How would you coach Garcia?

[tower912]

Okay, but he's 6'10.   Who would be the model for him if he expects to play at the NBA level?

Right now, name any 6'11, not super strong, not super quick, reasonably skilled player you want.

Not as quick or as good a ballhandler as Henry.   Not as good a shooter as the Hausers.   I love the kid, think he has a nice future.   But he needs an off-season of work before he can sniff the league.

[Scoop Snoop]

When Garcia gets anywhere near the basket, he often slams on the brakes and then telegraphs his shot. Stop hesitating and keep the defender guessing!

[shoothoops]

Garcia.

Several things mentioned already. (Needs strength, lateral quickness)

He needs to hold the ball higher when he shoots as well as after he takes it to the basket and rebounds.

He has to use his body better when positioned in the high post. And he needs to use his body better when trying to score inside. Starting to low and almost falling. Ball fakes, kickouts, re-entry with more pace.

Many of his 3's are front rim, short, legs.

He at times needs to adjust to the pace of the game. Needs to develop a mid range game and can eventually extend to 3 point line.

He is a good recruit, getting good experience, and he has the potential to make a lot of progress in a short amount of time with proper development.

He isn't a one and done five star type of player, and, he doesn't have to be. I believe some expectations were too high and unreasonable. Not a great supporting cast, especially in the backcourt didn't help.

[hairy worthen]

Okay, but he's 6'10.   Who would be the model for him if he expects to play at the NBA level?

Easiest Marquette player comparison Henry Ellenson. I dont follow nba closely but Michael porter maybe, kevin Durant, Simmons. Now dont get me wrong he is nowhere near any of those, but to me those are his strengths as opposed to a pounder rebounder down low.

[MuggsyB]

Right now, name any 6'11, not super strong, not super quick, reasonably skilled player you want.

Not as quick or as good a ballhandler as Henry.   Not as good a shooter as the Hausers.   I love the kid, think he has a nice future.   But he needs an off-season of work before he can sniff the league.

I think Ellenson was stronger and the Hausers were better shooters.  Not sure about handles.  It's the quickness that I'm wondering about.  How can you coach quicks?

[Jockey]

Bingo.  A good coach won't shoehorn him into a position or role because of "size" but instead utilize his skills that he possesses while trying to improve his overall game

Hopefully, we will get one. With good coaching, he can be an NBA player. But he is nowhere near that point yet.

The skills package is there, though, waiting to be developed.

[wadesworld]

Hate to say it, but watching UVA vs Florida St., Sam's game has improved 100% since he left here. And yes, I realize he has years of experience over Garcia. Woj fooked up the entire Hauser fiasco, major, hey?

That's what you came away from his 3-7 shooting, 5 rebounds, 0 assists, 2 turnovers performance thinking?

[WarriorFan]

With the exception of high level athleticism, Garcia has all the makings of a very good to great stretch 4.  The problem is:
a) the system
b) playing him out of position - in the post - just because he's big

How to fix:

1.  Ball movement (passing) mixed with some curl screens and some baseline cuts to get him open for catch and shoot 3's... where everyone knows he's going to shoot but the action gives him enough space to do it confidently.  Some of the plays that MU used to run for Markus would work.  He should get 5-6 of these looks per game.
2.  Pick and roll.  How many times in the Wojo era has there been a pass to the roll man on the pick and roll?  Few to none.  The roll man is not finding open space, and usually if it's not Theo on the roll, Theo is blocking the space the roll man needs to have an open path to the basket.  Remove Theo, 5 out, pick and roll with Garcia as the roll man and get him several easy layups/dunks.  Another 5-6 of these per game.
3.  Offensive boards.  Change the game strategy and have Garcia stay in to get O-boards.  He's a good rebounder with nice touch around the basket.  Can't do this for the whole game, but for any 1 or 2 segment of about 2-4 minutes it would get him a couple outback opportunities.
4.  Against the zone - put him at the free throw line and let him work from there.  Sometimes just taking that jumper is the best option when there's no-one around. 

If Garcia played for Creighton or Nova he'd get tons of these looks because of their system and their ball movement.  Even Seton Hall - which runs basically the same offense as MU (but runs it better) hit the roll man 3 or 4 times in the recent game.

Bottom line is he needs and deserves a lot more touches, but better ones than he can get in the shambles Wojo calls an offense.

[21Jumpstreet]

Pick and pop/roll, free throw jumpers, weights. Then maybe I might have him channel his inner Marcus Jackson point-forward skills.

[MU82]

Could be Player of the Year in the ACC, though, hey?

Valentine's Day is already past, but I guess that didn't curb your bromance. Sam sends his love back!

Despite all that lovin' ... Sam is only slightly more likely to win ACC player of the year than Wojo is to win Big East coach of the year. Sam wasn't even on The Athletic's midseason all-ACC team.

Sam is the exact same player he was at Marquette. That's not an insult at all. He was a good player for us, and it was great to have him on our team.

Unfortunately, he let his little brother - who as it turns out is not very good - talk him into participating in a mutiny.

[WarriorPride68]

will be interesting to see how differently Richard Pitino or Archie Miller use him

[Silent Verbal]

I like Garcia and think him and Carton are by far our best players, and it's not close.  However, when he went for that layup against Obiagu early in the game, I knew he was gonna get stuffed, and he did.  And then it happened again.  Every player he'd face at the next level will be better than Obiagu.  Whatever else he needs to work on, he'll have to hit the weights and get stronger.

[MU82]

Garcia actually does have a nice little jump hook and he hit it several times early in the season. Have not seen in for a couple months now. I wonder why.

When he has the size advantage, he can be very effective inside. He killed Nova, especially Swider. When the other team has a bigger and/or more athletic big, such as Obiagu, Garcia needs to be able to step outside and hit shots ... at least until he gets stronger and has more moves around the hoop.

We think of Garcia as being pretty skilled and Theo as being the opposite, but it was Theo who used a bunch of moves to get Obiagu in foul trouble (and, eventually, out of the game).

But no ... I doubt Garcia ran into too many players like Obiagu when he was at Prior Lake.

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

In practice, I'd stick two defenders on him,  tell them "no blood no foul" and make Garcia go over and over until he doesn't mind getting hit anymore.

Garcia is a finesse player, which is fine, but he shrinks from contact. He could be unstoppable from the high post if he learned to play through contact on cuts

[JWags85]

I think a decent comp, especially when he bulks up a bit, is Sabonis from the Pacers. Good inside game and rebounding, but can step outside and shoot it.  Maybe Gallinari, though he floats outside more than Garcia.

As for comps to MPJ, Durant, or Simmons, LOLZ. If you don't watch the NBA, that's cool, but then don't make silly comps. All of those guys are very quick and bouncy, guard speed and handles in a 6'10 frame.  Garcia isn't a plodding oaf, certainly more athletic than Hank, but he's not going to be sprinting past SFs to explode for monster highlight dunks either.

[D'Lo Brown]

IMO - best thing for Dawson is to be surrounded by more offensive threats, especially explosive guys & good ball handlers. I don't think the team as structured really complements him all that well because the ball-handling is pretty rough & Dawson has to be more inventive than he ought to be (again IMHO).

As others have said, he's a finesse player; last I knew, the weight room doesn't impact the mind.

Same people said Jamal "just needs to get in the weight room", Greg etc. They did, but it's kind of besides the point. Koby surely gets in the weight room & it doesn't seem to impact his mindset much.

Dawson's defensive upside is average at best, which should be fine. He could be an excellent offensive weapon on the right team.

[Stretchdeltsig]

Garcia gets off the floor slowly and has limited elevation. He needs to be a body position player which requires savvy and takes longer to develop.

Agree.  I would coach to be a better offensive rebounder. He can't rebound when he's standing 30' away watching teammates miss threes.  This is a big flaw of Wojo's offense, too often there is no one underneath.

[mug644]

I think a decent comp, especially when he bulks up a bit, is Sabonis from the Pacers. Good inside game and rebounding, but can step outside and shoot it.  Maybe Gallinari, though he floats outside more than Garcia.

...

How about Toni Kukoc? Not that Gracia is currently the player Kukoc was, but I could see Garcia turning into a player like him.

[Lennys Tap]

How about Toni Kukoc? Not that Gracia is currently the player Kukoc was, but I could see Garcia turning into a player like him.

Well, he's tall, lean and a lefty. So there's that. Otherwise, not so much.

[Uncle Rico]

Well, he tall, lean and a lefty. So there's that. Otherwise, not so much.

Dawson Garcia is Dawson Garcia.  He's a kid oozing potential.  Doubtful this staff taps it fully.  Would happily be wrong.

[Lennys Tap]

Dawson Garcia is Dawson Garcia.  He's a kid oozing potential.  Doubtful this staff taps it fully.  Would happily be wrong.

Agree on all counts.

[MuggsyB]

Dawson Garcia is Dawson Garcia.  He%u2019s a kid oozing potential.  Doubtful this staff taps it fully.  Would happily be wrong.

Yes.  That's why I posed the question Uncle R.  Both he and Lewis are outstanding pieces....hopefully we find the right group to lead them and maximize their abilities.  Or maybe you should write Wojo a letter?

[Uncle Rico]

Yes.  That's why I posed the question Uncle R.  Both he and Lewis are outstanding pieces....hopefully we find the right group to lead them and maximize their abilities.  Or maybe you should write Wojo a letter?

I don't think letters work 😉

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

Agree.  I would coach to be a better offensive rebounder. He can't rebound when he's standing 30' away watching teammates miss threes.  This is a big flaw of Wojo's offense, too often there is no one underneath.

Dude,  Dawson Garcia is the second best offensive rebounder in the big east. This is a crazy take.

[bilsu]

He needs to be transformed from a soft 220lbs. to a physical 240lbs.