Jaylin shot more 3s as season progresses and it changed games. Never great. But he was a threat.
Last year’s team made more threes than the opposition in SEC games and shot 32 percent. This year’s team has made fewer than the opposition and shoots 29 percent on threes. They are taking fewer threes as the season progresses. Devo seems to have the green light on threes anytime in the shot clock. The rest, no so much. They seem to know – probably because Muss has told them – the three is not their shot.
When I hear coaches talk, they emphasize that in today’s game, you better be able to shoot threes.
Gas loves dunks. I do, too. But I love threes more. If you can shoot threes, everything opens up. You are not going too have much fun driving towards a packed lane. Sagging man-to-man defense with plenty of help is hard to penetrate. You try that, you will have the ball poked away and turnovers will mount.
If you can shoot, the floor stays open. Space the floor with shooters, everything is easier. If you can’t shoot, the lane will become compact and I don’t care how good your post players are with the ball, they will struggle. Turnovers become a problem.
Arkansas runs a lot of sets looking to get a particular player or players a look. When that doesn’t work, the Razorbacks get into their open offense, which is what you see a lot of times in late shot clock situations. They try to find a 1-on-1 mismatch or the best available matchup and go after it.
That sometimes means the assist numbers aren’t going to be high. Ricky Council yesterday may have scored a couple times immediately after a pass, but a lot of his buckets were self-created. Arkansas worked into an advantageous matchup for him in the half court vs. man D, and he exploited it. There is a lot of that each game, maybe just not to the same level of success.
The “offense” under Muss is movement with no purpose by a couple of players while the others stand around.
Then as the shot clock winds down, whomever has the ball goes one on one.
Lack of shooting is an issue, but it’s not the problem. Lack of offensive structure is the problem.
People keep bringing up not having two players suddenly made this team a bad offensive team.
That’s a cop-out! Neither played enough games to have created this mass void the excuse makers use. While their presence would help, this wasn’t exactly a smooth running offense with them.
To compare what Muss “runs” to what Pop n Kerr runs is a complete joke!
What Greg Popovich and Steve Kerr run is predicated on having healthy and talented players as any offense in the country, at any level. The Spurs are on pace to win about 30 fewer games this season than they were doing when they had all of their stars in their prime. Look at the Warriors record in years when they have battled injuries. Did they suddenly forget how to coach? The answer to that would be no, that would be stupid to say that
The last four games, we shot 50 less free throws than our opponents.
In the two games we lost. In the two loses MO and Baylor, by a combined 6 points, we shot 50% compared to 39% for our opponents.
We had 15 more turnovers; shot 22 less free throws; and committed 27 more fouls. This a reversal from our teams in the past that won games by shooting and making more free throws than our opponents.
Assuming we can continue to shoot at our 47% clip, it seems like addressing these three issues where we are getting killed, could make a difference. The 50 less free throws in the second of half of the last four games is not sustainable, the fact that we won two of those games can be attributable to the caliber of the opponents. We can’t acquire more shooters, unless Nick comes back, but we can address the issues outlined above.
The issue you’re trying to accomplish, first and foremost, and forever, is to win games. Whatever it takes to do that. When you have all your players that make you at your best, you are better in every facet of the game. Point differential on the plus side is what matters. It’s all that matters. Steve Kerr and Greg Popovich would trade victories for offensive production in a nanosecond.
I would have predicted a tough offensive season if you told me in the summer Devo was the best point guard. He is. It’s a tough job for him and he’s making the best of it.
I agree turnovers are a problem, too.
They will win most if not all of the home games the rest of the way.
Pick up a road win - and one or two is all they need - and they are in the NCAA tournament.
Then it’s a crap shoot. Might surprise there.
Muss will continue to tinker. They will get better. He’s a good coach and he seems to find a way in February just when we figure he won’t.
Very interesting discussion. And lots of good points.
As to the Baylor game, Muss is not the problem. His coaching created a lot of mismatches. We played hard. We had a real chance to win despite not having great outside shooting or free throw shooting.
I have played pickup basketball for 60 years, and watched college and pro basketball for 60 years, and coached rec basketball, so I am sure I know a lot more than the average college basketball fan, but I don’t always know what is going on out there, and I am sure Jimmy Counce knows so much more than me that you would think I never saw a game in my life, so I doubly appreciate the info.
Btw, I know there’s 3 point shooting and shot clocks now, and I somewhat get the modern offensive game, I love the Warriors, but it still leaves me shaking my head sometimes. Like Oscar Tshiebwe and Armando Bacot not being projected as high draft picks because they don’t shoot 3s. Used to be a presence inside freed up
outside shots. Gee, sometimes I wonder what, if anything, they would do with Shaq, Russell, or Wilt these days, it’s a shame they couldn’t hit jump shots . It wasn’t too long ago when big men were trying to emulate the Steph Currys analysts said they were crazy (except for a mobile big man to hit a shot or two to force a more physical big man to leave the basket).
In the mid/late 70’s we had a daily pick up game at McFadden Field House in Pine Bluff. Jerry Rook was the coach at PBHS (and a good friend) former players and businessmen would show up at noon and have at it. Jerry played at ASU and one season in the ABA. Even in his late 30’s he could take on the youngsters and beat them. We played tough ball basically no blood, no foul. The most fun I ever had on the basketball floor was in those noon ball games.
I played pickup with Steve Largent and Dodgers shortstop Bill Russell at church on Sunday afternoon during my early 30s. Yes, I was outclassed. But it was fun. Both were great basketball players. Unlimited range. Russell could dribble past you with either hand. A MLB shortstop is an incredible athlete.
I gave Largent a wide berth if he had the ball. He would be past you in a blink of an eye.
Everyone here is talking about 3’s, turnovers, FT’s, etc., and all those are important, but the loss of 2 of our top 5 players is what has caused the majority of our problems.
Take Brandon Miller and Clowney off Alabama and you’d see how good they are.
Take Jared Wilson and Grady Dick off Kansas and things change a lot. And I can go on and on with each team in the top 20.
With Nick Smith and Trevon Brazile we are a top 5 team in the country. Without we have to put together positive matchups the best we can and play our guts out on defense. And that is without the ridiculous disparity in FT’s attempted the second half of most of our losses.
How good was Anthony Black on the pick and roll with just Brazile in the games in Hawaii. We weren’t moaning and groaning about point guard play when we had Nick and Brazile on the court.
Yes, we have lost those two players and we should be applauding our guys for the courage that they play with.
And Devo is not a point guard, but has to do a lot of the ball handling because Nick is not there.
The middle would be a lot more open with Smith and Brazile playing and as a result we would have less turnovers because we wouldn’t have to force the drive so much (into clogged lanes).
Muss is trying to work miracles with his modified lineups and we should be appreciating the job that he and the players are doing. And the comments about not recruiting superstars is ludicrous because you can’t win National Championships without them.
Could we use one or two more 3 pt. shooters, I think that is obvious! But, put Nick and Brazile back on the court and we’d all be very excited about our chances against any team in the country.
. It wasn’t too long ago when big men were trying to emulate the Steph Currys analysts said they were crazy (except for a mobile big man to hit a shot or two to force a more physical big man to leave the basket).