Malik Ellison Named Team Captain
- Thread starter Tony Zimmermans Dennys Adversary
- Start date
Nice. Can't wait to see what he can do as a player as well as a leader.
Good to hear he's embraced what's important under Capel. That's what we need on a generally young team that may need time to grow together.
Here is to seeing our history of strong and capable point guards continue for years to come under Capel. He will play such an important role to a successful season and allow the new, younger players to gel once ACC play begins.
Wilson-Frame is sounding like he has bought in to the new coaching staff and working hard. Anyone hear how the other returners are doing?
Hail to Pitt!
Wilson-Frame is sounding like he has bought in to the new coaching staff and working hard. Anyone hear how the other returners are doing?
Hail to Pitt!
Never Nervous Pervis Jr. nice, now maybe rumors of his impending transfer for the '20 season on this board will go away..
Listed on Pitt's home page as a guard so there is a question what role he will play for Jeff Capel.
Probably, but I think he'll be used more like a hybrid playmaker/wing (like a play maker on the wing. He can be either a dribbler or screener on pick and roll, can play on or off the ball generally.) That was what they did at St Johns, and our roster is pretty young to allow any one player a classic point guard role early. At St Johns they mostly were a 1 in/4 out offense and he was one of the "out" guys who would penetrate effectively in iso's too. I imagine Capel would prefer 4 out/1 in generally/with this roster too.
I wonder what JWF thinks about this... I know he was said to have been a problem of sorts for Stallings, but I'm sure he tried to make a good impression for Coach Capel.
Some believe the starters will be.....
PG ?????
SG Ellison
SF Wilson-Frame
PF Stevenson
C Brown
If it were my call; I would start the year out like this. Or slide Ellison to the 3 and bring JWF off of the bench.
PG N'dir
SG Ellison
SF Wilson-Frame
PF Stevenson
C Brown
PG N'dir
SG Ellison
SF Wilson-Frame
PF Stevenson
C Brown
I agree in terms of the players, at least from what we know so far. I am not sure we are going to have five traditional positional players anymore. A lot of teams are going to three or even four guard line-ups.
And as I mentioned before, Brad Stevens has argued that there are really only three positions these days -- bigs, wings, and play makers.
I think JWF might start because of his SR status, but I think he will essentially be the 6th man with McGowens being your main 2G.
That's what was inferring if Trey ends up starting- move Ellison to the 3. Either way those starting 5 are much better than anything Pitt threw out there last season.
I would think (and hope) his thoughts are similar to those thoughts of all the players who stayed " I better be ready to play my ass off, this dude is a winner....."
He may bring the ball up the floor at times like any wing at any program, but he’s no point/lead guard, and I'm willing to bet he never will be. My original response was to a post that appeared to state that Ellison would be a continuation of "our history of strong and capable point guards". By that I surmised he was talking about guys like Krauser, Fields, Robinson, Woodall, etc. Ellison is not that type of lead guard, starting with the fact that he's 6'6 and has played on the wing his entire life. He won't be the guy getting the team into its sets in the half court.
So you think a true freshman will come in and get more minutes than last year's leading scorer and best player?
I don't think that's going to happen. If McGowens is good enough early enough to play a lot of minutes, and that's a big if, it won't be at JWF's expense.
I somewhat agree on basically all of that and understand what you were responding to. But I am not sure we're going to have Knight or Robinson type point guards in the future, in terms of function. Basketball has moved a bit away from that. Often now, especially at the more talented programs, your ball handler is more of a shot creator and more athletic than a lot of even great Pitt point guards were in even the recent past.
In the ACC in the last few years we've seen "point guards" like Jamel Artis, Grayson Allen (more two years ago and then similar Trevon Duval), Xavier Rathan-Mayes, Dennis Smith Jr, Ja'Quan Newton. Nationally -- Jalen Brunson, Joel Berry, Landry Shamet, Collin Sexton, Devonte Graham (another 4 guard offense) etc.
They are not your "game manager" low turnover style classic point guards -- they're either combo guards, even wings converted into dribble drive guards, or pure drive first rocket-pack guards -- and a lot of them averaged like 15 points but only maybe 4 assists a game.
Maybe Ellison will not play that role, but I am going to guess! at times he will.
I don't think JWF is going to play any 2G. JWF was certainly not last year's best player and if he is the best player on this year's team, we won't be much (any?) better than we were last year.
I don't think JWF is going to play any 2G
Agreed on that--I misunderstood your post--but I predict JWF leads the team in minutes next year, and Ellison will likely play the 2. I think McGowens will play plenty but unless One of the older guys gets hurt I doubt he gets more than 20 mpg.
JWF will be the focal point of the offense, regardless of your feelings about him he's a returning 13 ppg scorer in the ACC.
Out of curiosity, who do you predict will lead the team in minutes played, and who will be the leading scorer?
It’s all basically up in the air, but the leading scorer from last year’s team is going to be a focal point of next year’s team, that much I’ll put some real money on.
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