RE: 2021-2022 Men's Basketball
Here we are just a few weeks from conference play with only a few OOC remaining and it feels like we are still uncertain what to do with this team on offense. The primary combination of Phillips, Okauru and Sims just isn't getting it done, so this late in the year we're actually looking at Sims to PG over Phillips. Sorry, but I just don't see how this helps the team. It takes Sims out of contributing where his strengths are(rebounding, FT's and shooting the three off the pass) and relegates Phillips to a backup role since Okauru is going to start at the 2. Just seems like a bad move overall. And now there is talk of going bigger.
Looking back ver this thread I predicted Siddle using a bigger lineup with the following:
Pg- Phillps/Thomas
2 - Okauru/Oglesby
3 - Sims/Harvey
4 - Baker/Samb
5 - Kelly/Samb
Although I like that lineup, the emergence of White and Harvey mixes this up. I like us going big, but it means Siddle would have to abandon his "shoot three's first" strategy. I'd like to see us try to keep some three point shooters in the game AND go big, but that would mean some radical changes to what we've been doing. But first and foremost we have got to get our guys sticking to what they do best.
Looking at our lineup, Okaru is really the one guy who has to play. BUT, he has got to give up the three ball and drive to the bucket. Right now, he has more three point attempts than two point attempts. That mix should be about 30% of his shots from three and 70% on the drive. He shoots over 50% from two and under 30% from three.
Phillips can't be on the bench. He is our starting PG but the problem is that we need him to be a scoring PG on this team. He needs to play the point like Denzel Ingram did and not be afraid to take the three. He has the size to use a high pick to get open and either drive or shoot the three.
We need Sims shooting three's off the pass, rebounding and getting to the FT line. When he plays PG he is shooting three's off the bounce and missing, he isn't rebounding and he isn't getting to the FT line. His ideal position on this team is at the four, but that displace White.
Harvey also needs to be on the court. He is our most gifted scorer and he should be taking more shots. His ideal position is at the three.
White is just one of those guys who is always in the right spot on defense, getting rebounds and making the team better. He needs to abandon the three as well and focus on working in the paint.
The bottom line is that we have a group of good players but just haven't found the right combonation to make it work. Here's what i'd like to see against Jacksonville. IMO, this would be our best offensive players on the floor with Kelly being a defensive stopper and rebounder in the post
Phillips, Okauru, Harvey, Sims, Kelly
Thomas, Fornes, White, Baker off the bench.
Thomas could come off the bench and help some of the less talented offensive players get easy baskets from his great passing abilities.
But in that lineup, Phillips has to really start looking for his shot. We're a really good offensive rebounding team, but it's only because we get so many long rebounds of missed three's. I'd rather see the ball go in the basket and the offensive rebounding go down.
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