will simply share losing minutes?  Or will someone lose a lot of minutes.

I expect Moore and Berman to be the losers here.  Not enough minutes to go around.   

[JwgreDeux 1,279]

On 1/4/2022 at 1:27 PM, JwgreDeux said:

Strangely, Cambridge being out may have helped with that. I would still expect to see some growing pains materialize as CBP figures out the rotation. No doubt they are going to lose minutes. I think you will see CBP play with the rotations for a few games as AF gets back in real game shape, but eventually I think you will see Moore lose the most minutes. Berman fills a need somewhat in the guard/wing rotation, whereas Moore is a wing/forward. All seem to have great attitudes and buy in, so hopefully they respect that AF is ahead of them in the pecking order and accept their roles. 

As expected Moore’s minutes disappeared with Cambridge and Flan on the floor tonight. Liors we’re down as well but he got in the game for a bit.