Deandre Daniels question

[Kitaman]

What in your opinion does DD need to do to take his game to the next level, and from potential to realism. He is into his junior year and we (i.e. I) are awaiting his breakout continuation from end of season last year. He hasn't digressed yet he still is not dominating like I hoped he would. Quite frankly, he looks uncomfortable/unsure at times.

He is not in discussion for post season awards and certainly not NBA 1st round. Its not too early to say that he needs another year, yet Caron and others 'came out' there junior year.

The positive signs are there but something is missing. I can't put my finger on it, but I know we have some basketball minds here that see what I can't. I'm trying not to get frustrated but damn the kid has the physical skills to take over a game, but hasn't.

Is it his teammates (i.e. guards), play sets, confidence, etc, holding him back? We need him in a big way to compensate for many team shortcomings and to do serious damage early next year.

 

[RichZ]

He needs to get out of the damned corner, and get in the paint. Go for garbage buckets, and the rest will come.

 

[Kitaman]

He needs to get out of the damned corner, and get in the paint. Go for garbage buckets, and the rest will come.

I wonder though is he a SF playing out of position, and not knowing really how to play as a PF? In fact what is his real position (next level included)?

 

[kcc1442]

JMHO but he still looks like a tweener, which I was hoping would have changed from last year. I don't think he'll ever be big enough for the 4 spot, especially at the next level, but his dribble drive and face up game for the 3 spot isn't great, I'd qualify it as above average but not great. He has good range on his shot and plays hard but he needs to be stronger on the boards and be able to take his man off the dribble from the wing and finish at a higher rate of success. Count me as one who thought that he would have came into this year dominating any 3 in the college game. He is being played as a 4 defensively a lot which he is learning how to rebound down low, but offensively he is getting plenty of touches on the outside on the perimeter and he doesn't look to be an extremely fluid slasher. He still has a more than half a season to improve and raise his draft stock if he wanted to come out, but if it was the end of the season right now, I would probably tell him to come back for his senior year. I think next year he would be counted on more to score with Shabazz, Giffey and Kromah gone. I dunno just what I see...

 

[RichZ]

I wonder though is he a SF playing out of position, and not knowing really how to play as a PF? In fact what is his real position (next level included)?

Where did he play the last 8 or 9 games last year, when he had the biggest naysayers on the yard asking, "Roscoe who?"

 

[MilliniumPrince]

DeAndre isn't very athletic. In fact, I would say he is fairly awkward when he runs and jumps. In high school I suspect his size a sheer skill was enough to dominate. At this level he needs to learn to leverage his skills against his lack of superior athleticism.

 

[selles]

DeAndre isn't very athletic. In fact, I would say he is fairly awkward when he runs and jumps. In high school I suspect his size a sheer skill was enough to dominate. At this level he needs to learn to leverage his skills against his lack of superior athleticism.

He's plenty athletic. As RichZ suggested, he needs to want the ball to score it inside the 3 point line. We saw he can do it last year, he needs to decide that he will do it. Simple as that.

 

[James]

I think he's playing pretty well , shooting on nearly 50/40/90 %'s; however I believe he needs to be more aggressive and get to the foul line more.

 

[huskyharry]

DD, as we know is quite thin and doesn't really have to body type to put on a lot more muscle. His hips are actually narrow as well, which contributes to him having less of a "base" from which to operate in the low post. This makes it easy for him to be knocked off balance etc.

However, I agree that he needs to work harder for position in the low post and use the position that he gets as the starting point for his move. But, rather than trying to make a power move, use his quickness and very good skill at spin moves to create space from the defender and finish the 5-7 footer in the lane and from the short corner. Utilizing the bank shot could increase his shooting percentage.

Three pointers will still be there later on, but establish the inside game first.

Similarly, on defense, he needs to sacrifice his body and BOX OUT HARD. It hurts when you are 190 lbs and you are boxing out a 250 # player who is pushing you, but it needs to be done if this team is going to take the next step forward.

 

[champs99and04]

As James just said, his efficiency this season has been remarkable - 50% from the field, 41% from three, 89% from the line. That efficiency - coupled with his relatively low shot attempts (about the same as last season) and disappointing rebounding totals - would seem to indicate strength is what's holding him back. UConn regularly seeks to establish him on the block (where he's been lethal this season), but he just doesn't seem to have the core strength to win the turf battles inside that you need to win to become a dominant low post player. Additionally, when he's on the perimeter, his weak handle is exposed - he has the quickness to beat big men off the bounce, but he's a nightmare with multiple defenders in his line of vision. It doesn't help that he's a poor passer and not strong enough to finish through contact.

 

[BoatShow]

He needs the ball posted up 8 times a game. He is super effective with quick moves to the bucket and little turn arounds over shorter/slower players. Gets himself in trouble on drives and isn't a very good passer when the D collapses. He's an OKAY 3pt shooter but he's too good around the basket to linger on the wings the way he tends to. Oh, and CRASH THE OFFENSIVE GLASS.

 

[CTBasketball]

He's plenty athletic. As RichZ suggested, he needs to want the ball to score it inside the 3 point line. We saw he can do it last year, he needs to decide that he will do it. Simple as that.

If you watch closely other than his dunks, he is not really that athletic at all. I think if he wants to make it in the NBA he has to have a killer jumper and 3 pt shot. He will not be playing the 4 at the next level wherever he goes.

 

[BoatShow]

Yeah if you take away his high flying dunks in traffic his athleticism is pretty lacking.

 

[Sportsman5]

he just needs to get bigger and stronger. that is why he will end up coming back another year. He either gets drafted in the 2nd round and plays in the D league next year or stays one more year and works himself into a sure first round pick in a weaker draft and gets the guaranteed money. As has been pointed out he has the athleticism, but he can't maintain low post position or drive past defenders on a regular basis because he is always getting pushed away from the basket.

 

[mauconnfan]

First step, euro step…….needs to get a quicker 1st step in order to enable himself to drive by quicker defenders coming out to play him tight…….that would make the rest of his offense easier!

 

[boog204]

He has to improve his handle to play the 3. If he's playing the four, he's got to work to get himself into better position in the post. When he does, he's got skills to score around the hoop. When he gets muscled around he tends to shy away and try to shoot fall-away's which is not his game.

As far as the athleticism, I don't think he's a great athlete. He lacks quickness and immediate explosion. Meaning, he looks great when he's moving full speed, can catch in stride, and can get to the hoop. But he doesn't have a great first step (offensively or defensively) and he is not (to me at least) an explosive two foot leaper hence why he is not a great rebounder.

 

[joober jones]

When he overthinks, he plays poorly. When he shuts it all out and grabs the game by the horns he's unstoppable.

 

[Husky1]

He seems like a great kid, but IMO the bottom line is that there is no way he is strong enough to play the four on the league and right now he does not have the handle, strength, quickness or consistent outside shot to play the three. If he has a future in nba it is at the three, and for that to happen he needs to come back next year. It is one thing in college to blow by the four guarding you like he can, is it all together something else to do it in the nba against the best athletes in the world.

 

[maineuconnfan]

This is easy....he has some generally good basketball skills, otherwise he would never score over 20 points in a Big East game, however the deficiencies are the following, and have already been stated, since really most are obvious.
1. Thin
2. few offensive moves
3. Poor handle
4. lack of intensity
4a. lack of intensity leads to inconsistency
5. Did I say thin!

He is a good player, and who knows, he does have some general skills that are high level, and if he is able to take away at least 2 of those deficiencies, he could be a very good/great college player by next year....I am just not seeing it happen...I love the kid, as with just about every husky that plays, but he is what he is, and I think we can win with him, its just never going to be "his" team.

 

[maineuconnfan]

This is easy....he has some generally good basketball skills, otherwise he would never score over 20 points in a Big East game, however the deficiencies are the following, and have already been stated, since really most are obvious.
1. Thin
2. few offensive moves
3. Poor handle
4. lack of intensity
4a. lack of intensity leads to inconsistency
5. Did I say thin!

He is a good player, and who knows, he does have some general skills that are high level, and if he is able to take away at least 2 of those deficiencies, he could be a very good/great college player by next year....I am just not seeing it happen...I love the kid, as with just about every husky that plays, but he is what he is, and I think we can win with him, its just never going to be "his" team.

and really defensively he would be outstanding, I think with some size, but it is such a detriment. When I used to play ball, I remember playing in high school and being able to do all sorts of things. Every once in a while I would take a trip up to the local university and play pick up with some of the players(granted this was University of Maine, but still they were d1 players) and the thing that always was the toughest to play against was the strength. I could shoot good and even shoot as good as some d1 players, I could pass, maybe with not as much zip as Shabazz, but I did not turn the ball over much. I could be in position all I wanted for rebounds, but just a little hip bump and I am no longer in position. For some of you who have not experienced the difference between high school ball and d1 players, trust me, there is a huge strength and size differential...for those of you who have, you know what I am talking about...that is unless you were drummond coming out of high school in which nobody could match your size.