sami
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In my opinion they certainly can be, and here are my reasons and caveats:
* More places to go for offense in this group, especially if (when?) Igor regains his 3-point stroke. Last year's team was far too dependent on DK, with the only other offensive weapon being the Aidoo post game, which collapsed against any physical team. The Vols can get offense from Lanier, Gainey, Z, the lob game, and if Dubar and Milicic get some consistency from 3 this group will be unguardable.
* I love the offensive scheme this year with all the off ball movement, ball screens and constant actions throughout the shot clock. Last year it was pretty much dump it in to Aidoo or let DK cook. JJJ and SV, much as I loved them, were way too inconsistent to rely on at all. The growth of Gainey has made him a legit weapon in this offense, and teams can't just sit on one player and shut this group down.
* The rebounding, specifically on the offensive glass, is elite and game changing, like we saw today. Guys like Milicic, Okpara, and Dubar are relentless, fitting right in with the balls to the wall approach of Shack and Z. Rebounding and defense will keep you in games where the offense isn't clicking, like we saw in the Illinois game. That's a game we lose 10 out of 10 times last year if DK was in foul trouble like Lanier and Ziegler were.
* Lanier isn't Knecht in that he's not as likely to single handedly take over games, but within this scheme and the threat of other players keeping teams from focusing solely on him, he will be lethal.
* Okpara is a definite upgrade on Aidoo. He knows his role and is getting more comfortable every game. We don't need him to be a post presence on offense in this scheme, but as an offensive rebounder and lob threat, he is invaluable.
* Cade Philips has stepped up in a huge way, and is getting better game by game. Knows his role and is a relentless competitor.
If there is one huge caveat, it is obviously the lack of depth, especially with the bigs. Estrella would have been a huge factor, eating up minutes and offering a post presence and lob threat off the bench. We can't afford a single injury right now going 8 deep, and Boswell stepping up could be incredibly important the deeper we get in league play. But if we have some luck with health, this group has a chance to be really special.
What do you guys think?
* More places to go for offense in this group, especially if (when?) Igor regains his 3-point stroke. Last year's team was far too dependent on DK, with the only other offensive weapon being the Aidoo post game, which collapsed against any physical team. The Vols can get offense from Lanier, Gainey, Z, the lob game, and if Dubar and Milicic get some consistency from 3 this group will be unguardable.
* I love the offensive scheme this year with all the off ball movement, ball screens and constant actions throughout the shot clock. Last year it was pretty much dump it in to Aidoo or let DK cook. JJJ and SV, much as I loved them, were way too inconsistent to rely on at all. The growth of Gainey has made him a legit weapon in this offense, and teams can't just sit on one player and shut this group down.
* The rebounding, specifically on the offensive glass, is elite and game changing, like we saw today. Guys like Milicic, Okpara, and Dubar are relentless, fitting right in with the balls to the wall approach of Shack and Z. Rebounding and defense will keep you in games where the offense isn't clicking, like we saw in the Illinois game. That's a game we lose 10 out of 10 times last year if DK was in foul trouble like Lanier and Ziegler were.
* Lanier isn't Knecht in that he's not as likely to single handedly take over games, but within this scheme and the threat of other players keeping teams from focusing solely on him, he will be lethal.
* Okpara is a definite upgrade on Aidoo. He knows his role and is getting more comfortable every game. We don't need him to be a post presence on offense in this scheme, but as an offensive rebounder and lob threat, he is invaluable.
* Cade Philips has stepped up in a huge way, and is getting better game by game. Knows his role and is a relentless competitor.
If there is one huge caveat, it is obviously the lack of depth, especially with the bigs. Estrella would have been a huge factor, eating up minutes and offering a post presence and lob threat off the bench. We can't afford a single injury right now going 8 deep, and Boswell stepping up could be incredibly important the deeper we get in league play. But if we have some luck with health, this group has a chance to be really special.
What do you guys think?
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