Yeah when you get injured that kind of moves the target, just like it would for anyone. Literally did not participate in warmups because of it. Thats a little different than skipping conditioning to work on his dry rub recipe, which is your theory. He was not the main problem on the defensive end last night and you know it. His hurts us with the lack of rim protection but he simply did not give up as many as he scored. Their actual center also had only 4 points in 31 mins. Half the team looks like walking zombies out there. Meanwhile he is out there actually giving a sheeit.
I thought it was pretty obvious from the replay that as he jumped to block the shot the Colgate player jumped in to him a bit and knocked him off balance in the air. He grabbed the rim to avoid going horizontal and falling.
He’s not the model for how to treat basketball people
Absolutely
The offense still needs work. But the problem is clearly the defense.
We don't know who we want to get shots. It's clear we are better at ball movement but the end point isn't clear.
We want Bell to get shots. Catch and shoot is his best ability playing basketball, by far. He needs 6-8 attempts a game.
If every possession ends with a shot attempt at the rim by Lampkin/Freeman/Davis or a three by Bell, we'll pile up points.
He was capable of playing 28 mpg for 37 games at this weight last year. Maybe he just hurt his back?
Through 2 games we're ranked in the top 25% of teams in offensive rebounding percentage and 14th overall in defensive rebounding percentage. Some regression is expected against the bigger teams we'll face in Brooklyn but so far it's been a strength, as has our ability to hold onto the ball and not get shots blocked, both traits that last year's team had as well. If one of your criticisms of this team is the lack of "identity", there it is - Shot volume.
Wild idea: teach defense to the other guys?
Well as long as everyone has fun, that's all that matters
I agree to some extent but like these guys have been playing basketball for their entire life at the highest level. I think there’s some thought that they should know how to play man to man defense at this stage of their life. Eddie was spinning around in circles with screens yesterday. Like what is that. Should there have been clear messaging about going above screens ? Sure but we don’t know that Red didn’t convey that. We’ll see on Saturday what product shows up on defensive end. If there’s anything I’m “mad” at it was the softness of everything. You gonna let someone drive by you then whatever, but foul them. Make them earn it. Show you care. And I didn’t see that once yesterday from JJ and a few others.
