One More Thing Yesterday Showed Us

[businesslawyer]

For all the deserved talk about how good the freshman are playing and how much better we looked with our starting guards letting the game come to them, one point that I haven't seen made enough. For all the frustrations of his lack of explosiveness inside and stretches where he not just disappears but kills us, this team is much, much, much better offensively when Josh Carlton is playing well. Period. Even yesterday, it's easy to focus on the one time he got blocked from behind leading to a fast break the other way than it is to focus on how few shots he missed and his sudden ability to locate an open man out of a double team.

We can play around Vital or Polley having a bad shooting night, or Gilbert forcing the ball, or Akok disappearing or getting hurt. We have depth and we can play with different types of lineups. But we have no second option for Josh Carlton being the player he was the end of last season and yesterday. He doesn't need to get better than he is when he's playing well. He just needs to play well from the start of games and consistently. That, as much as any other single factor, will determine if this team can challenge for a conference title this year.

 

[Waquoit]

I would agree if Josh didn't just hurt my fee-fees.

 

[AZHuskiePop]

For all the deserved talk about how good the freshman are playing and how much better we looked with our starting guards letting the game come to them, one point that I haven't seen made enough. For all the frustrations of his lack of explosiveness inside and stretches where he not just disappears but kills us, this team is much, much, much better offensively when Josh Carlton is playing well. Period. Even yesterday, it's easy to focus on the one time he got blocked from behind leading to a fast break the other way than it is to focus on how few shots he missed and his sudden ability to locate an open man out of a double team.

We can play around Vital or Polley having a bad shooting night, or Gilbert forcing the ball, or Akok disappearing or getting hurt. We have depth and we can play with different types of lineups. But we have no second option for Josh Carlton being the player he was the end of last season and yesterday. He doesn't need to get better than he is when he's playing well. He just needs to play well from the start of games and consistently. That, as much as any other single factor, will determine if this team can challenge for a conference title this year.

Maybe his play has something to do with opponents defenses doubling or triple teaming him. He is not exactly Wilt Chamberlin. Coaches are not all stupid they understand he is a key to our success.
I also think they felt Springs would be available so we ended up short handed with Whaley as the only backup.

 

[businesslawyer]

Maybe his play has something to do with opponents defenses doubling or triple teaming him. He is not exactly Wilt Chamberlin. Coaches are not all stupid they understand he is a key to our success.
I also think they felt Springs would be available so we ended up short handed with Whaley as the only backup.

Eh. Springs may or may not have been an improvement over Whaley as a back up center, but once we lost Kofi at no point were we seriously talking to a Center who would have been a low post offensive threat as a freshman.

 

[elmcityboy]

agree with everything OP posted. say what you will about josh, but he has become much more consistent this year (at least through the first six games.)

his game log last year had so many 0, 1, and 2 point games where he couldn't stay on the floor. i really think he is going to explode in an upcoming game and put up 20+. i will be rooting for him when he does!!

Josh Carlton 2018-19 Game Log | College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com

2018-19 Game Log for Josh Carlton

www.sports-reference.com

 

[MilliniumPrince]

I think Brendan Adams is getting overlooked in all this.

 

[jibsey]

I think Brendan Adams is getting overlooked in all this.

He's been good, Hurley musta known

 

[metsfan2323]

We won championships with Alex Oriakhi and Phil Nolan/Brimah at center. Carlton is their equal if not better.

If Carlton can start getting assists from his post position we will be tough to beat.

 

[Huskybass]

We won championships with Alex Oriakhi and Phil Nolan/Brimah at center. Carlton is their equal if not better.

If Carlton can start getting assists from his post position we will be tough to beat.

Carlton and Oriakhi are an interesting comparison. I think I would give Josh the edge offensively, but AO was a very good rebounder and that was huge.

I like our guys and depth at Center. Next season we will have Javonte Brown Ferguson along with Carlton and Whaley. That's good depth at the 5 IMO.

 

[MuchoDogYears]

I like our guys and depth at Center. Next season we will have Javonte Brown Ferguson along with Carlton and Whaley. That's good depth at the 5 IMO.

And Springs.

 

[Chief00]

For all the deserved talk about how good the freshman are playing and how much better we looked with our starting guards letting the game come to them, one point that I haven't seen made enough. For all the frustrations of his lack of explosiveness inside and stretches where he not just disappears but kills us, this team is much, much, much better offensively when Josh Carlton is playing well. Period. Even yesterday, it's easy to focus on the one time he got blocked from behind leading to a fast break the other way than it is to focus on how few shots he missed and his sudden ability to locate an open man out of a double team.

We can play around Vital or Polley having a bad shooting night, or Gilbert forcing the ball, or Akok disappearing or getting hurt. We have depth and we can play with different types of lineups. But we have no second option for Josh Carlton being the player he was the end of last season and yesterday. He doesn't need to get better than he is when he's playing well. He just needs to play well from the start of games and consistently. That, as much as any other single factor, will determine if this team can challenge for a conference title this year.

I agree with that analysis of Josh. I also think Danny has realized we are not the Golden State of college basketball, so we are not seeing 4 guys standing on the three line - when only one of the guys is a reasonable threat. Instead Danny is sending more guys on cuts and to crash the boards. It’s a more effective look for our skillset.

 

[TheChamps990411]

I think Carlton just needs to think and react much quicker than he does. He also lacks athleticism so he needs to perfect his footwork which is pretty darn good for a kid his size and better boxing out because he's not out jumping anyone. He does those things and he takes his game to another level. Easily 15/8 a night.

 

[businesslawyer]

I think Carlton just needs to think and react much quicker than he does. He also lacks athleticism so he needs to perfect his footwork which is pretty darn good for a kid his size and better boxing out because he's not out jumping anyone. He does those things and he takes his game to another level. Easily 15/8 a night.

I think his footwork is already outstanding. Making up for lack of quickness by reacting quicker to the ball being in his hands would be the next step.

 

[HuskyHawk]

I think is footwork is already outstanding. Making up for lack of quickness by reacting quicker to the ball being in his hands would be the next step.

Agreed, his footwork is good. What I'd like to see him realize is that he's not that effective putting the ball on the floor, and that if he's not able to elevate, his low release layups are going to get blocked. His shooting percentage was much higher last year. He's bigger and just needs to think dunk about 75% of the time. Once he's near that no charge line just power through whoever is there.

 

[intlzncster]

We won championships with Alex Oriakhi and Phil Nolan/Brimah at center. Carlton is their equal if not better.
If Carlton can start getting assists from his post position we will be tough to beat.

Carlton and Oriakhi are an interesting comparison. I think I would give Josh the edge offensively, but AO was a very good rebounder and that was huge.

Oriakhi was the better or more valuable player at this point (at JC's current level). Good defender, and often a great rebounder. And could dunk. Much more athletic. Had absolutely no touch and not much footwork either.

JC passing last game, if that continues, would help him tremendously. All he needs is patience with double teams and to continue to keep his head up. Also add that the cutters need to be there.

 

[Excalibur]

Carlton and Oriakhi are an interesting comparison. I think I would give Josh the edge offensively, but AO was a very good rebounder and that was huge.

I like our guys and depth at Center. Next season we will have Javonte Brown Ferguson along with Carlton and Whaley. That's good depth at the 5 IMO.

Alex never developed the footwork that Carlton has, but he was a superior athlete in every respect. Does anyone think that Carlton could dominate Matt Howard like Oriakhi did against Butler?

 

[businesslawyer]

Alex never developed the footwork that Carlton has, but he was a superior athlete in every respect. Does anyone think that Carlton could dominate Matt Howard like Oriakhi did against Butler?

Right on all counts. Not nearly the talent AO was. But absolutely better footwork inside. AO used pure athleticism.

 

[Excalibur]

I agree with that analysis of Josh. I also think Danny has realized we are not the Golden State of college basketball, so we are not seeing 4 guys standing on the three line - when only one of the guys is a reasonable threat. Instead Danny is sending more guys on cuts and to crash the boards. It’s a more effective look for our skillset.

It's not like Golden State had guys standing around on the perimeter . . . even when they played 4 out 1 in guys were cutting to the basket when they played through Draymond or even Bogut in the post. But yes, Hurley has adjusted by employing more motion and basket cuts when Carlton has the ball. Some people have questioned his in-game adjustments (rightfully so in some cases), but he seems to do a good job of making changes in between games. We saw that last year when he changed up how we defended the high ball screen multiple times.

And there is more than one three point threat on the floor. Vital has been very effective on open catch and soot threes. Polley obviously is a threat. Adams is getting there. Akok can clearly shoot it. The point guard position is the only real gap at this point.

 

[Hans Sprungfeld]

Oriakhi was the better or more valuable player at this point (at JC's current level). Good defender, and often a great rebounder. And could dunk. Much more athletic. Had absolutely no touch and not much footwork either.

JC passing last game, if that continues, would help him tremendously. All he needs is patience with double teams and to continue to keep his head up. Also add that the cutters need to be there.

In my memory, yes, definitely, as a Soph, but no as a junior.

If I were in my Elvis phase, I'd have shot up a lot of TVs for every time he'd spin and haphazardly throw the ball in the direction of the basket, neither dunking nor actually shooting. That Philip Seymour Hoffman clip from "Along Came Polly" comes to mind.

As to putting the ball on the floor via dribble, I'm hopeful that this is process thing that improves or lessens as appropriate. From the beginning, Josh was the relatively rare big who kept the ball higher and went up for the shot rather than that reflexive bounce that does in so many bigs. Dribbling has been something new, as he expands his repertoire in moving toward the basket. His success is mixed, but I sense he's being coached to work through this toward proficiency. I hope he gets there. I see it as of a piece with whatever work is being done that got him to 3 assists on Sunday. And his 3rd area for improvement would be dunking, with the related 4th of making more of the inevitable free throws.

To me, this is all a positive view of him having a lot to work on. Pulling hard for him.

 

[coachn]

Josh is quick off the floor. Quick offensive rebounder jumper. Sometimes he misses near the basket and goes up 2 or three times for tip in while in heavy trafic. Beautiful to watch..

 

[intlzncster]

Josh is quick off the floor. Quick offensive rebounder jumper. Sometimes he misses near the basket and goes up 2 or three times for tip in while in heavy trafic. Beautiful to watch..

Does Josh even get off the floor?

 

[coachn]

L Saw Josh in Springfield at HOF HS TOUR. After he had comitted to UCONN He was complimentary to Harvey (ND) Great team player then.

 

[ClifSpliffy]

BY, 2/4/19:
'unseld 6'7, 245
carlton 6'10 235
good hands, good brain.
2nd year of college career; fg% -unseld 54%, carlton 63%
to be fair, the data is heavily in favor of unseld as he played much more, and was a highly accomplished college player, but watching old vids of him makes me agree with dad and how both have a similar 'look' on the floor. the observation is far more a 'feel' thing than a 'data' thing.'
that's my story, and i'm stickin to it. good hands, good brain. go, josh, go!

 

[Kembacity]

Honestly Josh just needs to understand how telegraphed some of those layup attempts are, he needs a nice little fakeout in his repertoire on those shots and I have faith that the coaching staff is probably already coaching him on that and will again in the future. All he has to do is fake he's going right up with it, and then after a brief hesitation put it up at an angle and he can get some free and-1's

 

[TheChamps990411]

I think his footwork is already outstanding. Making up for lack of quickness by reacting quicker to the ball being in his hands would be the next step.

It'll be "outstanding" when he can turn and quickly score when hes wide open under the basket before his defender can block his shot or not travel when hes just outside his range and needs to beat his man.