aka Judging a German, Probing a Prussian, Critiquing a Kraut…
Schlepping a Schleswig-Holsteiner
A ton of these clips I totally feel like I’m looking at Jay Huff (minus the Bennett-coached footwork). I’m gonna enjoy watching this guy
Not as good of a backwards dunker (who is???), haha.
No, but it’s really a good comp. I think Grünloh is slightly worse than a polished Huff in about every way (except straight-line speed and running the floor) - but that’s still a very good place to be and Huff wasn’t even really playing much at this age for us. The potential is there for sure.
*I take it back - Grünloh is probably a better passer. He’s got really good feel for that and accuracy with his delivery.
Really a great piece of work, Cuts. I continue to be impressed by your analysis and undeniable love of basketball.
Aw well thank you! Very kind. It’s fun to do and I enjoy the discussion that comes of it as well!
This is Jordan “Jelly” Walker, who led UAB to the NIT Final in 2023. Nice defense!
I like the Huff comparison, too. He’s a slightly shorter Huff, with a lower ceiling, but who is a bit more (a lot more?) fluid at the same age / stage.
I definitely see the causes for concern on defense. While he “processed” the game well offensively, he seemed to be struggling defensively, processing.
On just the big on big stuff, I think the clips against Da Silva and Delgado were good call outs, but, on the other hand, Delgado was a monster at Seton Hall when he was 22 (first team all Big East, 20+ rebounds vs. Kansas in his last college game), and now he’s 30! And Da Silva was all-Pac 12 and is now 26. Just to say – you’re totally right that gaining strength, being able to hold his position, etc., is a development area, but those guys are much better, stronger than most of the guys he will face in college hoops.
As always, great work on this. Tbh, I didn’t much notice the fact that there were not full games, though I suspect it did affect the overall context. Look forward to re-reading all of these prior to the season (or at least, maybe just a few highlights! 
)
These Tracking a Transfer: European Vacation editions have been a great source of Remembering Some Guys. Lots of college hoops where are they now’s?
Thanks as always. You’re right; those two are good players! They did kind of eat him up, though. I felt like I could have done a little better job of showing my concern with his interior defense if I’d had some full games.
To use a football analogy, he felt like one of those CBs who everyone knows and thinks are awesome because they get a lot of interceptions… but they also give up significant yardage.
He has a ton to work with, though, and was already playing against some very good players, for sure.
It seems to be assumed in the analysis that Onyenso and Grünloh cannot play together, but it seems that Grünloh has power forward type skills. Twin Towers? Thoughts?
(Great work and enjoyable as always)
Thanks!
I wouldn’t play them together except maybe in a really weird matchup situation.
Grünloh is a very skilled 5 - but I wouldn’t say he has PF type skills. Isn’t going to do much for you off of the bounce and his mobility issues would crop up facing most PFs on the defensive end. Offensively would probably just spot up in the corner in that role and both De Ridder and Tillis are just higher percentage shooters out there. You could try to have him post a size mismatch, but he’s not really a back to the basket post up or even face up kind of player, either. Also, they way you’d need to play to utilize him on both ends aren’t really the way Odom’s system works… and I don’t think pairing him with Ugo offers the kind of value that would be worth adjusting. His main positives on offense are that he can offer that rim-running and length around the hoop while also offering the spacing of his shooting, but ideally suited out of that Center role.
I think De Ridder will just be better in that role in almost all circumstances and Tillis would be in most.