Can We Stop With The "Lack of Effort" Cliche?

[freescooter]

You should pay attention to what's going on in this team.

There's a tendency to hero worship on this board. Jim Calhoun teams. (It's always been ugly basketball guys. There have also been pathetic teams). Certain players (Okay, Bazz and Kemba I get, given what they've done..but Boat? Really? )

I think Shabazz deserves mention in the "Greatest Uconn Player of All Time" category. I really do. Because he's the only Uconn player to start on two championships, as an outstanding player and as one of the best players in the country. But he doesn't get that mention if Brimah doesn't get that "and one." And he doesn't get it if Ollie didn't instill confidence in Giffey (who was our second best player by the time the tournament came around. ) Something Calhoun was never able to do.. Shabazz had a lot break his way, and that's how our image is of him. Kemba? Kemba's worst team had Dyson and Sticks as his second and third best players. We thought that team was miserable. Dyson and Sticks are considerably better than anyone else on this roster. (Although, notice..again..with a player that needs to drive to the basket, he doesn't have any shooters around him..and that spells trouble.)

Adams has had very little break his way. He hasn't had a point guard to learn from, like Shabazz and Kemba did. When he was going to jump into having a bigger role, his seniors didn't play like seniors, and the other talented people on the team were injured.

Shabazz, with his temper, would fair just as well as Adams record wise..and probably lose his cool quite often. Adams with Giffey, Boat, Daniels, Facey, and Calhoun..they're making a run in the tournament.

Again, basketball isn't as complicated as people make it. Our best player is best at driving to the basket? Surround him with shooters. Ollie's biggest fail isn't in game strategy, offense, defense, adjustments...it's in team building.

Make some interesting point but I would argue that team building IS strategy, offense defense recruiting...you need to get complimentary players and know how to use them. And know what you have and what you need in a given year. If you can’t get it how to manufacture it. People forget foe example that Ricky Moore came to UConn as a scorer and left as a defensive stopper.

 

[blackbird]

Make some interesting point but I would argue that team building IS strategy, offense defense recruiting...you need to get complimentary players and know how to use them. And know what you have and what you need in a given year. If you can’t get it how to manufacture it. People forget foe example that Ricky Moore came to UConn as a scorer and left as a defensive stopper.

You could. When I meant strategy I meant more "Xs and Os" stuff, rather than the long term strategy of team building. I actually do think Ollie has some decent plays, despite our weaknesses we can stop bigger players etc...

For whatever reason, it doesn't seem as if Ollie values shooting. Which is ridiculous. I thought the defense and rebounding would get better as the season progressed. And I know Ollie wasn't a good shooter himself. It's just such an essential aspect of basketball. Have people who can shoot, and give them good shots.

Larrier and Vital are mediocre. If Vital, Adams, and Anderson are committed enough to be running practices themselves at 11 at night, then I imagine they're working in the summer too...which means someone just isn't correcting Adam's shot, or getting in Vital's ear about good shots.

I like defensive first teams, but when you can't score at all..your defense suffers just from frustration. And when the team is so poorly constructed, it's really really hard to score.

Regardless, I'm not arguing that Ollie isn't at fault here. He's the coach, obviously if you don't have shooters, and there's very little improvement in needed skills, that's on the coach. I just disagree that he's unable to motivate them (they play hard. Which was my point). In fact, that's easily his best attribute as a coach.

 

[jdb50]

Have to admit that I have thought about Ollie's outside shooting ability as we have struggled to be able to match our opponents 3 point output. He has to start recruiting players that have range and aren't limited to driving the ball to score. Most teams are are able to put 2 to 3 reliable 3 point shooters on the floor.