Moses Wright next year

[Jumpman]

anyone else remember beginning of the season, when our "insiders" were telling us Moses was starting at the 4?

Tag me the next time you have something to say about me.

 

[up state jacket]

We'll see on both Evan and Moses. Both need alot of work to be legit ACC contributors though Evan is closer right now than Moses.

Evan definitely got more comfortable and more productive as he got more time. Moses sort of went the other way.
I'm not counting on either being a major contributor next season though both will play some.

i had this discussion with Jumpman at the time and still feel the same way. I think the staff got a little blinded by Moses' athleticism. From the first game I made mention that regardless of who they thought should start that AD should be starting at the 4, not Moses as AD was further along at that point - though at some point in the future he could potentially pass him.

Evan wasn't a factor at the beginning of the year as he missed all but three or four of the pre-season practices. So he started well behind.

Right now Moses simply makes too many mistakes on the court at both ends to play alot.

I do not expect Sjolund to be a starter next season, love his long term though. From the film i've seen I don't think he will be ready defensively as a FR.

My hope with Moses is that he does develop over the next couple of years and doesn't become Darryl Barnes Pt2.

Please not Daryl Barnes. He is a perfect example of how flawed the recruiting ratings were. Always next year with that guy. Great ref.

 

[RamblinRed]

if fairness to Jumpman,
Moses did start the year at the 4. It lasted one game once he started playing against real competition rather than in practice.

It's hard to call a player anything but a bad shooter when they shoot 25% from the field.
I agree about what should be worked on. He needs a mid-range shot. I'm not convinced he will ever be an adequate 3-pt shooter at the college level - at least not until he changes his shot mechanics.

 

[orientalnc]

Before the season I disagreed with @Jumpman regarding Wright, but he is certainly better than I thought. To balance things a bit, I thought Cole would be a contributor this season. So we are just about even.

 

[YlJacket]

Moses is tantalizing for a coach. Anyone with that level of raw athleticism would be. That is what I saw in HS and what the coaches saw when he got here.
Throw in a glaring hole for us at the 4 and as much as I thought he would/should redshirt, I am not shocked that Jump was right and he started some at the beginning of the year.

Now we have a better data set and it is pretty obvious Moses is the project he was advertised to be. Ungodly athletic - NBA level frame and athleticism - but really raw skills.
But anyone who doesn't see the potential is just trying to be obtuse. He has as they say "ceiling and visibility unlimited" - as long as he puts in the work. And it will be an absolute ton of work on both his body, his physical game and his BB IQ.

Specific to shooting - I haven't seen him in person at GT so I say this with a grain of salt - but in HS he had a somewhat low shot similar to a lot of guys I see who want to jack 3's and needed to stay low to generate the power to get the ball there. He shot from a higher point at times when challenged in the paint area but my thought was it was a low shot for a 6'8" kid. Kind of ear/head level. It worked in HS and for a Garner Road B team.

On TV it looks like he has appropriately tried to move his shot to a higher release point - especially for longer shots - and that process normally has hickups in it. Part of being raw and making the changes necessary to move to the ACC.

 

[MiracleWhips]

Moses is tantalizing for a coach. Anyone with that level of raw athleticism would be. That is what I saw in HS and what the coaches saw when he got here.
Throw in a glaring hole for us at the 4 and as much as I thought he would/should redshirt, I am not shocked that Jump was right and he started some at the beginning of the year.

Now we have a better data set and it is pretty obvious Moses is the project he was advertised to be. Ungodly athletic - NBA level frame and athleticism - but really raw skills.
But anyone who doesn't see the potential is just trying to be obtuse. He has as they say "ceiling and visibility unlimited" - as long as he puts in the work. And it will be an absolute ton of work on both his body, his physical game and his BB IQ.

Specific to shooting - I haven't seen him in person at GT so I say this with a grain of salt - but in HS he had a somewhat low shot similar to a lot of guys I see who want to jack 3's and needed to stay low to generate the power to get the ball there. He shot from a higher point at times when challenged in the paint area but my thought was it was a low shot for a 6'8" kid. Kind of ear/head level. It worked in HS and for a Garner Road B team.

On TV it looks like he has appropriately tried to move his shot to a higher release point - especially for longer shots - and that process normally has hickups in it. Part of being raw and making the changes necessary to move to the ACC.

well said

 

[coolhaji33]

Forgot who mentioned it earlier but moses had to take those 3s this year he just could never knock them down. He was shooting around 3 a game. He had to in order to keep the defense honest. Say what you want offensively he struggled down the stretch but he managed the things that he could, played good defense, and rebounded the ball. Hell he even snuck 2/3 assists here and there. Ball handling below average? I think those TOs you just saw were a little bit of freshman nerves. Hopefully he puts in the work in the offseason and the game will slow down for him. I see him being an 10&7 type of guy next year. Just my opinion

I can tell u actually played at a fairly high level by your analysis of Moses...he's evolving everyday...I saw an extremely young,inexperienced player,oozing with physical talent...a strong brain and a high motor(relentless)...what you said about him "taking" the 3...I call this shooting the open 3 to retain the integrity of the offense...make the D extend exposing passing and cutting lanes...He didn't hesitate one bit and shot the face up mid range jumper(a lost art) consistently...he's knocking them down next year...He blows up next year...Cole too...they'll be on the court together playing small ball with AD on the bench.I do see 4 perimeter player looks too...Jose,Devoe,CGB or Shembari and JO along with a big.They'll play fast and to the strengths of Evan and Moses...10 and 7 are spot on for both.

 

[coolhaji33]

Moses is tantalizing for a coach. Anyone with that level of raw athleticism would be. That is what I saw in HS and what the coaches saw when he got here.
Throw in a glaring hole for us at the 4 and as much as I thought he would/should redshirt, I am not shocked that Jump was right and he started some at the beginning of the year.

Now we have a better data set and it is pretty obvious Moses is the project he was advertised to be. Ungodly athletic - NBA level frame and athleticism - but really raw skills.
But anyone who doesn't see the potential is just trying to be obtuse. He has as they say "ceiling and visibility unlimited" - as long as he puts in the work. And it will be an absolute ton of work on both his body, his physical game and his BB IQ.

Specific to shooting - I haven't seen him in person at GT so I say this with a grain of salt - but in HS he had a somewhat low shot similar to a lot of guys I see who want to jack 3's and needed to stay low to generate the power to get the ball there. He shot from a higher point at times when challenged in the paint area but my thought was it was a low shot for a 6'8" kid. Kind of ear/head level. It worked in HS and for a Garner Road B team.

On TV it looks like he has appropriately tried to move his shot to a higher release point - especially for longer shots - and that process normally has hickups in it. Part of being raw and making the changes necessary to move to the ACC.

Very well said...and agree on his release...it almost looked like he was trying to put the ball in the basket from deep instead of "shooting" the ball.Like you said it probably is because his release point is changing.I remember my freshman year in HS when I transitioned from a set shot to a jump shot from range...had alot of hiccups till I developed the strength.Great observation and articulation of his issues shot wise.

 

[mstranahan]

Looking at the game logs, he started 4 other games in December, and played decent minutes in others before the staff evidently decided to go with starting Gueye.

Damn. Those pesky facts just shot my aging memory to pieces. I guess the beginning of the ACC season when he was anchored to the bench made me forget the minutes he got in OOC. No explanation other than letting a small recent sample set outweigh the entirety of the data.

My bad

 

[mstranahan]

Tag me the next time you have something to say about me.

I honestly don't remember who posted that info back in preseason. Just remember is was someone much closer to the program than me.

As I just posted in reply to someone else, looking back at the early season OOC, Moses was playing a lot more than I remember. My memory got blurred by the early ACC season when he was DNP-CD a lot and only a minute or two in other games.

 

[ChasonBaller]

I think some of you forget he just started playing basketball. He is a tennis player with a bball body...a couple years from now, I think we will be able to say he is a solid basketball player as his IQ, shooting, and overall game improves.

 

[mstranahan]

@ChasonBaller I hope you're right. He clearly has physical tools to work with and his skills improved over the course of the year. Offseason is so often the key to these kids' development. S&C combined with focused work on areas of need. Look at Lammers from when he first got on campus to last year. Amazing growth and development. I'm hoping Evan, Moses, Jose, CGB, et al work their tails off this offseason and start their soph campaigns a clear step ahead of where they are now

 

[coolhaji33]

I think some of you forget he just started playing basketball. He is a tennis player with a bball body...a couple years from now, I think we will be able to say he is a solid basketball player as his IQ, shooting, and overall game improves.

Knowing he was a tennis guy coming in I noticed early on that his self confidence was at an oddly high level for a guy with limited organized ball to his credit.I believe tennis being a solo endeavor sharpened his athletic mind,concentration etc not to mention footwork.He missed alot of shots....but to the keen eye he's on the cusp just needs time.Evan has similar qualities but moves a little different...athletic in his own right,instincts and toughness with the look of a mad bomber from deep.There fitness will be on point.I think KS will have a similar impact as Cole did this year.Moore probably won't see much time...I can see him being a little turnover prone early in his career but will become a solid role player before he hangs them up.

 

[orientalnc]

This is a weird conversation. We recruited Moses to play basketball, not tennis. He was a project from the start. His athleticism has enabled him to make progress, but he's not there yet. Maybe he will be a contributor next year, or the year after. Or, maybe never. But he was not one this year and the outlook for next year is not great. There were times this year when he was totally lost on the court. I remember those times my first year on a college basketball team. I had memories of my high school success, but those memories did not make me able to play at the next level.

I think some of us have a vision of playing college hoops that is not aligned with reality. This is a tough game to play really well. Respect the 10,000 hours guys like Alvarado and Bagley and Grayson Allen have invested. It takes work to get to that point.

 

[MiracleWhips]

This is a weird conversation. We recruited Moses to play basketball, not tennis. He was a project from the start. His athleticism has enabled him to make progress, but he's not there yet. Maybe he will be a contributor next year, or the year after. Or, maybe never. But he was not one this year and the outlook for next year is not great. There were times this year when he was totally lost on the court. I remember those times my first year on a college basketball team. I had memories of my high school success, but those memories did not make me able to play at the next level.

I think some of us have a vision of playing college hoops that is not aligned with reality. This is a tough game to play really well. Respect the 10,000 hours guys like Alvarado and Bagley and Grayson Allen have invested. It takes work to get to that point.

Not exactly sure what you were trying to prove with this statement.

 

[orientalnc]

Not exactly sure what you were trying to prove with this statement.

I don't really care what you think.

 

[MiracleWhips]

I don't really care what you think.

Understood sir, just sounded like you were rambling in your earlier post.

 

[lv20gt]

Taking them when you can't make then, still doesn't open up the inside any more than if you don't take them at all. Teams refused to guard him because they felt he could not make them, so they simply played off him. That is why it was so difficult to get good shots inside, they simply used Moses' man to clog up the middle.

I actually agree with most of what you have said. It's not that I think Wright had to take the 3s in general, it's that I think he had to take some with the way that we were using him. You're right that his guy was clogging the middle. That would be true just as much if he refused to take 3 point shots. The only real way, with what we were doing, for us to draw his man out of the lane was for him to make those shots. But in order for that to happen he had to be willing to take those shots. It wasn't ideal, like any number of other things we did last year, and I don't even think it was the only thing we could have done, but I don't think him taking those shots shows a lack of understanding of what he can and can't do either. I think it was a result of trying to make the most out of a bad situation.

I actually think the best use of him would be as a pick and roll partner with Okogie, or next year Alvarado and Devoe. This year that wouldn't have really meshed well with how we were using Ben, but I wouldn't be surprised if we saw it more next year.

 

[MiracleWhips]

I actually agree with most of what you have said. It's not that I think Wright had to take the 3s in general, it's that I think he had to take some with the way that we were using him. You're right that his guy was clogging the middle. That would be true just as much if he refused to take 3 point shots. The only real way, with what we were doing, for us to draw his man out of the lane was for him to make those shots. But in order for that to happen he had to be willing to take those shots. It wasn't ideal, like any number of other things we did last year, and I don't even think it was the only thing we could have done, but I don't think him taking those shots shows a lack of understanding of what he can and can't do either. I think it was a result of trying to make the most out of a bad situation.

I actually think the best use of him would be as a pick and roll partner with Okogie, or next year Alvarado and Devoe. This year that wouldn't have really meshed well with how we were using Ben, but I wouldn't be surprised if we saw it more next year.

You are certainly spot on with this. I've said a couple of times that having Ben on the court really limited what we could do.

 

[iopjacket]

This is a weird conversation. We recruited Moses to play basketball, not tennis. He was a project from the start. His athleticism has enabled him to make progress, but he's not there yet. Maybe he will be a contributor next year, or the year after. Or, maybe never. But he was not one this year and the outlook for next year is not great. There were times this year when he was totally lost on the court. I remember those times my first year on a college basketball team. I had memories of my high school success, but those memories did not make me able to play at the next level.

I think some of us have a vision of playing college hoops that is not aligned with reality. This is a tough game to play really well. Respect the 10,000 hours guys like Alvarado and Bagley and Grayson Allen have invested. It takes work to get to that point.

I agree with what you are saying. Moses Wright is going to need to become a gym rat to be an ACC caliber player.