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Get JQ plugged in and I think we are going to be really good defensively. It won’t help us on offense much. He will be a slight improvement over Moreno and Garrison on offense, but the real impact will be on defense. He’s a rim protector like we haven’t seen in a long time here.
Once we get JQ, our identity should be as a defensive team. Lowe could be a disruptive on-ball defender. Aberdeen is a good defender. Oweh is a tremendous defender, when healthy. Dioubate can really defend. Add Quaintance to anchor the interior.
On offense, we just need to be patient and quit jacking up quick 3’s. Pass the ball, concentrate on ball movement. Get easy baskets. The ball needs to go inside, then out. And get some easy baskets off the defensive pressure.
But the identity of this team has to be defensive pressure. Our best five could be an incredible defensive unit.Comment
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Yes, he was defensively... and it resulted in a 13-20 record. Their offense was abysmal, and wasn't affected by his presence.
I'm old enough to remember Larry Bird making a 32 win improvement for the Celtics from 1979 to 1980.... and Tim Duncan making a 36 win improvement for the Spurs from 1997 to 1998. LeBron James made an 18 win improvement for the Cavaliers from 2003 to 2004..... and Michael Jordan took the Chicago Bulls from missing the playoffs three straight years to a playoff team in his first year.
Some players have THAT kind of impact. You're right in the sense that JQ had (and will have) an impact on the defensive end of the court.... he'll likely have a Ben Wallace type impact when he was with the Pistons. Offensively, though, anyone expecting much of an impact is setting themselves up for some disappointment.Comment
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Nice post.
Check out this video:
It’s really well made, IMHO and gives you a better idea of what to expect from JQ when he finally gets on the court, both offensively and defensively. He has such an upside.Comment
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Im convinced Lowe , Oweh ,JQ, Chandler ( has to get under control and know his role, spot up shooter, Jelavic ( much needed shooter) Dioubate is the core 5 to 6. Aberdeen needs to play his role and accept it.
We can be a defensive rim attacking team with a few shooters plugged in.Comment
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Bird my all time favorite. Let me go to Atlanta and play left handed and score 42 lol lol lol.
My first real memories of basketball wasn't even 78 Kentucky (vaguely), it was the green team vs. the purple team. It was plain to see the purple team was faster more flashy most athletic. I chose the slow under dog green team and the goofy looking Welcome! player who could drink beer all night out talk any player in the history of the game lol lol..
If JQ can hold down the middle, should make guarding the perimeter easier..Comment
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Lowe JQ Oweh Dioubate, still doesn't solve the shooting problem.
Aberdeen Chandler Jelavic need a role.
I don't trust Williams shot at all..
Garrison Moreno, how do they fit?
Noah, defense a problem like Chandler.
I honestly feel Pope has to many players and doesn't know how to manage it hence why he's still trying to figure it out and assumed the team would be farther along. For someone so smart it looks and feels clueless. I am also highly disappointed in the offensive flow. It looks like a Sunday afternoon park league. One of one and does feel like set plays are being ran for the scorer option A. B. C..
Next year if Pope survives, hope he picks 7 to 8 and builds around it. With NIL social media expectations, feels impossible getting 10-12 to All Buy In..Comment
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Injuries have been a key part of the inconsistency.
I said this elsewhere, take three starters off any of the top 25 teams and see what happens.
We started in the hole with JQ not even really practicing until December. That’s our second best (on paper) player and he hasn’t been practicing with the team all year.
Then Oweh hurts his toe before the first game is even played and has to fight through it. He was a Presason AA and our best player by far. He is just now getting back to his old self. People underestimate how much an injury can set you back, even if you play through it.
Then Lowe suffers the shoulder injury in a scrimmage and we are missing our PG and third best player (on paper).
Then Dioubate gets hurt. That’s probably our fourth best player and arguably our “heart” or “engine”.
Think about it, we have had all of our top four guys (Oweh, Quaintance, Lowe, and Dioubate) out or barely able to go most of the preseason. How many other top 25 teams have had to fight through that this year?
Take away Michigan or Arizona’s top three and have a fourth playing injured and they would be in the same boat.
Sports is a battle of attrition. Whoever is healthiest (of the most talented teams) all season (especially at the end of the season) usually wins.
We thought having a great deal of depth would make us less vulnerable to injuries, but nobody survives having four starters hobbled to start the season. Nobody.Comment
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I feel like Aberdeen is taking a lot of heat, when he has been the guy that carried us with Lowe out. He wasn’t brought in to be the primary PG, yet that’s the role he has played almost exclusively so far. I don’t think we should be so down on him. If Lowe is able to run the show the rest of the year and DA can play off the ball a lot more, he is going to be more effective. He’s a little out of sorts right now trying to find his role on a team that needed him to do a lot early on, but now that we are getting healthy, we need him to throttle back a bit and be more of a role player.Comment
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I still think he's getting minutes in the Bellarmine game.Comment
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I used to play alot of golf with Coach Crum. He told me about his recruitment of Bird.
Met him in a gym and the deal was if he could beat young Larry in a game of horse, Larry would take a official visit to Louisville, it never happened lol lol lol.
I don't remember Michigan State Indiana St. Bird vs Magic but definitely remember the beginning of Boston vs. LA.
HBO Max had a good show in regards to all that, pretty good.
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