Which player is the key to how far the heels go this season
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I'm sorry but the season success isn't predicated around Seth, Paxson, or Okonkwo/High, etc getting a certain number of minutes. That may mean the most to fans who want to return to "Carolina Basketball" or some other phrase they're really into but not in reality.
Our most important players this year are (1) Elliot Cadeau and (2) Armando Bacot. They have to lead us. They have to be our best and most consistently great players for us to do anything significant this season.
I think the two guys that can make this a really dangerous team in March are Harrison Ingram and Jae'Lyn Withers. I'm assuming Ingram will be a huge plus from Leaky, especially on the offensive end. But if he can hold his water and shoot the ball better from 3 than he has in his career, it will open up a ton of things. I'm not asking for elite shooting out of him. If he's like 33-34% from 3, I think that changes our offense. On the other end, if Ingram remains a 0 shooter, then we're going to need to get some shooting elsewhere. I don't think we can have Withers and Ingram both being poor shooters without having some negative ramifications on our offense. I think one of them need to shoot it well (35%+) for us to chase anything significant. Especially if they're starters.
But this team will probably go as far as Cadeau and Bacot will take them.
I liked the comment above about Hubert. 2 years ago we had nobody to put in when injuries, fatigue and foul trouble hit us. Those that came in were just starstruck being in the spotlight and it showed with Kansas killing us in the second half. We really need to get quality PT in the first half of the year to build some continuity on offense and some chemistry. Bacot is NOT a shot blocking dynamo, but we have a couple dudes that can fill that role and we cant be afraid to use them. I love a shot block as much as a deep 3 and I think a nasty shot block get the fans and the team more fired up than the 3. I miss the Haywood days when you could see a few balls get swatted into the stands. With that being said we need Bacot to do what he does but have High and the big O coming from backside to smack the balls into the stands. So I guess my answer is for Hubert to have a deeper bench. What is even nicer is that we could have put ALOT of names in here. Nice problem to have for sure.
This is for me actually a harder question to answer, first instinct I want to say one of RJ, Bacot, or Cadeau. All 3 are extremely important yet we do have nice depth at the positions those 3 play. I actually feel the real difference making is production from the 3 and the 4 spots. See, if we get production solid from those 2 spots it makes it really hard to double off them on to Bacot, RJ, or EC. When teams do double off our guy at those 2 spots then the result should be wide open looks.
So 1 key individual player, at the 3 I am looking at Ingram/Ryan/Paxon. Looking at Withers, Jalen, High at the 4. To be a dominant team I would maybe look to Jalen just because I think once he starts to "get it" he could be a lotty level guy. Ryan is cash money and Ingram is a later day version of Danny Green, that kind of do it all guy that helps you win in many ways that do not show up on a stat sheet. Withers is an X factor, really athletic, runs the court, has played and can defend multiple positions and may be primed for a step up season.
By a razor thin margin I am going to go with Ingram, he just gives you everything you need. He scores, he defends, he runs the court, seems like he is always around the ball, he can play multiple positions all at a high level, makes the extra pass and is a really good passer, solid basketball IQ, can get his own shot, rebounds and can start the break on his own, nice high motor/high energy. He is what seems like the perfect compliment that allows RJ/Bacot/Cadeau to operate freely. He could in my mind anyway be the real key for us but I say that with a razor thin margin. Every great team needs that glue guy that brings it all together, guys like Theo/Luke/Matty Doh/Danny, guys that may not stuff the stat sheet every game but guys you simply have to have in order to win big, I think Ingram may fit that mold.
So 1 key individual player, at the 3 I am looking at Ingram/Ryan/Paxon. Looking at Withers, Jalen, High at the 4. To be a dominant team I would maybe look to Jalen just because I think once he starts to "get it" he could be a lotty level guy. Ryan is cash money and Ingram is a later day version of Danny Green, that kind of do it all guy that helps you win in many ways that do not show up on a stat sheet. Withers is an X factor, really athletic, runs the court, has played and can defend multiple positions and may be primed for a step up season.
By a razor thin margin I am going to go with Ingram, he just gives you everything you need. He scores, he defends, he runs the court, seems like he is always around the ball, he can play multiple positions all at a high level, makes the extra pass and is a really good passer, solid basketball IQ, can get his own shot, rebounds and can start the break on his own, nice high motor/high energy. He is what seems like the perfect compliment that allows RJ/Bacot/Cadeau to operate freely. He could in my mind anyway be the real key for us but I say that with a razor thin margin. Every great team needs that glue guy that brings it all together, guys like Theo/Luke/Matty Doh/Danny, guys that may not stuff the stat sheet every game but guys you simply have to have in order to win big, I think Ingram may fit that mold.
IN general I give Hubert a pass on going to the Iron 5 in that first season because initially he tried to go with a deeper rotation, looked like he tried to go 9 deep. Problem was Puff stayed hurt a lot, either missed or was limited for a large chunk of the season. Of course both Garcia and Ant (was our first guard off the bench just prior to being ruled ineligible) both went away after about 1/3 of the season had passed. Hubert started that season getting Walton a lot of minutes but defense did not leave him open and he didn't work to get open nor did he care to defend. Hubert did go to Styles a good bit and went to him at critical moments especially in the post season. Iron 5 started out anything but Iron 5...
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