Misc items and questions

[gary2]

1 - Ugly win but maybe the kind of game that can bring the team together

2 - On the play where we had a triangle encasing the lone Wake defender - Who screwed that up? Did Jones make a poor pass or was Young not ready?

3 - How can the ball end up in Luther's hands when we have a chance to win the game late?

4 - Young needs to quit forcing things, dribbling and driving into double teams.

5 - Artis needs to quit trying to drive - He is only a jump shooter.

6 - Robinson needs to play the entire game - We have no one capable of giving even minute relief at the point.

7 - Cam Johnson is not ready for ACC minutes

8 - In the future, D.Wilson will play most of his minutes at the 2 or 3 - He is not a point

9 - Maia needs to play at least 20 minutes - Maia needs to learn not to commit the silly foul

10 - Luther needs to play within himself and not try to do too much.

+1 - Barton needs to go.

 

[Mercer50]

I agree with most of your points. Great game by JRob and Chris. Maia and Jones both earned more minutes in upcoming games.

Who is supposedly coaching our bigs on how to play the hedge? It appears that Maia is the only one who plays it right and usually recovers to guard his man. Mike and Sheldon almost always come out too far and lose contact with their man which ends up causing rotation problems and either leave a man open for a 3 or a lay-up under the basket? Mike Young is absolutely horrible on defense and caused the majority of our breakdowns tonight. He just floats around the paint not covering his man, tries to hedge unsuccessfully, and then complains when the opposition get an easy basket that was caused by his mistake or lack of hustle.

 

[Joe the Panther Fan]

3 - How can the ball end up in Luther's hands when we have a chance to win the game late?

Because he was open under the basket? He needed to be a little quicker once it came to him and he'd have likely had a layup instead of "just" a foul.

 

[Joe the Panther Fan]

Who is supposedly coaching our bigs on how to play the hedge? It appears that Maia is the only one who plays it right and usually recovers to guard his man. Mike and Sheldon almost always come out too far and lose contact with their man which ends up causing rotation problems and either leave a man open for a 3 or a lay-up under the basket? Mike Young is absolutely horrible on defense and caused the majority of our breakdowns tonight. He just floats around the paint not covering his man, tries to hedge unsuccessfully, and then complains when the opposition get an easy basket that was caused by his mistake or lack of hustle.

^^^^^^ This ^^^^^^^^

 

[gary2]

I agree with most of your points. Great game by JRob and Chris. Maia and Jones both earned more minutes in upcoming games.

Who is supposedly coaching our bigs on how to play the hedge? It appears that Maia is the only one who plays it right and usually recovers to guard his man. Mike and Sheldon almost always come out too far and lose contact with their man which ends up causing rotation problems and either leave a man open for a 3 or a lay-up under the basket? Mike Young is absolutely horrible on defense and caused the majority of our breakdowns tonight. He just floats around the paint not covering his man, tries to hedge unsuccessfully, and then complains when the opposition get an easy basket that was caused by his mistake or lack of hustle.

I know this is a dumb question but, could you play a defense where he does not hedge, never tries to help, but merely tries to stay with and cover his man only?

 

[Joe the Panther Fan]

I know this is a dumb question but, could you play a defense where he does not hedge, never tries to help, but merely tries to stay with and cover his man only?

Sure, if you want to allow the opposing guard to shoot wide open threes all night long you can do that. Sometimes allowing a guard to take lots of open shots works out because they miss most of them. Other times they make most of them and you get buried.

 

[gary2]

Sure, if you want to allow the opposing guard to shoot wide open threes all night long you can do that. Sometimes allowing a guard to take lots of open shots works out because they miss most of them. Other times they make most of them and you get buried.

Might be better than giving up uncontested layups.

 

[Joe the Panther Fan]

Might be better than giving up uncontested layups.

Or you could try to play it correctly and not give up an open shot.

Nah, can't do that.

 

[gary2]

Or you could try to play it correctly and not give up an open shot.

Nah, can't do that.

When Mike Young is asked to move on defense, he usually winds up not close to anyone. Why ask him to do something he obviously can't or will not do?

Maybe Jamie plays Young at center (not because he does not think Maia or Luther can play,but) because he feels that is his best defensive position. Young has a better chance staying with a bigger, slower opponent (even though he may be overpowered, at least he might be within an arms reach).

 

[Joe the Panther Fan]

Why ask him to do something he obviously can't or will not do?

Well first of all, because he has actually done it at least at an acceptable level in the past. And second of all, because, as I said, if you don't play it that way the opponent rains wide open threes down on you. And on a night that the opponent hit 41% of their threes I can't imagine why you would have wanted to see more of that.

If you are playing a team that doesn't have a guard that can shoot then yeah, you can get away with not hedging and having the on ball defender try to fight through screens. Or even better yet, to just go under the screens and dare the guard to shoot. Does that seem as if it would have been a good strategy tonight?

 

[wolf0717]

1 - Ugly win but maybe the kind of game that can bring the team together

2 - On the play where we had a triangle encasing the lone Wake defender - Who screwed that up? Did Jones make a poor pass or was Young not ready?

3 - How can the ball end up in Luther's hands when we have a chance to win the game late?

4 - Young needs to quit forcing things, dribbling and driving into double teams.

5 - Artis needs to quit trying to drive - He is only a jump shooter.

6 - Robinson needs to play the entire game - We have no one capable of giving even minute relief at the point.

7 - Cam Johnson is not ready for ACC minutes

8 - In the future, D.Wilson will play most of his minutes at the 2 or 3 - He is not a point

9 - Maia needs to play at least 20 minutes - Maia needs to learn not to commit the silly foul

10 - Luther needs to play within himself and not try to do too much.

+1 - Barton needs to go.

All Pitt fans tend to fixate on one young player who can be a star whether its John Johnson or JJ Moore ( I fell for that one). This years winner is Cam Johnson. When left unguarded he has nice form on his shot. That's all I see. Had one nice shooting night in ACC play versus VT. Can't see him ever being an impact player. Not a guard and too frail for a forward.

 

[Jeffburgh]

All Pitt fans tend to fixate on one young player who can be a star whether its John Johnson or JJ Moore ( I fell for that one). This years winner is Cam Johnson. When left unguarded he has nice form on his shot. That's all I see. Had one nice shooting night in ACC play versus VT. Can't see him ever being an impact player. Not a guard and too frail for a forward.

I have pretty much seen him for what he is - a guy who had a high ceiling, but is a major project.

I do agree, people want him to be a 2G, but he simply is long and lanky for it now.

I do think he shows flashes of playing with some spunk, and when he zero's in can be a real three point threat. As a guy who was a guard before he grew out of it, I think he could be a pretty good SF if he really works at it.

 

[Fsgolfdr]

It's kind of funny you think Luther needs to play within himself because that's exactly what he does. He actually passes the ball when doubled unlike a few others. He's constantly in the right place ,tap in and that's why he got the ball at the end. He needs to get stronger and I wish he was a red shirt freshman he'd be a good five year guy.
Cam Johnson will shut you up before his time at Pitt is over. His body will fill in and he'll get stronger and you can't teach a kid to be 6'8" and shoot and handle the ball.
Comments on assistants without any knowledge of their responsibilities says something about those commenting.

 

[NTOP]

Sure, if you want to allow the opposing guard to shoot wide open threes all night long you can do that. Sometimes allowing a guard to take lots of open shots works out because they miss most of them. Other times they make most of them and you get buried.

Well, if our guards did a better job against a ball screen, maybe we could eliminate that a bit. We seem to go under the screen when we'd be better going over it. Fight through it, we'd get some moving pick fouls on the screeners?? Wilson and Jones should do that, they've got enough size. It might mean the guy with the ball gets free into the lane, but the big who doesn't hedge might be waiting.
If our guys can't manage the hedge....why use it?

 

[Jeffburgh]

Well, if our guards did a better job against a ball screen, maybe we could eliminate that a bit. We seem to go under the screen when we'd be better going over it. Fight through it, we'd get some moving pick fouls on the screeners?? Wilson and Jones should do that, they've got enough size. It might mean the guy with the ball gets free into the lane, but the big who doesn't hedge might be waiting.
If our guys can't manage the hedge....why use it?

Other teams certainly do not struggle to have their guards get into our guards' personal space on the perimeter ...

 

[NTOP]

Other teams certainly do not struggle to have their guards get into our guards' personal space on the perimeter ...

Correct...we aren't very quick, so it would entail risk...different than the open treys we give up, but I'd rather give up a layup if it comes to that. Guys today knock down triples at an alarming rate if left open.

 

[Jeffburgh]

Correct...we aren't very quick, so it would entail risk...different than the open treys we give up, but I'd rather give up a layup if it comes to that. Guys today knock down triples at an alarming rate if left open.

Oh man, it has been a slow drip of death the way teams are raining threes on this team!