Class of 2019 PG Dakota Leffew (GA) Portal to Georgia

[Melancer46]

How many “true point guards” were there in the ACC last year? I assume that would be a pass first player who runs the offense and piles up assists, but Judah was fourth in the conference in assists last year and he’s not a true point guard?

In an ideal world, we'd be moving away from the "true PG" mold assuming people mean someone that handles the ball the entire time and does all of the creating (ala Chris Paul back in the day or Luka Doncic now) in favor of more ball-handlers and more ball movement. The issue as far as I see it is JJ and Bell don't seem ideal for such a system. Lampkin and Donnie probably are, as is Davis, so maybe they bring enough of it to still get by with a less ball-dominant PG, but if JJ doesn't make some serious leaps as a creator, I worry that we will have a very large burden on the PG to create everything.

Leffew would be a good fit in the more ball-handlers, more ball movement type of system; I'm not sure we have the personnel for that though and I'm skeptical of Leffew's fit if he's asked to be relatively ball-dominant.

 

[Dcuse]

I'm just saying the photo looks like Nova

Yes, he looks ecstatic in that picture. You obviously speak body language.

 

[djcon57]

At times, but not always. I don't believe that's what I said though, is it? I just don't think that a point guard has to not score in order to be considered a true point guard.

Who said otherwise? Isiah, Stockton, Magic back in the day scored.

Chris Paul up to SGA today. Great PGs always scored. They don't look to score first.

 

[djcon57]

The issue as far as I see it is JJ and Bell don't seem ideal for such a system.

Yep. That's been my #1 concern. These guys have certain skills. Creating shots for others is not one of them. And that's our SG and SF.

 

[OttoinGrotto]

Why don't you pour a bowl of alphabet soup, and try to divine what his latest tweet means [like a ouija board]???

My alphabet soup divination skills are a little rusty, but I'll make a quick grocery run and see what I can do.

 

[orangefog]

Why don't you pour a bowl of alphabet soup, and try to divine what his latest tweet means [like a ouija board]???

All I had was vegetable soup, now I'm afraid I've cursed him with potato knee.

 

[dasher]

That hofstra pg

He is probably option #2

 

[kingtidge]

In an ideal world, we'd be moving away from the "true PG" mold assuming people mean someone that handles the ball the entire time and does all of the creating (ala Chris Paul back in the day or Luka Doncic now) in favor of more ball-handlers and more ball movement.

Welcome to 2014.

It's been a decade since Ennis left so what point guards have we been moving away from??

Richmond was here for a few blinks of the eye... otherwise, it's been shoehorn-combo-guard-U at the point for a decade...

 

[dasher]

Interesting. Sounds like if we don’t get him, it’s quite a disaster for their plan.

I didn't use the word disaster, you did. It would be a set back. No question. But you never know with these things. Plus, we don't know who will enter the portal in the next two weeks. I'm still hoping for Leffew.

 

[djcon57]

I didn't use the word disaster, you did. It would be a set back. No question. But you never know with these things. Plus, we don't know who will enter the portal in the next two weeks. I'm still hoping for Leffew.

Right, so basically THE BOARD is a moving target. Based on who we can/could get at certain times.

 

[RF2044]

All I had was vegetable soup, now I'm afraid I've cursed him with potato knee.

Damn you.

 

[FreakTalksAboutSU]

Yes, he looks ecstatic in that picture. You obviously speak body language.

I'm not reading his body language. He looks like he is at Villanova is all I am saying

 

[Scotch]

I'm not reading his body language. He looks like he is at Villanova is all I am saying

 

[dasher]

Right, so basically THE BOARD is a moving target. Based on who we can/could get at certain times.

I would hope so. If we think Leffew is the best right now, of course that doesn't mean he is the best if by chance, someone else hit the portal on Thursday that would be in the coaches minds a better fit? You find that odd? Seems to me, that is the proper way to go about it. You also have to factor in the possibility that no one better will enter the portal. You see this all the time in the NFL draft. Teams surprised at a player they didn't think would fall to them. And suddenly, that player is available.

 

[dasher]

I'm not reading his body language. He looks like he is at Villanova is all I am saying

Yes. We knew last week he was taking this visit.

 

[Sherman20]

Looks like Nova

How so?

 

[Melancer46]

Welcome to 2014.

It's been a decade since Ennis left so what point guard have we been moving away from??

Richmond was here for a few blinks of the eye... otherwise, it's been shoehorn-combo-guard-U at the point for a decade...

I'm more referring to the system than the player. We've had a lot of teams where the offense revolved around isolation scoring or one player creating everything. The closest thing we've had in recent years to a ball-movement offense was the Girard/Buddy teams because they at least had guys that could get open off the ball and function as movement shooters but they didn't really have the ball-handling abilities that I want. Beyond those teams, we've mostly just given the ball to one or two players and isolated and asked them to create everything.

 

[djcon57]

I would hope so. If we think Leffew is the best right now, of course that doesn't mean he is the best if by chance, someone else hit the portal on Thursday that would be in the coaches minds a better fit? You find that odd? Seems to me, that is the proper way to go about it. You also have to factor in the possibility that no one better will enter the portal. You see this all the time in the NFL draft. Teams surprised at a player they didn't think would fall to them. And suddenly, that player is available.

I don’t find it odd at all. Which is why I don’t think it’s a big deal if we don’t get him

 

[kingtidge]

I'm more referring to the system than the player. We've had a lot of teams where the offense revolved around isolation scoring or one player creating everything. The closest thing we've had in recent years to a ball-movement offense was the Girard/Buddy teams because they at least had guys that could get open off the ball and function as movement shooters but they didn't really have the ball-handling abilities that I want. Beyond those teams, we've mostly just given the ball to one or two players and isolated and asked them to create everything.

Agreed.

I am not opposed to having a combo guard play point either, but you need speed with control, good floor vision, passing skills, and know when to pass... You need to be capable at PG things (making those around you better.)

Our combos playing PG haven't had all those traits... or they simply weren't team players and too selfish (e.g. Judah)

 

[Cuse181]

How many “true point guards” were there in the ACC last year? I assume that would be a pass first player who runs the offense and piles up assists, but Judah was fourth in the conference in assists last year and he’s not a true point guard?

How many good teams were there in the ACC? Look at top 15-20 teams How many of them had true PGs, or at the very least high-volume guys with 2-1 ratios? Is the goal to be a middle of the road ACC team or a top 3-4 seed? All the one seeds, 3/4 two seeds (excluding zona), all the 3 seeds, 3/4 4 seeds (excluding auburn) had a 5-6+ assist guy or high-volume assist guys (3-4+ assists/game) with a 2-1 ratio running the point. Im probably looking at the 14/16 seeds and saying "they're doing something right/" Is that the ONLY indicator of success? Of course not, but it certainly wasn't a negative.

 

[kcsu]

Here is something I know for certain. Leffew is #1 on our board. Yes, we have a board. So, if we don't get him, we are going to get a guy that our coaches wanted less than Leffew. That, is a concern for me.

the fact he left without a commit obviously isn't good.

 

[OmahaCuse]

the fact he left without a commit obviously isn't good.

Yes but he had a Nova visit and have not see a commit on that either. Some of these kids have neevr had a chance to visit a bigtime program so unlike Lampkin need more time to digest

 

[SUFan44]

sure and if we got him, tune would change

Who's tune? Certainly not mine.

 

[Cuse181]

At times, but not always. I don't believe that's what I said though, is it? I just don't think that a point guard has to not score in order to be considered a true point guard.

I don't think anyone is arguing that point guards cant score. Personally, i made the comparison to Judah because the stats were eerily similar. 15+ shots a game, ~4.5 assist/game with less than 2-1 assist to turnover ratio and a sub 45% FG %. If Judah isn't a PG then a guy with essentially the same stats probably isn't either. Tyler Kolek is a PG regardless of his 15 ppg scoring line because the guy distributes efficiently and often. You can score a lot, or very little but if all you're there for is to score and not run an offense then you are not a PG.

 

[Consigliere]

Beekman, Pedulla, Cadeau, O'Connell come to mind.

Duke didn't really have one, but they ran alot through Flip.
Clemson used Hunter as a PG, but to me he was a combo that had help with Hall and Joe.

Not being argumentative, but Cadeau and O’Connell averaged fewer assists than Judah and Pedulla only 0.2 more. What makes them more of a “true point guard” than Judah? And to be fair, I would include the freshman from Ga. Tech on the list.