Roscoe or Daniels at 3 ?

[UCDaveD]

God this is a great 'problem' to have.

 

[EricLA]

i'm not sure that starting makes that much of a difference. we all know JC can have a pretty quick hook. unless DD substiantially outplays RS in practices, i can't see JC switching it up much. then again, he flipped starting Okwandu or Olander several times until he felt he got it right.

i think it will be more telling come January who gets more minutes. and it can only help Roscoe and the team. if Roscoe improves more by having to play against DD and having him look over his shoulder, they it's great for Roscoe. if DD ends up being that good that he takes the starters job away from RS, then it's an indication of just how good DeAndre is...

 

[jleves]

Lamb was getting defended by the other team's 3 or big 3rd guard most of the time. He didn't have to handle the ball against tough on the ball defenders or help out much on traps, because there were 2 points on the court most of the time.

I think you are off here. There were many times that Lamb got the ball when teams were trapping and had to bring the ball up against the 1 or 2 guard or a combination of the 1, 2 or 3 and he almost never turned it over. It never looked pretty and while I would say visually, he doesn't have the chops to handle the ball, he got the job done on a very regular and consistant basis against 1 or 2 or combinations. Lamb can handle. 52 turnovers to 66 assists from a 2 guard is something we could only have hoped for with Dyson (and I really liked Dyson).

 

[high-post]

I think you are off here. There were many times that Lamb got the ball when teams were trapping and had to bring the ball up against the 1 or 2 guard or a combination of the 1, 2 or 3 and he almost never turned it over. It never looked pretty and while I would say visually, he doesn't have the chops to handle the ball, he got the job done on a very regular and consistant basis against 1 or 2 or combinations. Lamb can handle. 52 turnovers to 66 assists from a 2 guard is something we could only have hoped for with Dyson (and I really liked Dyson).

I agree. I think a lot of people don't understand how good Lamb's handle is, especially for his size.
Also ( sort of a tangent here) some of the draft "experts" have questioned Lamb's dribble (as though it was actually a liability) because they saw how much he was used off the ball. They operated on the assumption that his handle wasn't very good because of how he was used in the offense. These same people applied this logic to question Kemba's point guard skills (because of how much time he played off the ball last season).
Lamb has rapidly become more comfortable off the bounce and I think people are going to be extremely surprised with the progress he's made on this front.

 

[TheChamps990411]

ive heard DD compared to tracy mcgrady. thats some really high praise.

 

[Burnsbros23]

From watching him play with the U-19 team his handle is much improved

 

[ctchamps]

I think you are off here. There were many times that Lamb got the ball when teams were trapping and had to bring the ball up against the 1 or 2 guard or a combination of the 1, 2 or 3 and he almost never turned it over. It never looked pretty and while I would say visually, he doesn't have the chops to handle the ball, he got the job done on a very regular and consistant basis against 1 or 2 or combinations. Lamb can handle. 52 turnovers to 66 assists from a 2 guard is something we could only have hoped for with Dyson (and I really liked Dyson).

I agree with your assessment of Jeremy.

Jerome actually had an A/T ratio of 76/49 his junior year when he played the 2 and AJ was the 1. Those were very good numbers. Your argument still holds. Jeremy as a freshman was not much worse than a very good junior JD.

 

[jibsey]

People forget that Roscoe was our big recruit one year ago. He had streaks last year when he made bunches of 3's at a clip. He's 1 year into his career with a huge upside. Now I bet he spent a lot of time on his shot and we could see a different shooter this year. Defensively he's tenacious, so until I see what Daniels is I give the nod to a seasoned Roscoe for both starting and minutes. How do you let a freshman get minutes over a guy who has performed as well as Roscoe unless he's superman? It might mess with his psyche.

 

[ctchamps]

People forget that Roscoe was our big recruit one year ago. He had streaks last year when he made bunches of 3's at a clip. He's 1 year into his career with a huge upside. Now I bet he spent a lot of time on his shot and we could see a different shooter this year. Defensively he's tenacious, so until I see what Daniels is I give the nod to a seasoned Roscoe for both starting and minutes. How do you let a freshman get minutes over a guy who has performed as well as Roscoe unless he's superman? It might mess with his psyche.

Good point about Roscoe. Additionally he was the freshmen who demonstrated the best play for the first half of the season. And I believe he played the three during that span. If someone with a better recollection can confirm this, i believe he was shifted over to the four about mid season. At this time JC determined the best combo on the floor was Kemba, Shabazz, Jeremy, Roscoe and Alex. So much of the last part of the season Roscoe was playing out of his natural position. That probably won't be the case this season.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

I think you are off here. There were many times that Lamb got the ball when teams were trapping and had to bring the ball up against the 1 or 2 guard or a combination of the 1, 2 or 3 and he almost never turned it over. It never looked pretty and while I would say visually, he doesn't have the chops to handle the ball, he got the job done on a very regular and consistant basis against 1 or 2 or combinations. Lamb can handle. 52 turnovers to 66 assists from a 2 guard is something we could only have hoped for with Dyson (and I really liked Dyson).

If you were right, Jeremy would be waiting for the lockup to end right now.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

ive heard DD compared to tracy mcgrady. thats some really high praise.

Every freshman is the greatest player in UConn history until they take the court.

 

[ctchamps]

If you were right, Jeremy would be waiting for the lockup to end right now.

He actually considered going pro last season and was told by the NBA grape vine he could have been a lottery pick. He didn't feel ready to go to the NBA and wanted one more year of development.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

He actually considered going pro last season and was told by the NBA grape vine he could have been a lottery pick. He didn't feel ready to go to the NBA and wanted one more year of development.

Chris Smith barely had an NBA handle, and he could probably still dribble circles around Jeremy Lamb at 41 years old and his current weight. Lamb will get better, and may get there one day, but we should recognize the gap between where Lamb is now and where he needs to be to get to the League as a 2. 2 Guards are not drafted on potential. They have to come ready to play.

 

[ctchamps]

Chris Smith barely had an NBA handle, and he could probably still dribble circles around Jeremy Lamb at 41 years old and his current weight. Lamb will get better, and may get there one day, but we should recognize the gap between where Lamb is now and where he needs to be to get to the League as a 2. 2 Guards are not drafted on potential. They have to come ready to play.

Smith was a 1. Jeremy is a 2. I would hope Smith's handle is better than Jeremy's. That said, I lean to your way of thinking that the ball handling could be a potential problem for this team if Bazz and Boatright get in foul trouble. However I support jleves argument that Jeremy is a very decent ball handler for a 2g and when he has the support of good 1g's on the floor such as Kemba and/or Shabazz he does a lot of good in creating offense.

 

[ctchamps]

Chris Smith barely had an NBA handle, and he could probably still dribble circles around Jeremy Lamb at 41 years old and his current weight. Lamb will get better, and may get there one day, but we should recognize the gap between where Lamb is now and where he needs to be to get to the League as a 2. 2 Guards are not drafted on potential. They have to come ready to play.

One additional thing, you may like Nelson more, my son loves Nelson, but your writing astuteness belies the character. You will always be Waylon to me.

 

[alexd]

Smith was a 1. Jeremy is a 2. I would hope Smith's handle is better than Jeremy's. That said, I lean to your way of thinking that the ball handling could be a potential problem for this team if Bazz and Boatright get in foul trouble. However I support jleves argument that Jeremy is a very decent ball handler for a 2g and when he has the support of good 1g's on the floor such as Kemba and/or Shabazz he does a lot of good in creating offense.

Chris Smith had a nice handle, but he didn't actually play tons of minutes at the point in Storrs until he had to, which was his senior year. Up 'til then he played beside Tate and then Steve Pikiell. As a Jr., Smith did play some point when Pikiell was not on the floor.

 

[ctchamps]

Chris Smith had a nice handle, but he didn't actually play tons of minutes at the point in Storrs until he had to, which was his senior year. Up 'til then he played beside Tate and then Steve Pikiell. As a Jr., Smith did play some point when Pikiell was not on the floor.

I actually remembered that. I'm just wondering how much his 2g role was a formality. He was a better shooter than Tate. Chris struck me as someone who could have played both positions well. Jeremy strikes me as only being a 2g.

 

[aceboon]

Smh @ there still being a portion of UConn fans who think Jeremy has a poor handle, I can't wait for this season to start so that myth can be put to bed.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

Smith was a 1. Jeremy is a 2. I would hope Smith's handle is better than Jeremy's. That said, I lean to your way of thinking that the ball handling could be a potential problem for this team if Bazz and Boatright get in foul trouble. However I support jleves argument that Jeremy is a very decent ball handler for a 2g and when he has the support of good 1g's on the floor such as Kemba and/or Shabazz he does a lot of good in creating offense.

Smith was definitely a 2 guard more than point. I actually thought he would have a great shot at the pros because of his handle. In college the ball seemed like it was on a string when he dribbled (much to Billy Packer's chagrin at times), but that was at the college level. The pros were a whole different story. Lamb isn't even where Smith was as a college player. He is 5-6 inches taller, which is huge, but he has some work to do.

When I talk about ball-handling, I am thinking in terms of what it will take to get to the Final Four and win a NC with the other tools this team has. If we were just hoping to get a bid, the ball-handling is fine. To win 25 games in the regular season/BET and get a 1 or 2 seed, every aspect of the team has to be very good, or there has to be some outstanding aspects to compensate. The 2006 team only had 1 guy that could even dribble, but it was the best team in the country until the unspeakable happened because it had talented, experienced, prototypes at every position but 2 guard. The team was flirting with disaster because of the ballhandling all season though, and when the interior defense broke down against the Team Which Will Not Be Named, UConn couldn't overcome it.

There are a lot of teams in the Big East that play very good perimeter defense, and Lamb doesn't have two supreme ball handlers like Walker and Napier to carry the load for him anywmore. Much like with the 2006 team, opposing defenses will focus on getting the ball out of our point guard's hands. Marcus Williams was a great college point guard in 2006. Napier is just a good one, and will need some help.

Other than some bizarre assessment earlier in the thread that Giffey is a terrible ballhandler, I think most of us are in agreement that Giffey makes better decisions with the ball than Smith, Oriakhi and (most likely) Drummond. Oriakhi and Drummond will most likely be down low, so it won't matter with them, but Smith is going to be in the Jamal Coombs-McDaniel role (flash to the top of the key or even to the 3 line, catch, and look for the cutter) at times, and against teams like Syracuse, that role is critical. Smith is the same guy that took an 80 foot shot with 10 seconds left on the clock against Texas. Either he has to get a lot smarter in moving the ball around, or Giffey is going to see a lot of playing time.

I will be disappointed if we see a lot of 3 guard, because we have too much talent up front, and I also think that any 3 of Giffey/Smith/Daniels/Oriakhi/Drummond plus Napier and Lamb is our best defensive lineup.

 

[ctchamps]

Smith was definitely a 2 guard more than point. I actually thought he would have a great shot at the pros because of his handle. In college the ball seemed like it was on a string when he dribbled (much to Billy Packer's chagrin at times), but that was at the college level. The pros were a whole different story. Lamb isn't even where Smith was as a college player. He is 5-6 inches taller, which is huge, but he has some work to do.

When I talk about ball-handling, I am thinking in terms of what it will take to get to the Final Four and win a NC with the other tools this team has. If we were just hoping to get a bid, the ball-handling is fine. To win 25 games in the regular season/BET and get a 1 or 2 seed, every aspect of the team has to be very good, or there has to be some outstanding aspects to compensate. The 2006 team only had 1 guy that could even dribble, but it was the best team in the country until the unspeakable happened because it had talented, experienced, prototypes at every position but 2 guard. The team was flirting with disaster because of the ballhandling all season though, and when the interior defense broke down against the Team Which Will Not Be Named, UConn couldn't overcome it.

There are a lot of teams in the Big East that play very good perimeter defense, and Lamb doesn't have two supreme ball handlers like Walker and Napier to carry the load for him anywmore. Much like with the 2006 team, opposing defenses will focus on getting the ball out of our point guard's hands. Marcus Williams was a great college point guard in 2006. Napier is just a good one, and will need some help.

Other than some bizarre assessment earlier in the thread that Giffey is a terrible ballhandler, I think most of us are in agreement that Giffey makes better decisions with the ball than Smith, Oriakhi and (most likely) Drummond. Oriakhi and Drummond will most likely be down low, so it won't matter with them, but Smith is going to be in the Jamal Coombs-McDaniel role (flash to the top of the key or even to the 3 line, catch, and look for the cutter) at times, and against teams like Syracuse, that role is critical. Smith is the same guy that took an 80 foot shot with 10 seconds left on the clock against Texas. Either he has to get a lot smarter in moving the ball around, or Giffey is going to see a lot of playing time.

I will be disappointed if we see a lot of 3 guard, because we have too much talent up front, and I also think that any 3 of Giffey/Smith/Daniels/Oriakhi/Drummond plus Napier and Lamb is our best defensive lineup.

Absolutely agree with your assessment of the 2006 team.

It appears that most of your concerns for this years team could be addressed if Boatright can step up and either Giffey/DeAndre or Smith can play the three better than was the case last season. If that happens JC can chose which line up to employ depending on opposing teams and what they demonstrate. I agree the default lineup with Shabazz, Jeremy and AO plus any combo of two others is the best line up defensively. UConn will be in a lot of games this season because of defense. It is the offense that has the question marks.

 

[Rico444]

Smith was definitely a 2 guard more than point. I actually thought he would have a great shot at the pros because of his handle. In college the ball seemed like it was on a string when he dribbled (much to Billy Packer's chagrin at times), but that was at the college level. The pros were a whole different story. Lamb isn't even where Smith was as a college player. He is 5-6 inches taller, which is huge, but he has some work to do.

When I talk about ball-handling, I am thinking in terms of what it will take to get to the Final Four and win a NC with the other tools this team has. If we were just hoping to get a bid, the ball-handling is fine. To win 25 games in the regular season/BET and get a 1 or 2 seed, every aspect of the team has to be very good, or there has to be some outstanding aspects to compensate. The 2006 team only had 1 guy that could even dribble, but it was the best team in the country until the unspeakable happened because it had talented, experienced, prototypes at every position but 2 guard. The team was flirting with disaster because of the ballhandling all season though, and when the interior defense broke down against the Team Which Will Not Be Named, UConn couldn't overcome it.

There are a lot of teams in the Big East that play very good perimeter defense, and Lamb doesn't have two supreme ball handlers like Walker and Napier to carry the load for him anywmore. Much like with the 2006 team, opposing defenses will focus on getting the ball out of our point guard's hands. Marcus Williams was a great college point guard in 2006. Napier is just a good one, and will need some help.

Other than some bizarre assessment earlier in the thread that Giffey is a terrible ballhandler, I think most of us are in agreement that Giffey makes better decisions with the ball than Smith, Oriakhi and (most likely) Drummond. Oriakhi and Drummond will most likely be down low, so it won't matter with them, but Smith is going to be in the Jamal Coombs-McDaniel role (flash to the top of the key or even to the 3 line, catch, and look for the cutter) at times, and against teams like Syracuse, that role is critical. Smith is the same guy that took an 80 foot shot with 10 seconds left on the clock against Texas. Either he has to get a lot smarter in moving the ball around, or Giffey is going to see a lot of playing time.

I will be disappointed if we see a lot of 3 guard, because we have too much talent up front, and I also think that any 3 of Giffey/Smith/Daniels/Oriakhi/Drummond plus Napier and Lamb is our best defensive lineup.

Don't know if this is directed at me, but I stand by what I said. Giffey is an OK ball handler, I definitely agree he has better handle than Roscoe and the bigs. However, he still made a lot of bad decisions with the ball in his hands. 18 assists to 31 turnovers...I expect it to get better though.