PT Next Season...

[ErickJD08]

Sometimes I wonder if people are even paying attention.  Buzz showed this year that he rides who he trusts, that means Hayward is going to play a ton...36 minutes.  Probably Butler too. 

Also Maymon has been promised a starting spot - He's going to start out the season starting, that much we know.

We also learned Buzz plays the 5 best guys.  Think about down the stretch, how many games did Burke play 17 minutes and Butler played much more?  Otoule is not getting anywhere near 20 minutes.  I doubt Mbao does either.  Everyone always looks at best case scenarios when projecting player development over the summer.  The fact is come November you're going to see 3 forwards...Maymon, Butler & Lazar starting and taking turns guarding the center spot.  Hopefully Otoule and Mbao work their way in but Buzz strikes me as a guy who wants to win now. 

Everyone wants to talk about Lazar playing his "natural" position.  The best thing for Lazar's pro development is to play meaningful basketball and win.  If he's a 2/3 in the pros, that's irrelevant now.  If he needs to play the 5 for MU to win games, that's what he should do.  Playing meaningful basketball will do more for his development than playing his true NBA position. 

This doesn't make much sense.   So if Hayward's natural position is a 2/3, you would want him to play a different one???  Wouldn't he be most effective in his natural position thus contributing to the team as much as he can?  We are going to depend on Hayward alot next season so why put him out of position and play a 5 where he can pick up cheap fouls.

I don't think you can read much into Buzz's strategy from last season.  The heavy minutes from the trio is because we really didn't have much of an option.  Our talent was concentrated in 4 players and the drop off from that was significant.  Next season, of course Hayward will average the most minutes on the team but I think it will be between 30 and 33.  I honestly see Buzz flipping lineups around and figuring out what is working that day. 

I think it players have a healthy summer and fall, we will see quite a bit from Mbao and Otule. 

Where is all this hate on Otule coming from?  A proclaimed project, freshmen who missed a ton of time.  Did anyone expect much more from him last season?   

[The Lens]

Hayward is probably our interior defender & rebounder, hence his value of playing there for us. 

No one hates Otoule, but some just have reasonable expectations. 

[ErickJD08]

Hayward is probably our interior defender & rebounder, hence his value of playing there for us. 

No one hates Otoule, but some just have reasonable expectations. 

That's fine... If we play zone, I would rather have one of our giants guard the paint.  Hayward can still mix it up in the paint.

[GOMU1104]

Hayward is an undersized 4...his natural position is not at the 2/3.


Its pretty evident that he is not quick enough to create as a 2/3 or defend as a 2/3.

[Skatastrophy]

Its pretty evident that he is not quick enough to create as a 2/3 or defend as a 2/3.

I'm not sure that I've ever seen him in a role where he was asked to create off the bounce. 

[ErickJD08]

I'm not sure that I've ever seen him in a role where he was asked to create off the bounce. 

I second that...

[nycwarrior]

I'm very excited about this team. In some ways it'll be much different. We're moving from a team that never turned it over and had no trouble scoring buckets to one that will begin the year with suspect handles and questions about where non-Hayward offense will come from.

Think Buzz will help us all have fun by pushing the team to continue "taking the first best shot" and playing pressure D. It'll be interesting how our greater length at the 2/3 will help because I suspect, in terms of minutes on the court, we'll still be short at the 4/5 as we get the young guys some minutes but largely have to play those positions by committee.

Apart from Lazar I'm still not sure we've got a pure shooter on the squad. If one emerges, that could help a lot.

November Line-up
1) Mo /Cadougan - On day one if Mo is least likely to turn the ball over, he will start at first. Cadougan is likely to take the helm over the course of the season. That'll happen faster if Junior's ball handling is more notable than his love handles and D. If he's a step slow or unsure breaking the press, Mo will get time at first, potentially replaced by DJO or Buycks.

2) DJO/Buycks - We need to get buckets and penetration from our shooting guard. Seems like one of these guys will emerge but I for one have no idea who's better right now. Anyone know if either of these guys can shoot?

3) Maymon/Williams/Butler - I think our "forwards" are Maymon and Lazar. Who's 3 and who's 4 is tough to say. EIther guy will need to deliver buckets on the wing and in the post, depending on the match-up.

Defense and transition baskets are the likely contribution from EWill & Butler. Hopefully EWill's 500 shots a day will make him more of an offensive threat. Butler, like Hayward, was recruited as a scoring/shooting guard. It'll be interesting to see if he expands his skill set to broaden his contribution.

What if we had 3 versatile guys who could take you to the rack or hit a 15 footer?

4) Hayward/Maymon/Fulce - Zar is our best player. Buzz will try to move Zar all over the floor to take advantage of his shooting and keep teams from knowing how to key on him. He'll move from the 3 pt line to the high post. Maymon works high post, the wing, short corner. Butler plays baseline, short corner, weak side post.

5) by Committee - Otule/Fulce/Hayward/Mbao

[Hards Alumni]

I'll loosely agree... except that in the 5 you will see Otule, Mbao and Roseboro.

Fulce is way too undersized to play the 5 and Hayward can be used elsewhere since we have the big bodies now.

[ErickJD08]

NYCWarrior, you say that in some ways this team will be different is the biggest understatement of the century.  We lost three MU greats.  Three players would play great D, rebound well, and play well together.  Those traits will be hard to replace but something that will be impossible to replace is the ability to control games and close games.  As far as PT goes (which I just remembered is the topic of this thread), I would like Junior, Maymon, and one of the C's starting to prepare for the future.  Obviously, if those players are TERRIBLE, then bench them but I think Junior and Maymon are the future and the C's will be very serviceable.  TO speculate because its fun...
Junior, Hayward, Butler and Maymon will start.  I think EVERYONE will compete for the last spot and I believe one of them will emerge as the obvious winner.