I’m in the camp with those who are plenty optimistic about the freshmen. Castle is going to be special. Hard to argue that. But I really think Solo is going to progress faster because of the extra mins he’s getting now. I also think he will thrive as a 6th/7th man when Castle comes back. As a starter, he’s out there with 4 experienced studs averaging double digits, 3 of whom know Hurley’s system very well and the 4th is an incredibly high IQ 5th year player who looks like he was born to be a husky. I guarantee Solo’s mandate right now in stepping into that 5th starting role is to do exactly what he’s doing- limit mistakes, be solid and find ways to contribute as the 5th option.
When he’s back on the bench, he’ll be able to talk with the coaches at the beginning of each game about what the opponent is doing, what exactly he needs to do when he gets in. He always seems just a little better after his first break on the bench- the game is still a little too fast for him, but he’s still showing flashes of good things.
Stewie seems like he’s solidly the 8th man when Castle is back. Outside of yesterdays game, when pretty much everyone had some garbage moments, I think he’s shown some really good flashes and moments of great playmaking, shot creation etc. again, he is clearly still learning our system and is more focused on not making mistakes. He needs time and he’ll get it.
7 games in feels way too early for this type of pessimism. I trust that these guys knew what they were signing up for when they came here, and for what it’s worth, Singare and Ross- who seem the most buried on the bench right now- are often the most exuberant in cheering on their teammates.
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