He doesn’t create in isolation no.
You dont build your team around Hauser. It leads to loses like Ohio and all the blowouts against real teams in the nonconference.
You build your team around Jeromes Brogdons and Hunters.
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Exactly. He’s a complimentary piece that allows the playmaking guards and forwards the space to operate. That’s the definition of a complimentary piece.
Our best teams were 2016 and 2019. Neither of them had a defensive liability 3/4 3pt sniper in their optimal lineups.
Dynamic guards. Defensive versatile 3/4s and a rim protecting 5. Or the opportunity to go 3 guard and have 3 playmakers on the floor.
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Think it comes down to the pieces around each player too. The line-ups with Hauser were severely lacking defensively, but that’s also because of who else was on the roster with him (a completely inexperienced Trey Murphy and a slower-than-average foot speed Huff). If Hauser was paired with Mamadi and Key the year before, could have been great I think.
I see it similarly with Kon. If Bond and Dunn (and maybe Gertrude) end up versatile defensive beasts who are still here, sliding in Kon alongside them creates some exciting line-ups. But if they’re gone or haven’t worked out, I get wanting a wing that gives us more upside on the defensive end as well.
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And there are wings who can provide both. Maybe 1 or 2% below 3pt shooting but there are so many elite shooters in the age of steph curry who are also defensive versatile (See: Dream recruiting thread on LRA lol).
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I guess my one counter to this is that if a wing has offensive upside near Kon’s level and is 6’5+ and has substantial defensive upside… that dude is also a top 25 player, haha. I get what you’re saying, but I also don’t think that offensive skillset is quite as common as you’re making it sound. But still, very much get overall point.
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Kids in general are more skilled. You find more of these kids in the 50-75 range. You also will find kids ranked in the 300s who will go mid major and end up being a better player than Kon (but thats a roll of the dice).
Jaiden Glover, Drew Mckenna, Zion Sensley, etc.
Hell no lol I’d take him just to keep him away from Duke! Anywhere but Duke really. That is the number one kid, out of 2023-25 classes, we do not want at Duke
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Agree Maine … we ain’t getting a shooter of Kon’s caliber if he is Braxton athletic … We got Hunter once … and been chasing ever since … and that was a fluke because he was injured and ranked way too low …
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Id take what Ive seen from McKneely as the third guard at the 3 over Kon..
That’s basically what Im saying.
3pt shooting but also athletic (has shown flashes of plus defense even if breakdowns) and playmaking.
I don’t want McKneely anywhere near the 3 spot the rest of his career … that being said - he probably will … He is a 2 guard who can also combo at times …
I want us back to actual right sized starting lineups that don’t have a guy that can get picked on in half court sets simply because of size mismatches … Size wise - Kon can guard the 3 spot… and I really think he could guard a lot of 2’s well enough on switches.
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I mean FSU even went at Armaan effectively in the lane when he was at the 3 and don’t see McKneely ever being able to guard the 3 spot as well as Armaan is right now …
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I just don’t see how people can watch the offensive difference between when Franklin and McKneely are hitting vs. when they aren’t this year and not conclude we need another stud shooter at the 2/3 at least every other class. We didn’t get one in 2023 so we need one in 2024. Once we land one not named Kon I’m okay with arguments against going for Kon. Until then I think he’s the top priority at those ‘mover’ spots.
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Cause there are stud shooters who arent kon LOL. So many wings who can shoot. So many. As well as Kon right now in their development against fellow 16 year olds? probably not but also not as far off as some make it out to be. We need increases in shooting across each position while maintaining defensive versatility.
Like this kid at Wisconsin. Was he even ranked? idk. But he way quicker than Kon and doing well for Wisconsin, there are so many kids like that in the age of steph curry now.
And UVA didn’t lose because Hauser was the star … they lost because of a lot of factors that week and the fact that he and Huff had their worst games of the year in the same game and our guards were terrible offensively all year … and low key … Murphy was a horrendous defender for his size and hops that year … But even as bad as Murphy was on D … you give Hauser this year’s version of Clark and Beekman in that madness and I think we get to the sweet 16 at least.
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That kind of the point though. When a player recruited solely for their shooting at the expense of other traits has an off night, they dont give you much else. And when the playmakers are off and not doing a good job creating the shooter becomes a part of the “stand around” club during our 5 minute droughts.
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So I’d be ok with Kon, but we NEED another defender at the 4-5 to make up for his (Sam Hauser’s) mistakes as someone mentioned above. It sucks we still dont really know what Traudt or Buchanan will be able to do. So do we wait for them or hedge our bets? I want another 7 footer personally as Papi and Kadin will be gone by the time that player is ready to contribute.
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I know you watch a lot of tape … I’ve watched plenty of Kon on tape - not just highlights … if you think he’s just a shooter then we simply disagree on what type of all around player he is and can be.
I think that’s fair. He’s show solid help side with a block here or there but he looks like bvp guarding straight up and you are who you can defend. We’ll see. He did do a good job guarding Jarin Stevenson at the 4 in their game but that was all in the post. Ive seen him get burnt on slow close out after slow close out by guards (I will give you even Trey Murphy struggled with closing out at times with his length)
I will say this … Tony was more excited about getting Traudt than anyone since 2016 …
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And Hauser has been at least solid enough to get some good runs with the best team in the NBA this year … but yes he needs to start making shots more consistently to stay in the rotation.
Now down to 39.9% 3 point shooting - first time in his life he’s been below 40%…
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