This team still has no PG...

[pnow15]

The problem is that by trying to establish Gibbs as a conventional UConn point guard,
Ollie inadvertently diminished Gibbs' contributions to the team. Once Gibbs returns to a role in which he is more comfortable, we may see that 2nd team all Big East player of last year. Going forward it may be point guard by committee where everyone especially DHam and Adams have to due much of the work. Everyone agrees that Gibbs is functioning better running his man through the lane and popping out for a jumper than he is at beating his man off the dribble and then trying to finish at the rim.

 

[8893]

Going forward it may be point guard by committee where everyone especially DHam and Adams have to due much of the work.

This is no great mystery. It's been that way for several games now.

 

[InKembaITrust]

he fed the post about a dozen times and the bigs couldn't finish... it's kind of hard to get an assist when they dont finish, or when the ball stops moving... he's a point guard on a new team with new schemes who are just getting their chemistry together, hopefully

He wasn't getting assists b/c he wasn't getting players off balance and putting our bigs in situations where the baskets come easy. All of his passes down low were standard entry passes getting the bigs in 1v1 post ups. ANYONE can do that. Nolan could do that. Not seeing anything coming from Gibbs pick and roll game, and its taking him way too long to bring the ball up the court and run some plays. We're half way through the season, and to someone else's point I know he is a brand new husky, but he better figure it out fast and take the lead on this or were going to have to start Jalen sooner than later so he has some confidence at the point moving into March.

 

[8893]

My biggest knock on Gibbs running point is more of a pet peeve: I can't stand the one-handed passes. They look lazy and drive me crazy.

But I've had pet peeves about other point guards who turned out to be serviceable (Taliek) to great (Shabazz). I can get over it if he shoots like he did last night.

 

[UConnSwag11]

He wasn't getting assists b/c he wasn't getting players off balance and putting our bigs in situations where the baskets come easy. All of his passes down low were standard entry passes getting the bigs in 1v1 post ups. ANYONE can do that. Nolan could do that. Not seeing anything coming from Gibbs pick and roll game, and its taking him way too long to bring the ball up the court and run some plays. We're half way through the season, and to someone else's point I know he is a brand new husky, but he better figure it out fast and take the lead on this or were going to have to start Jalen sooner than later so he has some confidence at the point moving into March.

The only person making cuts or moving hard without the ball is Adams, maybe purvis occasionally. How can Gibbs get assists when no one is moving? If miller finished those chances you wouldn't be complaining about Gibbs' assists. Has anyone else been watching adams play? There is no way he starts over Gibbs. None. Gibbs has his best complete game of the year by far, starts hitting his 3s and people still call for him to be benched by a freshman who as of now just handles the ball and hasn't been finishing or staying in front of his man on defense. People need to stop hating on Gibbs because his moves look lazy or methodical compared to adams

 

[InKembaITrust]

My biggest knock on Gibbs running point is more of a pet peeve: I can't stand the one-handed passes. They look lazy and drive me crazy.

But I've had pet peeves about other point guards who turned out to be serviceable (Taliek) to great (Shabazz). I can get over it if he shoots like he did last night.

What irks me is that if he, (and Purvis), don't shoot they way they did last night in future games (which is very likely), then where do we stand? It's so crucial that we have a natural PG on this team who can create for our bigs when shots aren't falling, especially on a Uconn team where our bigs need those setup passes b/c the majority of them can't create shots for themselves on the block (minus Miller).

We shot very well last night and only won the game by 3 points! It's very scary and hard to watch when our shots aren't falling. That's when true PG play has to come into play, which were strongly lacking and will lose us games moving forward.

 

[InKembaITrust]

The only person making cuts or moving hard without the ball is Adams, maybe purvis occasionally. How can Gibbs get assists when no one is moving? If miller finished those chances you wouldn't be complaining about Gibbs' assists. Has anyone else been watching adams play? There is no way he starts over Gibbs. None. Gibbs has his best complete game of the year by far, starts hitting his 3s and people still call for him to be benched by a freshman who as of now just handles the ball and hasn't been finishing or staying in front of his man on defense. People need to stop hating on Gibbs because his moves look lazy or methodical compared to adams

Read further up on this thread, particularly Mr. French's comments which were spot on. I am not criticizing Gibbs' stat line, clutch shots, or play in general. I am criticizing him as a PG! Running the offense efficiently, and getting others involved. I find myself repeating my points to people like you who are taking what I am saying out of context. I am not in the slightest saying to bench the kid, and have yet to say that this entire thread. Play him alongside Jalen as a SG.

 

[8893]

People need to stop hating on Gibbs because his moves look lazy or methodical compared to adams

I hate the term "hating on," but this is definitely the essence of it for me and I realize that. I've been a supporter though and just trying to figure out what the issue is because something clearly was not clicking.

 

[mauconnfan]

Read further up on this thread, particularly Mr. French's comments which were spot on. I am not criticizing Gibbs' stat line, clutch shots, or play in general. I am criticizing him as a PG! Running the offense efficiently, and getting others involved. I find myself repeating my points to people like you who are taking what I am saying out of context. I am not in the slightest saying to bench the kid, and have yet to say that this entire thread. Play him alongside Jalen as a SG.

No one said he's a great PG read along please. But have you seen Jalen playing, he's not ready. Everyone agrees we need JA to be better but he's not yet. Leave it alone, the guy had a great game, he's a 2 we know that but he was fine as the "PG" last night.

 

[8893]

No one said he's a great PG read along please. But have you seen Jalen playing, he's not ready. Everyone agrees we need JA to be better but he's not yet. Leave it alone, the guy had a great game, he's a 2 we know that but he was fine as the "PG" last night.

They even noted during the broadcast last night that Ollie had commented earlier yesterday that he had hoped Jalen would be further along than he is right now in terms of his development.

 

[UConnSwag11]

Read further up on this thread, particularly Mr. French's comments which were spot on. I am not criticizing Gibbs' stat line, clutch shots, or play in general. I am criticizing him as a PG! Running the offense efficiently, and getting others involved. I find myself repeating my points to people like you who are taking what I am saying out of context. I am not in the slightest saying to bench the kid, and have yet to say that this entire thread. Play him alongside Jalen as a SG.

he can only do as much as the team allows him when it comes to running the offense and getting assists... you rarely see a "true" pg anymore... they're scoring guards... i agree, i have been saying that he would be good coming off of screens to shoot or get to the rim, but as for him being benched for adams, no

 

[3rdbass]

I thought the ball movement was fine when we had the 3 guards I there together. Hopefully dham learns to become unselfish again and we will be fine with our playmaking.

 

[David 76]

What irks me is that if he, (and Purvis), don't shoot they way they did last night in future games (which is very likely), then where do we stand?
We shot very well last night and only won the game by 3 points! It's very scary and hard to watch when our shots aren't falling. That's when true PG play has to come into play, which were strongly lacking and will lose us games moving forward.

Well, hopefully in the future Hamilton won't suck. That would be a game changer.

So, if I get your point, Gibbs is not a real P.G. and we should pick one up on the free agent market?

Or , is it just an observation for future reference that was poorly timed after Gibbs' best game?

 

[Pudge]

Terrance Samuel.

So ... You start a thread & then argue for 2 pages on what is a pretty obvious conclusion.

We recruited Samuel. He gave us great moments. But, it's obvious to anyone Connecticut or connected ... He's not going to be THE UConn PG. And we've has wonderful lead guards. With variety. So, we have Jalen Adams coming in. Unlike Melo Trimble, we have a staff that saw & chose that Adams wasn't the solution. Immediately on campus. Adams will be developed. Gilbert too. Our staff made the conscious definitive decision to get Gibbs. Best available. And he has proven his veteran bonafides. But ... I don't think Gibbs (or either of his brothers) are the prototype UConn lead we have seen. Actually Boatwright wasn't either. Gibbs is our stopgap. And you plan accordingly.

The real issue? We need Hamilton & Adams to step up & be better. Gibbs has shown his predictable standard. We can WIN with structure when Brimah comes back.

But, our future of Adams & Gilbert feels good from where I sit. And as I've posted before, both Miller & Gibbs needed time to integrate into Team. We just have to get better.

 

[BigErnMcCracken]

He wasn't getting assists b/c he wasn't getting players off balance and putting our bigs in situations where the baskets come easy. All of his passes down low were standard entry passes getting the bigs in 1v1 post ups. ANYONE can do that. Nolan could do that. Not seeing anything coming from Gibbs pick and roll game, and its taking him way too long to bring the ball up the court and run some plays. We're half way through the season, and to someone else's point I know he is a brand new husky, but he better figure it out fast and take the lead on this or were going to have to start Jalen sooner than later so he has some confidence at the point moving into March.

This is a wild overreaction.

 

[InKembaITrust]

Well, hopefully in the future Hamilton won't suck. That would be a game changer.

So, if I get your point, Gibbs is not a real P.G. and we should pick one up on the free agent market?

Or , is it just an observation for future reference that was poorly timed after Gibbs' best game?

Read the full thread and then I'll respond

 

[InKembaITrust]

This is a wild overreaction.

I'll let the upcoming games speak for themselves and we'll see what happens

 

[mauconnfan]

I'll let the upcoming games speak for themselves and we'll see what happens

This is a good thing right? You hoping he fails to make you look good?

WTF

 

[BigErnMcCracken]

I'll let the upcoming games speak for themselves and we'll see what happens

Knock yourself out.

 

[InKembaITrust]

This is a good thing right? You hoping he fails to make you look good?

WTF

We'll see what happens with Tulsa, very curious to see how often Gibbs runs the offensive sets

 

[JimHurley]

Adams is our best PG. With Hamilton struggling, I like Adams bringing the ball up with Gibbs and Purvis on the wings. Then Facey and Miller down low. This gives us a good ball handler who penetrates (Adams) with two outside shooting threats (Gibbs+Purvis).

 

[David 76]

Adams is our best PG. .

What makes you say that? I think he has the potential to be a very good point guard. I was as excited as everyone else when he committed. I think he is a more natural PG than Gibbs. But he hasn't exactly had a quick start for us.
He has been inconsistent on D. He is shooting 39% and 19% from three. His assist to t/o ratio is about 1,4.
Gibbs is shooting about 41% and 39% from 3 and is getting about 1.8 assists per t/o.

JAis getting 20 minutes a game. Not like he isn't getting game time Be patient and let him adjust. We would be worse had he been starting.

 

[JimHurley]

What makes you say that? I think he has the potential to be a very good point guard. I was as excited as everyone else when he committed. I think he is a more natural PG than Gibbs. But he hasn't exactly had a quick start for us.
He has been inconsistent on D. He is shooting 39% and 19% from three. His assist to t/o ratio is about 1,4.
Gibbs is shooting about 41% and 39% from 3 and is getting about 1.8 assists per t/o.

JAis getting 20 minutes a game. Not like he isn't getting game time Be patient and let him adjust. We would be worse had he been starting.

He gives us a swagger when he comes in that I like. He makes everyone around him better and when he penetrates, Purv and Gibbs get open looks.

 

[BigErnMcCracken]

He makes everyone around him better and when he penetrates, Purv and Gibbs get open looks.

You can keep repeating that he makes everyone around him better as long as you'd like but it's not going to make it any more valid. I think the kid is going to be a great player at UConn. I like having him on the court because he exudes confidence and plays with a chip on his shoulder. I'd like him to be further along at this point in the season but that's how it goes. But all that being said it seems like the Adams / Gibbs posts are informed more by what people's vision of what Jalen can be is, rather than what he's bringing to the table right now. I do think he's due for a breakout game, but we haven't seen it yet. Ultimately, I think this team has the most potential offensively when we can take Gibbs off the ball and let him be a shooter - I'm optimistic that he found his stroke - and that means Jalen running the show, but we're not there yet.

 

[JimHurley]

You can keep repeating that he makes everyone around him better as long as you'd like but it's not going to make it any more valid. I think the kid is going to be a great player at UConn. I like having him on the court because he exudes confidence and plays with a chip on his shoulder. I'd like him to be further along at this point in the season but that's how it goes. But all that being said it seems like the Adams / Gibbs posts are informed more by what people's vision of what Jalen can be is, rather than what he's bringing to the table right now. I do think he's due for a breakout game, but we haven't seen it yet. Ultimately, I think this team has the most potential offensively when we can take Gibbs off the ball and let him be a shooter - I'm optimistic that he found his stroke - and that means Jalen running the show, but we're not there yet.

Completely agree with this. Adams will only go forward from here.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

UConn looks like a very good pickup team right now. We run a ton of isolations, with most of the offense coming from dribble penetrations. We still have a relatively healthy assists/made fieldgoals ratio of 50%, which actually surprised me given how we play.

Gibbs and Hamilton are shooting too much, and Brimah (when he was healthy) and Miller are not shooting enough. I think that is a function of the isolation offense we are playing right now, because we do not have 7-8 players all on the same page yet. I don't know that the isolation offense is so much a conscious choice as a function of the offense continually breaking down because the players are not on the same page yet.

There are 3 new players among our top 6 minutes players, and 5 of the top 6 have played together for 2 years or less. It's not just that we are plugging in 2 or 3 new players, but there is no base of experienced players used to playing with each other over the long term. The only key player that is a Junior, is hurt, and he happens to be our center where we have no depth, which makes the offense more dependent on dribble penetration off isolations. We have a lot of good players, but other than Hamilton, I am not sure how much NBA talent we have. It is hard to merge this many new players into a cohesive team, and it hasn't happened yet.

All that said, we still should lose to teams like Temple. That game has to be a W, no matter what style we are playing.

 

[ConnHuskBask]

Can anyone imagine how bad we'd be without Gibbs and Miller? Heading into last off season it wasn't expected we'd have either.

 

[pnow15]

Can anyone imagine how bad we'd be without Gibbs and Miller? Heading into last off season it wasn't expected we'd have either.

The debate is not about whether these two should be Huskies; it is about how to take the best possible advantage of their skill sets.

 

[ConnHuskBask]

The debate is not about whether these two should be Huskies; it is about how to take the best possible advantage of their skill sets.

Thanks for the clarification, professor.

Just making an observation.

Gibbs is more suited for the 2 guard but Jalen can't take the reigns full time just yet.

 

[CallMeBruce]

Adams is our best PG. With Hamilton struggling, I like Adams bringing the ball up with Gibbs and Purvis on the wings. Then Facey and Miller down low. This gives us a good ball handler who penetrates (Adams) with two outside shooting threats (Gibbs+Purvis).

Adams isn't our best anything. He's been one of our least efficient players on offense. His assist rate is slightly higher than Gibbs', but his turnover rate is significantly higher, and his shooting has been horrible. Honestly, you guys are all too busy hating Gibbs for not looking like Kemba that you're forgetting that the guy you want to give the ball to has been pretty bad almost all season.