The Point Guard Debate
- Thread starter dk423
- Start date
My preliminary conclusion is shorter. I look at the team. Scoring over 90 points on a regular basis against an overall challenging schedule. Turnovers under control. All teams should have such offensive issues.
Defensive rebounding is the issue I keep seeing. Weirdly so does the coach. Who can figure.
Defensive rebounding is the issue I keep seeing. Weirdly so does the coach. Who can figure.
I actually understated the frontcourt because I either mistyped or made a math error wrt to the Bama game.
The team has scored 90 points per game, yes. It has also lost 3 of those 4 games. And I can't remember a college team that succeeded without strong guard play. It's a guards game.
mullinmagic
Member
FIFY
I think I ee ana emerging Darling/Jackson/Sellers rotation that will be strong. If we can get some production and passable D form Sanon, that would be gravy. I think Darling needs to start hitting a few shots too.
Michigan, Bama, Iowa State = L
Baylor = W
You overlooked that I included the scrimmage
mullinmagic
Member
I didn't overlook anything. Scrimmages don't count towards the record or towards March seeding and that's all that matters.
Not sure how we look at these games and say that Darling is "emerging." He's just better organized than Jackson and Sanon. Which is a low bar. Personally I'd like to see more of Pohto. Or Liotopoulos against a lower-speed opponent. Darling has shown no evidence of being able to play in games against Big 10, Big 12, or SEC competition. I do think he will be fine in the BE outside of a couple of games. But we desperately need more than that, or we need to go with "screw it, we have no point guard" and either play positionless basketball (a veritable Rorschach test) or just make my guy Mitchell the point forward and move on.
ok, then it's lost 2 of 3, not 2 of 4, yes? A .333 winning percentage instead of a .250 winning percentage, if that makes you happy.
But they do count towards providing data to look at.
My vote would be to play Ian more.
His pluses are he has a 3 point shot, he is the only guard that can get to the basket and though his defense is questioned the other candidates also fall short as defenders. So I am trading defense for offense. He is a potential double figure scorer.
As for bringing the ball up court, the bigs do this as much as the guards.
His pluses are he has a 3 point shot, he is the only guard that can get to the basket and though his defense is questioned the other candidates also fall short as defenders. So I am trading defense for offense. He is a potential double figure scorer.
As for bringing the ball up court, the bigs do this as much as the guards.
Darling played very well vs Baylor. Hes a point guard.
Redenbacher
Well-known member
He was talking about the effectiveness, or lack thereof, of our point guards against high-caliber competition, which absolutely makes the Michigan game relevant. Pitino scheduled that game for a reason.
I think he is what he is. I think that the trio is emerging. I don't see RP getting off the Darling bandwagon, and I think that he is serviceable in a role with help. But, he has to hit an open jumper once in a while, and he is very tentative in the lane, and has to try to draw fouls buy going to the hoop once in a while. Hard to see how he was a top 25 national scorer last year (per yesterday's announcers), even given the level of play. Not opposed to those other guys getting a chance either. I just think that Sanon has to show up soon or he will be cut out of the equation.
I think Dylan is a point guard but his size limitations do keep him from being able to make some reads and some more challenging passes that maybe a bigger guard like a Kadary could make (I am going to try to stop doing this thing where I compare every guard to Kadary, it is like that one ex that had everything, it isn't fair).
I think you make a great point here IDRAFT, our offense has been pretty damn lethal thus far so it is hard to complain about the point guard situation.
And this is a great point too. And I think where you are both right, is yes, this offense is going to be very talented and put up points despite the PG situation. But at the same time, we could be very susceptible to losing close games. Cause crunch time is when the game slows down, getting a good look becomes significantly tougher, and those are the moments where having a top shelf point guard really hits. *Whispers* it is why we lost to Arkansas, if our best PG was out there, we win (alright last time I will reference him)
RedmanMike
Well-known member
Agree that Darling is the only pure PG in the rotation, and I love his toughness and hustle. But he's not a scoring threat.
I'd like to see Jackson at the point more, especially with Mitchell in the game. Jackson's on-ball defense has been pretty good (he generally keeps his man in front of him), and he's a legit inside-outside threat.
Sellers needs to play as much as possible, especially since teams are going to start going zone on us at some point.
Rebounding is the key. If we took care of the defensive glass, we beat ISU easily and we win last night by 30 points.
I'd like to see Jackson at the point more, especially with Mitchell in the game. Jackson's on-ball defense has been pretty good (he generally keeps his man in front of him), and he's a legit inside-outside threat.
Sellers needs to play as much as possible, especially since teams are going to start going zone on us at some point.
Rebounding is the key. If we took care of the defensive glass, we beat ISU easily and we win last night by 30 points.
Had a long chat with one of our great point guards. Really terrific guy.
Plain and simple, a point guard's job is to deliver the ball to guys in places for them to be successful. True point guards anywhere are a rarified quantity. They are floor generals, direct traffic, see the court better than anyone else. The best can feel the floor, make the pass that leads to a pass that leads to an easy deuce. They can see the mismatches and take advantage of them. They feed the hot hand. They know when to push the ball upcourt and when ti slow it down. More than anyone they know the clock, and more than anyone will know when we want 28 second possessions, and will get us good looks as the clock winds down. In essence, an extension of the coach on the floor. Pass first, shoot second. Make your teammates successful and they will love you. It's their ball, really, and he lets the other fuys play with it a little.
For us, for now, the answer is simple: No one but Darling even comes close to possessing that mindset, no less the skills to pull that off.
Washington is no General George, but he is immensely talented. Way more than Darling, and even Darling would give you that. But point guard? No effing way. Not now, not ever. If he ever became a combo guard he'd be 90% two-guard, 10% point. That's no knock on him, he isn't built for that. He is a Ferrari, and point guards are utilitarian, SUVs maybe. Two different animals.
Dylan Mitchell? No friggin way I want his high wire act 35 feet from the hoop directing traffic. He is the glue guy on this team, plays the biggest after Zuby. That would be a waste to have him running the offense.
Now the reality is with Darling on the court we have 3 or 4 guys sitting on the bench thinking, "I'm better than this guy." And they are probably right. But they don't have the skill or court presence to run an offense. Darling does. Okay, he may not be John Stockton, at least not yet, but Rick does have a gentle way (lol) of shaping players. Kind of like Michelangelo sculpting with a sledgehammer, or those guys who use a chain saw to carve bears out of tree stumps. Darling will get better. They all will.
Sitting at courtside in Vegas, it is always mildly amusing to hear Rick scream something across the court to one of his players. "Zuby!!! (oranyone else) What the f#!@ are you doing out there?"
Bottom line. Half court offense, for now, Darling is the guy. If we are running and gunning in a high paced transition game, anyone else gives us a potent 5 man offense.
Gotta love all that. Getting glimpses of our high celing, and vs Baylor we barely scratched the surface.
Plain and simple, a point guard's job is to deliver the ball to guys in places for them to be successful. True point guards anywhere are a rarified quantity. They are floor generals, direct traffic, see the court better than anyone else. The best can feel the floor, make the pass that leads to a pass that leads to an easy deuce. They can see the mismatches and take advantage of them. They feed the hot hand. They know when to push the ball upcourt and when ti slow it down. More than anyone they know the clock, and more than anyone will know when we want 28 second possessions, and will get us good looks as the clock winds down. In essence, an extension of the coach on the floor. Pass first, shoot second. Make your teammates successful and they will love you. It's their ball, really, and he lets the other fuys play with it a little.
For us, for now, the answer is simple: No one but Darling even comes close to possessing that mindset, no less the skills to pull that off.
Washington is no General George, but he is immensely talented. Way more than Darling, and even Darling would give you that. But point guard? No effing way. Not now, not ever. If he ever became a combo guard he'd be 90% two-guard, 10% point. That's no knock on him, he isn't built for that. He is a Ferrari, and point guards are utilitarian, SUVs maybe. Two different animals.
Dylan Mitchell? No friggin way I want his high wire act 35 feet from the hoop directing traffic. He is the glue guy on this team, plays the biggest after Zuby. That would be a waste to have him running the offense.
Now the reality is with Darling on the court we have 3 or 4 guys sitting on the bench thinking, "I'm better than this guy." And they are probably right. But they don't have the skill or court presence to run an offense. Darling does. Okay, he may not be John Stockton, at least not yet, but Rick does have a gentle way (lol) of shaping players. Kind of like Michelangelo sculpting with a sledgehammer, or those guys who use a chain saw to carve bears out of tree stumps. Darling will get better. They all will.
Sitting at courtside in Vegas, it is always mildly amusing to hear Rick scream something across the court to one of his players. "Zuby!!! (oranyone else) What the f#!@ are you doing out there?"
Bottom line. Half court offense, for now, Darling is the guy. If we are running and gunning in a high paced transition game, anyone else gives us a potent 5 man offense.
Gotta love all that. Getting glimpses of our high celing, and vs Baylor we barely scratched the surface.
I also know sellers we’d much rather have off ball getting fed for spot ups, but I will say, the times so far where he has taken some spot minutes at the point, I haven’t hated how it looks
He’s obviously not a permanent option there, but I think we’re going to end up seeing a PG-by-committee situation anyway, and he will be in that rotation of guys along with darling and Mitchell (and they probably hope they can get Ian there by January/Feb/march)
What I like about sellers (aside from that Klay like jumper) is he has played enough games of high level D1 ball, that he doesn’t really get pushed around out there, I generally trust him with the ball. And defensively, he’s not a “stopper” by any means, but he has a good sense of how to take angles and cut off drives. He’s steady out there (especially compared to some of the other guys, not naming names)
He’s obviously not a permanent option there, but I think we’re going to end up seeing a PG-by-committee situation anyway, and he will be in that rotation of guys along with darling and Mitchell (and they probably hope they can get Ian there by January/Feb/march)
What I like about sellers (aside from that Klay like jumper) is he has played enough games of high level D1 ball, that he doesn’t really get pushed around out there, I generally trust him with the ball. And defensively, he’s not a “stopper” by any means, but he has a good sense of how to take angles and cut off drives. He’s steady out there (especially compared to some of the other guys, not naming names)
Who is Washington?