Jalen

[TasteofUConn]

What do we have to lose.

Our dignity. We're still clinging to that.

 

[caw]

Jalens main issue is that he seems to short arm a ton of his shots and he still makes some freshmen mistakes. I'm not worried about either going forward.

 

[djct1999]

Jalens main issue is that he seems to short arm a ton of his shots and he still makes some freshmen mistakes. I'm not worried about either going forward.

neither am i, but i also don't get how so many on here want to hand him the keys. for all the times i see him attack the rim and play with energy, i see a ton of forced errors and turnovers. there are a few time each game when he dribbles into traffic and has the ball stripped. freshmen mistakes? maybe. but i have seen very little that suggests playing jalen more would change the outcome of these brutal losses. this uconn team should and needs to win now. no way ko can quit on the season for development purposes. that was so last year.

 

[Danzz]

Two things: he is a freshman and he is playing tentative on offense right now (see Caw's post). He needs to look for his own shot more and take it when he has it. This kid is going to be great in time.

 

[mauconnfan]

Freshman Kemba was very underrated. He was one of the best freshman we have ever had, his contribution off the bench was huge that year. Despite being very streaky and not shooting a great %, you could truly see how talented the kid was. As a freshman he was lighting quick, had a solid handle (not like he did as a junior but still very good) and was incredibly crafty around the rim and specialized in using the rim to protect himself from shot blockers, a very advanced skill. So far, Jalen has shown flashes but he is no freshman Kemba, not that you were saying that but I'm just reminiscing.

Agree. The 2nd half of his soph year he really turned to corner, better decisions with a lot more confidence.

 

[Hoophound]

neither am i, but i also don't get how so many on here want to hand him the keys. for all the times i see him attack the rim and play with energy, i see a ton of forced errors and turnovers. there are a few time each game when he dribbles into traffic and has the ball stripped. freshmen mistakes? maybe. but i have seen very little that suggests playing jalen more would change the outcome of these brutal losses. this uconn team should and needs to win now. no way ko can quit on the season for development purposes. that was so last year.

Gibbs isn't a point guard. The things that happen on the floor as a result of having a good pg don't happen when he is out there. Unfortunately, unless your unconventional point guard is named LeBron or MJ, this just doesn't work very well. I am accepting that without a change at that position, we aren't going anywhere. I also think that Jalen will become more confident very quickly once he knows he is being handed the keys and maybe he'll lead. Joe is known for being a natural leader. If anyone can give a good pep talk, its KO.

I also want him out there so Sterling can score more. One of the problems on the laundry is that Sterling isn't able to produce points consistently from that position. I know he probably wants to play point and create himself a pro career, but his future is scoring points in Europe. He is a scorer. If he ever develops into a pro PG, it isn't happening in the next 6 months. End the experiment and give Jalen lots of minutes. The worst thing that happens is we still stink.

 

[intlzncster]

neither am i, but i also don't get how so many on here want to hand him the keys. for all the times i see him attack the rim and play with energy, i see a ton of forced errors and turnovers. there are a few time each game when he dribbles into traffic and has the ball stripped. freshmen mistakes? maybe.

Those are exactly freshman mistakes. Easily fixed with time/experience. I'd be shocked if that happened this year.

I remember Kemba as a freshman often blowing past the hoop, resulting in either wild/blocked shots, or being trapped under the hoop by bigs. In later years, he eventually developed the savvy and hesitation to his game that made him virtually unstoppable.

 

[djct1999]

Two things: he is a freshman and he is playing tentative on offense right now (see Caw's post). He needs to look for his own shot more and take it when he has it. This kid is going to be great in time.

No one is arguing about his upside. We all agree the kid has ability. The problem is right now. The brutal honesty is that right now, he is clearly third behind Purvis and Gibbs. He has done very little on the court to change that order. Its Mid-Jan and as bad as things seem right now, it is not time yet to give up on the season. Of all the things we can criticize KO about, his handling of Jalen Adams is not one of them. His minutes are appropriate for his development and more importantly for the team now. Playing Adams more at the expense of Gibbs, Purvis, or DHam right now is not the answer.

 

[djct1999]

Those are exactly freshman mistakes. Easily fixed with time/experience. I'd be shocked if that happened this year.

I remember Kemba as a freshman often blowing past the hoop, resulting in either wild/blocked shots, or being trapped under the hoop by bigs. In later years, he eventually developed the savvy and hesitation to his game that made him virtually unstoppable.

Agreed. They are freshman mistakes. Until he stops making them, it doesn't make sense at this point in the season to give him more minutes. Those mistakes, even in Tulsa, cost us. He forces things way to much. We aren't rebuilding. This team was constructed to win now.

 

[jibsey]

I think Jalen has the goods, and I remember Kemba driving into the trees early on, I guess that Tulsa game just put me in a bad mood. A good reason not to post right away, but after a game like that it's like a poison that you have to get out.

 

[djct1999]

Those are exactly freshman mistakes. Easily fixed with time/experience. I'd be shocked if that happened this year.

I remember Kemba as a freshman often blowing past the hoop, resulting in either wild/blocked shots, or being trapped under the hoop by bigs. In later years, he eventually developed the savvy and hesitation to his game that made him virtually unstoppable.

Kemba played 25 mins a game his freshman year. Jalen is playing about 21. Not a huge difference. Especially considering that its only mid Jan. for Jalen.

 

[KingOPancakes]

No one is arguing about his upside. We all agree the kid has ability. The problem is right now. The brutal honesty is that right now, he is clearly third behind Purvis and Gibbs. He has done very little on the court to change that order. Its Mid-Jan and as bad as things seem right now, it is not time yet to give up on the season. Of all the things we can criticize KO about, his handling of Jalen Adams is not one of them. His minutes are appropriate for his development and more importantly for the team now. Playing Adams more at the expense of Gibbs, Purvis, or DHam right now is not the answer.

I don't see playing Adams more as giving up on the season. With the exception of scoring, JA, RP and SH have shockingly similar stats per 40 minutes (Reb, ast, stl, to, blk...) and having SG take the role of a spot up shooter like Neils in 2014 would help the team tremendously.

 

[KingOPancakes]

Kemba played 25 mins a game his freshman year. Jalen is playing about 21. Not a huge difference. Especially considering that its only mid Jan. for Jalen.

Kemba was also on a top 5 squad that went about 27-3 during the regular season. Jalen is on a team that is flaming out and in desperate need of a true PG.

 

[intlzncster]

Kemba played 25 mins a game his freshman year. Jalen is playing about 21. Not a huge difference. Especially considering that its only mid Jan. for Jalen.

By time, I wasn't referring to minutes. Jalen needs 30 games under his belt, plus a real offseason in the program, before I'd expect to see significant improvement.

 

[djct1999]

I don't see playing Adams more as giving up on the season. With the exception of scoring, JA, RP and SH have shockingly similar stats per 40 minutes (Reb, ast, stl, to, blk...) and having SG take the role of a spot up shooter like Neils in 2014 would help the team tremendously.

Exactly. This team needs scoring. JA doesnt add much at the expense of the other two. You are making it sound as if he is a pure, pass first PG. So far, he has been nothing of the sort.

 

[djct1999]

By time, I wasn't referring to minutes. Jalen needs 30 games under his belt, plus a real offseason in the program, before I'd expect to see significant improvement.

Remind me of your argument. I agree 100% with what you are saying. I thought we were discussing that the team will benefit if he plays more minutes right now. I think KO is playing JA appropriately. Nothing more, nothing less. This has little to do with JA's long term potential.

 

[intlzncster]

Remind me of your argument. I agree 100% with what you are saying. I thought we were discussing that the team will benefit if he plays more minutes right now. I think KO is playing JA appropriately. Nothing more, nothing less. This has little to do with JA's long term potential.

My argument: they have a missing piece and there's not much they can do about it. That's really what I'm trying to say. I'm not personally sure it's going to help or hurt the team all that much; helps on defense, but makes us less experienced on O. Pluses and minuses. And it's probably not going to matter much for JA himself either way this year.

 

[80shusky]

I would start Jalen at the point and put Facey on the bench. I'm not saying give Jalen many more minutes than he is already getting just give him the starts and let him run the team. Tell him you want him to be a floor general but score when he can and be aggressive. We've really only had three bad offensive games, Maryland, Temple and Tulsa. Most of the rest of the games our scoring has been fine. We've all seen what the problems are. The offense gets stagnant, we don't go inside, we jack threes at the end of the shot clock. Let's stop that. It's not hard. Jalen actually takes it to the basket when he has an opportunity. Facey, other than a few rebounds, doesn't do much for us anyway. Then:

• Run screens and curls for Gibbs and let him score. That is what he does best.
• Stop using Hamilton as a point forward. It is not working without Brimah on the floor.
• Use Hamilton as a shooter off screens, put him at the foul line against the zone to bust the zone, let him post up *gasp* once in a while. He has a turn around jumper. Use it and put that ridiculous spin move in the *sometimes* category.
• Feed Miller, Facey and Nolan, especially Miller, the ball in the paint. Maybe the stripes will call some fouls for us once in a while since Duke is not on our schedule this year. More Miller! He seems to have been our most consistent scorer. Get him the ball.
• Let Purvis shoot his threes but get him to drive to the hoop more and maybe even cut to the basket so Jalen can feed him the ball.
• More ball movement, more moving without the ball, more feeding the foul line against the zone, and more people taking the ball to the hoop rather than settling for jump shots.

There is enough talent on this team to play better. Someone on the bench who gets a paycheck needs to get them to play smarter and be more dynamic on offense. The team is admittedly thin up front without Brimah and he obviously contributed more than we give him credit for but we had enough talent and enough bodies to win both the Temple and Tulsa games. The coaches needed to lead the team.

 

[intlzncster]

I would start Jalen at the point and put Facey on the bench. I'm not saying give Jalen many more minutes than he is already getting just give him the starts and let him run the team. Tell him you want him to be a floor general but score when he can and be aggressive. We've really only had three bad offensive games, Maryland, Temple and Tulsa. Most of the rest of the games our scoring has been fine. We've all seen what the problems are. The offense gets stagnant, we don't go inside, we jack threes at the end of the shot clock. Let's stop that. It's not hard. Jalen actually takes it to the basket when he has an opportunity. Facey, other than a few rebounds, doesn't do much for us anyway. Then

You want to play with a 6'4 guy, bean pole 6'7 guy, and 6'5 guy as our front line?

 

[UConnSwag11]

I wouldn't start jalen, i would play him a lot more off the bench... his defense his shaky especially when players drive at him he constantly fouls or let's them drive by... When he comes in I would make him or hamilton bring the ball up and let adams run the offense if theres no easy bucket,,, have gibbs play the two and come ff screens... starting would be gibbs, purvis, hamilton, miller, brimah/facey, then adams, gibbs, purvis, hamilton, miller... my biggest issue with the team is the off the ball movement, the panicking, and how they dont feed the post especially miller... miller needs the ball on the block every possession

 

[UConnSwag11]

I would start Jalen at the point and put Facey on the bench. I'm not saying give Jalen many more minutes than he is already getting just give him the starts and let him run the team. Tell him you want him to be a floor general but score when he can and be aggressive. We've really only had three bad offensive games, Maryland, Temple and Tulsa. Most of the rest of the games our scoring has been fine. We've all seen what the problems are. The offense gets stagnant, we don't go inside, we jack threes at the end of the shot clock. Let's stop that. It's not hard. Jalen actually takes it to the basket when he has an opportunity. Facey, other than a few rebounds, doesn't do much for us anyway. Then:

• Run screens and curls for Gibbs and let him score. That is what he does best.
  
• Stop using Hamilton as a point forward. It is not working without Brimah on the floor.
  
• Use Hamilton as a shooter off screens, put him at the foul line against the zone to bust the zone, let him post up *gasp* once in a while. He has a turn around jumper. Use it and put that ridiculous spin move in the *sometimes* category.
  
• Feed Miller, Facey and Nolan, especially Miller, the ball in the paint. Maybe the stripes will call some fouls for us once in a while since Duke is not on our schedule this year. More Miller! He seems to have been our most consistent scorer. Get him the ball.
  
• Let Purvis shoot his threes but get him to drive to the hoop more and maybe even cut to the basket so Jalen can feed him the ball.
  
• More ball movement, more moving without the ball, more feeding the foul line against the zone, and more people taking the ball to the hoop rather than settling for jump shots.

There is enough talent on this team to play better. Someone on the bench who gets a paycheck needs to get them to play smarter and be more dynamic on offense. The team is admittedly thin up front without Brimah and he obviously contributed more than we give him credit for but we had enough talent and enough bodies to win both the Temple and Tulsa games. The coaches needed to lead the team.

i agree with all except nolan... he cant come in unless need be and that hamilton should still bring the ball up and push the tempo but not run the offense when we set up the halfcourt... we need an inside presence and more attacking at the rim

 

[TasteofUConn]

Gibbs isn't a point guard. The things that happen on the floor as a result of having a good pg don't happen when he is out there. . . .

I also want [Adams] out there so Sterling can score more. One of the problems on the laundry is that Sterling isn't able to produce points consistently from that position. . . .

End the experiment and give Jalen lots of minutes. The worst thing that happens is we still stink.

I think this post is brilliant.
The two options appear to be:
Stay the course and hope that Gibbs becomes something that he has shown for 3 months not to be, thereby likely resulting in more of the same.
OR
Try something new, and see if we get a different result.
We're in a rut.

 

[UConnSwag11]

Ollie needs to play Gibbs purvis adams hamilton miller brimah facey until they're exhausted, foul trouble, or playing stupid. Calhoun would be next followed by Enoch. Ollie needs to stop messing with chemistry and rotations. Let them play.

 

[DogMania]

One thing you have to keep in mind, this is not Jalen Adams' team. The balance of talent doesn't lend itself for putting him predominately at the point guard and surrounding him with the correct cast of characters unless you go with the three guard offense. If you go to a 3G-set of Adams, Purvis and Gibbs, what do you do with Hamilton and Miller? Those are your best 5 players where those pieces just don't fit.

Once you add Jalen plus Miller and whatever Big you choose, that leaves you to choose 2 between Purvis, Gibbs and DHam.

Adams is simply not playing well enough for KO to just hand in the keys and surround him with the right mix of players even though he's the most natural point guard on the roster. Unfortunately, when Adams is not in there, the team doesn't have a true point guard to lead them. Neither Gibbs nor Purvis seem to know how to run the offense, but not having them on the floor at the same time takes one important score off the floor. Add to that, Hamilton doesn't seem to know how to play effectively off the ball, and seemingly lately with the ball in his hands. I just think that this team is a very difficult one for an inexpensived point guard to lead, unless that point guard is seen as the true leader, and can both score and run the offense efficiently.

I think Jason will be a very talented point guard, but he's a year or two away from that. If the team had more chemistry coming into the season, I think he'd look a lot better than he has been so far. It's just a tough situation for him to come into. As some have mentioned above, if he were a KEA type leader, he might have been able to pull things together. But there aren't many freshman like KEA, and even then I'm not sure Khalid could have done much with this mix of talent.

 

[Dogbreath2U]

Those are exactly freshman mistakes. Easily fixed with time/experience. I'd be shocked if that happened this year.

I remember Kemba as a freshman often blowing past the hoop, resulting in either wild/blocked shots, or being trapped under the hoop by bigs. In later years, he eventually developed the savvy and hesitation to his game that made him virtually unstoppable.

Learning to control his speed was the key to his quantum leap his junior year, that and greatly improving his jumper (thanks, George Blaney!). Doing the same would really help Rodney and Daniel, IMHO. Both have great forward quickness, but don't use it as well as they could if they could shift speeds more effectively.