Could Rodney play PG in 2014?

[david]

I have thought up until now that Rodney should be slated as our off guard. He would start at the 2 and then in some situations he can slide to the point to give our main PG some rest. However, after watching a few videos I feel like he might be able to run the point, especially with a full year of practice under his belt.

Watch this:

Are you telling me he can't play PG in college? Here he is playing against the NC summer league which is filled with pros and very good players and he looks like a natural. I'm not saying we don't go after a PG, but the idea that if we don't recruit a big name PG we are in a lot of trouble is silly in my opinion.

 

[Danzz]

That game looks like it is being played in slow motion. He doesn't look like a PG to me but in another year maybe. My bet is that he never plays PG at UConn unless it is an emergency.

 

[Kemballin']

Well he can't play this coming season the the season after absolutely. Watched several videos and have seen him in games and he looks extremely talented, him with OC at the 2 is lethal. Those corner threes by Calhoun=deadly.

 

[BearJWS]

I didn't see anything in that video that says PG. Yes, he can handle the ball, but that does not make a PG, nor does making a pass that leads to an assist. A true PG orchestrates the offense, directing his teammates to the right spot on the floor at the right moment. Calls the right plays. Directing on defense, among other things.

 

[david]

I didn't see anything in that video that says PG. Yes, he can handle the ball, but that does not make a PG, nor does making a pass that leads to an assist. A true PG orchestrates the offense, directing his teammates to the right spot on the floor at the right moment. Calls the right plays. Directing on defense, among other things.

You didn't see a player that, with a years tutelage under KO, could be a very good PG in college? If not then that's your opinion, but I disagree

 

[Huskyforlife]

hes a combo guard. if he accepts a 6th man role, i think he would be deadly backing up the guard positions. he might need to play pg in 2014, but that puts us in a great position with dorsey in 2015. also by 2015 samuel should be ready to run the point

 

[3uconn]

He looked really good. His biggest struggle was shooting and he made a bunch in that highlight. Still has another year to work on his game.

 

[chevtheman]

The whole reason why he left NC st was cuz he wasn't playing PG

 

[7774]

The whole reason why he left NC st was cuz he wasn't playing PG

Yeah, I'm not sure what people are talking about here. I don't know if he'll end up a good point guard, but he's definitely going to try. He and the staff have talked openly about it.

 

[tcf15]

He ain't coming here to be the first guy off the bench either. After one year out, he will most likely expect to be in the starting five, and he better be.

 

[Tenspro2002]

I think he'll get 5-10 minutes a game as the primary ballhandler when the starting PG sits, whether that's Boat (unlikely), Samuel (I hope not), or Perkins/McLaughlin/whoever (hopefully). He'll have the Ben Gordon role, mostly a scorer, with occasional ballhandling duties.

But we're not going to get far with a shoot-first guard being asked to distribute 30 minutes a game.

 

[BigErnMcCracken]

I didn't see anything in that video that says PG. Yes, he can handle the ball, but that does not make a PG, nor does making a pass that leads to an assist. A true PG orchestrates the offense, directing his teammates to the right spot on the floor at the right moment. Calls the right plays. Directing on defense, among other things.

It's a summer league game. I'll give him a pass for not calling the right plays.

 

[UConn17]

If Purvis doesn't play point I expect him to start at the two, Calhoun at the three, and Hamilton as the sixth man.

 

[CardiacKemba]

Even if he is playing off ball, I expect him to executing off the dribble often.

I'm sure a year under KO will polish up his PG skills.

 

[champs99and04]

You didn't see a player that, with a years tutelage under KO, could be a very good PG in college? If not then that's your opinion, but I disagree

He didn't really show any point guard skills in the video, if that's what you're looking for. Now, it's very likely he simply didn't need upper-echelon point guard skills in what looked like a glorified pickup game, but as far as that video is concerned, he didn't make any plays that made you go, "Wow, there's a stud point guard in the making". Frankly, I'm not sure what the fire drill is to transition him to point guard. I don't dispute the fact that he wants to play point guard, but to me, the kid looks like a Dion Waiters prodige who is going to have a hell of a lot of success playing where he is assuming he develops properly.

Best case scenario for UConn is Calhoun blows up next year and declares for the draft, one of either Daniels or Boatright returns, and all the incoming recruits can play their natural positions - Purvis at the two, Hamilton at the three, etc. Between Ray Allen, Rip Hamilton, Caron Butler, Ben Gordon, and Jeremy Lamb, it's safe to say a lot of UConn two guards have progressed nicely here. The kid has come to the right place.

 

[BoatShow]

I'm just really excited we got him. Play HFD at PG for all it matters in 2014.

 

[BoatShow]

He didn't really show any point guard skills in the video, if that's what you're looking for. Now, it's very likely he simply didn't need upper-echelon point guard skills in what looked like a glorified pickup game, but as far as that video is concerned, he didn't make any plays that made you go, "Wow, there's a stud point guard in the making". Frankly, I'm not sure what the fire drill is to transition him to point guard. I don't dispute the fact that he wants to play point guard, but to me, the kid looks like a Dion Waiters prodige who is going to have a hell of a lot of success playing where he is assuming he develops properly.

Best case scenario for UConn is Calhoun blows up next year and declares for the draft, one of either Daniels or Boatright returns, and all the incoming recruits can play their natural positions - Purvis at the two, Hamilton at the three, etc. Between Ray Allen, Rip Hamilton, Caron Butler, Ben Gordon, and Jeremy Lamb, it's safe to say a lot of UConn two guards have progressed nicely here. The kid has come to the right place.

Ehhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh thats a stretch.

 

[champs99and04]

Ehhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh thats a stretch.

It's a stretch to think that one of two players who are projected outside the first round on most draft boards could possibly return?

 

[BoatShow]

It's a stretch to think that one of two players who are projected outside the first round on most draft boards could possibly return?

Where are they on their own mental draftboards though?

 

[champs99and04]

Where are they on their own mental draftboards though?

All I'm saying is it's a long season, and a lot can change between now and April - injuries, underperforming, internal turmoil, NCAA suspensions, etc. We have three candidates to leave early next season - Calhoun, Daniels, and Boatright - and none of us know for certain how the trajectory of their careers is going to play out. Does Boatright want to leave for the NBA after this season? Absolutely, so do 99% of college basketball players. Who knows, maybe eight months from now, the thought of being "the man" as a senior will be more appealing to him than a potentially non-guaranteed contract. Maybe Calhoun and Boatright will explode and Daniels wants to come back and be the man so he can show scouts what he's capable of. Maybe they lose in the NCAA Tournament in excruciating fashion and everybody wants to come back for another year. We just don't know - their are too many variables that could sway the path of everybody's careers one way or the other. I understand most of us are preparing for life without Boatright and Daniels next season, and that's fine. But just remember, Boatright's not Andrew Harrison and Daniels isn't Andrew Wiggins. These kids - Boatright and Daniels - have plenty of reasons to return to college at the end of the year if they haven't played their way into the first round. They also have plenty of reasons to chase their dreams and enter the draft. What I do not understand are people already penciling their names into the 2014 draft three months before the season even starts.

 

[aboogieee]

That reel reminded me a lot of Russell Westbrook.. Looking ahead, a scoring guard at the 1 may very well be what this team will need in 2014. Who knows what can happen in a year of development for him..

But I'm not sure if that reel is that much different from the guys in the 2014 class who are supposed to be "true point guards"

 

[Dogbreath2U]

All I'm saying is it's a long season, and a lot can change between now and April - injuries, underperforming, internal turmoil, NCAA suspensions, etc. We have three candidates to leave early next season - Calhoun, Daniels, and Boatright - and none of us know for certain how the trajectory of their careers is going to play out. Does Boatright want to leave for the NBA after this season? Absolutely, so do 99% of college basketball players. Who knows, maybe eight months from now, the thought of being "the man" as a senior will be more appealing to him than a potentially non-guaranteed contract. Maybe Calhoun and Boatright will explode and Daniels wants to come back and be the man so he can show scouts what he's capable of. Maybe they lose in the NCAA Tournament in excruciating fashion and everybody wants to come back for another year. We just don't know - their are too many variables that could sway the path of everybody's careers one way or the other. I understand most of us are preparing for life without Boatright and Daniels next season, and that's fine. But just remember, Boatright's not Andrew Harrison and Daniels isn't Andrew Wiggins. These kids - Boatright and Daniels - have plenty of reasons to return to college at the end of the year if they haven't played their way into the first round. They also have plenty of reasons to chase their dreams and enter the draft. What I do not understand are people already penciling their names into the 2014 draft three months before the season even starts.

I agree with this point of view. The decisions that our non-seniors make will depend on their realistic likelihood of being drafted and their ability to make a good decision based on the information. It seems to me that Boat is not going to acknowledge doubt about his prospects, at least publicly. I hope for his sake that he does not lock himself into a decision before the real information is available. It would seem to me that a senior season where he is the clear "team quarterback" would probably be a very good thing for his professional prospects as Bazz will be the No. 1 guy this year.

 

[CTBasketball]

He has a lot to learn from Bazz.

 

[HuskyBballFan]

Unfortunately we won't know the answer to this question until November 2014 at the earliest. We'll get updates throughout this year on how Rodney looks in practice - and I'm sure most of them will be very positive. But we just have to wait and see what it looks like in a real game.

 

[Scot-e]

RP wants to play PG and if we get the right kids- KO wants to play two PGs most of the time- or at least players that can handle the rock. From what I have seen RP - at this point can not be the primary PG- but anything is possible with a year to work on it.

(DD may play his way into the lottery this year).