Late stuff (UConn game)...

[gary-7]

...and apologies for the delay --- I attended the UGA-GaTech game and thus recorded ours to watch afterward. FYI: I dunno how Tech beat dook given what I witnessed. Haven't seen that many missed layups since I once got roped into reffing a 12-under girls game. Yikes.

As for us...

- The most important first take is perspective: We were playing a legit Top-5 team and defending champs on their de facto home court, and we would have to play very well to win. We did not, particularly in 3 key areas --- rebounding, FT shooting and making enough 3s (and at the right time).

- as for 3-pt shooting, RJ and Ingram made our numbers come out ok, but the 6 Ryan misses (seemingly all in key spots) hurt. Cormac still looks like he's having issues getting square and set, which he absolutely NEEDS in order to be accurate. I'm sure that will come back with some healing. We will also be so much more dangerous once EC regains confidence to take his looks and loosen up the defense.

- there was a deadly sequence in the second half when Cormac got maybe his best look from 3 and missed, leading to a 3 on the other end --- a 6-pt turnaround that summed up so much. There were several instances when we would get them down to an awkward end-of-clock shot and they knocked down an unlikely 3. I mean, sometimes there's not much more you can do.

- we didn't get to the line nearly as often as we should have given their "physical" play,--- we should've EASILY shot 30 --- but FTs are always precious when ya get em and 59% is not our formula for success.

- however, my biggest notice was on the boards. Look, UConn has NBA size and this was a lesson that this edition of UNC needs to BLOCK THE HELL OUT and scrap for boards. The staff has to be really dismayed at our lack of that in this game. Hopefully it will be a lesson going forward. Our default lineups are not gonna be big this season, so we hafta do the dirty work so we can get into our transition game!

- On the positive side, look, all 9 guys who played contributed. Encouragingly, Withers looked better (except for another missed finish)

- to his credit Hubert, tried his best to overcome the aformentioned deficits and pulled out the arsenal --- 44, 34, 33, 42 and 1-3-1. These were often effective (but remember, you can't expect them to fold like FSU, after all), but in key spots, again, were mitigated by UConn knocking down a shot when they needed it. Credit where it's due for sure, but don't let that dampen the positive sign moving forward that we have multiple defenses in our ammo bag, and the more we use them, the better we will get.

- Finally, again perspective --- UConn is not only VERY good, they are far more of a FINISHED PRODUCT than we are at this point. That's ok, as long as we keep progressing and finding our identity. Frankly, IF we correct the stuff mentioned above, including getting more comfortable with our defenses, and better at rebounding as a unit, this can be a fun progress to watch, and if we meet again in March on a neutral floor, who knows?... I might just like our chances by then.

Anyway, a bit disappointing of course, but nothing to be ashamed of by any means. Let's get thru exams and focus in on dealing with two more remaining tough December opponents...

 

[ChiShankCity]

Cormac Ryan went 0/6 from 3 with several being very makeable looks. That Ball kid came into the game shooting 22% from 3 and shot 3/6.

We're going to have to outscore teams to beat them. Our defense against top 50 opponents is pretty dreadful and I think that's more of an indication that Cadeau and RJ are 6'0" guards and Bacot isn't a rim protector. Our 2PT defense against top 50 opponents is allowing 61% shooting. We've defended the 3 really well. That's a little bit scary because I don't think we'll keep good teams from shooting below 30% from 3 for the rest of the season. But at the same time, top 50 opponents are shooting 78% from the FT line against us. Another number that will likely find its level.

But I don't think there's a whole lot we can do defensively, unless you're willing to risk what's been an elite offense so far, regardless of the opponent. The UConn numbers are a bit skewed IMO because we nailed a couple of 3's in garbage time. But we still scored 1.2 points per possession against a top-10 defense.

In fairness, this is partly how I projected us to be this year. Although I thought we'd be a better defense than last year because we would score the ball better and I thought that would help our defense. But this team always projected to be one that had to score to win. And against good teams, it has to score A LOT to win.

Fortunately, they're capable of scoring. And that gives you more of a chance in March IMO.

	OVERALL	VS TOP 50 OPP
ADJ OFF EFF	118.7 (6)	130.6 (4)
ADJ DEF EFF	98.0 (52)	103.6 (120)
TO% (OFF)	13.9 (27)	13.3 (24)
TO% (DEF)	16.8 (227)	14.0 (167)
FT RATE (OFF)	45.6 (17)	48.0 (13)
FT RATE (DEF)	25.0 (43)	36.1 (138)
3PT% (OFF)	35.9% (87)	39.5% (38)
3PT% (DEF)	32.6% (164)	29.6% (66)
2PT% (OFF)	51.0% (156)	48.8 (185)
2PT% (DEF)	50.0% (169)	61.0 (199)
TEMPO	71.8 (50)	71.6 (80)

 

[DaveChapelle]

- should have pressed the whole game

- should have played Trimble at the 3 when it became clear Ryan was stinking it up

- less Withers, more High

- more Ingram iso

 

[39 Feet Above Sea Level]

Gary, in another one of your lives you were a carpenter; you hit so many nails on the head.
Any loss sucks, but circumstantially, this one doesn’t really sting. (Do not read the game thread-
fair weather Tar Heel fans ripping Bacot, Ryan, even RJ; talk about emotional overload and LACK
of perspective.) 🤨
Missed free throws, several missed finishes, UConn knocking in three end-of-shot-clock threes…
that kind of mess gets you beat. But, showing heart, fighting hard for forty minutes, those are assets
worth building upon.
We won’t play a better opponent all season (until the Sweet Sixteen or Elite Eight anyway).
Carolina Basketball ⛹🏾‍♂️is back, not all the way, but certainly moving in the right direction.
One year ago, we had just been dusted by VT. We were 5-4, with eight more losses to go.
Perspective.

 

[Heels5150]

Thx Gary as always for your insight. I agree about Cormac. If he gets going this would elevate this team to another level. Cormac going 0-6 from three and getting 0 rebounds and assists is just something that this team cannot overcome right now against a high caliber and talented team. It might be time to remove the goals for a practice or two to work on our defensive assignments and rebounding. I also agree in that this team is far from a finished product and we are still trending up.

 

[gary-7]

(Do not read the game thread-fair weather Tar Heel fans ripping Bacot, Ryan, even RJ; talk about emotional overload and LACK of perspective.) 🤨

Yeah, I stay clear of game threads for a reason...

 

[Tarheels39]

I see two reoccuring main concerns (at least for this last game).

I new iron 5. Majority of the minutes and production limited to the 5 starters.

Perimeter shooting. Ryan instead of Love but the shots are not falling.

 

[Tarheelsman71]

We gonna need a PG first (which we have) but he needs to be able to hit an open jumper. He doesnt appear to look for a shot unless he is tossing a floater in the lane or beating his man for a layup. Those are nice but his defender is sagging knowing his isnt a threat. I think he is a pretty good shooter. Just need some confidence. I hope that will come. I would also like to see someone come in with a mentality of I am going to BLOCK your schtuff into the another dimension and the only high riser we have to do that is Okonkwo. Is he gonna hurt you on offense yes, but I think he would/could rebound those awful layups and easy baskets bacot tends to miss and then slam them home. Bacot on that slam on the free throw where he got a T. I loved that Bacot! but we rarely see that guy. I also watched him let the little schmuck that was living rent free in his head burn someone (cant remember who EC or RJ) for a layup and stepped away from the guy as he finger-rolled it in uncontested. Knock that little MF into the cheap seats. Best fouler we have on this team is Trimble. If you go up he is NOT gonna let you score. My two cents. EC shoot more outside, bring someone in to help rebound and shotblock and have Bacot play like he did on that free throw. Cormac needs to find his shot too.

 

[UNC-75]

Yeah, I stay clear of game threads for a reason...

But it’s so therapeutic to bash someone on the thread when upset with the game. Beats berating the wife. That always comes back to haunt me. 😭

 

[notashelbyfan]

Got to give Uconn lots of credit they are very good and they made every shot we took tough while we allowed wide open easy looks all night long.

This team isn't any different than last year's team outside of the fact that there is a little more talent overall and a PG, but until EC starts to be a little more of threat to score we are going to have trouble with good teams, and even more so when we don't make the few open looks we get.

 

[TarHeelMark]

But it’s so therapeutic to bash someone on the thread when upset with the game. Beats berating the wife. That always comes back to haunt me. 😭

haha... exactly

The wife would've gotten so sick of hearing me say how big of a prick that hurley is every 30 seconds, that I keep those rants in the game thread.

I've not really watched ucoon play before since hurley became their coach, but that a-hole is a mashup of his dick-head brother, and his dick-head brother's former coach, is he not?

 

[gauchoheel]

Cormac was obviously really bad. I think he'll be fine though; he's taking the right shots. It's not a shot selection issue, nor a lack of athleticism. Just not going in right now. Ingram was really good again and deserves so much praise.

Problem is Ingram is really the only above average defender amongst the starters (and he's not lockdown by any means). Cadeau has quickly improved his technique and is often in the right place, but is just pretty small. Bacot is a good rebounder but isn't doing much else defensively.

I think we're still doing pretty well and on track. Next game is a nice swing game for whether this team is trending towards a top 3-4 seed or not. Would be really huge to beat UK on a neutral court.

 

[DSouthr]

Cormac was obviously really bad. I think he'll be fine though; he's taking the right shots. It's not a shot selection issue, nor a lack of athleticism. Just not going in right now. Ingram was really good again and deserves so much praise.

Problem is Ingram is really the only above average defender amongst the starters (and he's not lockdown by any means). Cadeau has quickly improved his technique and is often in the right place, but is just pretty small. Bacot is a good rebounder but isn't doing much else defensively.

I think we're still doing pretty well and on track. Next game is a nice swing game for whether this team is trending towards a top 3-4 seed or not. Would be really huge to beat UK on a neutral court.

I have talked about this several times, Ryan is fine when he is able to gather and get his feet set so that he can pop straight up. His problem is mostly coming off picks where his momentum is either left or right, he is going up without having his feet set, it is causing him to float off to a side and he is having to adjust his shot in the air and that just is not accurate. Now it is getting in to his head a little bit, he needs to put up a ton of practice shots to get his head right. But watch him come off a screen and try to pop up, when you see him (his body) fall off to one side he was not able to pop straight up, so watch his body after he releases the shot and you will see it. When you pop straight up your body comes straight down, his momentum is caring him off to a side, typically the same side he is running off of the pick to.

As for Cadeau, I agree, he seems to get noticeably better at some aspect he has struggled with in most every game now days, his ability to learn from a basketball perspective is really impressive. But he is a thin 6'2" where RJ is a rather thick barely 6" and maybe more like 5'10".

Bacot, he is an enigma, while not a rim protector that erases others mistakes, he is a solid positional defender because he uses his girth and strength to go with his length pretty well, moves his feet pretty well for a guy his size. He will use those tools position defending and grabbing rebounds but on the other side he doesn't use it nearly as much as he not only can but should, he reverts to finess rather than pound it physically, no idea why?

 

[gunslingerdick]

Cormac makes just a couple of his shots last night, that game's ending is different. We desperately need him to get on track. Love Cadeau. By March, he will be a monster. Love Ingram. He's already a monster. I really like when we allow him to post up and then make decisions. He wins those match ups most of the time.

As for Bacot, he is what he is. And what he is, is a limited athlete with almost no touch around the basket that struggles with size and his effort is not always top notch. But he's also a dyed in the wool Carolina guy that has been very productive for 4+ years. He did get 13 rebounds last night. The problem is that we needed 20+ out of him. UConn just outworked him a bunch. I thought he made some nice passes last night too. But I won't lie, Bacot's limitations are starting to wear on me a bit. I love the guy, I really do. But his inability to finish at the rim is frustrating.

 

[sdingeldein]

I 100% agree with your assessment. Spot on. Perspective.

 

[gary-7]

This team isn't any different than last year's team outside of the fact that there is a little more talent overall and a PG,

SMH.

 

[TarHeelMark]

UConn is not only VERY good, they are far more of a FINISHED PRODUCT than we are at this point.

Agreed. This years Heels squad will be a much more polished product by March.

 

[djones1975]

Carolina Fans: Hubert needs to play more people . . . but don't play Wojcik, Withers or Cormac.

The only answer is we need more Lebo.

 

[al would]

The most important first take is perspective: We were playing a legit Top-5 team and defending champs on their de facto home court, and we would have to play very well to win

That is very true, we did not play well at all. Cormac was off, and looked off with his shot. Goes back to why rush a player back this early from a single/double ankle injury? In this case he was more of a liability than an asset and makes me wonder why Seth or Wash didn't get a little more time .. especially Seth with his quickness may have worked better against their size both O and D .. neither here or there now. We didn't hit the defensive glass as well as UC either. Considering the lousy shooting from both the floor and line I guess there is some consolation in the fact we didn't lose by 25 and tbh I actually though we would struggle more with their size but I'll have to go back and re-watch to make sure they actually tried to exploit that interior advantage .. I know it showed with the guards and once again your not going to be very successful giving a player 4-5+" taller than you space where you have to scramble to close out his shot .. you make zero defensive difference without a serious height, length or hops advantage 10 ft.+ away.

Ingram had a really nice game and was a bright spot with his 8-13 field and 3-4 from 3 and 5 dimes with 2 TOvers .. he found a way to get some good looks and looked a bit more comfortable playing within the flow. Nice positive there !!

All things considered it wasn't a terrible loss against a legit top 5 team and could well be if another meeting happens in the NCAAT the results will hopefully be different. We're still growing as a team bigly.

Thanks for the write-up from a coaching perspective @gary-7 .. always enjoy reading them.

 

[ChiShankCity]

Some interesting numbers from Adrian Atkinson on Twitter.

Harrison Ingram against Tier A competition:
As a 3: +3.4 in 46 minutes (100.0 ORtg, 96.6 DRtg)
As a 4: +3.6 in 102 minutes (128.8 ORtg, 125.2 DRtg)

Maybe a reason for RJ's heavy workload. Against tier A teams.
UNC is scoring 1.23 points-per-possession with RJ on the floor
0.81 points per possession with him on the bench (an extremely small sample though)

Withers against Tier A competition:
UNC is 37 points per 100 possessions worst offensively with him on the floor
BUT
24 points per 100 possessions better defensively with him on the floor

Probably nothing we didn't know. Need to figure out a way to play Withers without destroying our offense because he provides something defensively. But I value on-off numbers and they're harder to find in college basketball unless you pay for them.

 

[Indy_Heel]

Very strange watching UNC rebound. Not sure how many times I saw 1 UNC player and 4 white jersey’s around him getting the rebound. Withers is a waste of playing of time. He is slow to react on 50/50 balls and usually seems to hope someone else can get it. I was tired of watching him give up and not try for a rebound (same possession he got lucky and hit the ball out of 11’s hands giving us the ball back). I was getting so pissed watching a lack of rebounding and getting nothing from the SF spot, I was hoping they would move Ingram to the 3 and bring pJ or High just to see if they could help Bacot rebound. They had us on team height but rebounding is more than just being tall.

 

[DSouthr]

Carolina Fans: Hubert needs to play more people . . . but don't play Wojcik, Withers or Cormac.

The only answer is we need more Lebo.

I think what we really need is MORE Cow Bell !

 

[dtodd4475]

Would of loved pulling the upset, but not overly down about how we came up short. Getting beat soundly on the glass, Mando seeming to get a bit shook, looking over his shoulder on put backs even, that was disappointing.

Got good looks, Cormac is streaky, well he had a rough night at the office for sure. We battled, RJ is a bucket, Caudeu got some experience against a fully grown solid vet, good development game for him, he is going to be a handful come tourney time. Ingram is a DAWG!

Uconn shot the 3 better then they have, still had a crack, but they are better at this point. Rest while working for the next 10 days. Kentucky game will be interesting!

 

[FlaTarHeel]

Switching all screens with 6' guards is not smart unless we get a great shooting night by our guys. We needed a better game plan from the tip off last night.

 

[al would]

Switching all screens with 6' guards is not smart

Love the vid FTH. Show's some of the mechanics of our continuing breakdowns on D and why we continue to have to chase to close out on the open 3pt. shooters. Our small guards, and actually total overall size both height, length and weight will continue to be a defensive problem unless hubs develops and implements the multiple defensive strategies available. jmo

 

[tarheels0015]

I think teams will play off elliot till he proves he can knockdown 3s .. guard Ryan Ingram & Rj from 3 ball land

 

[al would]

guard Ryan

After his game last night ?? He needs to heal up. I'll have to go back and re-watch but it seemed his feet weren't together and he wasn't squared up at all. His shooting last night was atrocious.

 

[FlaTarHeel]

Welp...

 

[ChiShankCity]

Welp...

View embedded media

Danny Hurley played 8 guys against UNC. Danny Hurley played 7 guys at Kansas. Bill Self played 6 guys more than 2 minutes against UConn.

I get it. We lost to there's more criticism. But more bench doesn't mean we're going to win.

And if Withers wants to play more... PLAY BETTER! Saying that, I don't know why Washington's not getting some more burn. I think he's earned some more PT.

 

[al would]

I don't know why Washington's getting some more burn. I think he's earned some more PT.

"why Washington's NOT getting some more burn" FIFY

 

[Rabidfrog]

I thought Bacot passing was great
RJ kept us in the game offensively (obligatory gamely reminder that him learning to entry pass would be great)
I love Ingram, his post backdown is going to be great bailout late games
I like we tried multiple defenses
EC messed on defensive switches a ton… he is also allowed to as a freshman
He is also learning something new every game which is impressive. Not repeating mistakes is HUGE
As others have stated we will be so much better when Ryan comes out of his slump and heals up for defensive purposes… but it is helping Trimble find his niche
Withers looks so lost and broken, it’s super weird
Washington looks confident and great on offense and slow and clunky on defense

Overall: I was satisfied with the game quite honestly. I wish we could have won, but also realize this team is waaaaaay further along at this stage than I thought before season started. We looked like a top 20 team that played a top 5 team. They are close to their ceiling, we are no where close to ours.
We just need to focus and win at least one of the next two (preferably both).

 

[bleeduncblue]

i love Bacot's loyalty, but pleeeeease stop trying to score every time you're in the paint. YOU ARE NOT TYLER HANSBROUGH.

 

[Tarheelsman71]

i love Bacot's loyalty, but pleeeeease stop trying to score every time you're in the paint. YOU ARE NOT TYLER HANSBROUGH.

If you are a big man...Dunk freaking everything! or die trying. I wish I had been 6-4 or taller cuz I would have had SO many dunks in game. Had one weak ass dunk in high school im 5'-10". Why is someone clearly more athletic and a foot taller than me NOT dunking everything, or at least trying. That dunk from the missed FT was the most aggressive I have seen him in 2 years. We need that guy! and if you are not going to dunk it....pass it out to your shooters for good looks. I would rather miss a good looking shot from outside than the baby up and under's and weak layups that are plaguing us.

 

[HeelMac]

Got to give Uconn lots of credit they are very good and they made every shot we took tough while we allowed wide open easy looks all night long.

This team isn't any different than last year's team outside of the fact that there is a little more talent overall and a PG, but until EC starts to be a little more of threat to score we are going to have trouble with good teams, and even more so when we don't make the few open looks we get.

This team is FAR different than last year's team. R U SERIOUS. The fight alone makes this team dangerous. Good Grief.

 

[DSouthr]

i love Bacot's loyalty, but pleeeeease stop trying to score every time you're in the paint. YOU ARE NOT TYLER HANSBROUGH.

YES PLEASE!!!

Love Bacot, he has been great for us but dang it son! Would you please understand that if you do not have a GREAT shot, not just what you think is a good shot, would you please pass it back out and re-position for that great shot? 30 days with Bill Gutheridge would transform Bacot in to a totally different and more productive player (RIP coach Gut).

 

[DSouthr]

After his game last night ?? He needs to heal up. I'll have to go back and re-watch but it seemed his feet weren't together and he wasn't squared up at all. His shooting last night was atrocious.

Al would, I talked about this very thing even before the Bahamas trip. It is very specific with most of his misses, especially the really bad misses, and it seems as if this is a favorite shot for Ryan. He gets the ball and curls around a screen and he rushes the shot. Specifically, coming off the screen his bodies momentum is in the direction he is dribbling, he is popping up, as you offer, without getting his feet square, getting you feet square is the only way to stop your bodies momentum from going to the side you are dribbling to. As he goes up his body momentum is carrying him off to that same side he was dribbling to, that forces him to have to try to correct that shot while in the air, I have always called that Ky windage correction, it is never accurate or consistent. Where as when you square up your feet, they are solid under you and you do not have to correct for the left or right body momentum, you are able to pop straight up and lean slightly forward, that is perfect in the pocket shooting form that does not need in the mid air correction, it is accurate and repeatable. I know, maybe TMI for some bit I think for others they want to understand the why. Key indicator that you are not getting square with your feet is when the shot is released the shooter falls off to a side, easy to see, you do not fall off to a side if you went straight up. If you shoot squared leaning forward when you land you fall slightly forward, if you shoot a fade away when you land your body falls slightly backward.

Keep this in mind, most of the time these guys that go in to a shooting slump will spend extra hours putting shots up before or after practice, that is the cure right, put up a few thousand jump shots outside of practice and your will groove in, right? So what do they do, they go to the gym, fill racks of balls set at certain areas on the court and fire away, usually have someone re-loading the racks for them. The problem with that is, I don't see any racks of balls on the floor during a game, do you? When you shoot off a rack of balls your feet are already square, are they not, there is no one flying out at you trying to block your shot is there? IN other words you are practicing something that NEVER occurs in a game. Maybe you have a buddy in there with you that is tossing you the ball rather than you shooting off a rack, cool, better than the rack but still, you don't get many wide open looks where you never have to consider where a defender may be and really, that does not help you if your problem is flying off the screen for a curl pop. The ONLY thing that will help your with that is flying around a screen taking curl & pop jumpers. For that you need someone to stand as a screener and someone to feed you the ball (and really you should have someone chasing you around the screen, maybe even have someone run at you as you pop up, need 3 helpers and someone to watch for flaws) and I strongly doubt that happens much at all. Practice and improve exactly what you are struggling with, not something you are not having a problem with!

Here is another problem, many may laugh at this but I am serious, notice sometime players in shoot arounds prior to games, notice 2 things, first how many of those players are wearing ear buds and listening to music and notice how far a shooters feet come off the floor. How about that kid that is struggling with his jump shot, is he wearing ear buds, is he barely leaving his tip toes on his jumper in warm up? How about when he is taking those thousand extra jumpers before and after practice, ear buds, toes barely leaving the floor are they? OK, may sound petty but hear me out, I think this is important. How many players wear ear buds during a game, I have not seen one yet, have you? So you are practicing in a way that actually does not happen on the court in a game. I say take your buds off and play a mental game we all used to play on our basket ball goals at home, PRETEND that a big time defender is hawking you and take the same shot in warm up & practice that you would take against that defender because mentally that does happen in a game. A shooter has to get mentally right and ready for a defender just as much as he needs to get his mechanics right. You can not do that listening to music, your 100% focus has to be on things that happen in a game. You fly off a screen in a game I assure you your feet will leave the court was more than tip toe distance so why practice taking jumpers off your tip toes? LOL

The other aspect that I have not seen mentioned and don't know that I have talked about is that Ryan before coming to UNC was basically playing against PG and 2 guards defending him. Now most of the time he is in as our 3 and is being defended a lot by other wings, longer typically than most PG or 2 guards. I think he is now more concerned with his shot being blocked by the longer wings than he was being defended by PGs and 2s. That as well has him trying to get his shot off quicker than it did in the past, so he isn't taking that split second to get his feet squared because he fears the shot block more now.

 

[montana_heel]

Hoping Jalen settles in with better defense. He is a threat to block shots that might be helpful to our guards when he is in.

Keep shooting Ryan. You have proven that you are a shooter. Just have to get past this valley.

 

[sdingeldein]

Love the uncalled moving screen in the last play shown in the video about switching above.

 

[gary-7]

Hoping Jalen settles in with better defense. He is a threat to block shots that might be helpful to our guards when he is in.

Keep shooting Ryan. You have proven that you are a shooter. Just have to get past this valley.

Yes. JWash has some rim-protection capabilities --- but still needs to be more efficient and on-balance with his footwork on approaches outside the post triangle.

And yes, Ryan just needs to get his wheels healed up and get his rhythm back. As i have noted before, his % on catch-3s is directly proportional to being squared up and set --- and that is very much footwork. He';s just not that guy who's gonna make a lot of off-balance tries.

 

[al would]

Here is another problem, many may laugh at this but I am serious, notice sometime players in shoot arounds prior to games, notice 2 things, first how many of those players are wearing ear buds and listening to music and notice how far a shooters feet come off the floor. How about that kid that is struggling with his jump shot, is he wearing ear buds,

Think I did an entire an entire post about that ear bud pre-game stuff a couple years ago. Posited how it showed how isolated, disengaged and disconnected the players were from both one another as well as their surroundings. And IMHO coaches should ban that crap !! Polar opposite from my few years in organized sports.

As he goes up his body momentum is carrying him off to that same side he was dribbling to, that forces him to have to try to correct that shot while in the air,

Which goes back to why I questioned why bring him back so soon after an injury. In most lower leg injuries your body (sub-conscientiously) adjust your body mechanics to compensate other parts for the injury and the more you continue to force your body to compensate the more difficult it becomes to get back to your normal baseline. Same reason I never understood why players put one foot in front of the other (Bacot) when shooting free throws. When you're not square to the basket you're giving your body an opportunity to twist at the hip and that alters your shot. Just fng love RJ's FT mechanics .. text book.