2-3 clips from all 9 of our core rotations guys showing things I found encouraging from that “get right” game.
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Yeah, you didn’t have any fun putting this together did you?
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Thanks, Cuts! Great work on the clips as usual, and I will keep my editorial mouth shut.
I liked a lot of what I saw - there were a few highlights where I might disagree with the decision (like Chance passing up that shot when he created a lane instead - I’d rather he let it fly), but there were very few errors, so it’s very minor, and on reflection, I’m not sure there was rebounding in place, so he probably made the right decision (thinking back as I type, but I’ll leave the stream of consciousness in place).
The one that made me laugh out loud was the first Lewis clip – I also loved the aggression/cheekiness in taking that rebound back to the arc, but in basketball, you’re supposed to dribble when you do that. He takes like five steps in that reset without putting the ball on the floor, but it worked. I didn’t notice during the game, but when it’s isolated like that it stood out like a sore thumb.
Back to the central theme, though, totally agree. It’s natural for fans to pick favorite players and focus on them, but what could make this team so special is the collective. When Grünloh and Ugo and DeRidder are all on, it’s a fearsome interior. Tillis changes the pace and adds shooting (from the frontcourt). When Mallory replaces Hall it’s a jolt of energy. When Jacari comes in, his gravity distorts the defense. It’s the combination and complexity of multiple lineups that truly elevates this team.
The group I think is our best five is good. But mixing and matching them across the next three with a fourth for complexity? That’s what could make this team better than other teams that probably have a better starting five.
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Odom got asked a question in the postgame about TDR’s left hand drives, and he ended up talking about how they’ve been working with TDR on the tempo and nuance of his drives, which I think is showing up in the clips.
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Thanks for reading and the thoughts here!
Sometimes in games where you manhandle a team you still have some guys who are crushing it and others who still feel off.
Sam, Jacari, and Chance were closest to that re: their shooting… but all 9 of our core guys actually played really well overall, I thought. And some guys who I thought really needed to see the ball go in the basket a little more, like Hall and Thomas and TDR… and even Grünloh, had that happen for them.
It’s possible the step back up in competition will make the game feel more like it did against OSU or FSU again… but I don’t think so. If nothing else, and Odom talked about this post game, they really made an improved effort to get the ball up the floor faster again and then to give fewer shot fakes and take more looks. I think that’s a positive sign.
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