Round 2 Game 4: DTPitt vs Fsgolfdr

[Fk_Pitt]

@Fsgolfdr
Pg Ronald Ramon 8.8 ppg 51.1 shooting % 45.1 from 3. 87% FT 2.2 assists 1.8 rebounds
SG Jason Mathews. 19.1 ppg .46.0 shooting %. 45.7 from 3. 89% FT 2.1 assists. 2.1 rebounds
SF. JJ Moore. 8.0 ppg. 52.4 shooting %. 32.9 from 3. 81.5 FT 3.0 rebounds
PF Mike Young. 19.5 ppg. 49.2 shooting %. 34.1 from 3. 77% FT 2.7 assists. 6.3 rebounds
C. Gary McGhee. 6.9 ppg.56.7 shooting %. 7.7 rebounds 1.3 blocks
6th man Trent Johnson 8.5ppg 49.2 shooting %. 70.8 FT 6.6 rebounds

@DT_PITT
C -- DeJuan Blair -- 15.7 PPG - 12.3 RPG - 1.5 steals - 1.0 blocks - 59.3 FG%
PF -- Sheldon Jeter -- 8.1 PPG - 7.3 RPG - 1.6 assists - 1.0 blocks - 36.8 3pt FG%
SF -- Jamel Artis -- 18.2 PPG - 4.9 RPG - 3.3 assists - 47.5 FG% - 39.2 3pt FG%
SG -- Jarrett Lockhart -- 11.3 PPG - 4.3 RPG - 1.4 assists - 45.5 FG% - 38.1 3pt FG%
PG -- Tray Woodall -- 11.7 PPG - 3.1 RPG - 6.1 assists - 48.7 FG% - 38.6 3pt FG%
6th -- Josh Newkirk -- 5.9 PPG - 1.3 RPG - 2.7 assists

 

[DT_PITT]

Best of luck @Fsgolfdr

 

[Fk_Pitt]

wow...FS averages 70.8ppg, and DT averages 70.9 per game! What a match up!

And I wouldn't say either team strikes me as being superior to the other defensively. This will take some serious analysis!

 

[DT_PITT]

wow...FS averages 70.8ppg, and DT averages 70.9 per game! What a match up!

And I wouldn't say either team strikes me as being superior to the other defensively. This will take some serious analysis!

I have a tremendous rebounding advantage in this one. I think this would make the difference.

 

[Fsgolfdr]

Best of luck @Fsgolfdr

Back at ya .

 

[Fsgolfdr]

One of two glaring weaknesses in Pitt bb history is lack of big strong quality centers .( The other is great shooting guards which my team has ! ) The rules eliminated one of the great centers in Sam Clancy and since Stevan Adams only stayed one yr there are very few answers for a beast like Blair . Charles Smith was more talented than Blair as their professional careers demonstrated, but I think Blair wins that battle in college with his brute strength . My team has one of few guys that could battle Blair physically, but there’s really no comparing Gary McGhee to The Big Fella . The way I counter this is at the first stoppage of play I bring in Chad Johnson for JJ . This makes my interior defense 6’11” McGhee 6’8” Mike Young and 6’”8” Chad Johnson . Replacing JJ with Chad actually increases ppg and more importantly rebounding stats . Plus it adds the toughness to help negate Blair’s impact on the game . I play a zone and attempt to force Blair away from the basket where he wasn’t very effective . While Jeter has good rebounding stats I think my trio of strong big guys take him out of the game inside .
My strategy is not to let Blair beat me and physically take Jeter out of the game , then this game then comes down to Young vs Artis and Mathews and Ramon vs Woodall and Lockhart . In the battle of two of Pitt fans favorite players it’s a close call , but for my money Young was a more valuable and versatile player than
Artis . My guard combo are far better shooters from three and there’s not much room inside for them to penetrate.The other advantage I have is that my teams FT % is around 80% .
It’s a close call , but I think my team takes it in a close game .

 

[TWPitt]

bump

 

[thirteenNINE]

I'm looking forward to picking this matchup apart today. If you're going to try to slow down DeJuan there are worse ways to do it than Gary as a senior.

 

[Fk_Pitt]

Bump

 

[below0w]

I'm looking forward to picking this matchup apart today. If you're going to try to slow down DeJuan there are worse ways to do it than Gary as a senior.

Let's be real. I love Gary, but Dejuan eats his lunch and then comes back for seconds.

I can't look past Blair and Woodall here. Much better PG and much better big, which are the two most important positions. I don't think the advantage in 3 point shooting begins to make up for that and having a lights out team performance from deep is the only way DT's team loses.

 

[DT_PITT]

Let's be real. I love Gary, but Dejuan eats his lunch and then comes back for seconds.

I can't look past Blair and Woodall here. Much better PG and much better big, which are the two most important positions. I don't think the advantage in 3 point shooting begins to make up for that and having a lights out team performance from deep is the only way DT's team loses.

Plus my team is solid from deep as well.

 

[Fsgolfdr]

Let's be real. I love Gary, but Dejuan eats his lunch and then comes back for seconds.

I can't look past Blair and Woodall here. Much better PG and much better big, which are the two most important positions. I don't think the advantage in 3 point shooting begins to make up for that and having a lights out team performance from deep is the only way DT's team loses.

I need a team effort on Blair , I think the only guy in Pitt history who could’ve stood toe to toe with Blair was Clancy , with 3 big guys he’s going to have to constantly battle for space down low . We need to wear him down . DTs guards are good shooters , but Mathews has been the best shooter from 3 in Pitt history and lead a very talented team in scoring . Ramon also was an excellent shooter just didn’t shoot enough . I’d need both of them and Young to have good nights for my team to win .
When this matchup is over I’ll suggest a slightly different draft format that should help in equalizing the teams the next time we do this .

 

[Fsgolfdr]

Plus my team is solid from deep as well.

38% from your guards vs 45% from mine ! Won’t count Newkirk !

 

[DT_PITT]

38% from your guards vs 45% from mine !

Sure ... but mine are solid too. Both of our teams have good deep shooting at the 1-4 spots.

 

[DT_PITT]

I need a team effort on Blair , I think the only guy in Pitt history who could’ve stood toe to toe with Blair was Clancy , with 3 big guys he’s going to have to constantly battle for space down low . We need to wear him down . DTs guards are good shooters , but Mathews has been the best shooter from 3 in Pitt history and lead a very talented team in scoring . Ramon also was an excellent shooter just didn’t shoot enough . I’d need both of them and Young to have good nights for my team to win .
When this matchup is over I’ll suggest a slightly different draft format that should help in equalizing the teams the next time we do this .

Perhaps a salary cap format?

 

[MarshallGoldberg]

I think the need to double team Blair opens up a lot here. Voting on these makes me appreciate Charles Smith and Blair even more.

 

[Joe the Panther Fan]

I play a zone and attempt to force Blair away from the basket where he wasn’t very effective .

Well that might happen. Or against a zone with no one specifically assigned to keep him off the glass Blair gets his team about 10 offensive rebounds and scores on most of them and makes his team's offense uber-efficient.

It might be what you have to try, but that is a high risk strategy.

 

[Fsgolfdr]

Perhaps a salary cap format?

I was going to start a new thread , but here it is .
In all other drafts the weakest teams get to draft first to add to their existing roster , but in this format everyone is equal with no players . Certain programs like a Duke or Kentucky were there’s so many great players that drafting at the bottom of the first round is no big deal , but at Pitt there weren’t that many great players . After the first 5 picks there’s not any real game changer players left . There’s absolutely not one other player available to battle Smith or Blair on equal grounds .
The first guy picking gets picks # 1 & 32 whereas the guy drafting last gets picks # 16 & 17 . So it’s
Smith and X or Blair and Artis ( 2 & 31 ) vs Grey and Lamar ( 16 &17 ) or Wanamaker and Gibbs ( 15 &
18 ) huge advantage to the first two and now in the third round their picking first and second whereas the weaker teams pick 47 &48 .
I’d suggest that the 3rd round starts with the team drafting 16th in round 1 . So now he’d have picks # 16, 17 33 & 64 and the person picking number 1 has picks #1, 32 & 48 , 49 .

 

[Fsgolfdr]

Well that might happen. Or against a zone with no one specifically assigned to keep him off the glass Blair gets his team about 10 offensive rebounds and scores on most of them and makes his team's offense uber-efficient.

It might be what you have to try, but that is a high risk strategy.

Whose going to keep him off the boards by themselves ? He was a bull that had the natural instincts to be a great rebounder . I would tell Gary his #1 priority is to know where Blair was at all times .

 

[Joe the Panther Fan]

I would tell Gary his #1 priority is to know where Blair was at all times .

Well yeah, but that's really hard to do in a zone.

There's a reason that almost every team rebounds better from a man to man rather than a zone.

 

[Fsgolfdr]

Well yeah, but that's really hard to do in a zone.

There's a reason that almost every team rebounds better from a man to man rather than a zone.

Don’t feel like there’s much choice here . Plus Blair didn’t wander very far from the hoop .

 

[Protes]

38% from your guards vs 45% from mine ! Won’t count Newkirk !

I'm assuming the 3-point line is current, so guys who played in the era when it was top of the key lose a couple of points in my book.

Surprised this is a blowout right now. Very evenly matched. For me it comes down to Big Fella making the difference.

 

[Joe the Panther Fan]

Surprised this is a blowout right now. Very evenly matched. For me it comes down to Big Fella making the difference.

DT's coaching experience makes the difference!

 

[Fsgolfdr]

I'm assuming the 3-point line is current, so guys who played in the era when it was top of the key lose a couple of points in my book.

Surprised this is a blowout right now. Very evenly matched. For me it comes down to Big Fella making the difference.

The difference makes no significant difference to a great shooter like Mathews , the ball never touched anything but net !

 

[Fsgolfdr]

DT's coaching experience makes the difference!

Give me Blair and he can have Gary McGhee and we’ll see how his coaching experience works for him !

 

[Fsgolfdr]

DT , even with any furious last minute comeback I don’t see your lead evaporating, so congrats . If I didn’t know my team as well as I do I’d have picked your team to win . Simply couldn’t overcome the Big Fella !

 

[DT_PITT]

DT , even with any furious last minute comeback I don’t see your lead evaporating, so congrats . If I didn’t know my team as well as I do I’d have picked your team to win . Simply couldn’t overcome the Big Fella !

I think there’s still something like 12 hours. Perhaps you can own the overnight vote!!

 

[Fk_Pitt]

bump

 

[DT_PITT]

DT , even with any furious last minute comeback I don’t see your lead evaporating, so congrats . If I didn’t know my team as well as I do I’d have picked your team to win . Simply couldn’t overcome the Big Fella !

Thank you. Big Fella is certainly the difference maker.

 

[TheSpecialSauce]

Rather interesting that there were over 70 votes in one of the first round matchups, but only 46 in this one. The Bots, Russians, Repeat Votes, or SMF really moves the needle are the only possible explanations.

 

[CougarClaws]

Rather interesting that there were over 70 votes in one of the first round matchups, but only 46 in this one. The Bots, Russians, Repeat Votes, or SMF really moves the needle are the only possible explanations.

SMF has a certain draw I would wager.

 

[gary2]

Let's be real. I love Gary, but Dejuan eats his lunch and then comes back for seconds.

I can't look past Blair and Woodall here. Much better PG and much better big, which are the two most important positions. I don't think the advantage in 3 point shooting begins to make up for that and having a lights out team performance from deep is the only way DT's team loses.

The two most important positions?

Better not put that to a vote on this board.

Don't you know it's the era of positionless basketball. Every player between 6-5 and 6-8.

 

[SoufOaklin4Life]

The two most important positions?

Better not put that to a vote on this board.

Don't you know it's the era of positionless basketball. Every player between 6-5 and 6-8.

Points. Wings . Bigs

 

[gary2]

Points. Wings . Bigs

Wings are an appetizer.

If you what a meal, you need the meat and potatoes.