Step back for Derrick

[NCMUFan]

Ok, DJ struggled from the line, however, here are his Marquette accomplishments.

Ranks second all-time in games played (129) and assists (632), fourth in points (1,749) and fourth in steals (238) ... Was one of 50 players named to the John R. Wooden Award watch list and earned Preseason BIG EAST Honorable Mention ... One of 17 finalist for Bob Cousy Award ... Named to the Naismith Trophy watch list ...

[mattyv1908]

Derrick is shooting .463 from the line this year.

Dominic shot .461 from the line as a senior.

The difference is Dominic James' free throw shooting was an outlier to his overall game while it's indicative of Derrick Wilson's game.

[WellsstreetWanderer]

Derrick is shooting .463 from the line this year.

Dominic shot .461 from the line as a senior.

Dominic could make layups

[LAZER]

I liked Dieng and wished we had him, but he averaged 9.8 points. Despite being nearly 7 feet tall and athletic, he was drafted near the end of the first round and rarely plays in the NBA.

If Louisville had a Gardner-Otule combination to go with Behanan and those guards, you don't think they would have been a serious championship contender?

Dieng averaged nearly a double double in 2013 and was the BE Def POY.  I'm not sure how far Louisville would have gotten with and Otule-Gardner combo, but IMO Dieng is was a much better player than that combo.  I'm in the minority here, but I'm really not a big fan of Otule.

[chapman]

Another addition to the next Homer questions thread: Has Derrick tried potty shots or anything equally ridiculous, and if no, why the hell not?  He is pretty good at drawing fouls, and goes to the line far too much to shoot worse than [insert joke or witticism].

[Lennys Tap]

Derrick is shooting .463 from the line this year.

Dominic shot .461 from the line as a senior.

That team was headed for a #2 seed until our point guard who couldn't shoot a lick got hurt. We replaced him with a good 3 point/free throw shooter who couldn't play defense and things got much worse very quickly. Hmmm.....

[GooooMarquette]

The difference is Dominic James' free throw shooting was an outlier to his overall game while it's indicative of Derrick Wilson's game.

I gave those stats in response to a comment that Derrick was the only player the poster hopes never gets fouled.

Take my comment in the context in which it was made.

[GooooMarquette]

That team was headed for a #2 seed until our point guard who couldn't shoot a lick got hurt. We replaced him with a good 3 point/free throw shooter who couldn't play defense and things got much worse very quickly. Hmmm.....

Looks like you didn't read the post I was responding to either.  Hmmmm....

[madtownwarrior]

A team fouling Derrick while MU is in the bonus or double bonus is essentially as a good as causing a turnover...

Derrick is the only player I have ever hoped does not get fouled.  He really looks stiff legged and off balanced at the free throw line.  I wonder what is really up with him and his free throws?

[willie warrior]

Dominic could make layups

m
Many times with a great dunk. Have never seen Derrick dunk a layup, but have seen him clunk a few.

12 year old daughter of MU fan at a game: "Daddy, why isn't anybody guarding #12?"

[Sunbelt15]

12 year old daughter of MU fan at a game: "Daddy, why isn't anybody guarding #12?"

Now that's sad, but true!!!

[NersEllenson]

That team was headed for a #2 seed until our point guard who couldn't shoot a lick got hurt. We replaced him with a good 3 point/free throw shooter who couldn't play defense and things got much worse very quickly. Hmmm.....

Come on Lenny...its one thing to defend Derrick, but to even allude to the fact Dominic going down is in any way similar to if our team lost Derrick??  Plus at the time Dominic went down, we were just entering the murderer's row portion of the schedule..with games against Lville, Pitt, Cuse, Nova..

And don't think anyone would have a beef with Derrick if we were getting this kind of production (Dominic's senior year...where although not a great 3 point shooter...you still had to defend him hard on perimeter):

31.4   11.0   3.4   5.0   2.1   0.3   1.9   .424   .461   .284

But instead we have this:
30.1   5.4   3.7   4.1   1.2   0.1   1.4   .401   .463   .077

[Lennys Tap]

Come on Lenny...its one thing to defend Derrick, but to even allude to the fact Dominic going down is in any way similar to if our team lost Derrick??  Plus at the time Dominic went down, we were just entering the murderer's row portion of the schedule..with games against Lville, Pitt, Cuse, Nova..

And don't think anyone would have a beef with Derrick if we were getting this kind of production (Dominic's senior year...where although not a great 3 point shooter...you still had to defend him hard on perimeter):

31.4   11.0   3.4   5.0   2.1   0.3   1.9   .424   .461   .284

But instead we have this:
30.1   5.4   3.7   4.1   1.2   0.1   1.4   .401   .463   .077

I'm not saying that Derrick = DJ but there are similarities to their games. DJ was always going to score more but he WAS a bad shooter who no doubt should have scored/shot less. Buzz cut back his offensive role and gave a lot of his shots to Wes (thank God). Both DJ and Derrick are excellent defensively and good rebounders for point guards. Both had solid assist to TO ratios. DJ was the better player, but the guy backing him up (again, similar to Dawson) was a better shooter (like Dawson). He was also weak defensively (again, like Dawson) but protected the ball much better than John does. So, DJ was a better version of Derrick as Acker was a better version of John. I don't recall things improving when our great defensive, lousy offensive point guard was replaced by a better free throw/3point shooter. In fact, it was the death knell to what might have been a great year.

[NersEllenson]

I'm not saying that Derrick = DJ but there are similarities to their games. DJ was always going to score more but he WAS a bad shooter who no doubt should have scored/shot less. Buzz cut back his offensive role and gave a lot of his shots to Wes (thank God). Both DJ and Derrick are excellent defensively and good rebounders for point guards. Both had solid assist to TO ratios. DJ was the better player, but the guy backing him up (again, similar to Dawson) was a better shooter (like Dawson). He was also weak defensively (again, like Dawson) but protected the ball much better than John does. So, DJ was a better version of Derrick as Acker was a better version of John. I don't recall things improving when our great defensive, lousy offensive point guard was replaced by a better free throw/3point shooter. In fact, it was the death knell to what might have been a great year.

All in all I'd say a good analysis - however - to the bolded part...if you define Dominic as a lousy offensive PG, then what does that make Derrick?  Dominic wasn't a great 3 point shooter..similar to Cadougan last year...but they were good enough and a threat enough to at least require that they be defended at 3 point line..which helps your court spacing.

As I said, don't think there is any beef here if Derrick were putting up numbers like Dom, and were shooting 28% from 3 point line...and needed to be defended everywhere on the floor.

The reality is, however, that the "bar" has been set so low, it is highly doubtful and unlikely that if you gave Dawson 30 minutes per game his offensive output wouldn't exceed Derricks...and the floor would be spaced better...but yes, we'd give up something on the defensive end, and likely deal with a few more turnovers per game.  If the whole defense first approach were working and we are winning games...I have no issue with sticking with it...but it really hasn't so why not try the alternative?

[mattyv1908]

If we replaced Derrick with Dawson we'd give up something on both ends at this point.

[Lennys Tap]

If we replaced Derrick with Dawson we'd give up something on both ends at this point.

Agreed.

[MU82]

I'm not saying that Derrick = DJ but there are similarities to their games. DJ was always going to score more but he WAS a bad shooter who no doubt should have scored/shot less. Buzz cut back his offensive role and gave a lot of his shots to Wes (thank God). Both DJ and Derrick are excellent defensively and good rebounders for point guards. Both had solid assist to TO ratios. DJ was the better player, but the guy backing him up (again, similar to Dawson) was a better shooter (like Dawson). He was also weak defensively (again, like Dawson) but protected the ball much better than John does. So, DJ was a better version of Derrick as Acker was a better version of John. I don't recall things improving when our great defensive, lousy offensive point guard was replaced by a better free throw/3point shooter. In fact, it was the death knell to what might have been a great year.

The only real similarity between DJ and DW was that both were poor FT shooters in their most recent Marquette season. (DJ actually was a 62% career FT shooter, including 66% when he was a junior as DW is now.)

Otherwise, DJ actually could make layups -- and dunks. He was a career 29% shooter from 3PT -- not exactly Reggie Miller but a far cry from the scud-launcher that is DW. Teams had to respect DJ, and if they did he'd just drive past them because he also was far quicker than DW. He was a superior defender, every bit as good on the ball and far more likely to get a steal and turn it into points on the other end; how many times has DW done that all season? DJ could break down his defender and create for himself and others.

And so on and so on and so on. I feel silly even having to do this.

As for DJ's backup ... we know what Acker became as a 5th-year senior: a very nice 3-point shooter and effective floor leader. But the year DJ got hurt, Acker was a seldom-used change-of-pace guy. In the four games before DJ got hurt, Acker played 6, 8, 8 and 3 minutes. He then was forced to play huge minutes in a role for which he was not accustomed.

[willie warrior]

The similarities between the games of DW and DJ are slight. FT's: both not good, but DJ much better; Athletic ability: DJ by far; Defender: DJ better; Shooting: DJ better; Ball handling: Give DJ a slight edge;  Scoring: DJ much better. Overall: DJ far superior