Future Problems

[MuggsyB]

1) Xavier

2) UCONN

How would you approach these games strategy wise if you were Shaka?  I don't think we can run with either team.  Let's say you had full control of the situation, what would you do to give us the best chance to win?  Maybe it's me, and I don't have a lot of answers, but I'm hoping we try some new things on the 18th.

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

Shaka is a systems coach. We are not going to try new things, at least not drastic new things. Maybe change up the substitution pattern. Maybe run a few more set plays. But you're not going to see a brand new gameplan from game to game.

[Goose]

I think the adjustments he will make will be in the rotation. He is not changing the system but can tinker with the rotation.

TAMU
I think we agree that they cannot buy a hoop at the moment and that is big problem. Have you seen enough of the ten guys to believe they are capable of much better shooting?

[MuggsyB]

Shaka is a systems coach. We are not going to try new things, at least not drastic new things. Maybe change up the substitution pattern. Maybe run a few more set plays. But you're not going to see a brand new gameplan from game to game.

.
Xavier is a very good transition team and have a couple of quality bigs but not really a shot blocker  They're also very physical on the ball and an average shooting team. I expect some zone but I think we have to find a way to match their physicality. 

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

I'm confident Kam, Elliott, Morsell, and Joplin will all end up shooting 33% or better this season. All of their strokes look good.

Lewis, the stroke looks good but I'm not convinced he's a 3P shooter yet.

O-Max isn't there yet. I think the speed of the game is way too much for him at the moment. If he can put it together, I see potential there.

Stevie is too hesitant right now. I think he can shoot but he's passing up wide open looks.

Kolek...the 53 made threes on 36% shooting from last season makes me want to believe that he will get there but man his shot is ugly looking. Not sure what happened between last season and this one or if that's always been his shot

[tower912]

The system and approach won't change.   All that can change is rotation and minutes.

I thought OMP should have started instead of Kam against UCLA  due to match ups.  If the other team is big, start OMP.

More Greg.   It isn't a coincidence that a guy with a lot of experience had success last night while young guys struggled.

[DoctorV]

Every game of the season from here on out is considered the biggest game of the season.

These next two seem like they have added importance.

X and UConn are both top 15 in the NET.

Winning 1 would get MU back to a better NET than before the UCLA game.

Losing both isn't a season ender, but it feels to me like this is a point in the season where stealing one would go a long way towards a potential bid.

I've given up any hope on winning both until I see better, but if I'm being honest I feel like MU typically plays X well and if we can steal one on Saturday I wouldn't be at all surprised to carry the momentum to a home win over UConn.

So I guess I haven't given up hope, I've just convinced myself how important Saturday's game is

[MuggsyB]

Every game of the season from here on out is considered the biggest game of the season.

These next two seem like they have added importance.

X and UConn are both top 15 in the NET.

Winning 1 would get MU back to a better NET than before the UCLA game.

Losing both isn't a season ender, but it feels to me like this is a point in the season where stealing one would go a long way towards a potential bid.

I've given up any hope on winning both until I see better, but if I'm being honest I feel like MU typically plays X well and if we can steal one on Saturday I wouldn't be at all surprised to carry the momentum to a home win over UConn.

So I guess I haven't given up hope, I've just convinced myself how important Saturday's game is

Completely agree Dr. V.

[MU82]

I'm confident Kam, Elliott, Morsell, and Joplin will all end up shooting 33% or better this season. All of their strokes look good.

I really like the ball off the hand of Kam and Joplin. Both have very nice form and I usually think they're going in. Elliott's shot is the only one I "trust," though, because he's the only one who has made shots at this level over any stretch of time, and even he hasn't had much playing time over the years.

[We R Final Four]

Shaka is installing a system.....not game planning differently for each opponent.

[bilsu]

Shaka is installing a system.....not game planning differently for each opponent.

So, you are saying he cannot coach. Good coaches adjust to talent and the opponents.

[BCHoopster]

The system is broken with the talent this year.  Centers with no offensive skills, forwards that together are average, and point guard that is questionable in certain areas of his game.  Trying to play fast and basically just throw up bad 3 pointers is not in this teams DNA

[MuggsyB]

The system is broken with the talent this year.  Centers with no offensive skills, forwards that together are average, and point guard that is questionable in certain areas of his game.  Trying to play fast and basically just throw up bad 3 pointers is not in this teams DNA

This is what I'm questioning but I tend to be a bit bipolar.  I'm just not sure we have the personnel to have any consistency playing this style.  We did look great against Mississippi and West V.  Defensively we have also had our moments.  The real issue is we don't have a guy who can put his head down and make things happen (a.k.a zoomability), and we're not draining threes.  I would imagine Shaka will snag a burner and a spot shooter n the near future.  I think we're definitely going to. be fine and the future is bright, I just didn't anticipate the struggles of some of our guys.

[tower912]

Why not?   Other than Kolek thanks to his recent slump, which player who had actually played D1 basketball before is performing worse than they did last year?      This has always been a team with no proven scoring and little experience.   That they are 8-3  is a tribute to defense and grit.

[JakeBarnes]

Why not?   Other than Kolek thanks to his recent slump, which player who had actually played D1 basketball before is performing worse than they did last year?      This has always been a team with no proven scoring and little experience.   That they are 8-3  is a tribute to defense and grit.

After taking a breath, amazed by the defense against UCLA.

But yeah, offense needs to take a step

[MuggsyB]

Why not?   Other than Kolek thanks to his recent slump, which player who had actually played D1 basketball before is performing worse than they did last year?      This has always been a team with no proven scoring and little experience.   That they are 8-3  is a tribute to defense and grit.

We have multiple guys with experience on this team Tower.  And you can see the athleticism of O-Max and Kuath.  I look at more than the results on paper.  i ask myself if we can match-up with the top tier of our league and if we're playing better than the first few games.   Needless to say the last three games have been a gut-punch to MU fans.  In the end we'll be alright but we have to acknowledge reality.

[tower912]

Yes, we do.

[mileskishnish72]

The system is broken with the talent this year.  Centers with no offensive skills, forwards that together are average, and point guard that is questionable in certain areas of his game.  Trying to play fast and basically just throw up bad 3 pointers is not in this teams DNA

Well, this is an indictment of Shaka as a coach, whether you mean it to be or not. Good coaches vary and adjust their "system" to the personnel available, just as successful managers do in other types of business. I look back to Buzz coaching the "midget" team and how he realized that he had to slow the tempo and make every possession important. That team overachieved, relative to what one might have expected from their personnel, in large part because of the "system" being appropriate to what they could accomplish.

I don't want to sound argumentative. I'm so happy to be rid of Wojo, that I am willing to give Shaka a wide berth, or long leash, or whatever you want to call it. I've been re-energized vis a vis
MU hoops, but I basically agree with you. We are forcing the pace (#2 in tempo last time I checked) and putting up 3's with a team that is not comprised of proficient shooters.

Bottom line: it looks like our new coach has not followed a course which might be expected to get the best results from the abilities his players have. I'm not worried yet, I'm still psyched, but it certainly is something to think about.

[panda]

Well, this is an indictment of Shaka as a coach, whether you mean it to be or not. Good coaches vary and adjust their "system" to the personnel available, just as successful managers do in other types of business. I look back to Buzz coaching the "midget" team and how he realized that he had to slow the tempo and make every possession important. That team overachieved, relative to what one might have expected from their personnel, in large part because of the "system" being appropriate to what they could accomplish.

I don't want to sound argumentative. I'm so happy to be rid of Wojo, that I am willing to give Shaka a wide berth, or long leash, or whatever you want to call it. I've been re-energized vis a vis
MU hoops, but I basically agree with you. We are forcing the pace (#2 in tempo last time I checked) and putting up 3's with a team that is not comprised of proficient shooters.

Bottom line: it looks like our new coach has not followed a course which might be expected to get the best results from the abilities his players have. I'm not worried yet, I'm still psyched, but it certainly is something to think about.

I really hope not to look back at this and be wrong, but there's a very low probability we'll continue to shoot this poorly.

The strategy is very good and the execution will get better. Making shots will improve spacing and allow for more options inside out as well.

[tower912]

I see the current shooting woes as the foundation for future shooting success.  Perhaps not this year.   Coach Smart is teaching them to flay with pace and without fear.   As the game slows down and sorts itself out for this very young team (351 in DI), I think the shots will fall and the offense will gel.

8-3 because of defense and heart.

[Dr. Blackheart]

I see the current shooting woes as the foundation for future shooting success.  Perhaps not this year.   Coach Smart is teaching them to flay with pace and without fear.   As the game slows down and sorts itself out for this very young team (351 in DI), I think the shots will fall and the offense will gel.

8-3 because of defense and heart.

This makes me feel less hopeful as a fan...

Flaying, also known colloquially as skinning, is a method of slow and painful execution in which skin is removed from the body. Generally, an attempt is made to keep the removed portion of skin intact.

[rocky_warrior]

This makes me feel less hopeful as a fan...

Maybe Shaka took our "must be destroyed" posts too seriously?

[tower912]

Bwahahahaha.   The secret weapon.

[MuggsyB]

I see the current shooting woes as the foundation for future shooting success.  Perhaps not this year.   Coach Smart is teaching them to flay with pace and without fear.   As the game slows down and sorts itself out for this very young team (351 in DI), I think the shots will fall and the offense will gel.

8-3 because of defense and heart.

Tower, I certainly hope you are correct.  Nevertheless, with the exception of Greg, ever single player on our roster looked as if they were strapped to chairs in Pamplona, with a herd of angry bulls kicking it into overdrive, ready to pummel and attack.   They played with incalculable fear from my perspective. Letting it fly doesn't mean you are not terrified out there.  It was quite noticeable and hopefully not a harbinger of things to come.  I would say you are whistling dixie here on the no fear suggestion.  I do agree that the game needs to slow down for us in general.

[JakeBarnes]

Bwahahahaha.   The secret weapon.