Will John Calipari make Davion Mintz primary point guard and then play Dontaie Allen

[Matt Dillon]

Would making Davion Mintz the primary point guard create more playing time and shots for Dontaie Allen? Maybe. Or at least that is what coach John Calipari said — and brought up on his own without any questions about Allen — after Kentucky’s loss at Ole Miss Tuesday.

Calipari said Mintz is ready and willing to spend more time at point guard to help the team. However, Calipari doesn’t want him to make the move and quit taking shots since he has been UK’s most consistent scorer even if the coach knows he will be asking a lot of Mintz.

“The other thing is, with him at point, it gets a chance for Dontaie to maybe come in now and be that other guard, too,” Calipari said.

Keyword there was “maybe” because I think I will have to see it to believe it.

Will John Calipari make Davion Mintz primary point guard and then play Dontaie Allen more | Your Sports Edge

[KCKUKFan]

At this point, I don't think it matters.

[sfleming]

Coach speak. Hasn't he mentioned more playing time for Allen before?

[justford]

Going to give Allen five minutes instead of four😄

[Blue Heaven]

Coach speak. Hasn't he mentioned more playing time for Allen before?

He has but Allen doesn't play very good defense. You know Cal and his defense. Still, we need points Cal and Allen is probably the best shooter on a team void of them outside of Mintz.

[Joneslab]

When Boston was shooting it so well I didn't think Allen really needed to play a lot, if any. Really bad defender after teams started to pick on him and he wasn't giving enough offensively to offset that.

But now with Boston struggling again Allen can help us if he just comes in and hits a shot or two.

Sometimes the difference between a Kentucky win or loss is just a couple of three pointers.

[Blue Heaven]

^ Speaking of a couple of made threes being a difference, why does it seem that teams just go off on us shooting it? And this isn’t a Cal thing. This seems to be going on for years. I guess we really are “Everyone’s Super Bowl”. One of the few Calisms I agree with.

[Joneslab]

^ Speaking of a couple of made threes being a difference, why does it seem that teams just go off on us shooting it? And this isn’t a Cal thing. This seems to be going on for years. I guess we really are “Everyone’s Super Bowl”. One of the few Calisms I agree with.

Teams are shooting 32% from three against us. Looks like the average during Cal's tenure is ~31%.

Cal's best defensive team, 2014-2015, held teams to a crazy 27% from three. But 32% isn't atrocious. The best major conference team in America this year at guarding the three is Alabama at 29%.

[Joneslab]

Statistically it looks like the two things Kentucky does this year at a very poor level are 2-point field goal percentage and turnovers.

We are 313th in America () in 2-point FG percentage.

We are 253rd in America in turnovers.

Reverse those two stats and Kentucky is okay. We haven't come close to reversing them all year. The 2-point field goal thing has just gotten worse.

[Blue Heaven]

Yeah, Cal said we are the worst 2 point shooting team in America. He ain't lying. The game of basketball at any level has gotten much worse as the years go on. Fundamentals are out the window. As much as I don't like watching the ladies, they do play a good brand of basketball. Very fundamentally sound. It's just little things other than shooting, like position and passing. We are a TERRIBLE passing team.

[Joneslab]

Yeah, Cal said we are the worst 2 point shooting team in America. He ain't lying. The game of basketball at any level has gotten much worse as the years go on. Fundamentals are out the window. As much as I don't like watching the ladies, they do play a good brand of basketball. Very fundamentally sound. It's just little things other than shooting, like position and passing. We are a TERRIBLE passing team.

The bad passing, bad spacing, poor court balance mostly comes back to not having a point guard IMO.

But more importantly than that I think is that we're physically soft. Sometimes in basketball you just have to take somebody to the goal. We've had problems all year at just one-on-one stuff in the paint. Sarr and Boston particularly are way below average at finishing in close.

[Blue Heaven]

The bad passing, bad spacing, poor court balance mostly comes back to not having a point guard IMO.

But more importantly than that I think is that we're physically soft. Sometimes in basketball you just have to take somebody to the goal. We've had problems all year at just one-on-one stuff in the paint. Sarr and Boston particularly are way below average at finishing in close.

Yeah Will, I thought if we wouldn't have missed on Cade that we would have a few more wins at least. That dude is a stud at taking guys off the bounce.

[Catsrock]

Unfortunately Mintz is our best option at PG. This is unfortunate because (as I see it) he’s a prototype 2 guard. Taking him away from his natural position and putting Allen at 2 only helps if Allen makes shots. Allen only makes shots if he TAKES shots. That is an issue since he cannot create his own shot and we’re unlikely run him off any screens to help him get open.

[Blue Heaven]

Unfortunately Mintz is our best option at PG. This is unfortunate because (as I see it) he’s a prototype 2 guard. Taking him away from his natural position and putting Allen at 2 only helps if Allen makes shots. Allen only makes shots if he TAKES shots. That is an issue since he cannot create his own shot and we’re unlikely run him off any screens to help him get open.

True, but a few games ago he took a guy off the dribble and dunked over a dude. I didn’t know he had that in him.

[Catsrock]

Yeah Will, I thought if we wouldn't have missed on Cade that we would have a few more wins at least. That dude is a stud at taking guys off the bounce.

Cunningham would likely have made us a tournament team but by no means a contender. Still though that’s saying a lot about a kid if he could single-handedly make THIS bunch a tournament team.