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Is Pointing To The Passer No Longer An Emphasis?

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Hall of Famer
Dec 27, 2007
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One thing I have noticed, especially over the last couple of years. Historically, UNC players have almost gone overboard in pointing with emphasis on an assist, or a well set screen that freed one for a basket. But it just doesn't seem that it has that urgency today. Sometimes you see it. Sometimes you see it done sort of half heartedly. Sometimes you don't see it at all. Now I know UNC basketball has a lot of deeper issues to worry about over the last couple of years, but this seems to be on of those traditions of the "Carolina Way" that everyone is so fond of that seems to be sliding away.
 
One thing I have noticed, especially over the last couple of years. Historically, UNC players have almost gone overboard in pointing with emphasis on an assist, or a well set screen that freed one for a basket. But it just doesn't seem that it has that urgency today. Sometimes you see it. Sometimes you see it done sort of half heartedly. Sometimes you don't see it at all. Now I know UNC basketball has a lot of deeper issues to worry about over the last couple of years, but this seems to be on of those traditions of the "Carolina Way" that everyone is so fond of that seems to be sliding away.

It's actually very telling. Loss of tradition usually signals a devolution of values. In this case, if what you say is true and empirical data would support the hypothesis that our guys aren't "pointing to the passer" as much as in year's past, it would suggest that players today are more concerned with "getting theirs" than with recognizing a teammate that aided in their personal success. Some might say what I'm writing is a stretch or an overreaction to something so trivial, but I'd argue that thought process is also partly responsible for society's downward path.

I don't want to turn this into a discussion that's better suited for OOTB, but suffice to say, about half the country is so concerned about the individual that we've lost sight of what should be important to society as a whole.

As for your example of this, I haven't taken notice but I'll watch for it.
 
As I recall, the coaching staff did away with pointing to the passer when Dean Smith was coaching. The coaches said that they weren't getting back on defense because they were too busy pointing. I always liked it, and would like to see it revived
 
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