Best rotation ...

[TheChamps990411]

i think jc has found the right mix and its seem to be coming together with
NG
AO
AD
JL
SN
with RS coming in at PF and either AO or AD at the 5. the defense was better and the offense seem to run smoother. i think you could see TO minutes go down. if we get boat back i think we have a good rotation going with RS,RB,TO and DD off the bench.

 

[sparkdog]

Why are people so against Olander, the kid plays hard does many of things right. Maybe it is just me but just seems people here think he has no game. He has played better than any other big man on Uconn so far besides Andre. He has great attitude, didn't not sulk when coach started others over him even though he was playing well. He might not be the great athlete you guys want but he is a pretty good basketball player.

 

[joober jones]

I still don't like the idea of Giffey starting. He's really a role player (this year) but everyone seems to want him to be something more.

 

[g_smith]

Why are people so against Olander, the kid plays hard does many of things right. Maybe it is just me but just seems people here think he has no game. He has played better than any other big man on Uconn so far besides Andre. He has great attitude, didn't not sulk when coach started others over him even though he was playing well. He might not be the great athlete you guys want but he is a pretty good basketball player.

Something about TO that I always like to point out is how great of assists he makes.

 

[EricLA]

i think maybe the best lineup might be Boat, Shabazz, Jeremy, Alex/Tyler and Andre. but it's so hard to determine after one game. Roscoe had a great game today as did Alex, but based on the season, i'd rather have Tyler over Alex. then again, i'm not sure... i don't know if we have a "best" lineup.

you may have to determine best depending on matchups. against a team like Nova who uses a lot of guards and generally not a lot of post players, you have to look at playing them differently then a team like Pitt who usually puts bruisers in the paint.

and then against a team like Quse, who plays mostly zone, you need to put the best shooters on the floor...

 

[ctchamps]

With RB there are a lot of options and that is the best situation because different teams pose different strengths and weaknesses. Without RB UConn's flexibility is limited.

 

[Thirty Three]

Why are people so against Olander, the kid plays hard does many of things right. Maybe it is just me but just seems people here think he has no game. He has played better than any other big man on Uconn so far besides Andre. He has great attitude, didn't not sulk when coach started others over him even though he was playing well. He might not be the great athlete you guys want but he is a pretty good basketball player.

Exactly. Couldn't have said it better myself.

 

[RS9999X]

I'm not convinced any starting rotation at the 3 or 4 is a proven winner. Rotate them, reward them on practice effort, their contribution to team morale, and doing the right stuff in the game.

Flexibility is good.

 

[SubbaBub]

I don't think who starts is that important with this team. What is important is that SN realizes he is the third option in the offensive progression that needs to be look inside first and to Lamb second, before jacking up a bad shot. His best chance to dribble penetrate is early in the possession. Even Doris Burke called him out for standing around and dribbling too much.

 

[BarkingDog]

I heard Doris Burke say that too. And really, it's not Napier's fault. At least not entirely. He's standing out top pounding the ball because no one is open to throw it too. Most of the time the other four players on the floor aren't even sure what they need to do and where they need to move. And this is often a result of having players on the floor in weird combinations. I think as the rotation becomes more settled, the offense runs more smoothly and Napier won't have to stand between the circles and dribble.
And my two cents on the best starting 5: Napier, Lamb, Smith, Orihaki, Drummond.

 

[caw]

Olander is a really talented kid that plays hard. He also gets overpowered in the post and is less versatile than Smith as a 4. Ideally Oriakhi is the starting 4 and Olander and Smith are fighting for the backup 4 position and get playing time based on opponent. Daniels and Giffey both see time at the 3 and Boat comes in as a 1/2.

Giffey is a role player, and that's fine. UConn needs him to be a good role player and:

• hit an open three
• not turn the ball over/not played scared
• help break any press
• play tough defense
• help on boards and
• make smart passes.

The problem was, he wasn't doing at least 2-3 of those things before. He was turning the ball over, playing scared and making bad passes. To be fair to his shooting he is now 5-10 on the season from 3 and 12-27 overall. I wouldn't have guessed that. He may never be a special player but he needs to be a threat out there.