Fall Practice Thread

[WhereistheDove?]

Supportable points about last year. Followed by the BY fallacy that a player can never improve. Solo is an athleticly gifted player that is in his third year of the system. He should be able to take a step up and contribute at PG.

Stewart is an athletically gifted player in his third year in the system. Should he contribute at PG this year?

 

[Ricker]

Stewart is an athletically gifted player in his third year in the system. Should he contribute at PG this year?

I know this was not intended as a serious comment, but Stewart was essentially the primary ball handler on his AAU team that initiated most offense. He isn't going to play any lead guard at UConn, but his capabilities are more than we see now as a forward. Jarred Cumberland of Cincinnati has been mentioned as a comp for Landrew, but was also a good comp for Stewart before he lost 20lbs or more from the end of the AAU season until arriving at UConn as a different player. When a player gets established in a role and is not asked to do things, it doesn't mean he can't do it.

 

[VanDunk]

Wow nice dunk by number 4.

 

[Palatine]

Stewart is an athletically gifted player in his third year in the system. Should he contribute at PG this year?

You know the answer. It doesn't change my post one iota about Solo developing a solid enough handle to contribute at PG.

 

[WhereistheDove?]

I know this was not intended as a serious comment, but Stewart was essentially the primary ball handler on his AAU team that initiated most offense. He isn't going to play any lead guard at UConn, but his capabilities are more than we see now as a forward. Jarred Cumberland of Cincinnati has been mentioned as a comp for Landrew, but was also a good comp for Stewart before he lost 20lbs or more from the end of the AAU season until arriving at UConn as a different player. When a player gets established in a role and is not asked to do things, it doesn't mean he can't do it.

Don’t disagree at all. Hurley’s system asks a lot of guys to initiate offense in certain situations. My point was that some players are just not PGs. That’s not their skill set and won’t be their skill set, and that doesn’t indicate a failure by the player or coaching staff. Solo is not a PG and hasn’t really shown any indication that might be in his future. That doesn’t mean he can’t contribute as the initiator in certain sets and it certainly doesn’t mean he has failed to develop, that’s just not his game.

 

[Lafayette]

Don’t disagree at all. Hurley’s system asks a lot of guys to initiate offense in certain situations. My point was that some players are just not PGs. That’s not their skill set and won’t be their skill set, and that doesn’t indicate a failure by the player or coaching staff. Solo is not a PG and hasn’t really shown any indication that might be in his future. That doesn’t mean he can’t contribute as the initiator in certain sets and it certainly doesn’t mean he has failed to develop, that’s just not his game.

I would not sleep on a potential Solo 3.0. I think after last season he was working on ball handling and defense and if he can improve in those areas at all he would be a great combo guard with still more potential.

 

[Excalibur]

Supportable points about last year. Followed by the BY fallacy that a player can never improve. Solo is an athletically gifted player that is in his third year of the system. He should be able to take a step up and contribute at PG.

Or the lazy conclusion that he's just not being instructed on how to do it. And that he should have been told to do it in games even though it was a weak point in his skillset.

He's improved a bit as a passer and is ok as a straight line dribbler. He hasn't been very good at trying to break down a defender one on one. He reminds me a lot of Jerome Dyson in that respect, but with a much better jump shot pull-up/mid-range game.

 

[HW611]

Or the lazy conclusion that he's just not being instructed on how to do it. And that he should have been told to do it in games even though it was a weak point in his skillset.

He's improved a bit as a passer and is ok as a straight line dribbler. He hasn't been very good at trying to break down a defender one on one. He reminds me a lot of Jerome Dyson in that respect, but with a much better jump shot pull-up/mid-range game.

If he has, I’d love if the staff/players were more vocal about what they’re working on and improving. I’ve never heard Hurley talk about Solo’s need to develop more guard skills until this summer, I think. Previously, he just raved about his jumpshot and how he wanted him to show he’s a 3 point shooter. Didn’t necessarily hear Solo talk about that either until this summer.

Speaking of Dyson, here’s an interview where Calhoun thoroughly breaks down what he’s looking for Dyson to improve to better his chances at becoming an NBA player and sticking. Which didn’t happen but that wasn’t Calhoun’s fault. (Please make reasonable assumptions on why I’m saying that and don’t try to have a gotcha moment to make me explain further).

 

[superjohn]

If he has, I’d love if the staff/players were more vocal about what they’re working on and improving. I’ve never heard Hurley talk about Solo’s need to develop more guard skills until this summer, I think. Previously, he just raved about his jumpshot and how he wanted him to show he’s a 3 point shooter. Didn’t necessarily hear Solo talk about that either until this summer.

Speaking of Dyson, here’s an interview where Calhoun thoroughly breaks down what he’s looking for Dyson to improve to better his chances at becoming an NBA player and sticking. Which didn’t happen but that wasn’t Calhoun’s fault. (Please make reasonable assumptions on why I’m saying that and don’t try to have a gotcha moment to make me explain further).

Fascinating

 

[WhereistheDove?]

I would not sleep on a potential Solo 3.0. I think after last season he was working on ball handling and defense and if he can improve in those areas at all he would be a great combo guard with still more potential.

I fully expect him to improve his ball handling and passing skills. He's clearly a very hard worker and it will tremendously improve his game at the 2. Again my point remains, he is not a PG, he will almost certainly not play a minute as the primary point on the floor this year, and that should not be viewed as a failure on his or the staff’s part as some posters here believe.

 

[HW611]

I fully expect him to improve his ball handling and passing skills. He's clearly a very hard worker and it will tremendously improve his game at the 2. Again my point remains, he is not a PG, he will almost certainly not play a minute as the primary point on the floor this year, and that should not be viewed as a failure on his or the staff’s part as some posters here believe.

My question is, if he shows the ability to improve his ball handling and passing skills, what would stop him from being able to play PG if those skills continue to improve?

If you’re talking about long term and not just this year.

 

[WhereistheDove?]

My question is, if he shows the ability to improve his ball handling and passing skills, what would stop him from being able to play PG if those skills continue to improve?

If you’re talking about long term and not just this year.

What’s to stop Hawkins from becoming an NBA PG if all of his PG skills improve tremendously? That’s tongue in cheek but my point is you could ask that about pretty much any player across the board. That doesn’t mean it’s realistic or probable. Guys just have different skill sets.

 

[HW611]

What’s to stop Hawkins from becoming an NBA PG if all of his PG skills improve tremendously? That’s tongue in cheek but my point is you could ask that about pretty much any player across the board. That doesn’t mean it’s realistic or probable. Guys just have different skill sets.

Technically, anybody can learn to play PG. The reason they don’t is because it’s the hardest position to learn and if you have value at other positions doing other things it’s not necessary. So if you’re a Hawkins or Stewart you have a lot of value and the necessary physical tools to be a wing scorer.

That is not the case for Solo and why it is important for him more than the others to learn the position. Which technically, yeah anyone can do.

 

[superjohn]

Technically, anybody can learn to play PG. The reason they don’t is because it’s the hardest position to learn and if you have value at other positions doing other things it’s not necessary. So if you’re a Hawkins or Stewart you have a lot of value and the necessary physical tools to be a wing scorer.

That is not the case for Solo and why it is important for him more than the others to learn the position. Which technically, yeah anyone can do.

 

[Kenny11]

Wow nice dunk by number 4.

Is that Koroma?

 

[VanDunk]

Is that Koroma?

I wondered that too.

 

[REB1094]

This is music to my ears. Silas is saying he has to fight and compete for the job even though he’s obviously starting. Malachi is hyping up the practices and the competition from coaches and players. Alec is talking about the culture that they’ve already built. These are really good signs

 

[CTFAN4LIFE]

This is music to my ears. Silas is saying he has to fight and compete for the job even though he’s obviously starting. Malachi is hyping up the practices and the competition from coaches and players. Alec is talking about the culture that they’ve already built. These are really good signs

I'm getting less sure of this assumption (maybe more of a platoon situation?), but time will tell.

 

[Mr. French]

Technically, anybody can learn to play PG. The reason they don’t is because it’s the hardest position to learn and if you have value at other positions doing other things it’s not necessary. So if you’re a Hawkins or Stewart you have a lot of value and the necessary physical tools to be a wing scorer.

That is not the case for Solo and why it is important for him more than the others to learn the position. Which technically, yeah anyone can do.

Every guard in America at every level works on their "point guard skills" i.e. dribbling, passing and decision making. That doesn't mean they're specifically training to become a point guard. They're working on their guard skills.

You've also said in the past point guard is the easiest to learn and now you say the opposite. I guess you'll give me some crazy distinction between learning the skills and learning to BE a point guard, which is actually everyone's point that opposes you. You can learn to be better at skills on the court but that doesn't necessarily make you a point guard, even if you work on those weaknesses for years.

Solo and Hawk can work on their point guard skills, and they should, until they're blue in the face. It probably will not ever result in them being a point guard, but rather a better 2 guard.

 

[imno1]

This is music to my ears. Silas is saying he has to fight and compete for the job even though he’s obviously starting. Malachi is hyping up the practices and the competition from coaches and players. Alec is talking about the culture that they’ve already built. These are really good signs

Didn’t he forget to mention another pg?

 

[HW611]

Every guard in America at every level works on their "point guard skills" i.e. dribbling, passing and decision making. That doesn't mean they're specifically training to become a point guard. They're working on their guard skills.

You've also said in the past point guard is the easiest to learn and now you say the opposite. I guess you'll give me some crazy distinction between learning the skills and learning to BE a point guard, which is actually everyone's point that opposes you. You can learn to be better at skills on the court but that doesn't necessarily make you a point guard, even if you work on those weaknesses for years.

Solo and Hawk can work on their point guard skills, and they should, until they're blue in the face. It probably will not ever result in them being a point guard, but rather a better 2 guard.

Never said PG is the easiest to learn. I said ball handling is easy to pick up.

I’ve consistently said that it usually took 3 years for our past PGs to master their positions.

Please stop making up stuff I said.

 

[CardiacAndre7]

Never said PG is the easiest to learn. I said ball handling is easy to pick up.

I’ve consistently said that it usually took 3 years for our past PGs to master their positions.

Please stop making up stuff I said.

Ball handling is not easy to pick up. If it was, Solo and Hawk would have handled ball-handling responsibilities more often, like every other guard we have had the last couple years. The weak hand is very necessary and hard to train and incredibly hard to master, and Solo and Hawk’s weak hands have been quite weak.

 

[HW611]

Ball handling is not easy to pick up. If it was, Solo and Hawk would have handled ball-handling responsibilities more often, like every other guard we have had the last couple years. The weak hand is very necessary and hard to train and incredibly hard to master, and Solo and Hawk’s weak hands have been quite weak.

What is your basis for saying that ball handling is hard to pick up? Just because you see our players struggle with it?

 

[CardiacAndre7]

What is your basis for saying that ball handling is hard to pick up? Just because you see our players struggle with it?

Because like everything in the sport, doing something at a high level is difficult to master. It’s obvious with those two that they were not asked to do too much ball handling in their HS/College careers. It is one of those innate skills that usually you either have or you don’t.

You can see it at every level. You see it in pickup games I play in, the guys that don’t have it get pressured more. Obviously the skill gap from that to college is insane, but so is the defense. Solo and Hawk will get targeted when they have the ball because they aren’t the type to blow by a guy with a crossover or handle the pressure relatively simply.

 

[Mr. French]

What is your basis for saying that ball handling is hard to pick up? Just because you see our players struggle with it?

I think just playing, watching, coaching and observing basketball for 40 years?

Not seeing any natural 2Gs magically become PGs because they did some handling work?