Kinda hard to explain couple games. Both IMO seemed to go in a similar way, felt for most of the game that we should be playing better but then I look at the final scores and we hung 90 on both teams and won by over 20 in both.
Well, actually it isn't that hard to explain when Nate Britt takes really good shots and nails them for 3, when Berry shows us why I have been so high on him, and Meeks doing an impressive Sullenger impression. Those 3 fellas put in some nice work in these first 2 games, Theo to a lesser extent but I have to consider he is coming off a summer of not being able to get in work.
For easily the biggest surprise and most welcome surprise has been the play of Nate Britt in these first couple games. That kid has taken it to another level, so far he has been by far our greatest outside shooting threat, single handed he has lessened the burden of our not being able to have Paige out there. What I have really noticed is that sure the ball is going in on his jumpers but it is going in because he is taking what IMO are great shots for him. He isn't rushing things, he is working to get a good look and if it isn't there he passes out and if it is he does not hesitate to take it. Isn't it amazing how much better the results are when ya take good shots as opposed to fall aways and heat checks. My biggest critique of Nate has always been on the defensive end and his at times casual ball handling and I doubt either of those areas are ever going to be a strength for him, the opening 2 games were not nearly as bad in either area as last season and that IMO is HUGE for him.
I felt Theo played pretty well but it is strange, he had nice scoring contributions, some really nice assists from sweet passes, and hit the boards well, may I suggest better than JP did for the last half of last season. But the odd thing for me was I didn't see him lock down defend his man with the same aggression I saw from him last season. Some of that may be these kids a bit worried with the rules changes, how easy the refs are blowing the whistle on basically any out side contact and hawking a guy close now allows the offensive guy to initiate the contact and punish a close ball hawking defender. Theo hit some really nice jump shots, still a little scary with his form but they have been going in, he didn't take a lot of bad shots either.
Meeks, I don't see any added elivation from last season but he seems more willing to draw contact and get to the line and hitting a solid % from the line, saying that without looking at the stats. may as well accept that meeks is never going to be an above the rim guy but he does so many things really well to cover that one area up, he produces and he shows us that dunks and stepping out beyond the 3pt arch are not the only ways a big man can score. I don't know that I see things that will make the NBA foam at the mouth to draft him after this season but I do see him doing the things we need him to do to help this team win games by solid margins.
Brice & Jackson so far have not begun the first 2 games in a way that suggests they are NBA ready. Brice got a lot done when he had severe size mismatches in his favor but so far I am underwhelmed, needs to take it up a level on BOTH ends. Jackson, ran the court really well both games, picked up a quick 2 fouls in both games, running the court and receiving some really nice passes got him some lay ups yesterday but his out side shot is not there as of yet, he missed some clean looks that seemed to me to rush his shot, maybe catch the ball, pump fake, and one dribble pop is in order for him. He just does not seem to be on great balance when he goes up for his jumper, bet that gets worked on hard next couple days. Brice & Hicks (and Joel James), right back to the same thing that hurt them last season, foul trouble and especially foul trouble from the outside the paint cheapies, got to cut down on those cheap fouls.
Would have loved to have seen kenny get a couple clean looks like Nate was getting to see if he can knock them down and get his confidence going. Luke, Roy must see it in practice because so far I have not seen it in games, don't expect to right now.
IN the first 2 games I have seen the Joel Berry I raved about prior to his frosh season, kid is tuff as nails. I think at times she has shown that he is a soph that didn't start last season, at times takes things a little to far but you expect that. He is playing now as if he feels he belongs, he seemed to be more a care taker of his position when he was in last season, now he is playing like he deserves to be out there and like he knows his coach believes in him. His jump shot is going in but I am not going to call him a knock down jump shooter, for the first 2 games IMO that title belongs to nate. But I love watching the little things and especially the off the ball stuff that Joel does that seems to go un-noticed.
All in all we did what we had to do in those 1st couple games, I felt we can play MUCH better and feel we will have to play much better. But considering Marcus is out and our front court aside from Meeks were not as productive as we know they can be, not a bad opening couple games. While hanging 90+ on both games and winning by well over 20 in each game vs opponents that played as well as either could IMO should have me jumping for joy, I confess to wanting to see more because I know we have a lot more than that. Good to see us taking the pace up, would like to see us pressure the ball full court more, maybe some is best way to say that so far.
If I had to grade our opening 2 games, I would call them both our C game, A don't happen till Marcus comes back but a strong B-B+ we can play now, want to see that B+ !
Then I look at the stats for yesterday after writing this, yep, I see why I don't call Joel a knock down jump shooter, 6-16 ouch! LOL The stat sheet said Hicks only had 1 foul? I swear I thought it was more than that?
