the_ouskull
10/15/2009, 04:33 PM
This quote, which I received in a P.M. earlier this week, got me to thinking: F*CK YEAH! It's basketball season!
-----
But, in response to the actual question, I think that, whether or not our record directly reflects it, we'll be an all-around better basketball team.
"But, but, but, Blake..."
Yeah, I know about Blake. He was REAL good. Especially on the glass. Like, historically good. This isn't about Blake. This is about Sooner. And I think that the Sooners have a shot to be better.
-----
My (not projected, desired) starting lineup:
Point Guard:
I think that we have to go with the rookie, Tommy Mason-Griffin. He's undersized, vertically, yes, and will be subject to isolation post-ups. He's also bigger than a lot of point guards, and will be able to hold his own, physically, against a number of the guards he'll see. If he's able to maintain his strength and weight as his conditioning comes into form, he has the potential to develop into a bulldog, defensively... never great, but always tough and always aggressive.
It's his offense that should have people excited. He's the rare scoring point guard who looks to pass first. He's quick, he handles the ball well, and he protects the ball well.
His best "move" early in his college career will be his quick pull-up jumper. He's usually able to recognize the level of separation that he needs in order to get it off over the man guarding him, and he's pretty accurate inside of 15-17' with it. If he's able to get some good picks, I think that, because of his size, he'll catch some people slipping underneath rather than going over the top, and he'll be able to get looks early in games that way. He has a 34" standing vertical, and he uses it well on his quick pull-ups.
An area of opportunity for him will be how quickly he gets his other shots off. When his feet are set, it's usually with his left foot slightly forward. He'll then drag the right foot over as he brings the ball up to shoot it. I understand why he does it. I do it! But, playing against college-caliber players, that extra step is exactly the amount of time that taller (most of the players he'll see in college) players need to close out and make that long ball, 45% in high school, a low percentage shot in college. Watch his shooting percentage when he's got both feet set when he catches the ball, and compare it to his percentage when he's pulling right towards left as he shoots. (If he's WIDE open, the pulling percentage will ALWAYS be higher. I'm only talking about plays on which he's closely guarded.) Anyway, as he learns to take those hitches out of his shot, he'll improve from deep as the season wears on... once again, assuming his conditioning allows this in the first place.
(In seven mile-runs, TMG's best time was good for 5th from last The four who finished behind him are our 4's and 5's. More on this later...)
Overall, it's not often that a player of his physical stature makes McDonald's All-American. This means one of two things... He was very, very good, and understands the game of basketball, and how to make it work for him... OR, his numbers and abilities were inflated due to a vastly inferior level of competition.
I think that, as he learns more about the game from our coaches, his game will change from what we saw in high school - primarily scoring, to what I think he can become... a scoring point guard who looks to pass first.
Shooting Guard:
Willie Warren. On almost every other team in the country, I would be typing his name in his slot as well. There's not a lot I can say about Willie that hasn't already been said...
...except his faults.
Make no mistake about it. He is an amazingly talented player, and by all accounts, has only gotten better this summer. This is HIS team. No question. His true shooting percentage of 62% was ridiculous, especially for a perimeter-oriented freshman.
But, as the season wore on, he stopped attacking the basket with the same intensity. If he continues to settle for perimeter shots, especially now that the "obligation" to lob the ball inside to Blake is no longer there, because, remember, this is Willie's team now, then we could see an increase in statistics from Willie, leading everybody to get p*ssed-off at me later when I point out that it led to a decrease in production.
Personally, I think that Willie's smarter than this, and, unlike last season, he's got a bit more than just he, and Blake, to spread the ball around to. In addition, he won't have to do as much spreading around for two reasons: 1) we have a "true" (and good) point guard on the roster now, and, even though he's young, he can handle the ball; no question, and 2) it's HIS team now. Leaders want the ball late in games. If Willie's taking that ball to the hole, we're going to be a good basketball team. If he's jacking up long balls, we're going to be a nother basketball team.
We will go as far as he is capable of taking us. We are HIS team.
Small Forward:
Cade Davis. Yeah, that's right. Him. (In case you're new, or, like most intelligent humans, blow me off when I speak, I spent most of last season ripping into Cade Davis.)
Uh. He's in shape now, guys.
In the aforementioned series of mile runs, Cade finished with the best overall time, 5:19, and crossed the finish line with 5.1% body fat and the third-highest vertical jump on the team, at 36.9".
The days of "slow white boy" are over, ladies and gents. At least they'd better be, if he wants to see the court this season. If his strength improved as drastically as the rest of his physical attributes seem to have improved, then we could be looking at a very, very different Cade Davis this season.
Couple the physical improvements with the improvement of the composition of our team for his playing style, and I think that starting him is the only logical choice. Last year, we had a point guard who, frankly, just was not good, and a shooting guard playing point. Cade didn't see the ball very often, and, when he did, it was often because nobody else had a look either. That he shot almost 35% from the arc is a credit to his shot, much more so than it is to his shooting, as evidenced by his 48.5 true shooting percentage his freshman year, when he wanted to be known as the "good shooter off the bench," and put up too many ill-advised shots, to the 55.4 of last season, when he just took advantage of the looks he got, and only rushed/forced the occasional shot. Once he stops rushing/forcing shots, and his TS% gets into the 60's, (something that could also happen if he drove to the basket a bit more often) then teams will have to start respecting his all-around game.
Coming off of the bench, playing with the second unit, would afford him no opportunity to do that. In fact, it make make him the focal point of the offense, which I don't feel he's ready for at all.
Many people feel that this should be Crocker's spot. I don't. I'll explain why later.
Power Forward:
This is where I'm torn. Andrew Fitzgerald or Ryan Wright? Just as I feel Cade's hard work should be rewarded, so let it be right Ryan? No. I feel that the player that gives us the best low post presense should be the one to start here. Offensively, we need to expect, nay, demand, the occasional low-post bucket. I don't know if Fitz can, but so far, Wright can't.
BUT, I know that Fitz finished ahead of TMG in the mile-run contests, and that he has a 7'2" wingspan. He's BUILT to play the four in college. In addition, I feel we'd be able to get the most out of his skills by putting him in the lineup with our best players. Maybe he's not a better player than Wright right now, but he's got a shot to be MUCH better; a higher ceiling, if you will. Right now, however, I also feel like he's got a lower floor. He's not very strong, especially for his size, and he's not terribly athletic, usually relying on his size and good, intelligent positioning and spacing to get his shots off. That's great... but if he's having to rely on that stuff in high school, what's college going to be like for him? I hope that he's got the size and the, uh "la cabeza," to take his game to the next level, but his lack of athleticism may come back to haunt him.
Also, as far as Wright goes, he's experienced, understanding the system, etc... would it not make a lot of sense for him to run with the second unit, to help keep them in check on the court?
Center:
Keith Gallon. He may be called "Tiny," but his game is not the least bit tiny. He is another, and would be our third, in my perfect world, McD's AA starter for our squad. Something ELSE that would get our program some positive attention. (At OU, we LOVE the golden arches...)
He is a big man who, at times, sadly, must be reminded of that fact. If he starts drifting out towards the arc, on offense or on defense, then, suddenly, we're going to struggle a lot more than we thought we would replacing Blake's (and Taylor's) rebounding. He's a good rebounder because he gets his big *ss up against people, not because he's athletic and strong.
What worries me about him is his conditioning; his ability to stay healthy. He missed the pre-season conditioning tests with a "minor injury." Was that it, or did he not want to submit to the body fat test? I mean, come ON? A "minor" injury kept him from lifting? From jumping? How "minor" is it?
Anyway, he's got a good basketball I.Q., and can shoot the ball fairly well from the outside... but as far as where WE want him, the post, I'm concerned. I know he played well at the McDAA game. I know he played well this summer. I also know that, to date, he's primarily played against grocery sackers and trust-fund babies, and against other equally vested in playing no D, and not getting hurt superstars. Is he going to be ready, from jump, for the step up in the level of competition and the speed of the college game?
No.
But, unlike many who get swept up initially, I think that he's going to catch up faster than most, too. He's got the natural talents, and a feel for the game that can't always be coached. It's simply a matter of his being able to 1) be coached, and 2) apply the coaching to his game, immediately, in order to do what WE need, not what HE needs, to help this team win ball games.
He has a chance to be a better Sooner than Blake, because he'll play here for four years, and we're d*mn lucky we had Blake for two.
Bench:
I'll take on the bench in another post. I'm tired now. Lol.
the_ouskull
-----
But, in response to the actual question, I think that, whether or not our record directly reflects it, we'll be an all-around better basketball team.
"But, but, but, Blake..."
Yeah, I know about Blake. He was REAL good. Especially on the glass. Like, historically good. This isn't about Blake. This is about Sooner. And I think that the Sooners have a shot to be better.
-----
My (not projected, desired) starting lineup:
Point Guard:
I think that we have to go with the rookie, Tommy Mason-Griffin. He's undersized, vertically, yes, and will be subject to isolation post-ups. He's also bigger than a lot of point guards, and will be able to hold his own, physically, against a number of the guards he'll see. If he's able to maintain his strength and weight as his conditioning comes into form, he has the potential to develop into a bulldog, defensively... never great, but always tough and always aggressive.
It's his offense that should have people excited. He's the rare scoring point guard who looks to pass first. He's quick, he handles the ball well, and he protects the ball well.
His best "move" early in his college career will be his quick pull-up jumper. He's usually able to recognize the level of separation that he needs in order to get it off over the man guarding him, and he's pretty accurate inside of 15-17' with it. If he's able to get some good picks, I think that, because of his size, he'll catch some people slipping underneath rather than going over the top, and he'll be able to get looks early in games that way. He has a 34" standing vertical, and he uses it well on his quick pull-ups.
An area of opportunity for him will be how quickly he gets his other shots off. When his feet are set, it's usually with his left foot slightly forward. He'll then drag the right foot over as he brings the ball up to shoot it. I understand why he does it. I do it! But, playing against college-caliber players, that extra step is exactly the amount of time that taller (most of the players he'll see in college) players need to close out and make that long ball, 45% in high school, a low percentage shot in college. Watch his shooting percentage when he's got both feet set when he catches the ball, and compare it to his percentage when he's pulling right towards left as he shoots. (If he's WIDE open, the pulling percentage will ALWAYS be higher. I'm only talking about plays on which he's closely guarded.) Anyway, as he learns to take those hitches out of his shot, he'll improve from deep as the season wears on... once again, assuming his conditioning allows this in the first place.
(In seven mile-runs, TMG's best time was good for 5th from last The four who finished behind him are our 4's and 5's. More on this later...)
Overall, it's not often that a player of his physical stature makes McDonald's All-American. This means one of two things... He was very, very good, and understands the game of basketball, and how to make it work for him... OR, his numbers and abilities were inflated due to a vastly inferior level of competition.
I think that, as he learns more about the game from our coaches, his game will change from what we saw in high school - primarily scoring, to what I think he can become... a scoring point guard who looks to pass first.
Shooting Guard:
Willie Warren. On almost every other team in the country, I would be typing his name in his slot as well. There's not a lot I can say about Willie that hasn't already been said...
...except his faults.
Make no mistake about it. He is an amazingly talented player, and by all accounts, has only gotten better this summer. This is HIS team. No question. His true shooting percentage of 62% was ridiculous, especially for a perimeter-oriented freshman.
But, as the season wore on, he stopped attacking the basket with the same intensity. If he continues to settle for perimeter shots, especially now that the "obligation" to lob the ball inside to Blake is no longer there, because, remember, this is Willie's team now, then we could see an increase in statistics from Willie, leading everybody to get p*ssed-off at me later when I point out that it led to a decrease in production.
Personally, I think that Willie's smarter than this, and, unlike last season, he's got a bit more than just he, and Blake, to spread the ball around to. In addition, he won't have to do as much spreading around for two reasons: 1) we have a "true" (and good) point guard on the roster now, and, even though he's young, he can handle the ball; no question, and 2) it's HIS team now. Leaders want the ball late in games. If Willie's taking that ball to the hole, we're going to be a good basketball team. If he's jacking up long balls, we're going to be a nother basketball team.
We will go as far as he is capable of taking us. We are HIS team.
Small Forward:
Cade Davis. Yeah, that's right. Him. (In case you're new, or, like most intelligent humans, blow me off when I speak, I spent most of last season ripping into Cade Davis.)
Uh. He's in shape now, guys.
In the aforementioned series of mile runs, Cade finished with the best overall time, 5:19, and crossed the finish line with 5.1% body fat and the third-highest vertical jump on the team, at 36.9".
The days of "slow white boy" are over, ladies and gents. At least they'd better be, if he wants to see the court this season. If his strength improved as drastically as the rest of his physical attributes seem to have improved, then we could be looking at a very, very different Cade Davis this season.
Couple the physical improvements with the improvement of the composition of our team for his playing style, and I think that starting him is the only logical choice. Last year, we had a point guard who, frankly, just was not good, and a shooting guard playing point. Cade didn't see the ball very often, and, when he did, it was often because nobody else had a look either. That he shot almost 35% from the arc is a credit to his shot, much more so than it is to his shooting, as evidenced by his 48.5 true shooting percentage his freshman year, when he wanted to be known as the "good shooter off the bench," and put up too many ill-advised shots, to the 55.4 of last season, when he just took advantage of the looks he got, and only rushed/forced the occasional shot. Once he stops rushing/forcing shots, and his TS% gets into the 60's, (something that could also happen if he drove to the basket a bit more often) then teams will have to start respecting his all-around game.
Coming off of the bench, playing with the second unit, would afford him no opportunity to do that. In fact, it make make him the focal point of the offense, which I don't feel he's ready for at all.
Many people feel that this should be Crocker's spot. I don't. I'll explain why later.
Power Forward:
This is where I'm torn. Andrew Fitzgerald or Ryan Wright? Just as I feel Cade's hard work should be rewarded, so let it be right Ryan? No. I feel that the player that gives us the best low post presense should be the one to start here. Offensively, we need to expect, nay, demand, the occasional low-post bucket. I don't know if Fitz can, but so far, Wright can't.
BUT, I know that Fitz finished ahead of TMG in the mile-run contests, and that he has a 7'2" wingspan. He's BUILT to play the four in college. In addition, I feel we'd be able to get the most out of his skills by putting him in the lineup with our best players. Maybe he's not a better player than Wright right now, but he's got a shot to be MUCH better; a higher ceiling, if you will. Right now, however, I also feel like he's got a lower floor. He's not very strong, especially for his size, and he's not terribly athletic, usually relying on his size and good, intelligent positioning and spacing to get his shots off. That's great... but if he's having to rely on that stuff in high school, what's college going to be like for him? I hope that he's got the size and the, uh "la cabeza," to take his game to the next level, but his lack of athleticism may come back to haunt him.
Also, as far as Wright goes, he's experienced, understanding the system, etc... would it not make a lot of sense for him to run with the second unit, to help keep them in check on the court?
Center:
Keith Gallon. He may be called "Tiny," but his game is not the least bit tiny. He is another, and would be our third, in my perfect world, McD's AA starter for our squad. Something ELSE that would get our program some positive attention. (At OU, we LOVE the golden arches...)
He is a big man who, at times, sadly, must be reminded of that fact. If he starts drifting out towards the arc, on offense or on defense, then, suddenly, we're going to struggle a lot more than we thought we would replacing Blake's (and Taylor's) rebounding. He's a good rebounder because he gets his big *ss up against people, not because he's athletic and strong.
What worries me about him is his conditioning; his ability to stay healthy. He missed the pre-season conditioning tests with a "minor injury." Was that it, or did he not want to submit to the body fat test? I mean, come ON? A "minor" injury kept him from lifting? From jumping? How "minor" is it?
Anyway, he's got a good basketball I.Q., and can shoot the ball fairly well from the outside... but as far as where WE want him, the post, I'm concerned. I know he played well at the McDAA game. I know he played well this summer. I also know that, to date, he's primarily played against grocery sackers and trust-fund babies, and against other equally vested in playing no D, and not getting hurt superstars. Is he going to be ready, from jump, for the step up in the level of competition and the speed of the college game?
No.
But, unlike many who get swept up initially, I think that he's going to catch up faster than most, too. He's got the natural talents, and a feel for the game that can't always be coached. It's simply a matter of his being able to 1) be coached, and 2) apply the coaching to his game, immediately, in order to do what WE need, not what HE needs, to help this team win ball games.
He has a chance to be a better Sooner than Blake, because he'll play here for four years, and we're d*mn lucky we had Blake for two.
Bench:
I'll take on the bench in another post. I'm tired now. Lol.
the_ouskull