You go a little too far with your trolling sometimes. It makes you stick out. Reel it in some so you can last longer.
Quick stuff (State game 2)...
- Thread starter gary-7
- Start date
I think many of us have become spoiled by the monster talents who step on to campus as Wooden Award contenders. All of the future stars are still developing their games as 18 and 19 year olds.
They use to say "the best thing about freshmen is they become sophomores". If a kid is a solid contributor or even one of the top type players on a team as a frosh/soph nowadays they are seen as a "bust"or "exposed"?
They use to say "the best thing about freshmen is they become sophomores". If a kid is a solid contributor or even one of the top type players on a team as a frosh/soph nowadays they are seen as a "bust"or "exposed"?
Did you ever notice that leaky literally refuses to pass on any break even if it's like 3 on 1?
I have noticed with Cole that he at times seems to take a defensive assignment personally and I like that to an extent but taking it to far is a problem. Against Jones in the duke game, late in that game when Jones was absolutely schooling Cole, did ya notice the problem? Cole was coming up 40' + from the basket and getting dead in Jones's space, allowed Jones to make a quick fake and get Cole leaning and then go by him on the opposite side, that half step advantage because Cole was to close that he could not divert Jones's path to the pick was all a experienced PG like Jones needed. ESPECIALLY when you have a guy like Bacot that is so poor at handling the high screen!
Cole being beat a half step all the way to the pick man big and Bacot doing a poor (being nice) job of diverting Jones unil Cole could get around the screener made it easy for a PG as smart as Jones.
Defending the high screen is hard at best but the way Roy wants it done is extra hard for many bigs to execute, amazing that Brooks became so solid with it so early on. Meeks for example never really got solid at this until maybe mid way thru his senior season. Roy wants his bigs to divert the ball handler with the hard hedge but recover in time to check the rolling big man, he wants one of his other defenders to (as gary offers), tag the rolling defender long enough for the chasing guard to catch back up to the ball handler. But inexperienced big men panic, they take the step toward the ball handler but get scared the rolling big man will have a clear path to the basket and a easy posterization slam. The ball handler is not diverted at all or is only slightly diverted and his chasing guard is not able to catch up, easy path to the rim (what Jones wore us out doing in that last 3mins of regulation and in OT) or catches us trying to rotate and exploits it with a clear view.
Most of this could have been prevented if Cole backs a step or so and focuses on getting a foot in to the driving path of Jones (or PG for another program) and diverts him up, he does not get to the picking big man (this was a kenny Williams speciality and Joel was pretty good at it as well). Cole would be fantastic with this in time but he is not going to be with us long enough for him to really become consistent at it. Not dumping on Cole at all, he is a freakin freshman and it isn't as if defense is taught all that well in AAU to a 5 star mega recruit. Cole was a great defender in high school because he was so much more athletic than the kids he was defending, not that way in the ACC.
Meh, not sure Cole Anthony (or any ACC player for that matter) needs message board dudes breaking down his defense and offering tips.
And for the record, Jones did most of his damage on Cole when Cole was in foul trouble trying to just stay in the game and not foul. Pretty easy to break someone down when you know they won't do anything to foul you.
And for the record, Jones did most of his damage on Cole when Cole was in foul trouble trying to just stay in the game and not foul. Pretty easy to break someone down when you know they won't do anything to foul you.
Yep. I saw a lot of posters here saying Cole got abused by Jones at the end of that game without ever mentioning Cole had 4 fouls during almost all of it. You could clearly see Cole was unable to play almost any defense on him. I thought Roy did a bad job there, shouldve maybe gone zone or switched Defenders On Jones.
Sir, I totally agree! I love how fans react to things, frankly I do not react in the way I once did. Folks think of former players but framed in the light of their last season. For example, Joel berry was a great player for us, Joel Berry did not start a single game as a freshman. Theo had a solid Jr season but was sensational as a senior, as a freshman (injury shortened season for him) he was not great, I could say he was not even good. I saw the potential in him to one day be a great player for us but I did have to look hard for it.
Leaky, dang, I see huge talent that I think translates to a version of Theo and a Jr and senior, a little different in that Theo was to alfa at times (you know those Theo treys were ugly as nancy Pelosi
. Leaky is kinda the opposite in that Theo never saw a shot he didn't think he could make, Leaky doesn't see many shots he feels he can make. But they both had the unique ability to play make (facilitate) from the 3 spot. Between all the time Leaky has had to spend as a PG for us due to others being hurt and his own injuries that he has had to play thru, I don't think he has been able to get comfortable as a 3, which looking at the talent we have coming for next season should not be a problem if he can stay healthy and we do not get whacked again by the injury bug.I was not offering tips to Cole, I was sharing what I watched. Cole in foul trouble is even more reason for him to not get as close in to Jone's space and focus more on simply staying in front more than trying to strip. You do know how to stay in front of a kid is about footwork and positioning at least I assumed you knew that much, was I wrong? LOL
Oh, and for the record, Jones did his damage at a time we needed to play solid defense, not take risks of getting a steal by a kid already in foul trouble? I assumed you watched that game and I assumed you understood the game enough to realize what I have shared, maybe I was wrong about ya...LOL
Just to narrow the response down, which I agree with. I know you made many more valid points, not a shot at your overall take. I will address just a portion. Their demeanor is VERY different, I agree. I am referring to how ready they were performance wise and the role they were asked to do.Sir, I totally agree! I love how fans react to things, frankly I do not react in the way I once did. Folks think of former players but framed in the light of their last season. For example, Joel berry was a great player for us, Joel Berry did not start a single game as a freshman. Theo had a solid Jr season but was sensational as a senior, as a freshman (injury shortened season for him) he was not great, I could say he was not even good. I saw the potential in him to one day be a great player for us but I did have to look hard for it.
Leaky, dang, I see huge talent that I think translates to a version of Theo and a Jr and senior, a little different in that Theo was to alfa at times (you know those Theo treys were ugly as nancy Pelosi
Theo and Leaky are indeed very different personalities. I am looking at their game/fan perception as sophomores compared to what a senior year version looks like.
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Leaky, with a more talented cast of players around him, will thrive in a Theo like role next year. He needs to work like hell on his jumper and his confidence/assertiveness in the offseason.
I still don't think you understand how difficult it is to play defense on an ACC PG knowing if you foul them you're gone. Do you realize how good these guys are? When Jones penetrates, if Cole was within a foot of him he'd know how to draw a foul on him without anything to do with Cole trying to "strip him". You throw your body into the guy. You lock your off arm with his arm and it's a foul on Cole every time. You dip a shoulder into his space and fall away while going up. Guys like Jones know all of this and so does Cole. Which is why you saw Cole literally backing up to create space when Jones drove and it gave him free look after free look. This isn't rocket science but it seems you don't get it.
It's fine if you don't understand, just say that you don't realize and we can move on.
I understand what you're saying about the dook game @dadika13, but Cole's overall defense this year has been mediocre at best. I understand that Coby had more talent surrounding him, which made his role easier, but if I had to choose between the two, I'd take Coby every time. I think he'll end up having a better pro career too. Cole is a phenomenal athlete but he has a lot to learn about playing PG.
I don’t disagree. I said above he’s been poor defensively this season, esp in P&R situations.
I just don’t understand bringing up that Jones stretch cuz he actually had a reason there. There are plenty of other instances we could be discussing with his need for improvement defensively.
