What's missing?

[Jmonty71]

It seems like most games we are competing very well. Very few games have we just been blown out. Most are close. We seem to be missing 1 or 2 pieces of the puzzle. I think we lack a true inside force. Our rebounding and boxing out, could be better. I also think we are missing a legitimate (consistent) inside baller. We have ok 3 point shooting. I don't think we are any worse, than most teams at the 3 pointer. But, we seem to lack in the pound it inside type game. Maybe it's me... I think we have a pretty decent team and can compete with most anyone. Just missing that little nudge to go from good, to freaking amazing. Am I off on this?

 

[GTJake]

No and I'm in the same boat, I have been waiting all season for this team to turn the corner and go on a run and I'm still waiting.
I believe we have the talent to be better and are at times close and at times far.
I don't dislike Josh but I believe there is a HC element missing, maybe it's confidence or just learning how to win consistently ...

 

[YlJacket]

We are close in games primarily as we are a good defensive team and generally play at a pace that isn't going to let other teams run us out of the building - aka big deficits. And it is no small feat to get a team to play hard on the defensive end night after night.

On the offensive side though I believe the issues are not in the paint but on the perimeter. And I am as old school a double post type of offense guy as anyone on the board - but that is not really the current game. While we shoot a decent percentage, we are last in the league in made 3 point shots per game and I expect we are toward the bottom in transition points per game. Everything we do is hard and almost always against a set defense. And we are now set up (against man) to where our offense is initiated by a drive by Jose or DeVoe deep into the paint looking for a shot or drop off to a big. Either is generally a contested shot - and that approach leads to a lot of TOs where we lead the league as well.

We don't move the ball on the perimeter to get open 3's or simply have an athletic wing who can get his shot when he wants - even when defended. That is really the modern offense. And IMHO what is holding us back.

 

[bke1984]

IMO it’s generally poor free throw shooting and inability to score consistently in the half court. Second part of this has improved a little, but it’s still not great...Devoe seems to disappear at times, he needs to be more consistent. Moses might be the best thing we have going on offense right now.

 

[H-Wade]

Josh Okogie.. he would be a senior this year.

But seriously, we are missing a good wing player. Usher has been ok at times but we need someone that can hit a jumper out there.

 

[MWBATL]

To me, it is the lack of outside threats AND this is compounded by the fact that we make no effort and have no plays designed to get open looks for guys who are supposed to be good outside shooters (Parham, for example). Instead, we force them to make their own plays and if they can't we have zero outside threats....allowing teams to pack inside against us. Voila---scoring droughts.

 

[Connell62]

To me, it is the lack of outside threats AND this is compounded by the fact that we make no effort and have no plays designed to get open looks for guys who are supposed to be good outside shooters (Parham, for example). Instead, we force them to make their own plays and if they can't we have zero outside threats....allowing teams to pack inside against us. Voila---scoring droughts.

Just because someone isn't running through multiple picks for an open 3 doesn't mean that no effort is being made to get them open looks. That said, I've many times where we ran actions for Devoe.

You don't see many sets designed to get open looks for guys shooting less than 35% from 3 unless it is end of half/game situations. Not to mention, there are multiple ways to get players open looks - drive & kick, inside-out passes, etc.

Some of our guys just need to pull the damn trigger and more importantly, they need to MAKE open shots. Over the past several weeks, there have multiple threads suggesting Bubba needs to shoot more.

Look at the post game comments from the Syracuse game. Many were talking about how our guards were being tentative and passing up shots. We don't shoot many 3's by design because we don't have great shooters.

 

[lv20gt]

It's one of two things we're missing to put us over the top.

The first, memey is it may be, is Okogie. We basically are a starting 5 team in terms of production. That can work if your starting 5 is really great. Ours is good enough to keep us competitive but it's missing another true great player. If Banks had developed more offensively this year that could have gotten it done, but realistically a player like Okogie at the 3 would be to have a starting 5 good enough to ride to victories most of the time.

The second, and more realistic, is we are missing depth. Not just for giving our starters rest but for also having options that we can rotate in when things aren't going well to try and spark production. As it is, if we get into a drought, putting in Bubba/Cole/Moore/whoever isn't going to give us a spark. We put Bubba in for Usher and don't lose too much, basically trading defense for ball handling, and Cole has come in at time and been okay, but its more trying to steal minutes than getting a spark.

 

[gameface]

I agree on the depth issue. This is why we can fade late in a game; a lack of depth shows up in the energy level late in a game.

 

[RyanS12]

Depth is the major issue. I’m not so objective to Pastners coaching because it hasn’t been to bad the last month. But it’s really a lock of depth, careless turnovers and foul trouble, especially in the post. FT shooting needs to be better and our inability to maintain leads has killed us. Honestly we’re one quality guy off the bench away from having 18 wins or more right now.

 

[gt02]

Depth may be an issue. But I think we could substitute a bit more in the backcourt. We need one more sub that can get quality minutes. Or if Bubba starts hitting some shots (we know he can shoot), then all of a sudden you can sit Devoe or Alvarado a bit more.

 

[RyanS12]

A perfect scenario would be having someone that could start at Ushers spot and have him come off the bench. He does some great things but when he’s out there for too long he gets a little out of control. He’d be a great 6th man.

 

[gameface]

I think the number of quality subs varies with who you are playing. FSU for example plays 10 guys. Not saying we need to play ten; but more than 7.

 

[Connell62]

I think the number of quality subs varies with who you are playing. FSU for example plays 10 guys. Not saying we need to play ten; but more than 7.

Check out the recruiting ratings for each of those 10 players.

 

[slugboy]

I don't know, because I'm not sure what the target offense is.

1. Do you want more slashing to the basket? Moses, Usher, and Alvarado do a good job slashing to the basket, especially if Banks can block out for them, but Banks gets in foul trouble and fouls out. If we had a second "Banks", and we could sub one for the other, then our offense and defense both work a lot better. Or a Banks and a Lammers.
2. If you want a little more outside threat to force the opposing defenders out so we can slash to the basket, it seems like we need one more outside shooter (Devoe + 1). It could be Parham or Alvarado picking up their outside shooting game.
3. If you want to play 4+1, you need 3 more outside shooters, which could be Alvarado and Parham picking up their outside shooting game plus one more.

BTW, totally open to the idea of something in style or method, if you have the suggestion.

 

[YlJacket]

There are more teams that operate with 7 players than operate with 10 or even 9. It would be good to have another reliable body but IMHO our issue is more needing one dynamic wing scorer

 

[gameface]

We aren't getting into star rankings again?

 

[forensicbuzz]

I think Price is going to come into his own next year and he and Maxwell will provide some much-needed perimeter scoring when Jose or Devoe is out of the game.

 

[lv20gt]

A perfect scenario would be having someone that could start at Ushers spot and have him come off the bench. He does some great things but when he’s out there for too long he gets a little out of control. He’d be a great 6th man.

This got me thinking about what we could slightly change to really improve our team. Like you said, I think the perfect scenario is basically Okogie at the SF. But what if instead of Parham we had jr Bynum and instead of Cole we had a senior Zach Peacock (trying to pick guys who came off the bench for us).

 

[MiracleWhips]

Call me crazy but I did some more thinking and I think we should be ok. I feel like a lot is riding on us getting another transfer rebounding big and sjolund. He would be so good in the offense that we run now imo. Him at the 4 and Moses at the 5