So after watching our last month of basketball and trying not to post when angry, I thought it was time to give all of us a reality check. Here are my thoughts (not that it will matter to most).... First and foremost, WE AREN'T AS TALENTED AS WE THOUGHT WE WERE! And, here's why 1. WE HAVE NO TRUE PG. Simply put, you can't win in college bball or any bball for that matter without a PG. I'll save the "why a PG would make us better" details but to anyone with a decent amount of knowledge of the game understands that this is OUR BIGGEST ISSUE. 2. We have NO CONSISTENT OUTSIDE SHOOTERS. This was an issue that was brought up before the season. It has really reared it's ugly head the last month. I havne't looked up our stats but I would guess that we are near the bottom of the conference in 3 point shooting. 3. OUR "INSIDE GAME" IS NON EXISTENT. Dex has struggled and other than him, there is nobody that can score on a consistent basis on the low block. 4. We have no rotation that can play both ends of the floor well. This may be the biggest reason why people are upset with RB, they just don't know it. If you list our best offensive players (or scorers) that list would line up perfectly with our worst defenders. Therefore, if we want to have an offensively potent team on the floor, then RB is forced to play lots of freshman who don't guard well or lose interest on the defensive end. They also tend to get careless with the ball at times on offense. On the otherhand, when we put our "defensive" players on the floor, the other team doesn't even have to guard them on the perimeter. Balbay and Mason not only can't shoot, they WON'T shoot. But they are hands down our best defenders. The only guys that should never come off the floor IMO are James and Bradley. There are other reasons we haven't played well but these are the most glaring problems. For those frustrated with RB, it's always easy to blame the coach. Trust me, I live it everday. But the fact is that with a PG, our offense runs so much better. I think JB can be a good PG eventually but he's still a year or 2 away from being a guy that can truly lead the team and be a difference maker. The best example is that had we played the entire football season with an average QB we prob lose 2-4 games. Everyone would be frustrated with Mack and GD (although GD is a constant) and it's not necessarily their "fault". This team is simply too young and too inexperienced and missing a true PG to be an elite team. Any coach in the country would struggle with our schedule playing our personnel. We simply aren't as good as people thought we were and expectations were way too high for this team. Just my 2 cents. Hook Em Horns
So wait... reading that post again: is your complaint that Rick Barnes is: >>a poor recruiter? >>Or a poor developer of talent? I'd argue either. Point a - Kevin Durant. Point b - Jason Klotz
I agree with most of the detail (no PG, no outside shooting, no inside game) but it appears that this is also an attempt to absolve Barnes of any blame. I don't agree with that part.
Some points you might not like: - The way this season is going has been a pattern the last 3 seasons. What assisstants left at that time? I'm seriously asking as I don't know. Obviously something is different. - This team has plenty of talent. Others think this team is talented. The players were talented elsewhere. I don't buy that for one moment. - I blame this year particularly on the seeming quest for #1 that the team seemed to be on. Rather than developing players, letting them get better, he was putting fear into their hearts. It sickens me to watch other games and hear the announcer praise early struggles of random player. RB didn't let anyone struggle. Pittman can't even play through his current struggles with the foul trouble. Yanking Hamilton, yanking Brown. Not letting Chapman and Hill play enough. RB. This leads to the next point. - True PG is NOT what this team needs. Texas runs a pick and roll offense, so they need a PG that can put the ball in the hole. Yes, DJ and TJ were PGs, but they could score. That's why J'Covan should have been playing significan stretches early with Doge off the ball and only spelling him at PG. Doge IS a true PG, that's the problem in a pick and pop/roll offense. Why guard the initial pick if he's not going to shoot it. - There are no consistent outside shooters because shooters need time and sometimes plays. Hamilton, Brown and Bradley are good enough shooters that one should be able to take up the slack if another isn't hot. Again, early PT, executing an offense that frees them and them not having the RB stick up their asses. - The inside game is non-existant because a.) everyone collapses on Dex. Instead of putting in a lineup that made the outside respected, RB has gone with a lineup that allows Dex to be sagged upon. Not to mention no development of Hill, Wangmene and Chapman inside. Have to play a balanced game if you want that to work. - There is no rotation that works both ways, because it was again, NOT DEVELOPED early. Instead, if Hamilton or Brown didn't guard their man, they were pulled instead of being coached. Coaching, coaching, coaching. The early season was coached like college football(which is why I actually hate the bowl system. For all the teaching gained during that time, there could be more in a season where you could lose a game or 2). RB did NOT take advantage of the early season. Instead any mistake made was immediately met with being yanked out of the game for huge stretches. Seriously, I think the team will perform better assuming Hamilton and Brown don't bail( I wouldn't blame them) and having a young Tristan Thompson. They'll have to play and develop next year. Barnes panicked early and he knows it trying to play for a #1 seed.
The sun will come up, we will play better offensively, and may even win a game or 2 in the dance. Expectations can ruin a lot of fun. N Car and UConn fans are probably giving up on their players and coaches, while at Baylor it's a fun season. I think I'll continue watching and root for us to pull an upset or two...
I stand by my original post. Too many freshman expected to play and contribute meaningful minutes and too many inconsistent veterans on offense in order to win on the road. My expectations for this team is a sweet 16. Anything beyone that is gravy. It's hard in bball to have preseason expectations unless you return a veteran squad that went deep the year before. It's different than any other sport because each team takes on it's own personality and in bball losing 1 player can affect your team more than any other sport so it's hard to project before the season where teams will end up come march.
one part of that is right. " too many inconsistent veterans on offense in order to win on the road" the veteran play outside of James and Johnson has been atrocious.
We've lost 6 of 8 including a loss to a terrible OU. I'm not sure how anyone can have any expectations for this team right now. We could win a game or 2 in the tourney, but easily lose in the first round. Until they can show they can beat someone besides the worst team in the conference I'd tap the breaks on any expectations. Early in the season, as long as we were tied at half I knew we were going to win. We wore teams down and then took them out the last 10 minutes. Dex was active blocking shots and clogging up the middle. He'd score some on a decent little hook. He's disappeared completely. I mean it's to the point I think he should be evaluated for depression or something because he's on another planet. We defended pretty well and made teams work. Now it just looks like the whole team is going through the motions. Very little passion and they've forgotten that James is their best player and to get him the friggin ball where he has a bit of room to operate. It's the biggest mystery I've seen in a long time. I was in school during the post Wacker injury, and this looks the same. I sure hope they right the ship for their sake.
Other than recruiting, I'd say Barnes best attribute is his development of players. Just MHO. Our players do more during the summer and offseason to improve their game than most people realize.
