Boats' much better play last month and a half

[Bonehead]

Was watching post game presser tonight and I said to my wife Boat has really played well after not liking his game the first half of season.

She says do you think it has anything to do with the murder of his cousin?

I said that might be a valid point. I am no psychologist but I think he may have become more focused since that tragedy.

 

[joober jones]

I've had that thought as well. He made some remarks about having new motivation to get his family out of the dangerous area where they live, so this could be a part of that. As I know all too well, losing a brother (which his cousin practically was) hurts like hell and really makes you realize the importance of family and protecting them however you can.

 

[JayKoz]

Wasn't he also dealing with shoulder issues? Because the tape he'd have on his shoulder disappeared as coincidentally his shot started to fall.

 

[Gringo]

Wasn't he also dealing with shoulder issues? Because the tape he'd have on his shoulder disappeared as coincidentally his shot started to fall.

It's tough to say whether the tragedy of losing his cousin affected his game. I do agree with @JayKoz that his shoulder issues seem to be behind him.

With that said it seems every aspect of his game has improved over the last month and a half. He's making better decisions when penetrating and finding open guys down low or on the perimeter. It also looks like his defense has improved during the tournament. I wonder if Ollie told him to gamble less on steals and focus more on stops.

Really happy for Boat, considering everything he has been through, to be playing this well.

 

[chapwilvaug72]

his shot is really not falling yet

 

[Offhegoes]

I think he's been playing unreal. He has a heart of a lion.

 

[HuskyFan16]

Not looking past what he means to this team this weekend but, I do think after all the work he will put in this offseason we may really see something special next year. There were two plays in the Michigan State game that stood out in my mind, where I think if he really hones in on being aware of the moment his results can improve alot, because his play has already improved substantially.

The first (don't know exactly when) was when he was winding down the shot clock and had about three second left. He had just done a killer step back and was wide open for three. When he landed off the step back, instead of taking one extra second to steady himself and shoot, he faded away and the shot was real short.

The second was the missed dunk. I know when he is free, his instinct is to dunk but if he had laid the ball up, he could have had a three point play.