Very quick stuff (JCS exhibition)...

[DSouthr]

Styles is a classic tweener! Improve his handle and he is a great wing; get a bit stronger and he is a dang good 4. Slashing, rebounding, defending, and hitting the occasional 3 may be his niche!

TP, I am just not sold on Styles as an outside shooter, doesn't mean he will not hit one time to time but in my view that just is not a strength he has, for now. Honestly, Styles is a under sized yet athletic 4 that the numbers on this team is going to have him play at the 3 some just to get PT. Problem there is we have 2 6'10" stretch 4s in Nance and Washington that as the season gets under way will dominate the power forward minutes. When you also have what 3 6'8" wings (3) 2 that are very good shooters and one possibly the best position defender in the country it makes finding minutes tuff.

Styles did hit one of the biggest shots we had drop last season, yes he did but I have seen a lot more misses than makes, I would put him on par with McKoy as a jump shooter but more athletic than McKoy. Don't want to throw shade at the kid but his jump shooting does need to be more consistent. BTW, jump shooting wasn't really his focus prior to coming to UNC, he was seen more as a PJ Williams type of shorter 4 that played with a strong motor and displayed solid leadership traits.

 

[TPFKAPFS]

I know a few things for a fact:

1. This is the best Tar Heel team since 2017.
2. This is the deepest team we have had in even longer
3. Our coach is brilliant with X/O, recruiting, & dealing with personalities
4. All of our players will be offered the opportunity to maximize their talent
5. Peeps better have their big boy pants on this year
6. puke sux!

 

[TPFKAPFS]

The above was written before D's response loaded on my computer.

I don't believe a 3 has to be a great shooter, but he does have to have a + skill and he must be a good defender/rebounder! Leaky is an excellent wing because he has the + skill of defending. Styles + skill could be slashing or defending multiple positions or hustle! I do hope that the confidence he displays in shooting translates into a good % at some point! I agree 100% that finding minutes for Styles will be difficult once everyone is healthy and that is a shame to me!

 

[FlaTarHeel]

I know a few things for a fact:

1. This is the best Tar Heel team since 2017.
2. This is the deepest team we have had in even longer
3. Our coach is brilliant with X/O, recruiting, & dealing with personalities
4. All of our players will be offered the opportunity to maximize their talent
5. Peeps better have their big boy pants on this year
6. puke sux!

1. puke sux!

That is always #1✍️

 

[DaveChapelle]

Riddle me this Batman. Can Trimble shoot the deep ball with consistency? Peeps on here freak out when they watch one game against a team that my kids high school team would give a hard time. Nance has a less than stellar 3 ball night and people freak out. What’s your thoughts?

Trimble can make 3s. But he is unlikely to be consistent with it as a freshman. Good thing he has Coach Davis and Coach Lebo to work with.

 

[DaveChapelle]

The problem with Nickel, Puff and Styles backing up leaky is that they dont have handles…not one of them can handle the ball anywhere near Leaky.
If Washington is not healthy enough….if those three….Nickel is more suited for the fourth with size and strength and attitude.

Leaky played point guard in high school, AAU, and occasionally under Roy Williams. Few wings have the ball handling abilities of Leaky Black. Did you see the move he pulled in the exhibition game? Pass fake to dribble to eurostep getting past 2 zone defenders for a layup. But of the players you mentioned, Nickel is a better ball handler than Puff and Styles.

Nickel is not more suited for PF than Puff or Styles. Puff is taller. Both Puff and Styles are stronger. Both Puff and Styles are better rebounders. Puff, Styles, McKoy, and Leaky have gotten run at PF in practice. Nickel has not.

 

[tarwhiz]

Dontrez

The verdict is still out on Styles, he can be an aggressive rebounder, attach the basket, but his handle has never been that great. Have not seen enough to make a judgement on his defensive skills. Will probably be his junior year before we are able to see a complete player, unless something drastic happens over the course of the season.

There was some talk this Summer from somebody on this board about Dontrez carving out some time at the 2.😔
I said it then, and will say it again.....THAT AINT HAPPENING.
He is much more an undersized 4 now than he will ever be a 2. With continued skill work, he can maybe be a 3 man, be he has a long ways to go there.
Right now he is Nas Little
Lite.

 

[2DDIMOND]

Dontrez
There was some talk this Summer from somebody on this board about Dontrez carving out some time at the 2.😔
I said it then, and will say it again.....THAT AINT HAPPENING.
He is much more an undersized 4 now than he will ever be a 2. With continued skill work, he can maybe be a 3 man, be he has a long ways to go there.
Right now he is Nas Little
Lite.

I don’t remember Dontrez ever being discussed as anything but a 3 or 4. I’ve never heard him mentioned as a 2 & I frequent these boards, regardless of how often I post. Please refresh my memory or do a search, that one is baffling.

 

[tarwhiz]

I will search for whom it was, and let you know. No need to call them out for the whole board, that happens enough already. Not sure how anyone that watches Trez play at this point, could see him playing the 2.😗

 

[dtodd4475]

I think all of the questions with Trez are valid, he did look much more confident in his mid range stroke, which I liked, but that is not his calling card, it's a plus. What he is, is a extremely strong, athletic, physical raw presence. With Washington looking a ways off from significant minutes I believe Trez is the main backup 4 option, and will do well. His aggression needs to be honed on defense though as he is a foul waiting to be called.

He is under sized, yes, shorter then Puff, but plays much bigger then Puff, Puff also has broke down physically in much less physically demanding perimeter roles. Puff as the main Leaky backup is ideal, can he chase and harass the elite scorer on dee, hopefully, but not so yet? Anything Nickel gives this year is gravy.

We have a deeper much more talented roster for sure, but even more so, an extreme rarity in this day and age, a VERY VERY, VERY, VETERAN elite starting core. With health, I think they get rode VERY HARD. It is so rare to have 3rd, 4th, and 5th year studs all in place nowadays. I think Hubert is going to ride them heavy.

 

[dtodd4475]

Hopefully they handle the early non conference teams handily and the young bucks get some nice run, but when the conference year kicks in a 8 man rotation will be the norm, I think Hubert is big on stars being dominant, and the "others", which he was one in the league, staying ready. We have veteran stars, I just believe he is going to play those vets big minutes.

 

[Tom79]

Interesting, Styles is 6'6" and Dunn is 6'5", Styles is listed as a PF and Dunn as a SG, we have players to cover all positions allowing them to play to their strengths.

 

[TPFKAPFS]

I think peeps are forgetting about McKoy also. I would bet he carves out some 4 minutes. Whether he or Styles gets those minutes will largely depend on their ability to find a niche and find some opportunistic scoring! Both look like they could be efficient scorers and both have suffered from the twin beasts-confidence + talent at their positions! Washington getting up to speed changes the whole dynamic too!

I bet we play more than 8 for the entire year! (cutting the roster down to 8 is old thinking and largely the result of few peeps having so many effective players!)

 

[tarwhiz]

I don’t remember Dontrez ever being discussed as anything but a 3 or 4. I’ve never heard him mentioned as a 2 & I frequent these boards, regardless of how often I post. Please refresh my memory or do a search, that one is baffling.

I can't find the conversation anymore. Not sure how to narrow my seasrch as it was not related to a paticular thread. Just a conversation that occurred organically while discussing players.
I will try again when I have more time.