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I, for one, believe that Gibbs deserves to be starting still, but Adams should be getting 20-25 minutes in every big game we play. But there are reasons to start Adams. Here are my thoughts. What do you all think?
Start Jalen:
- He clearly oozes potential in every facet of the game. Great looking shot, solid fundamentals on his handle, leadership qualities. Screams long-lasting successful NBA guard to me. Too early?
- Much, much better defender than Gibbs. It would take more analysis than I have time for, but I really wouldn't be surprised if Gibbs gives up defensively much more than he brings offensively. Especially when his 3-ball is off like it has been as of late.
- He is the future of UCONN basketball at the guard spot.
- His leadership and offensive prowess were what he was known for when he came to UCONN. Scouting reports actually suggested his defense was weak. We've seen the leadership. He has an uncanny calm demeanor on the court compared to a lot of early season freshman who have the ball in their hands. The offense has not been there yet--he hasn't adjusted--; I've been pleasantly surprised by his defense.
- His dunks are a thing of beauty. Somehow smooth and vicious at the same time. Isn't that reason enough?
Don't start Jalen:
- By the numbers, he is simply not as good as either player. His defense doesn't show up in the box score so much, but his offense should. He is not finishing at the rim or dropping 3's like we need him to. Of course he's a freshman getting used to the game, but he make take time to adjust that this team doesn't have with recent losses.
- He doesn't have the handle of your traditional lead guard yet. His handle is good, no doubt, but it's not tight and low like a Boatright, Napier, Kemba, or even Alterique coming in. He moves North/South well, but laterally in the half-court is just ok. I expect he'll develop it with Ollie over the summer. He certainly has the athleticism, bounce, and long ass arms to have a curry-esque handle.
- The eye test tells me, and Ollie has also suggested that Purvis is a pretty good defender. We can put Gibbs on the weakest perimeter player in a lot of games.
- Jalen can't make a god-dang layup with his left hand. Every highlight reel. Every game tape. Look at it. Drives me nuts. That will take a summer or more to get together, and it will still probably never come as naturally to him as it could if he had worked on it years ago.
Gibbs:
29.6min
11.9pt
2.0reb
2.6ast
1.1stl
1.5to
1.8pf
35.6 3P%
43.7FG%
94FT%
Adams:
19.3min
5.9pt
2.3reb
2.3ast
1.0stl
1.4to
1.9pf
30.8 3P%
39.1FG%
77.8FT%
And can we all agree he's going to be a killer by the time he leaves UCONN, right?
Start Jalen:
- He clearly oozes potential in every facet of the game. Great looking shot, solid fundamentals on his handle, leadership qualities. Screams long-lasting successful NBA guard to me. Too early?
- Much, much better defender than Gibbs. It would take more analysis than I have time for, but I really wouldn't be surprised if Gibbs gives up defensively much more than he brings offensively. Especially when his 3-ball is off like it has been as of late.
- He is the future of UCONN basketball at the guard spot.
- His leadership and offensive prowess were what he was known for when he came to UCONN. Scouting reports actually suggested his defense was weak. We've seen the leadership. He has an uncanny calm demeanor on the court compared to a lot of early season freshman who have the ball in their hands. The offense has not been there yet--he hasn't adjusted--; I've been pleasantly surprised by his defense.
- His dunks are a thing of beauty. Somehow smooth and vicious at the same time. Isn't that reason enough?
Don't start Jalen:
- By the numbers, he is simply not as good as either player. His defense doesn't show up in the box score so much, but his offense should. He is not finishing at the rim or dropping 3's like we need him to. Of course he's a freshman getting used to the game, but he make take time to adjust that this team doesn't have with recent losses.
- He doesn't have the handle of your traditional lead guard yet. His handle is good, no doubt, but it's not tight and low like a Boatright, Napier, Kemba, or even Alterique coming in. He moves North/South well, but laterally in the half-court is just ok. I expect he'll develop it with Ollie over the summer. He certainly has the athleticism, bounce, and long ass arms to have a curry-esque handle.
- The eye test tells me, and Ollie has also suggested that Purvis is a pretty good defender. We can put Gibbs on the weakest perimeter player in a lot of games.
- Jalen can't make a god-dang layup with his left hand. Every highlight reel. Every game tape. Look at it. Drives me nuts. That will take a summer or more to get together, and it will still probably never come as naturally to him as it could if he had worked on it years ago.
Gibbs:
29.6min
11.9pt
2.0reb
2.6ast
1.1stl
1.5to
1.8pf
35.6 3P%
43.7FG%
94FT%
Adams:
19.3min
5.9pt
2.3reb
2.3ast
1.0stl
1.4to
1.9pf
30.8 3P%
39.1FG%
77.8FT%
And can we all agree he's going to be a killer by the time he leaves UCONN, right?
