Gillon question: Why didn't he shoot?

[bballbeadle]

A number of people were commenting about this. It's not just me! He didn't look for his shot Wednesday or today. Was it a fit of pique? Depression? Anyone know if someone said something to him? Just seemed like he threw away his shot.

And I will forever love him, so not trying to put him down. Just puzzled.

 

[Marty McFly]

He was definitely checked out. looked lethargic, and disinterested until the very end when maybe he realized this was it for his bball days... can't blame the kid really

 

[Ajflood12]

He picked the worst time to shoot his only shot at the end of the game today.

Best transplant player since willie dean.

 

[thebigeast44]

When SU didn't make the Tournament which was a major reason he came here he checked out emotionally and that showed on the court - a major factor in our loss today - along with obviously our usual porous defense, unfortunate poor shooting day combined with their better than normal shooting day.

 

[85SUAlum]

When SU didn't make the Tournament which was a major reason he came here he checked out emotionally and that showed on the court - a major factor in our loss today - along with obviously our usual porous defense, unfortunate poor shooting day combined with their better than normal shooting day.

Seems that way - he was pretty much non-existent in both NIT games.
On the plus side, it got Howard more minutes, and he didn't look awful.
Hopefully that can lead to better play from him next year

 

[OttoinGrotto]

Yeah, I think he was done.

 

[85SUAlum]

It's too bad - we needed him today with every one else shooting cold.

 

[Zelda Zonk]

A number of people were commenting about this. It's not just me! He didn't look for his shot Wednesday or today. Was it a fit of pique? Depression? Anyone know if someone said something to him? Just seemed like he threw away his shot.

And I will forever love him, so not trying to put him down. Just puzzled.

I think it's very simply answered in that he's not tall enough to shoot over a defender. He needs space and didn't have it often enough, without defenders closing in. Here were a few opportunities for him to shoot, but I felt once so much time had passed, he was taken out of his game—looking for the shot. He did take one three, but it was so deep that he was open.

OR: the two better-informed replies directly below...

 

[Ringostar57]

Shootin bricks in warmups......the stroke wasn't there.

 

[kmart128]

Today in warm ups you could tell he was not happy with his jumper. Missed a few then went to opposite end of court to shoot 3s by himself. Devo was coaching him up a bit. Battle went over there to talk to him and John waved him off.

He did ok finding the open man in the 2nd half tho. Found White for some 3s, found Thompson down low, and found Battle a few times

 

[Madbiker]

In his presser, JB cited that Gillon took only 3 shots in his last 52 minutes of PT. JB was baffled why he stopped shooting.

 

[CuseFaninVT]

He's got a really weird motion.

 

[SWC75]

NITitus Oh Lord

 

[HoustonCuse]

He embarrassed himself in this NIT. Look I know it's not the big time, but we had guys fighting. To give up on them like that tells you something, especially when done by a 5th year guy who ostensibly is a leader on the team. That sort of leadership may explain a bit about our season.

Forget the shooting, look at the defense he played today. They had a guy who was so hot he had smoke coming off his head and Gillon had as much interest in fighting through a screen as I have in getting a root canal.

 

[CuseFaninVT]

He embarrassed himself in this NIT. Look I know it's not the big time, but we had guys fighting. To give up on them like that tells you something, especially when done by a 5th year guy who ostensibly is a leader on the team. That sort of leadership may explain a bit about our season.

Forget the shooting, look at the defense he played today. They had a guy who was so hot he had smoke coming off his head and Gillon had as much interest in fighting through a screen as I have in getting a root canal.

I feel like we need HOFCeluck to give us a H0T Takes ruling on this post.

 

[Madbiker]

Anyone know if Gillon had these rollercoaster games at Colorado St? He looked spectacular in a few games and awful in several others. Like no middle ground. He's great or terrible. Unfortunately, last 3 games were terrible.

 

[Madbiker]

NITitus Oh Lord

Had ACCT-itis also vs UM.

 

[creatorsgam]

He embarrassed himself in this NIT. Look I know it's not the big time, but we had guys fighting. To give up on them like that tells you something, especially when done by a 5th year guy who ostensibly is a leader on the team. That sort of leadership may explain a bit about our season.

Forget the shooting, look at the defense he played today. They had a guy who was so hot he had smoke coming off his head and Gillon had as much interest in fighting through a screen as I have in getting a root canal.

Since I've found this board in the summer of '05, I don't think I've ever "knocked" a player. Football. Basketball. Lacrosse(maybe hit Warren Hill last season and desired a goalie change). Always bit my tongue.

But you are right. And that is all I will contribute here.

 

[Ghost]

Anyone know if Gillon had these rollercoaster games at Colorado St? He looked spectacular in a few games and awful in several others. Like no middle ground. He's great or terrible. Unfortunately, last 3 games were terrible.

Bingo. This was always my issue.

Early on I thought it was a confidence issue - if he missed a shot early, or badly, he seemed to go into a shell. Even in the "AIRBALL" game that seemed to happen and that was a bit later in the year.

I thought outside the NIT though, there seemed to be a ton of games where he seemed content to do zero other than the bring the ball up, pound it a bit to kill the shot clock, look around, and do zip.

He was a weird player. I couldn't find him more frustrating, but people seemed to like him! The part that drove me most mad was that when he started hitting shots, all of a sudden it seemed like he could dribble a lot better, break some people down, get to the rim a bit more. Oh wellz.

He did seem completely checked out in the NIT, but I thought he had so many halves where he played like that overall this year that it wasn't all that odd. He just had a lot of games where it was only one half where he was checked out - the other half he balled a bit.