FireballPhil
2nd String
- Joined
- Aug 27, 2011
- Messages
- 605
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- 1,232
Yes it is winding down in the season, but due to working second shift I am unable to watch many games. Add to that I don't have cable-why pay for something you don't watch very much- the amount of games I can watch narrows even more.
This game isn't over yet, but man do we look bad. For those who are going to blame the zone, you are insane. Our defense is absolutely not the problem. Offense is 100% our problem. Why is this? Because we have absolutely no inside game and we don't even attempt it most times. It becomes very easy for the opposing defense to just play out and play the passing lanes. A great majority of our turnovers are because we never ever throw it in and out but simply side to side and wala, a tipped pass, a steal, or a contested shot that is missed and they automatically get the rebound because where are our centers? Out trying to set a useless pick because all the defensive players are out there and switching is easy. It is no wonder everyone is down on Frank, but from what I see what can he possibly do if there is no where to go with the ball?
Some are going to say it is the ref's fault but this game wasn't horribly called. Sure there are always going to be some bad calls,and indeed there were definitely a few of them, but the majority of our fouls seem to be frustration fouls. Although Franks last "foul: was just a horrible call. How do you call a foul when the defender steals the ball off a bad pass and their arms are tangled? Frank was just trying to keep control of the ball.
Because the opponents are packing outside, a dribble penetration seems as if they are automatically dribbling into a double team. Not only do they have to pull back or pass out of it, they have four arms defending the pass instead of two. Dol is such a great passer I don't understand why the staff hasn't figured out how to run some plays through him. I get that we don't have very good interior players, but we do have some very good workable pieces. Our offense has to become more than just throw the ball around and chuck up a shot.
There is zero NBA level talent on this team. Tyus came back to improve his stock, but I see regression not progress. I understand his struggles are in large part due to his lack of quality teammates, but the majority of the team is very good and his decision making is poor. Brissett has also seemed to regress-to the point he should be replaced by Braswell and we will still struggle but we will get him more ready for next year.. In fact the only one who hasn't seemingly regressed is Dol. Yes injuries have hurt us, but not to this extent. Tyus may be asked to do a lot, but it is nothing compared to what he will be asked to do in the NBA. So if he can't handle it here, he sure won't be able to handle it there.
As I finish this, we just lost the game. A putrid display, or perhaps a different view point- a great example of why you need good interior players, not just shooters. Today's two best players were Dol and Buddy. Buddy is definitely improving, I was impressed with his ability to drive to the basket a few different times, in large part because no one expects him to and he takes advantage of that fact. Sidbe did okay when he was in there, but he needs more time, more reps, to get back to decent form. He has potential.
I seriously hope the staff will set some plays for Dol down low and use his passing skills to our advantage. But if they haven't done it by now they probably won't. If we go in an 8/9 game we will probably lose, because that team will be good enough to do what Clemson just did to us today.
I am usually not this pessimistic, and I apologize for seeming like a downer, but the play of this team on offense is absolutely horrid. There is no way else to describe it. If they can get some focus on it though, the rest is there and we can win a few more games, we could even win the NC this year. But if we don't change our offense even a little bit, we are an early out. So coaches please, please, please focus. Please fix this because it can be fixed. Not completely because we don't have centers capable of making us the perfect team. And at least one forward who is not helping things at all. But there is still time. Still changes that can be made. It has been done in the past, and can still be done again.
This game isn't over yet, but man do we look bad. For those who are going to blame the zone, you are insane. Our defense is absolutely not the problem. Offense is 100% our problem. Why is this? Because we have absolutely no inside game and we don't even attempt it most times. It becomes very easy for the opposing defense to just play out and play the passing lanes. A great majority of our turnovers are because we never ever throw it in and out but simply side to side and wala, a tipped pass, a steal, or a contested shot that is missed and they automatically get the rebound because where are our centers? Out trying to set a useless pick because all the defensive players are out there and switching is easy. It is no wonder everyone is down on Frank, but from what I see what can he possibly do if there is no where to go with the ball?
Some are going to say it is the ref's fault but this game wasn't horribly called. Sure there are always going to be some bad calls,and indeed there were definitely a few of them, but the majority of our fouls seem to be frustration fouls. Although Franks last "foul: was just a horrible call. How do you call a foul when the defender steals the ball off a bad pass and their arms are tangled? Frank was just trying to keep control of the ball.
Because the opponents are packing outside, a dribble penetration seems as if they are automatically dribbling into a double team. Not only do they have to pull back or pass out of it, they have four arms defending the pass instead of two. Dol is such a great passer I don't understand why the staff hasn't figured out how to run some plays through him. I get that we don't have very good interior players, but we do have some very good workable pieces. Our offense has to become more than just throw the ball around and chuck up a shot.
There is zero NBA level talent on this team. Tyus came back to improve his stock, but I see regression not progress. I understand his struggles are in large part due to his lack of quality teammates, but the majority of the team is very good and his decision making is poor. Brissett has also seemed to regress-to the point he should be replaced by Braswell and we will still struggle but we will get him more ready for next year.. In fact the only one who hasn't seemingly regressed is Dol. Yes injuries have hurt us, but not to this extent. Tyus may be asked to do a lot, but it is nothing compared to what he will be asked to do in the NBA. So if he can't handle it here, he sure won't be able to handle it there.
As I finish this, we just lost the game. A putrid display, or perhaps a different view point- a great example of why you need good interior players, not just shooters. Today's two best players were Dol and Buddy. Buddy is definitely improving, I was impressed with his ability to drive to the basket a few different times, in large part because no one expects him to and he takes advantage of that fact. Sidbe did okay when he was in there, but he needs more time, more reps, to get back to decent form. He has potential.
I seriously hope the staff will set some plays for Dol down low and use his passing skills to our advantage. But if they haven't done it by now they probably won't. If we go in an 8/9 game we will probably lose, because that team will be good enough to do what Clemson just did to us today.
I am usually not this pessimistic, and I apologize for seeming like a downer, but the play of this team on offense is absolutely horrid. There is no way else to describe it. If they can get some focus on it though, the rest is there and we can win a few more games, we could even win the NC this year. But if we don't change our offense even a little bit, we are an early out. So coaches please, please, please focus. Please fix this because it can be fixed. Not completely because we don't have centers capable of making us the perfect team. And at least one forward who is not helping things at all. But there is still time. Still changes that can be made. It has been done in the past, and can still be done again.
