RJ Davis coming back wasn’t a good idea
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But he isn't. He's making 11 of them total....and 8 threes for every 30 chucked.
I know tonight he had 2 2 on 1 breaks and he didn't give it up for easy baskets and ended up missing the shot and then only make 3 of the 4 free throws. He just gets ball hoggy at times, when he shouldn't.
I noticed it both times. It was Ian both times and on the second one, Ian actually pointed up as if to say, "throw it up!". Does RJ feel threatened as the Alpha by Ian? It would almost seem that way.
I had resisted the urge to poast in this thread since it went up. Mostly because I chastised another Tar Heel fan for suggesting before the season started that he was ready for RJ to have moved on. I thought there was no scenario in which having an All-American back would make us a worse team. And in a vacuum, there isn't. But if RJ had elected to move on, would we have had more money to offer a Big? Or does Ingram maybe stay? And if that had happened, would Ian have seamlessly moved into the role of shot-maker for us? I kind of think so. I told the Heels fan that made those comments before the season that I'm ready to eat crow. I guess I'm not ready to say for certain we'd be better with RJ. But I can almost certainly state, we wouldn't be worse.
But whatever, it is what it is. He came back and has played pretty poorly. Great game last night. Maybe he regains his mojo from last year.
Nothing to see imo. He literally threw one of the best lobs in the last game to Ian. If you look closely the defender in the second one I believe, never committed to him and actually sagged back to Ian’s position. I think it’s weird for a few people to post a small gripe after one of his best games of the season. Yet EC on the other hand…. Crickets. But to each his own.
I don't recall if it was me in particular you chastised about wishing RJ hadn't returned but I was/am certainly in that camp and I think it's becoming apparent why as the team transition to the younger players would have been much easier and beneficial from a couple of standpoints you mentioned. That said I'm glad he had a nice game last night but I still think he has surely detracted from EC's progression and I continue to think this would have been a better team had he not came back.
Honest question @al would , do you think if we had gotten a good big if RJ had left that it would have caused EC to play better? Pass better shoot better? If so then ok but who would have ran the team when he has his fouling sprees and mental tantrums? Seth? Or would Seth coming back hindered EC too. I’d bet a dollar to donuts that whoever it was would haven’t been referred to as “not true pg 1”. Facts are that they both are here and we need them both. Golden boy better tune up cause people are starting to catch on. Start living up to the generational hype or at least close.
As defenses begin to load up to stop Ian, RJ is getting better looks.
No ah (that's alabamaheel). You can read almost ething I have posted on this and here's my contention and I ain't posting on it anymore. EC has a confidence problem. Hubcap did not give him a chance to mature either last year or this because almost every time he made a mistake or got some cheap fouls he was pulled. He was also pulled in some meaningful games last yr at critical times, and almost always before the half in favor of rj which once again trashes his confidence and I am of the opinion baptism under fire in NCAA games is the best way to learn and grow. I also contend that this ish for offense hubcap runs doesn't need a true pg because there is no/little interior movement. Seems hubs stand around mentality, or 4/5 out crap that works fine in da league because there is serious talent won't work here b/c that talent ain't at UNC this yr. ... we don't even have a decent space eater inside.
Now for this yr. UNC had some serious talent coming in with Jack and Drake, and Wash hopefully would have developed more but once again the coaching has his playing as a .. who knows what, when he should be a 4 and even as a 4 that has a great stroke/length and decent athleticism he rarely touches the ball (another coaching thing imo).
So how does it end up that a 6', marginally athletic, 5th yr, high volume shooting guard .. that takes the most shots with the lowest shooting percentage of the top 5 mpg players this season end up being so fng revered as the player that makes this team work as their pg or anything else. It doesn't and that's my point. RJ should have moved on with his class and let the upcoming classes develop and grow together like most other UNC teams have. Think about it. This "team" is somehow supposed to look up to a 5th yr, high volume shooting guard .. that takes the most shots with the lowest shooting percentage of the top 5 mpg players this season ? And I bet EC .. and some others are thinking the same thing and that's all I got to say about that.
I am in the camp that if Ian is the threat he is showing, they now can't hound RJ relentlessly with two and dare anyone else to beat them. No way in Hades I think we are a better team this year without RJ. No chance, now if RJ and Ian are bucket getters, Cadeau better play, we are tiny, but they are daring him to be that "generational" difference making point guard he was touted to be. You need shot makers, not all create a shot for me guys, role players, and we now have two I believe with RJ and Ian that can cook if in a one on one position from a offensive set or in our freelance. You can work with that, not ideal, since they are so very much the same position player, but you need more than one legit threat to be respected. We have no other respect me, pay close attention threats.
And if we wanted a big we would of paid for one in the portal, RJ did not prevent that with his NIL. They paid Tyson though, 😆 .
And if we wanted a big we would of paid for one in the portal, RJ did not prevent that with his NIL. They paid Tyson though, 😆 .
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Believe it or not I agree with most all of what you wrote. We just look at RJ differently. I hate the fifth year anything! But I disagree with where we would be without him. And he’s here. He’s literally playing this year so it’s stupid to ponder what if imo. I know it’s all about what have you done lately but you have to look at what you KNOW they can do. Don’t look know but his deep ball is at 28% now. Why? Because you me and everyone else knows he’s not a 22% shooter. And athleticism is subjective anyway. I don’t think he’s 6’. So to do what he’s done at this level must take some athleticism. He sure as heck ain’t just lucky. Once again, it’s a fact that Ian has played so good that the coaches have to play him. EC has never done that imo. He literally can’t stay on the floor for his own play. That’s on him.
I do appreciate the discussion without getting ugly, and I do know we totally agree on the coaching aspect. I’ve been reserved until this year on that part.
Are we really at the point where we are now blaming RJ for Cadeau not being as good as we hoped?
Cadeau had 4 fouls in 19 minutes. His fouls have been an issue for his playing time all year. He has flashes of being an eventual all american, but he also continues to make many poor decisions as well.
Rjs struggles right now are with shooting the ball. If he was simply shooting at say 4% lower than last year, our team has maybe 2 losses this year.
If RJ finds his stoke, which he has shown to have, then this team is actually flawed but good enough to fight through the flaws. Our season depends upon RJ, despite all the people complaining he even continues to exist in a UNC uniform.
Cadeau had 4 fouls in 19 minutes. His fouls have been an issue for his playing time all year. He has flashes of being an eventual all american, but he also continues to make many poor decisions as well.
Rjs struggles right now are with shooting the ball. If he was simply shooting at say 4% lower than last year, our team has maybe 2 losses this year.
If RJ finds his stoke, which he has shown to have, then this team is actually flawed but good enough to fight through the flaws. Our season depends upon RJ, despite all the people complaining he even continues to exist in a UNC uniform.
Your last sentence is dead on imo but to add, we have to have EC playing well also in order to do something special. Everyone nitpicking RJ kills me but if we had gotten a good big in the portal or Washington turns out, then we’d be much better. I believe @dtodd4475 nailed it. With Ian playing well it’s opening up things for RJ. You can’t be the only scorer on a team.
Honestly, if Cadeau were "unrecognizable" this season compared to last year like Hubert claimed, then this team would also have a couple of more wins this season. So his lack of a sophomore leap and RJ's dip in efficiency has equated into a challenging and frustrating year.
So the question in part becomes... What's more likely? RJ plays more efficiently and shoots better than 38/28? Or Cadeau reaches that "unrecognizable" level that was advertised coming into the season? Right now, I would put my money on RJ playing better.
I think an important thing is this team is starting to find their identity and that's Ian Jackson. He struggled in the first half against SMU but there seemed to be a bit of an identity and a plan on what this team was going to do offensively. RJ then stepped up and played one of his finer games of the season. I think that's a solid plan to build on going forward. Make this offense flow through Jackson, hopefully get RJ's efficiency going. Then you have to hope for things on the defensive end but at least there's an identity and something you believe in going into each game.
In a perfect world RJ and Jackson play at all conference levels the rest of the way. That limits the need for Cadeau to be something he probably isn't right now. I'm not even talking about this team doing damage in March. I think we're a ways away from that scenario. This is more talking about the next 5 games and building on something that they may have discovered.
So the question in part becomes... What's more likely? RJ plays more efficiently and shoots better than 38/28? Or Cadeau reaches that "unrecognizable" level that was advertised coming into the season? Right now, I would put my money on RJ playing better.
I think an important thing is this team is starting to find their identity and that's Ian Jackson. He struggled in the first half against SMU but there seemed to be a bit of an identity and a plan on what this team was going to do offensively. RJ then stepped up and played one of his finer games of the season. I think that's a solid plan to build on going forward. Make this offense flow through Jackson, hopefully get RJ's efficiency going. Then you have to hope for things on the defensive end but at least there's an identity and something you believe in going into each game.
In a perfect world RJ and Jackson play at all conference levels the rest of the way. That limits the need for Cadeau to be something he probably isn't right now. I'm not even talking about this team doing damage in March. I think we're a ways away from that scenario. This is more talking about the next 5 games and building on something that they may have discovered.
