Need Deandre to get 35 minutes

[scrappy2.0]

This is a whole different team with him healthy at the 4

 

[ctchamps]

I want the five players on the floor who are the most effective group on offense and defense at the given moment. Since no player is perfect in all aspects of play nor perfect all the time with what skills they have, I prefer the method KO is taking, which is constant evaluation of situations and substituting accordingly.

When he "fails" it's because no combination is working. It's really simple to realize that people have bad days and players are no different from the rest of us. If too many players are having a bad day chances are the team will lose unless the opposing team is undergoing the same situation.

Edit: I do understand the OP intention that a optimum DD makes this team much more difficult to beat.

 

[Strummer]

Once or twice a game DeAndre Daniels makes a move to the rim and floats in a soft one-hander, or strokes a 3 and makes it look like a free throw, or has an amazing defensive block and rebound.

Once or twice a game DeAndre Daniels makes a move to the rim and loses control of the dribble, or fails to control the ball in traffic, or cuts into the lane and gets smothered attempting a shot, or looks like he has lost the ability to bend.

Tis the Wax and the Wane of DD, and it's just part of his game right now. He has many strengths and a few weaknesses. Nonetheless, he's a valuable team member, and if he does not ever manage to further eliminate the weaknesses, he'll still be one of my favorite players.

 

[B1GEast]

I strongly believe that DD will be a monster in the tourny. He will be the difference maker, teams will be focusing too much on Bazz. He needs to step it up and he will

 

[mauconnfan]

This is a whole different team with him healthy at the 4

I agree with this but then we need him all ten toes in on defense all the time. KO sat him twice that I know immediately after playing lazy defense and it was on obvious situations……..he needs to start tightening up his defense, his weak side help and rebounding to get huge minutes. Also 3 or 4 shots yesterday instead of getting a firm base and either ball faking or going up strong he's just throwing shots "towards" the basket as he goes to the hoop, mostly making sure they don't get blocked. What he needs to do is go stronger and get to the line more! He can be so good with some more patience of his own on O and a little more passion the other end!

 

[James]

hes been our best rebounder in conference play. Hes always had a penchant for overhelping and going for a highlight block, cant blame him though that did win us the game vs memphis. Both he and brimah have been playing exceptional at times in conference, but alot of that probably has to do with the beatings we give the basement aac teams. its pretty obvious he needs to somehow gain strength this summer, he goes to the line like 3 times per 40 minutes. unacceptable for a starting 4.

 

[selles]

I agree with this but then we need him all ten toes in on defense all the time. KO sat him twice that I know immediately after playing lazy defense and it was on obvious situations……..

Good post. KO did the same thing against Memphis. DD came out slack on D to start the second half and then sat for quite awhile. Worked well, because when he came back in he made those two very crucial - and aggressive - blocks.

I like a lot of things about KO as a coach. But what I like most is that he always seems to have a plan (or plans), both for individual players and the team as a whole. He's thought everything out beforehand, and you can really see him implementing his plans during games.

He wants to teach DD to play with aggression all the time, so he's started giving him a seat when he doesn't. Both Boat and the team are better off if Boat can serve capably as the lead guard, so as superjohn noted there's been a marked effort to get Boat time in that role every game. Memphis at home is a must win, so when Brimah comes out looking a bit overwhelmed like he did against Louisville, KO immediately goes to Nolan. When Nolan responds he sticks with him all game. But Brimah gets the run against Temple because he's the guy who can develop into an All American. Some coaches would have given up on Omar at this point after his rough season and never worked him back in after the concussion, but KO still wants to see if he can give us something come tourney time, so Omar gets relatively meaningful minutes at Temple.

There's just so much thinking going on, all the time.

 

[gtcam]

I don't really care how many minutes anyone plays as long as they play 100% and play with determination and mental/physical toughness. I think Boat has played that role with exception of the occasional brain f$rt every game, Giffs and LK also tend to bring it 80%-90% of the time. Bazz, God Bless the man for his unbelievable abilities sometimes seems to be frustrated and lets that get in the way but without him, the team is, well, not a 21-5 team. DD is an enigma. He has all the offensive tools, ball handling albeit suspect, and has shown some defensive strength - BUT- the man is simply weak. He has weak hands, timid at attacking the hoop on the dribble, and loses virtually every 50/50 ball. He has shown brilliance and is an asset to the team but can we imagine DD with about 10-15 lbs of muscle giving him confidence to mix it up with and going at the opposition. He needs the desire to work hard with a conditioning and strentgth coach. Maybe he and OC can get a package deal.
Overall, I think this team has the possibilities of some really good things through the dance.

 

[huskyharry]

I like the rotation over the last half dozen games or so. It is a good thing to get Kentan Facey and Terrance Samuel a few minutes each half to keep the others rested and give them valuable experience for the future.
I certainly agree that DD can be the key and has struggled with consistency but when he is on, he is a very potent weapon.

 

[ctchamps]

Part of me thinks he's worried about reinsuring his ankle and is playing to avoid that happening. Tentative play will not be accepted by KO. That has been obvious since the Texas series. He expects defense and hustle.