Tough loss. No moral victories, but I saw progress as far as some of the young athletes coming in to their own. Playing more intuitive, making quicker decisions. Thus could be huge.
White’s dilemma is he really has two factions on O. Nembhard, Blackshear, and Locke are not elite athletes but bring good ball security and high IQ. They benefit the team playing a methodical offense. Lewis, Mann, and Johnson are better athletes that fit a running style, and excel in transition. Glover fits the latter style better, but isn’t at the level of those 3. Payne adds value to both styles as a rangy, hard working big man. The fixer.
I will take it as a good sign when the team situationally prioritizes the transitional game, and starts moving more quickly and decisively in the set offense when they cannot run.
On rebounds or TOs Nembhard should look to run first, getting the ball out on the wing fast to Lewis, Mann, or Johnson and let them push the ball and finish at the rim if they can take it with a second pass or off the dribble; with Payne or Blackshear trailing. Those guys need to learn when it’s not there and kick it out to Locke, Blackshear, or Nembhard for an uncontested 3 in transition, or to then run the set.
The set O should be what we run first only off the inbounds. Only, because we have two problems there; inexperience and unreliable distance shooters. There just isn’t a trustworthy 3-point shooter on the team, which hampers running Princeton sets through Blackshear. If this roster had a Lee Humphrey, White would look like a genius because he knows that O well. Defenses would have to pick their poison. Crush the interior lanes or guard the perimeter. They just crush the lanes against this roster, negating the athleticism of the 5 stars. Imagine Lewis and Johnson cutting in the lane and getting fed by Kerry. So, absent running the O through Kerry that way, that leaves motion sets requiring young players to read the D and move in concert. White’s motion O is a bit like an RPO in that way, except more than one player has to make the read.
That’s why the ‘squeaky shoes’ concept has some merit. Players knowing what to do without thinking and standing around indicates they’re getting it. Once our fast twitch youngsters gel in that part of the game it will be a beautiful day.
I think I’m beginning to understand White’s situation and what he’s been doing. Exposing the 5stars to the half court game so they can run it fluidly during tourney time when teams who win the high-value possession battle win the big games. It has been painful to watch because we lack good outside shooting and I think the offense has been hard for these guys to pick up. Mann is perhaps the most glaring example of someone who’s thinking too much. The train is wobbling around the bend, but at least it is moving. Hopefully it snaps to the tracks in time to make the tourney. That’s Whites gamble?
