Starting lineup for Arkansas game

[aceboon]

shabazz said he wants to pass first but right now needs to score

And he does need to score, which is why I don't understand why people are getting on Bazz so much for shooting(not directed at you). I thought he took some questionable shots in the last game but other than that he's been fine and he should be taking the 2nd most shots on the team because he's the 2nd best shooter on the team behind Lamb and you could argue he's the best right now when you factor in Lamb's early struggles from 3. I'd much rather have Bazz shooting than AO tossing up offbalance hookshots from his hip or Roscoe bricking. Before Ryan joined the team you could argue that the only players capable of creating their own offense were Bazz and Jeremy, it would've been a waste for him to be trying to constantly set the table and pass first given his scoring ability. So far I think he's done a pretty good job at balancing between scoring and passing.

 

[DogMania]

Bazz is a + athlete. His lateral quickness is elite, change of direction and body control are elite, and ballhandling is elite. Hand/Eye(shooting) is great. He isn't as fast as Kemba or Boat, but really who is? Those guys are 1%-ers. Whoever said Shabazz is "limited" athletically is simply not very good at assessing athleticism.

Bazz is more quick than fast & explosive. He's not an elite athlete but plenty athletic, making up for what he doesn't have with super quick hands, smarts, nifty ball handly, plus-body control, a whole lotta this and a whole lotta that. Smart, quick and tricky best describes his game. I love that funky change of direction two step move he does when driving to the lane. It often looks like a travel but clearly isn't. Fortunately the refs seem to be prepared for that move and call it correctly. The other thing he's added to his bag of tricks is his ball fakes. My gosh, I thought he had to travel on a couple of them, but after replaying them, notice he didn't.

He's probably the most unpredictable driver, I've seen in some time. He seems to divide his paint attacking moves between taking it directly to the basket, tossing the quick pass to an open teammate, and faking the pass and going up with his own shot.

While Kemba was one of the most amazing scorers we've ever seen at UConn, Bazz is one of the most fun ones to watch.

 

[ctchamps]

I don't see JC starting with SN, RB and JL. He needs RB to be the back up point guard if SN gets into foul trouble. I expect JC to employ the three guards the same as last season with SN taking over KW's role and RB taking over SN's role. The end of the games will most likely have the three guards in the lineup at the same time. This allows the team to have the freshest legs and we should start seeing more aggressive play on defense by SN and JL.

 

[huskymania]

Bazz is a + athlete. His lateral quickness is elite, change of direction and body control are elite, and ballhandling is elite. Hand/Eye(shooting) is great. He isn't as fast as Kemba or Boat, but really who is? Those guys are 1%-ers. Whoever said Shabazz is "limited" athletically is simply not very good at assessing athleticism.

Stanley Robinson was an elite athlete. Andre Drummond and Ryan Boatright are elite athletes. Bazz is an average athlete who makes up for it with smarts, quick hands, and great shooting. I know we have our own preferences when it comes to talent, but this is pretty cut and dry. If Bazz is an "a + athlete" then these guys must be out of this world athletes.

 

[huskymania]

Bazz is more quick than fast & explosive. He's not an elite athlete but plenty athletic, making up for what he doesn't have with super quick hands, smarts, nifty ball handly, plus-body control, a whole lotta this and a whole lotta that. Smart, quick and tricky best describes his game. I love that funky change of direction two step move he does when driving to the lane. It often looks like a travel but clearly isn't. Fortunately the refs seem to be prepared for that move and call it correctly. The other thing he's added to his bag of tricks is his ball fakes. My gosh, I thought he had to travel on a couple of them, but after replaying them, notice he didn't.

He's probably the most unpredictable driver, I've seen in some time. He seems to divide his paint attacking moves betweentaking it directly to the basket, tossing the quick pass to an open teammate, and faking the pass and going up with his own shot.

While Kemba was one of the most amazing scorers we've ever seen at UConn, Bazz is one of the most fun ones to watch.

Smart, quick, and tricky are euphemisms for lacking in explosiveness and athleticism LOL. Bazz is fun to watch and he will be even better to watch at the 2 where he can shoot and score.

 

[bmayuc]

Stanley Robinson was an elite athlete. Andre Drummond and Ryan Boatright are elite athletes. Bazz is an average athlete who makes up for it with smarts, quick hands, and great shooting. I know we have our own preferences when it comes to talent, but this is pretty cut and dry. If Bazz is an "a + athlete" then these guys must be out of this world athletes.

Haha, not an "A+" athlete. He is a "Plus" athlete. As in, above average. To me, limited means it causes him to struggle with defensive matchups and getting by his defender on offense. For example, Scotty Haralson was a limited athlete. Jamal Coombs-McDaniel was a limited Athlete. And I just don't see that with Bazz.

Its funny you bring up Stanley Robinson, because Bazz is almost exactly the opposite. Stanley could Run and Jump with the best of them, but did not have great agility, lateral quickness, or savvy. Bazz isn't going to dunk anytime soon, but he is extremely agile/balanced and is very crafty/savvy.

 

[huskymania]

Haha, not an "A+" athlete. He is a "Plus" athlete. As in, above average. To me, limited means it causes him to struggle with defensive matchups and getting by his defender on offense. For example, Scotty Haralson was a limited athlete. Jamal Coombs-McDaniel was a limited Athlete. And I just don't see that with Bazz.

Its funny you bring up Stanley Robinson, because Bazz is almost exactly the opposite. Stanley could Run and Jump with the best of them, but did not have great agility, lateral quickness, or savvy. Bazz isn't going to dunk anytime soon, but he is extremely agile/balanced and is very crafty/savvy.

I know I mentioned Stanley because I loved watching him dunk on people. He had so much talent and he didn't fulfill his full potential. Bazz on the other hand is maximizing his talents. I do think that Bazz will have trouble guarding explosive guards like Peyton Siva(look at last year for example) and darius johnson odom in the Big East. Boatright can keep up with them better. Lamb also has been disappointing on defense this year although its very early. I want to see Lamb our go to player be more aggressive on defense like Kemba was at all times last year. I want to see UCONN dominate every team we play and I think the starting lineup of boat,bazz,lamb, roscoe, and drummond is our best lineup for now.

 

[bmayuc]

I know I mentioned Stanley because I loved watching him dunk on people. He had so much talent and he didn't fulfill his full potential. Bazz on the other hand is maximizing his talents. I do think that Bazz will have trouble guarding explosive guards like Peyton Siva(look at last year for example) and darius johnson odom in the Big East. Boatright can keep up with them better. Lamb also has been disappointing on defense this year although its very early. I want to see Lamb our go to player be more aggressive on defense like Kemba was at all times last year. I want to see UCONN dominate every team we play and I think the starting lineup of boat,bazz,lamb, roscoe, and drummond is our best lineup for now.

Ok but who comes off the bench to bolster the backcourt? Every great team we have, it has a scoring guard off the bench to provide punch. Shabazz was invaluable last year because he would come in the game when the players were a little winded and just kill people for 3-5 minutes off the bounce. Kemba was terrific during our final Four season(2009?). All the way back to 98-99 with Ricky Moore, or even John Gwynn for you really old guys, its been an instrumental part of our successful model.

Basketball is less about putting the very best 5 person combination on the floor at the start of the game and more about defining roles and responsibilities. It aint about who starts, its who finishes.

 

[huskymania]

Ok but who comes off the bench to bolster the backcourt? Every great team we have, it has a scoring guard off the bench to provide punch. Shabazz was invaluable last year because he would come in the game when the players were a little winded and just kill people for 3-5 minutes off the bounce. Kemba was terrific during our final Four season(2009?). All the way back to 98-99 with Ricky Moore, or even John Gwynn for you really old guys, its been an instrumental part of our successful model.

Basketball is less about putting the very best 5 person combination on the floor at the start of the game and more about defining roles and responsibilities. It aint about who starts, its who finishes.

True and like i said all the way back to my first post. I don't think he will start Boat because he wants him to provide a spark for the team off the bench. I also don't think he will start roscoe either but will start both daniels at the 3 and olander at the 4 for the near future. That being said the five I already listed are our best options with olander,daniels, oriakhi, and giffey off the bench.You can easily give both bazz and lamb time to rest by just sitting one of them out when their tired and putting in a bigger lineup. Boatright's penetration ability will make the game easier for everyone so they will be fresher and less worn out during the game. All they woiuld have to do is be ready to catch and shoot or dunk. If Boat needs a break, Calhoun can either move him at the 2 and Bazz at the 1 or he can sit him down and play with a regular 2 guard formation of lamb and bazz along with roscoe/daniels/olander/oriakhi combo and of course drummond.

 

[caw]

Boatright is more athletic than Bazz, it has yet to be proven he is a better PG. Between Bazz and Lamb and JC's insistence on having a guard sub on the bench (the correct call IMO), Boatright is not starting anytime soon.

 

[BigErnMcCracken]

I just can't wrap my head around the idea that someone is touting Shabazz as a natural 2.

 

[imno1]

I need help. Please explain the def of an elite athlete. Shabazz has made some unbelievable plays. Me thinks when all said and one he will be regarded as one of our PGs best ever. Stanley was always perceived as a great athlete because he could jump out of the gym. He had no handle, his shot was inconsistent. Could he hit a baseball? How was his bowling game?

 

[ctchamps]

I guess the reach around bandit uses stealth instead of mach speed in his thefts.

 

[UConnSwag11]

I just can't wrap my head around the idea that someone is touting Shabazz as a natural 2.

just because he's been putting up numbers... look at d rose, d wills, etc... shabazz is a one that score when he wants

 

[Gurleyman]

At this point, Napier is much closer to a true point guard than Boatright. Napier played a lot of point guard last year, even with Kemba on the floor. Boatright averaged 30 something points and 3 assists in high school, so he has come in here with a scorer's mentality (which is fine - perfect for the sparkplug role that he is starting out with). Shabazz has also sliced people up with his passing at times, where you know he's not always look to score, and has a pretty tight handle to weave in and out of traffic (most of his TO's have been errant passes or charges). I even thought he was playing an excellent game at the half against UCF with only two points (maybe four assists, one turnover on a charge and 1-3 from the floor, but running things well) and then he left with foul trouble and the second half unraveled on the whole team. But in terms of athleticism - if he's isolated one-on-one with a defender and no help is coming, I would expect him to beat his man or get a clean look at a jumper almost every time. The shots he's forcing now late in games at the end of the shot clock are usually because the lane is clogged and it's sort of a last resort to get something up because our offense is still not where it will hopefully be later in the year. One problem is systemic - we always bring a big up to set a high screen in the final seconds of the shot clock in that situation, which clogs everything up - and it takes that big out of offensive rebounding position. Zones make you vulnerable on the offensive glass, but we don't take advantage of that when we play tentatively because we end up with three guys standing around watching/spotting up for a kickout, and our best rebounder 20 feet from the basket.

It's also important to remember with Boatright that he hasn't been scouted yet. Everything looks pretty good with him so far - in terms of being able to shoot, drive, dish, etc. where he seems unpredictable. But if people learn after examining film that he's less effective in certain situations or areas of the floor, they'll force him to those areas.

 

[James]

just because he's been putting up numbers... look at d rose, d wills, etc... shabazz is a one that score when he wants

D Rose and Dwills are Natural 2's you're saying? Anyway this thread has left me scratching my head. Did I read someone say shabazz is just a good ball handler with quick hands? You don't play defense with your hands only

 

[UConnSwag11]

D Rose and Dwills are Natural 2's you're saying? Anyway this thread has left me scratching my head. Did I read someone say shabazz is just a good ball handler with quick hands? You don't play defense with your hands only

i responded to this I just can't wrap my head around the idea that someone is touting Shabazz as a natural 2. Im saying that they're only saying this because he is scoring a lot now... he is a one, that is scoring a lot because he has to... in a few months no one will call him a 2... kemba was always a one and people called him a 2 last year because he scored a lot because he had to.

 

[huskymania]

i responded to this I just can't wrap my head around the idea that someone is touting Shabazz as a natural 2. Im saying that they're only saying this because he is scoring a lot now... he is a one, that is scoring a lot because he has to... in a few months no one will call him a 2... kemba was always a one and people called him a 2 last year because he scored a lot because he had to.

I just can't wrap my head around the idea that someone is touting Shabazz as a natural 2.

Shabazz can play both the 1 and the 2 spot. My argument was that he is better suited at the 2 where can shoot and score. His lack of blow by speed, and athleticism, will hurt UCONN in the long run. UCONN is best suited with Boatright at the 1 because of his great penetration, athleticism, and vision that can open up the court for everyone to score especially Lamb and Bazz on the perimeter. You can't susbsitute talent, explosive speed, and athleticism.

 

[UConnSwag11]

Shabazz can play both the 1 and the 2 spot. My argument was that he is better suited at the 2 where can shoot and score. His lack of blow by speed, and athleticism, will hurt UCONN in the long run. UCONN is best suited with Boatright at the 1 because of his great penetration, athleticism, and vision that can open up the court for everyone to score especially Lamb and Bazz on the perimeter. You can't susbsitute talent, explosive speed, and athleticism.

i know but IMO i feel shabazz is a true one, like nash j kidd, they want to pass first because they need to run the team but score when he needs to, he's not a scoring guard as much... the two spot to me is where you want a person with speed and such... or for the scorer

 

[Robertelamin]

No hes better suited at the 1. We already have an all american at the 2. Boatright is perfect as the spark plug off the bench.

 

[huskymania]

No hes better suited at the 1. We already have an all american at the 2. Boatright is perfect as the spark plug off the bench.

very true lamb is awesome but it doesnt matter because with a 3 guard lineup lamb will still be playing off the ball and will be able to do everything he does, and it wont affect his game. Like last year when kemba needed a rest he moved to the 2 spot, and Shabazz was playing the 1 with lamb as the 3rd guard/ small forward. Lamb and kemba both got their points and everyone was happy.

 

[jleves]

I'm not sure how this thread hit 5 pages. Boatright has played 33 minutes in a UConn uni. Napier has plated 1226 minutes. While I was impressed with Boat and he did more than I expected by far (I was thinking first game out, 14 minutes, 4 or 5 points, 2 assists), there is no way you can think he will be starting in the next game. Napier, Lamb, Daniels (or Roscoe), Olander (or Alex) and Drummond will be the the starters going forward. Boatright is the perfect kind of guy to bring off the bench for energy and a change of pace - exactly like Napier was last year. That's his role and he should embrace it - he'll still get 20+, maybe ++ mintes a game and will have plenty of opportunity to contribute. Napier is the starting point and leader of this team. Plus he's played great albeit for a few turnovers in a couple of games.

 

[huskymania]

I'm not sure how this thread hit 5 pages. Boatright has played 33 minutes in a UConn uni. Napier has plated 1226 minutes. While I was impressed with Boat and he did more than I expected by far (I was thinking first game out, 14 minutes, 4 or 5 points, 2 assists), there is no way you can think he will be starting in the next game. Napier, Lamb, Daniels (or Roscoe), Olander (or Alex) and Drummond will be the the starters going forward. Boatright is the perfect kind of guy to bring off the bench for energy and a change of pace - exactly like Napier was last year. That's his role and he should embrace it - he'll still get 20+, maybe ++ mintes a game and will have plenty of opportunity to contribute. Napier is the starting point and leader of this team. Plus he's played great albeit for a few turnovers in a couple of games.

Like I said in my first post that I do not think Calhoun will start Boatright. Im just saying those 5 guys should be our starters because they will be the most effective lineup for us. I love Bazz but I think he's also a defensive liability because he will have trouble guarding explosive guards like Peyton Siva, Darius Johnson Odom, and Jason Clark in the big east. Boatright will be able to hag with them. Also alot of people are saying that Roscoe is a liability on offense, and shouldn't start because of that is bs. Roscoe doesnt need to score alot, we have boatright, lamb, drummond, and shabazz for that. Roscoe will get points on putbacks, dunks, and loose balls so no worries there. There is not substitute for Roscoe's toughness, defense, and rebounding on this team. The only reason Daniels is starting at the 3 is because Calhoun wants an offensive player at the 3 with this team, and Daniels can shoot the 3 ball, but his defense leaves much to be desired, and as mentioned before he has slow lateral quickness and he wont be able to defend smaller and quicker guys on the perimeter. I expect him to improve throughout the year. Orikahi needs to man up, and play better or learn to sit on the bench.

 

[jleves]

I thought this smelled a little like MarkT and arayn - another rutgers IP address. Would you please just go away? The Daniels lacks quickness to guard other guys and Napier can't match up against other teams guards was the give away

 

[Robertelamin]

very true lamb is awesome but it doesnt matter because with a 3 guard lineup lamb will still be playing off the ball and will be able to do everything he does, and it wont affect his game. Like last year when kemba needed a rest he moved to the 2 spot, and Shabazz was playing the 1 with lamb as the 3rd guard/ small forward. Lamb and kemba both got their points and everyone was happy.

If Boatright is as good as Napier was last year I will be thrilled!

 

[huskymania]

yea lets wait and see how the Arkansas game goes before making any final conclusions, but thats just my opinion on the matter

 

[joober jones]

Napier is already undersized as a point guard. He doesn't have the size to play the 2. Then again, if he could make it work maybe he could become a less annoying Stephon Marbury.

 

[Gurleyman]

Napier is perfectly-sized as a college point guard. Perhaps he's too small to cover Derrick Rose, but he doesn't have to worry about that right now. We've won national championships with two smallish guards three times (if you say Napier-Walker last year rather than Walker-Lamb, since Napier played starter's minutes off the bench).

 

[UConn990411]

I just can't wrap my head around the idea that someone is touting Shabazz as a natural 2.

People seem to have this perception of a point guard as someone who can't really shoot/score, but is a really good passer and defender. They just don't seem to understand that someone who is a good scorer AND good passer can still be a point.

Shabazz is a point guard first, second and third, and a shooting guard fourth. I can't believe anyone would question this.

 

[Walker11]

I can't believe someone thinks Shabazz lacks quickness.