alibrat66
2nd String
- Joined
- Aug 23, 2011
- Messages
- 660
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- 785
Our guys showed a lot of grit last night, beating a Miami team that was playing well, while a couple of our players had sub-par games or sub-par moments. There are a few items on my wish list for the rest of the season:
1. MG being willing to take some shots. When he was in there, Miami defenders backed off him and packed the lane, making it more difficult for CJ, Grant, etc. to work
2. Grant working on that foul line jump shot. He is consistent with that, it gives a huge leg-up.
3. Defending the alley-oop from the driver and/or from the high-low. When I played the game, and on the odd occasion when we played zone, it was the middle guy in the back who was responsible to stop the driver, as well as get out on the guy who caught the pass at the foul line. It was one of the wing's responsibility to get the center's back by moving into a position around the basket, between the offensive guy down low and the basket. If not, or by being late, most always translated into a basket, or a foul, if you tried to block his shot from behind. I think RAK got wrongly blamed a couple of times for not being where Grant or CJ should've been. I might be wrong here, JB has experimented a lot with the old 2-3 zone, but, from what I saw last night, I don't think so. Then again, he is being paid a bundle of dough, and I'm an unpaid basketball analyst.
4. There is a direct correlation between how hard and crafty Cooney works to run off screens, reverse direction behind screens, etc. He tends to noticeably lose his spirit and shot mojo if he misses a couple and then proceeds to cease working so hard to get free. On a couple of occasions in the second half, the guy chasing him around slid over the top of the down screen so he could meet Trevor coming out from behind the screen, taking Cooney completely out of his shot and in some cases even contesting the pass to Cooney. Cooney had a clear lane to reverse direction for either a layup or scoot to the opposite corner for a jump shot. As Jimmy V said, Trevor, "Never give up. Don't ever give up.
5. Christmas is becoming a very good second half player. I'd suggest that the SU trainer give him whatever rehydrating drink he gives him at half before the game.
6. This is a fun team to watch. Last night they could've been called the Valium Brigade.
1. MG being willing to take some shots. When he was in there, Miami defenders backed off him and packed the lane, making it more difficult for CJ, Grant, etc. to work
2. Grant working on that foul line jump shot. He is consistent with that, it gives a huge leg-up.
3. Defending the alley-oop from the driver and/or from the high-low. When I played the game, and on the odd occasion when we played zone, it was the middle guy in the back who was responsible to stop the driver, as well as get out on the guy who caught the pass at the foul line. It was one of the wing's responsibility to get the center's back by moving into a position around the basket, between the offensive guy down low and the basket. If not, or by being late, most always translated into a basket, or a foul, if you tried to block his shot from behind. I think RAK got wrongly blamed a couple of times for not being where Grant or CJ should've been. I might be wrong here, JB has experimented a lot with the old 2-3 zone, but, from what I saw last night, I don't think so. Then again, he is being paid a bundle of dough, and I'm an unpaid basketball analyst.
4. There is a direct correlation between how hard and crafty Cooney works to run off screens, reverse direction behind screens, etc. He tends to noticeably lose his spirit and shot mojo if he misses a couple and then proceeds to cease working so hard to get free. On a couple of occasions in the second half, the guy chasing him around slid over the top of the down screen so he could meet Trevor coming out from behind the screen, taking Cooney completely out of his shot and in some cases even contesting the pass to Cooney. Cooney had a clear lane to reverse direction for either a layup or scoot to the opposite corner for a jump shot. As Jimmy V said, Trevor, "Never give up. Don't ever give up.
5. Christmas is becoming a very good second half player. I'd suggest that the SU trainer give him whatever rehydrating drink he gives him at half before the game.
6. This is a fun team to watch. Last night they could've been called the Valium Brigade.
