The output of this team is much worse than the sum of the individual parts. There is talent on this team. It is just poorly developed and coached. We lack the quality assistants to get the most out of our players. Heck, we are barely getting any production out of some of them when compared to their talent levels, especially Kelly and Debo.
I agree with you Shirley and let me take it a bit further. Our coach has said that he believes this is his best shooting team ever. The reputations of several of these players is that of a good to very good shooter - Coleman, Kelley, Terry and even Maxwell and Sturdivant. We obviously haven't seen that this year and as discussed here have seen mostly (not all) contested or really deep perimeter shots that one would expect are lower percentage make shots.
So with that background - and it may simply be a difference in my view of roles for assistant coaches - I don't see this as an assistant coaching issue, I see this as a core "system doesn't work for the talent we have" issue. Our whole offensive system from the decision to focus the offense and putting the ball in the hands of 2 post guys who are not capable of distributing the ball to running an offense that is "spaced" only in the lane to the top of the key to parking shooters in the corner with no movement or real expectation that the defense would have to help off of them - all that is on the head coach. That is not simply an issue that we didn't teach a skill or work on shooting - it is a fundamental decision to stay with a system that worked with a totally different cast of characters who had a very different skill set that isn't present in the roster we have now. It should have taken 2 preseason practices - hell just watch the summer pick up games - and know that this offensive system was a terrible idea for this roster.
Give Devion space to blow by his man based on his athleticism - don't give him the ball top of the key and send him into a crowded lane. Help Coleman by running him off a few picks to get open for a catch and shoot. Use Howard as the big body he is and set picks all over the damn court. Put Kelly in space and force defenses to help on him so Coleman's defender goes to help and he gets a catch and shoot shot. I watched us play Clemson trying to drive with 3-4 defenders in the paint. Sturdivant and Smith got some nice turnaround fall away jumpers off that and Franklin got 5 dunks off it but generally Clemson had a damn easy time guarding us. At 65 I could still play defense on our 5 because all I have to do is walk from side to side in the lane. If I had to go hedge a screen on Devion at the 3 point line god help me but we don't do that.
Anyway long rant on saying this ain't an assistant coach issue this is a core issue decided by the head guy. Unless you think the assistants should have talked/screamed/put a gun to Pastner's head to get him out of it.
