** Bummer. Our hopes for a truly special road trip were dashed away in the final seconds in Coral Gables.
** In those final seconds, it sure looked to me that there was some contact on Jaland. And for me, a foul call would have been more than welcome.
** But it’s hard for me not to look at the previous 39 minutes and 57 seconds for all of the reasons the Panthers have fallen to 3-6 in the ACC today. They are the same reasons this team has fallen short 8 times this year, and will continue to fall short more times than we will probably want in our final 11 games.
** In short, we are completely a jump shooting team, and when not enough guys are hitting jump shots, which was the case in the first half, we are going to find ourselves in deficits too large to overcome.
** We are a team completely without any inside presence from a big, and this of course is a big problem.
** Somehow, the box score credited our Panthers with 20 points in the paint. But maybe all but 2 of those were drives to basket by our guards.
** Even on that final fateful play for Jaland, the Panthers really offered no legit options for a better shot. Fede came out and set a weak high ball screen and faded to the paint giving the Panthers no options there.
** Because of the poor ball screen, Jaland moved left and a pick and pop with Blake never materialized.
** This left Jaland to try and foul bait. Despite what looked like some contact to Jaland’s head, the Black and White stripes crew just wasn’t going to bail us out. Maybe there’s some justice to this. I can’t say I’m sure one way or another.
** But maybe Jaland deserved a little more justice. After a first half when he really struggled, he spearheaded the Panther comeback with a pretty brilliant 15 second half points.
** Still, one part of Jaland’s game that just is not there yet is the pick and roll to the paint like we often saw last year with Nelly and Jamarius.
** Of course, when it comes to the pick and roll, it takes two to tango and this year, neither Fede nor GDG have been capable dance partners. It’s not is Austin’s game either. And once again for the Panthers in this game, this is a problem.
** The Panther defense, while not problematic today, just isn’t formidable enough to make up for to times when we can’t score.
** The x factor in all of this is Bub. Unfortunately, he’s been mostly reduced to a one on one player off the dribble. And when he’s not hitting his jumper, the Panthers are almost always certain to struggle.
** And this isn’t to suggest that Bub didn’t play hard. He did. His 8 rebounds and 4 assists make this point. But when your team relies only on jump shots and you aren’t hitting yours, the result is pretty obvious.
** I’ve given up on the idea of Bub drawing contact. It’s just not who he is.
** Ish isn’t afraid of contact and he’s our most consistent penetrator into the paint. But to his detriment, too often he’s going into two taller defenders not worried with anyone else who can score down low.
** This day, despite our furious finish, it all added up to game with too little too late to pull out a win.
** This season, despite two nice road wins including a great one in Durham, I suspect any progress the Panthers might be able to make in the final 11 games may also feel like too little too late.
** In those final seconds, it sure looked to me that there was some contact on Jaland. And for me, a foul call would have been more than welcome.
** But it’s hard for me not to look at the previous 39 minutes and 57 seconds for all of the reasons the Panthers have fallen to 3-6 in the ACC today. They are the same reasons this team has fallen short 8 times this year, and will continue to fall short more times than we will probably want in our final 11 games.
** In short, we are completely a jump shooting team, and when not enough guys are hitting jump shots, which was the case in the first half, we are going to find ourselves in deficits too large to overcome.
** We are a team completely without any inside presence from a big, and this of course is a big problem.
** Somehow, the box score credited our Panthers with 20 points in the paint. But maybe all but 2 of those were drives to basket by our guards.
** Even on that final fateful play for Jaland, the Panthers really offered no legit options for a better shot. Fede came out and set a weak high ball screen and faded to the paint giving the Panthers no options there.
** Because of the poor ball screen, Jaland moved left and a pick and pop with Blake never materialized.
** This left Jaland to try and foul bait. Despite what looked like some contact to Jaland’s head, the Black and White stripes crew just wasn’t going to bail us out. Maybe there’s some justice to this. I can’t say I’m sure one way or another.
** But maybe Jaland deserved a little more justice. After a first half when he really struggled, he spearheaded the Panther comeback with a pretty brilliant 15 second half points.
** Still, one part of Jaland’s game that just is not there yet is the pick and roll to the paint like we often saw last year with Nelly and Jamarius.
** Of course, when it comes to the pick and roll, it takes two to tango and this year, neither Fede nor GDG have been capable dance partners. It’s not is Austin’s game either. And once again for the Panthers in this game, this is a problem.
** The Panther defense, while not problematic today, just isn’t formidable enough to make up for to times when we can’t score.
** The x factor in all of this is Bub. Unfortunately, he’s been mostly reduced to a one on one player off the dribble. And when he’s not hitting his jumper, the Panthers are almost always certain to struggle.
** And this isn’t to suggest that Bub didn’t play hard. He did. His 8 rebounds and 4 assists make this point. But when your team relies only on jump shots and you aren’t hitting yours, the result is pretty obvious.
** I’ve given up on the idea of Bub drawing contact. It’s just not who he is.
** Ish isn’t afraid of contact and he’s our most consistent penetrator into the paint. But to his detriment, too often he’s going into two taller defenders not worried with anyone else who can score down low.
** This day, despite our furious finish, it all added up to game with too little too late to pull out a win.
** This season, despite two nice road wins including a great one in Durham, I suspect any progress the Panthers might be able to make in the final 11 games may also feel like too little too late.