Those who know me know that I am tough on point guards.
That said, with the run of point guards we have had, it is easy to forget that Kaleb has played four collegiate games in his career. He looks like a player that can develop over time, but he isn't as close to being a "finished product" as many of our recent lead guards:
- Flynn (sophomore)
- Triche (freshman)/Scoop (sophomore) combo
- Scoop (junior and senior)
- Carter-Williams (sophomore who had his own growing pains)
- Ennis (one of the most poised freshman I have ever seen)
60% of this list play or played in the NBA (Ennis likely will someday). Joseph may, too, but he's not at that level of his development yet. Frankly, he has played like a freshman, and I couldn't be more satisfied with what he has shown so far.
It is true that he has several facets of his game that need work, but there are a lot of strengths to his game at such an early stage of his career. For as much criticism as there is on his passing, he has plenty of assists early in the year (5.5 apg). He has shown the ability to facilitate the break, and he seems to have a pull-up jumper in his arsenal. He also appears to understand the basic concepts of the pick and roll, and his scoring ability should improve with more reps.
As Francis pointed out, defense is his greatest liability at the moment. This is not uncommon with young guys in the zone. He also needs to work on when and how to attack off the dribble, and he needs to improve his outside shooting, which should enable him to drive more effectively.
Overall, he's not a one-and-done guard, and for all of the bellyaching over players leaving early, we can't then complain when a player that is likely to stay multiple seasons isn't perfect from day one.
I know several fans were distraught when he took that pull-up jumper late in the game last night. I'm in the minority, but I was not upset. Number one, I like players that have the onions to take big shots in big spots. Not all players do. Number two, though not the best shot choice given time (especially in terms of the shot clock) and score, it wasn't really a horrible shot. It was a wide-open, pull-up jumper. Wide-open shots are what you want in an offense. The truth is that those who complained about the shot would have celebrated him if he made it. Complaining about that shot solely based on the time left on the shot clock also ignores that there is no guarantee our half-court offense would find a better shot than that during the possession. Number three, the only way Kaleb will grow is to make errors and learn from them. If we assume Boeheim was unhappy with the shot (which I'm not sure he was) and provided instruction, then this experience in November may pay great dividends in March, if not this season, then at some point during his career.
I don't know that Kaleb will ever be as good as Sherman, Pearl, or MCW. Time will tell. Based on what I have seen, he has the tools to be very good, though making long-term judgments about his game at this time is premature. I am excited to watch him develop during his time on the hill.
That's exactly my point--Kaleb's shot can be a teachable moment that pays dividends later in the season. I'm hoping Joseph develops over the course of the season more than Ennis did. I don't think Tyler progressed greatly at all while here, but he was further along from the start than Kaleb.
