Some thoughts on our need to evolve quickly THIS season, which is worth trying something drastic to save. Jordan Minor, defenses playing our offense/stagnation, a few defensive musings.
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Great stuff as always. It is staggering how bad Buchanan and other bigs are at setting screens and how much that impacts the flow of our offense. Actually really like what Rohde brought to the game when he was able to get around the screen with some separation but that doesn’t happen often.
With Buchanan not setting good screens and posing no threat at the rim, he really just clogs space on offence. He will improve with strength and awareness but right he’s lost and simply floating around attempting screens that more often than not don’t even draw contact.
Thought we saw some encouraging stuff from Minor and he at least has a big frame to throw around. I think he deserves more run goinf forward.
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Thanks!
Yeah, Rohde was actually very good at curling around Minor and I thought the two of them created some really positive stuff. I was excited about Minor hopefully bolstering the defense coming into the game by bumping Dunn to the 3 and adding to our strength/length… that was the case, but the offense didn’t have it figured out then and Rohde wasn’t on the floor. In reality, I was most encouraged by the offense he brought simply with his screen setting and being able to finish around the rim even with their rim protection there. I didn’t expect that from him.
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Great work as always.
Haven’t gone back to watch the game but your takeaway on Minor/Rohde backed up what I thought I saw live. The screen issue is the thing that jumped out to me the most when I was at a game back in Dec and I totally get why it gums up the offense. I also really liked the wrinkle of Minor just rumbling fighting and getting balls up on the glass on the offensive end. It wasn’t efficient or anything but it was a nice change to see.
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Rohde is good at initiating the offense as well. I like Reece coming off screens to get downhill but they need to commit. I saw a few instances where they had open lanes to the basket but they didn’t take it, they passed back out. Some of the hesitancy to attack is weird, I saw it from him and IMac. Rohde seems to attack.
Also, I think Minor is pretty good honestly. I thought he was active on defense, deflecting passes and boxing out. Idk what to make of Groves, I thought he had some moments early in the season, now not so much.
They’re at a bit of impasse here because they need offense but I don’t exactly know where it’ll come from. Players just need to get aggressive and take their shots.
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Speaking of screening, this is a place where I think missing Harris is glaring. His speed and athleticism coming off the screen and getting downhill would be helpful even if he’s not the most talented finisher at the rim. Eli also presents that but I’m not sure where he is on his development as a savvy enough pg to make the reads (not saying he won’t be there sooner than later).
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It’s gotta come from Dunn first and foremost. He’s the player teams are cheating off of and, honestly, he’s a talented athletic guy who just needs to play aggressively. If he’s willing to isolate the slower guys normally on him and take them off the bounce/cut to the rim with momentum when his man sags off of him, that will help everything… and we can likely build around that improvement a lot.
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Dunn took advantage of that a few times earlier this season. I don’t recall the game but a few times he caught a ball on the wing, defender sagging off, 2 bounces and he was in the paint and going up strong.
I do agree, Dunn incorporating that into his offense would be a massive development.
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He does do it - there’s a clip in the piece of him doing it really well with a nice drop step. He just needs to be willing to do it consistently rather than sporadically.
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That’s right you did include that. I think you’re spot on about the consistency. Unfortunately I think that is as much mental as anything for Dunn to get confidence and comfortable in his game and short term I’m not sure we see the full impact of that.
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I think the thing that frustrates me most is that we’re just not doing standard basketball things. For example, if we’re playing Flow and Dunn’s man is staying in the lane, pass the ball TO Dunn. Either force his man to come out on him, have forever to line up an outside shot, or dribble the ball in on him and force him to defend.
Instead, we’re just running the offense like it isn’t happening and hoping we can make something out of a clogged lane with two (almost) 7 footers. That results in all of the midrange jumpers.
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Nailed it right there. The lack of recognition is painful at times.
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Guys who are playing big minutes have to get away from trying to play right and JUST PLAY!
Great part in Minor and Rohde playing off one another. I dont see those things so obviously watching.
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Totally there is so much over thinking and concern about making the right play or the next right move.
The ability to read and react just isn’t there or feels a half second late which is too slow against P5 teams. Minor and Rohde found a little chemistry that honestly I haven’t seen between guys on the team all year.
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The Groves fall off feels like a bellweather. Out of all guys, his performance (on the offensive side) during the early part of season vs. now is the most dramatically different. The reasons are multiple, not just him playing bad. But feels like we solve for that, a lot opens up.
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I expect(ed) him to be ok in these bigger settings. He has played in real arenas against real players and fan bases at a high level. Somehow he hasnt seemed so settled and calm. I think he will be better
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Think he struggled last year at Oklahoma for a stretch but played well the latter part of the season. Hope we see it here soon.
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I’m with @DFresh11 in expected Groves to have the easiest transition based on his previous stops. Also hoping @timmons is correct about him bouncing back.
I feel like there are 4 or 5 broken yet fixable things that jump out and if any one of them is addressed it will open up the way for the everything to fall into place.
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The lack of read and react proficiency honestly been kind of befuddling, as it’s been a fingerprint of TB offenses. Any offense they run over the years has read and react elements to pretty much every action; they are not a set play team at all. It’s something I trust the staff to know how to coach up, but something isn’t clicking this season.
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To my eye it looks like we are read and reacting like it is a set play lots of the time
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