Richardson is worrisome

[Dave85]

ideally, he'd be getting 15-25 mins a night at 2 with a few more sprinkled in backing up g at the 3 with new tyler getting the rest of the burn there

I'm sure he doesn't mind playing extra minutes. I like MR getting lots of practice driving in the lane. I think it will benefit his game long term. I like MR a lot. I'm not sure what the problem is this year. We just do not have a Scoop or Brandon type PG to carry the team on offense. We don't have an AO, Jackson, Keita, or XMas to center the zone on defense. I think this team has some built-in ceilings based on the personnel. I'm not sure you can point to one player as an issue.

After Atlantis I thought they would go undefeated in OOC play or maybe lose one game. But the Cornell game really killed me. Now I'm thinking like I did at the beginning of the season. It will be a real challenge just to get into the NCAA tournament. The Duke and UNC games will be like going to the dentist.

 

[Shark58]

I'm sure he doesn't mind playing extra minutes. I like MR getting lots of practice driving in the lane. I think it will benefit his game long term. I like MR a lot. I'm not sure what the problem is this year. We just do not have a Scoop or Brandon type PG to carry the team on offense. We don't have an AO, Jackson, Keita, or XMas to center the zone on defense. I think this team has some built-in ceilings based on the personnel. I'm not sure you can point to one player as an issue.

After Atlantis I thought they would go undefeated in OOC play or maybe lose one game. But the Cornell game really killed me. Now I'm thinking like I did at the beginning of the season. It will be a real challenge just to get into the NCAA tournament. The Duke and UNC games will be like going to the dentist.

I think you hit the nail dead on. No true pg and no depth at all down low means players playing out of position all over the place. with a real 1 (maybe howard can emerge as one this year) g can play the wing and not be deferring so much just due to the role. if our 4/5 read like: DC2. CMcC. Robe. Lydon, Chino, Bryant &/or Diange then g, Mal and new Tyler are a fantastic 3 rotation (add BJ as long as I'm spittin).

I'm not sure but maybe not playing "guard" is effecting Mal is some way. I know the 2 & 3 are pretty interchangeable in our offensive system, but so are the 4 & 5. While one of a number of reasons, I truly believe that a reason why Rak's game elevated so much last year was his moving back to a full time 5. He looked comfortable there, much more so than as a 4 (with a short leash)

all that said, when we have better roational balance next year, all this experience will help Mal greatly. I can't wait to see him next year without someone jockblocking his mins at the 2 and paired with Battle up top. If the youngins pick up the zone quickly, and the staff builds in some roster depth (I expect at lease one "departure") we could be scary good.

 

[Dave85]

I think you hit the nail dead on. No true pg and no depth at all down low means players playing out of position all over the place. with a real 1 (maybe howard can emerge as one this year) g can play the wing and not be deferring so much just due to the role. if our 4/5 read like: DC2. CMcC. Robe. Lydon, Chino, Bryant &/or Diange then g, Mal and new Tyler are a fantastic 3 rotation (add BJ as long as I'm spittin).

I'm not sure but maybe not playing "guard" is effecting Mal is some way. I know the 2 & 3 are pretty interchangeable in our offensive system, but so are the 4 & 5. While one of a number of reasons, I truly believe that a reason why Rak's game elevated so much last year was his moving back to a full time 5. He looked comfortable there, much more so than as a 4 (with a short leash)

all that said, when we have better roational balance next year, all this experience will help Mal greatly. I can't wait to see him next year without someone jockblocking his mins at the 2 and paired with Battle up top. If the youngins pick up the zone quickly, and the staff builds in some roster depth (I expect at lease one "departure") we could be scary good.

Tyus "Kid Mamba" Battle seems much faster to the hoop than Dion. He's a lightning bolt in his highlight videos.

 

[Briancuse]

He needs to start driving the ball to the rim more.

 

[pearl31]

He needs to start driving the ball to the rim more.

yep and I think he's made a concerted effort to do that in these games where his 3 hasn't been falling.

 

[Millhouse]

Looks like someone may have talked to him and told him just that. He has only put 9 total in the last two games. I agree with those who would prefer to see him going to basket and getting fouled.

he's 2 for 12 in three games since losing his mind at MSG

he's having the worst 3 point shooting december since the 2010-11 season

only guy under 17% with 45 or more attempts. hopefully pitt gets him turned around.

http://www.sports-reference.com/cbb...&c3val=&c4stat=&c4comp=gt&c4val=&order_by=pts