The Point Guard Debate

[lawmanfan]

Yeah this thread has overcorrected on Darling.

Yes, he was not capable of playing against Auburn (not buying the hammy story). Probably would not have been capable of playing against Alabama.

That isn't his fault. I am sure he didn't expect to come in and be the starting PG playing 30 mpg for a Final 4 team. He is doing the best he can, and it's kind of bizarre to blame him for the outcome of a game he barely played in.

If you want to say Pitino screwed up the roster on this team because his ego said he could get guys to do things they can't actually do, that's fair. But that's on Pitino, not on Darling.

IMO what he will wind up doing is temping through with Darling until he can get 10 minutes or so out of Jackson at the position, and if you also get 10 from Sellers and 5 from miscellaneous players then you have Darling playing the 15 minutes he should be.

That was not a terrible plan except he also frontloaded the schedule either because his ego said he would figure out how to win these games or he was willing to take his lumps early (I incline to the former).

But again, none of that - none - is on Darling. If you ask a guy to be something he isn't and he gives you his best shot, all that player deserves is praise, not blame for a loss in a game he barely played in.

 

[vegasman2000]

 

[Knight]

I think Sellers can handle the PG role for a bit.

 

[paultzman]

I think Sellers can handle the PG role for a bit.

He played “a bit” in first half of Auburn game for sure.

 

[Boo Harvey]

He played “a bit” in first half of Auburn game for sure.

The problem is when sellers initiates the offense it takes him away from what he does best. He’s a really good spot up shooter and that’s where we need him.

 

[hnkcolumbia]

1) Why can't at least our guards play some sort of zone to keep the other team's better, quicker point guard from getting in the lane? 2) Doesn't using Zuby to initiate the offense at the top of the key hurt his rebounding?

 

[Eric]

Biggest problem may have been being too confident in ability to lure a kid into the portal.

Going a little more conservative and getting Malachi Smith in here would have done wonders for our outlook.

I think the big whiff was not getting Mo Odum in here though.

I think they were really hoping on Thornton from Ohio state.

 

[OLV72]

My view of Kenpom shows Baylor at number 26. Are they actually outside the top 30?

Not disagreeing with the guys point but at least make an accurate statement in making your point that the johnnies play high scoring games this season.

 

[Mean Gene]

I still think Lefty should get shot at the PG spot. People say he’s too slow but Darling is not the most athletic guy and gets blown by consistently so defensively it’s a wash worst case scenario. Lefty sees the floor well, has year in the system already, he gives you more length and rebounding at 6’4 - 6’5 , and he can knock down shots so the defense has to respect his ability to shoot which opens up the floor more.

 

[Eric]

In your honest opinion.

Do you think that this team, all the new guys, will repeat what they did last year?

Ok. Here is my honest opinion. I really did think and still do think darling is good enough to man the point for more minutes than others on the team. I do think we wanted others before him but that didn’t work out.

My recollection of last year was once the team got what Pitino was looking for we were absolutely awesome on the defensive end. It took a few months for that to be the case.

This year my expectations are once they get it defensively we are not gonna be last years defense but the offensive production will make up for that. But it’s gonna take time for it to happen. I had hoped these tough early games our offense might have won the battle or 2 and it was close. But unfortunately didn’t happen.

 

[NCJohnnie]

I still think Lefty should get shot at the PG spot. People say he’s too slow but Darling is not the most athletic guy and gets blown by consistently so defensively it’s a wash worst case scenario. Lefty sees the floor well, has year in the system already, he gives you more length and rebounding at 6’4 - 6’5 , and he can knock down shots so the defense has to respect his ability to shoot which opens up the floor more.

Darling is not lacking in quickness, he is just small and gets overpowered.

 

[redmanwest]

I’d like some of the astute player evaluators to opine as to why Lefty hasn’t seen more action. I know he’s primarily a shooter but I’d have thought with his Euro experience he might be able to give some minutes with the ball.

The Darling experiment is not over. He’ll see action all year. And I think while he’s not ideal he can control flow. The other guys have to convert. And we need someone to emerge to supplement his minutes.

We have to be resigned to the fact that we’re going to give up a bundle of points but counterbalance with the fact that we’ll likely score more in most instances.

 

[L J S A]

I think they were really hoping on Thornton from Ohio state.

I really wish I knew what his people were telling our people, and whether they were telling other school's people the same thing.

I can't even remember the timelines, but even if you secure a kid like Mo Odum or Jayden Reid first, you can still sell a Thornton on a huge role.

But if you whiff on Thornton, at least having kids like Reid, Odum, etc. already in the fold would have kicked ass with the lineup we could have put around them. We had Zuby. Hopkins honestly was essentially done months beforehand. I imagine Sellers would have still come aboard. Then you can still try to get the hometown hero in Ian and negotiate with Mitchell.

I think the way the order unfolded screwed a lot of things up. I know we wanted a big splash early and Sanon seemed like he was going to be one, but a wing should not have been the first kid in.

The real fun will come in years when the team needs a PG and a C.

 

[L J S A]

We have to be resigned to the fact that we’re going to give up a bundle of points but counterbalance with the fact that we’ll likely score more in most instances.

Which equates to an exciting season for sure, and maybe you get hot in March and take out some ranked teams, but you still have a Loyola Marymount ceiling.

The problem is when fans had final four as ceiling and last year's defense as a semi-expectation, that's when the anger and bittiness sets in. Setting in before Thanksgiving is a bit much though.

 

[L J S A]

Since we don't yet have a thread for PG/CG wish list for next season I'm also going to jump ahead and urge Matt to get Montana's Money Williams in here.

 

[Eric]

Since we don't yet have a thread for PG/CG wish list for next season I'm also going to jump ahead and urge Matt to get Montana's Money Williams in here.

Montana. Good sneaky team to bet. Nice value when they play bigger conference teams.

 

[vegasman2000]

I don't even care about the PG debate. We are averaging 90 points, the PG or lack thereof isn't the issue. Defense is.

 

[lawmanfan]

I don't even care about the PG debate. We are averaging 90 points, the PG or lack thereof isn't the issue. Defense is.

Point guards don't play defense?

 

[redmannorth]

I don't find it easier. I see a team having a top 10 budget, and having an extremely obvious glaring hole, that if filled, they'd be the number one team in the country. It makes the entire viewing experience of the team frustrating.

So please feel free to blame thé coach , he awards thé scholarships , not Matt. Matt identifies talent looking to transfer, but is no where close to having the final say.

 

[Rocket]

Point guards don't play defense?

Obviously not on this team since we didn't recruit one! Dylan is a hard nosed player but can't stay with any of the high level point guards he has faced.
That said, we have also scored a lot of points against the top teams we have played except for the Auburn DEBACLE.
The goal should be to watch the second half of the Auburn game a couple of times and make sure it never happens again.