The 2 guards tonight

[GGGG]

The dude has had over 2 years in Buzz's system.  We can stop saying it's a confidence thing or it's a system thing.  It's not.  It's a "he can't shoot with a defender close to him" thing.  Sure, he can make 21 3 pointers in 1 minute when he stands at the top of the key and has a ball handed in rhythm to him for a minute straight with no defender anywhere on the court.  I also watched Trend freaking Blackledge make 11 straight 3 pointers from a good 3 feet behind the 3 point line in warmups.  Not many Division 1 college basketball players can't make a warmup 3 pointer with some consistency.  Good players who can actually produce in games do it with defenders.  Jake has not shown that to us, and it's not because he hasn't had an opportunity.

Exactly. 

[WarriorFan]

But their starting fives were playing more solidly and efficiently.

Starting 5 is meaningless, over-rated, please the angry parent/booster crap.
Finishing 5 was Gardner, Wilson x 2, Thomas, Mayo.  That was the best 5 combo in the game.  That's what matters.

[🏀]

The dude has had over 2 years in Buzz's system.  We can stop saying it's a confidence thing or it's a system thing.  It's not.  It's a "he can't shoot with a defender close to him" thing.  Sure, he can make 21 3 pointers in 1 minute when he stands at the top of the key and has a ball handed in rhythm to him for a minute straight with no defender anywhere on the court.  I also watched Trend freaking Blackledge make 11 straight 3 pointers from a good 3 feet behind the 3 point line in warmups.  Not many Division 1 college basketball players can't make a warmup 3 pointer with some consistency.  Good players who can actually produce in games do it with defenders.  Jake has not shown that to us, and it's not because he hasn't had an opportunity.

Well put, wades.

[jsglow]

Starting 5 is meaningless, over-rated, please the angry parent/booster crap.
Finishing 5 was Gardner, Wilson x 2, Thomas, Mayo.  That was the best 5 combo in the game.  That's what matters.

And that was also the group on the floor when we established some good flow in the first half.  For the moment, Jake is playing the 'Lockett 3' better than Juan.  Floor spacing was better; entry passes into Davante more open.

Buzz was right when he said he had no idea about the 1-3 positions.  Melding those 'hockey lines' remains a work in process.  Some looked downright ugly last night.

[MarquetteDano]

Okay, for all of the doubting Thomas'  (ooh... that was bad, sorry)...

Anyone want to wager and under/over on how many threes he makes this year?  He made 10 last year.  I say up that to 14 (40% increase on the year before).

If he is a terrible of three point shooter as everyone is saying,  surely he can't make 15 threes this year?  I assume all of you will take the under?

[GGGG]

Okay, for all of the doubting Thomas'  (ooh... that was bad, sorry)...

Anyone want to wager and under/over on how many threes he makes this year?  He made 10 last year.  I say up that to 14 (40% increase on the year before).

If he is a terrible of three point shooter as everyone is saying,  surely he can't make 15 threes this year?  I assume all of you will take the under?

OK....so you went from being a "3 point sniper"...to "one a game"...to "14 this year."

I think the point's been made here.

[MarquetteDano]

OK....so you went from being a "3 point sniper"...to "one a game"...to "14 this year."

I think the point's been made here.

So, then you are not willing to make the bet are you?  I think I made my point.  What would you set the over/under at for a bad three point shooter?

[willie warrior]

Starting 5 is meaningless, over-rated, please the angry parent/booster crap.
Finishing 5 was Gardner, Wilson x 2, Thomas, Mayo.  That was the best 5 combo in the game.  That's what matters.

Sorry--cannot buy that the best 5 combo includes De. Wilson and Thomas. Will buy Gardner. J. Wilson and Mayo. Remaining 2 remains to be seen---would need more looks at Du. Wilson, Burton, Dawson and Triple J, to finish that 5.

[ChicosBailBonds]

Also, can we stop the "Southern is a good team" stuff? Cool, they were an NCAA team last year. They also play in the SWAC. Somebody has to get in from there.  They graduated their best player from last year. They got a 16 seed. Pretty revealing. You have to be pretty bad to get that seed. Wow, they played a semi close game with the most overrated team in the history of the NCAA tournament who also benefited from playing in an awful conference, and then who then went and lost to a mid major 9 seed in the next round.  If we want to look at their results from last year, they won 23 games and 15 of those came within their conference.  They lost to teams like Texas Southern, Arkansas Pine-Bluff, Alcorn State, and North Carolina Central.  But I'm guessing those teams are good teams too.  This isn't some team that is too good for its own league, last year was their first NCAA Tournament appearance in 7 years, playing in a terrible conference.

Are there worse teams out there? Sure. Is Southern a "good team?" Nope.

Having said all that, I am not one bit worried about last night's game.  Is there any doubt that if we wanted to play Gardner, Mayo, Jamil, and either Juan or Steve with Derrick for 35 minutes each last night that we would've won by 30 and had a nice shiny score like some of the other buy games (which is what this was)?  No doubt to me.  But Buzz (thankfully) likes to get some kids some experience who aren't necessarily ready to play the minutes that he gives them this early.  They need the experience though.  I would've expected nothing less than an ugly game that showed a close score but nobody really had anything to worry about for our first game of the year.  We will look slightly better on Tuesday, and then we will look like a different team next Saturday when we play to win every possession and see an 8 man rotation.

But no, Southern is not a good team.

I don't know how good Southern is, but your comments are well stated.

[brandx]

Last night's game could've been really ugly if we didn't have Davante or Todd.

Duke's game could've been really ugly last night if they didn't have Parker and Solomon.

[ChicosBailBonds]

Last night's game could've been really ugly if we didn't have Davante or Todd.

Last night's game was really ugly, even with Davante and Todd

[brewcity77]

So, then you are not willing to make the bet are you?  I think I made my point.  What would you set the over/under at for a bad three point shooter?

I think Sultan is biding his time, because at this rate you'll be saying "Dammit Jake will make at least ONE three-pointer this year" before the day is out.

[GGGG]

So, then you are not willing to make the bet are you?  I think I made my point.  What would you set the over/under at for a bad three point shooter?

I don't gamble.  But I think 14 3s this year is probably pretty accurate.  And that doesn't make him a sniper.

[wadesworld]

I don't know how good Southern is, but your comments are well stated.

Thank you.  And I was actually wrong about 15 of their wins coming within their league.  That didn't even include the 2 games they won in their conference tournament.  So of their 23 wins last year, 17 of them came within the SWAC (which went 0-6 last night).

[mubb34]

Duke's game could've been really ugly last night if they didn't have Parker and Solomon.

Rodney Hood.........

[statnik]

Last night's game was really ugly, even with Davante and Todd

Yeah, it was an ugly win, but it would've likely been an ugly loss without them.

[MarquetteDano]

I don't gamble.  But I think 14 3s this year is probably pretty accurate.  And that doesn't make him a sniper.

I wasn't going to make it a money bet so it isn't a gamble in that sense.  I don't want the season to end and, no matter how many threes he makes, you or I can still make an argument for either way.  Is 21 3's enough of an over/under?
 

[GGGG]

I wasn't going to make it a money bet so it isn't a gamble in that sense.  I don't want the season to end and, no matter how many threes he makes, you or I can still make an argument for either way.  Is 21 3's enough of an over/under?

I don't gamble.

And the over/under stuff is silly anyway.  What matters is that he can hit them consistently during games when they count for something.  When he starts hitting those with consistency, then you can come here and call him a sniper.

[MarquetteDano]

I don't gamble.

And the over/under stuff is silly anyway.  What matters is that he can hit them consistently during games when they count for something.  When he starts hitting those with consistency, then you can come here and call him a sniper.

Ugh.  So, at the end of the year no matter what he does we will still be having this argument.  Thanks for telling me who I can and can't call a sniper but you can't put a number on it.  I guess you are the judge of all things Sultan.  I guess I will wait till the end of the year and you tell me your judgment on it.

[wadesworld]

Ugh.  So, at the end of the year no matter what he does we will still be having this argument.  Thanks for telling me who I can and can't call a sniper but you can't put a number on it.  I guess you are the judge of all things Sultan.  I guess I will wait till the end of the year and you tell me your judgment on it.

You consider a guy who makes 14 3 pointers, less than 1 every 2 games, to be a sniper?  Wow.  I consider a guy like Stephen Curry or Steve Novak, who are good for 3-5 a game, snipers.

I don't think many snipers score a total of 4 points (all in 1 play) in an entire conference season can be considered a sniper.  Maybe he'll multiply that by about 40 this year and we can revisit it.  I'm not holding my breath, though.

[nyg]

You consider a guy who makes 14 3 pointers, less than 1 every 2 games, to be a sniper?  Wow.  I consider a guy like Stephen Curry or Steve Novak, who are good for 3-5 a game, snipers.

Yup,  last year Thomas was:

13 for 42 on FG attempts (31%)
10 for 36 on 3's  (27%)

Last night: 0 for 3 on FGs, which was 0 for 2 on 3's. 

[GGGG]

Ugh.  So, at the end of the year no matter what he does we will still be having this argument.  Thanks for telling me who I can and can't call a sniper but you can't put a number on it.  I guess you are the judge of all things Sultan.  I guess I will wait till the end of the year and you tell me your judgment on it.

You do that  Basketball is more than just stats.

[brandx]

This is just a tempest in a teapot.

Mayo will play much more than Thomas. And I think JJJ will end up playing a lot more minutes as well.

[Freeport Warrior]

I've always been a Mayo guy, as I've said before, he has "it" in my opinion. His shot is pure and I just see him getting better as time goes on. I used to enjoy when Jake would get it, but other than the Syracuse & GB games last year, he has pretty much shown nothing. He must practice like a champ. I would much rather have JJJ in there getting some experience. It's one game, and I am fine with Derrick running the show, playing good D and looking to pass. We didn't look good, but we will get there. Maybe my Thomas issue is just a mind game, but I can't take us seriously with him as a starter. He is not a FF starting shooting guard. I am hoping this is just a senior respect issue/experiment that will eventually go away.

[DaCoach]

I just want to see Derrick have a chance to get into a groove and see what he can do with it.

Unfortunately,it appears that Derrick is in his groove.