I think our offense has stunk for so long that fans no longer know what level an offensive rating suffices to be a rotation player on a real teamā¦ one that actually has a chance to win a game or 3 in March.
Last year Rohde had a top 3 worst offensive rating in recent memory of any Hoo in the rotation. Except that Dante was even worseā¦ what exacerbated it was Rohde also had the worst defensive rating on the team.
By way of comparison ā¦ 2019 Kihei was worst in the rotation at 107.1 while we had 4 guys above 120.
Last year the offense was horrendous and yet we had 6 rotation players + Bond above 103.
103 is the number for me at a bare minimum based on the supposed talent we have this year.
But also the top 3 or 4 dudes in usage simply also have to be the top dudes in production too.
Why were we so good in 2019?
The top 4 dudes in usage were also the top 4 dudes in offensive rating.
Hunter, Huff, Jerome and Guy
Those same 4 dudes that year in Acc games?
Combined from 3 to shoot 127/277 (46%)
Just other worldly stuff.
The whole team shot 43% from 3 in Acc play ā¦ just nuts.
Biggest reason games were so tight in the madness was the 3 point shooting fell off the cliffā¦ 32.5% in the first 5 games and then finally an above average 46% vs. Texas Tech in the final.
By the way in 2016 our top 4 rotation guys in offensive rating were also the top 4 in usage ā¦ and they were all better than 119.
Remember how bad our backcourt was offensively in 2021? Kihei and Reece were still both above 100.
So for me itās about our top 4 or 5 dudes and do they actually have top end efficiency? And 2 of them have to be guards based on historical precedent.
Agreed. If we want to be any good offensively, the floor for a major contributor should be at least 100 and really more like 105. And thatās assuming youāre got some low volume-high efficiency guys pulling the average up. If the low volume guys are lower, then the starters need to be more like 110+ for the offense to be good.
And for those wondering whether the top teams are still being efficient at 2019 UVA levels? (116.3)
They are actually getting better. UConn as a team last year was a bonkers 123.3.
There were 24 teams above 115 as a team last year. And only one of those teams didnāt win 21 games or more.
3 of the top 4 offensive teams were in the Final 4 and the other one went to the sweet 16.
9 team in the sweet 16 were top 16 in offensive rating, 9 teams in sweet 16 were top 16 in defensive rating. 6 of those were top 16 in both. Good teams win
If ARob is ready defensively, Blakeās size may not be as big of deal and Blake/ARob would be complementary. Blake can be the more skilled/mobile big and ARob as the rim running big who can battle in the paint. Iād like to see a 20/15 Blake/ARob split on average, with the remaining minutes going to Cofie/5 out lineups, which would also help to limit foul trouble.(minimally it should be better than last year, where our best defensive center was 6ā8 240lb)
Admittedly, Iām not as high on Blake as most on this board. I think heāll be serviceable this year but think he still has a long way to go mentally/physically before he can become a defensive anchor.
Maybe the only person in the world who can watch us win a national title, relitigate the results through a spreadsheet, come out unhappy with player usage, and then hold onto it for YEARS.
Like almost all UVA big men, Blake has to learn effective post moves. He has a ways to go but I am still bullish he will get there. He has very good feet and a high motor.
Less concerned about post moves, particularly with how the game has evolved, and more concerned about him getting pushed on the block / while rebounding. He really gave a ton of effort, but was no match for guys like Efton Reid. Plus, thereās a reason he took a lot of 8 foot jumpers and floaters, which arenāt the most efficient shot.
He really just needs an effective jump hook over the shoulder, the angles on other looks and trips to the FT line will come with more strength. Doesnāt need to be Hakeem on the block but a nice quick reliable hook shot to keep his defender honest would go a long ways.
Why donāt they give us the heights and weights for the coaches. Some of us care about that kind of thing; is J-Willy sticking to his diet, is TB staying in shape, has KG grown any taller. Cāmon, this is critical infoā¦
I miss the JWilly show. Cāmon, Mark and Jason, make it happen!