Biggest offseason questions/improvements...

#1
bleedingTNorange

bleedingTNorange

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#1
I'm not gonna lie I'm already in basketball withdrawal. With that said I figured we could start a discussion on what everyone thought were some of the key things needed to improve on in the off season for a succesful season next year. I know we could rattle off 100 things and say if all this happens we could win it all, but I'm gonna try and stay realistic.

Here's mine:
- can Trae take the next step at PG? He did a great job for a "freshman" PG, but we need him to take the next PG step for us to be better IMO. I'd like to see his shooting drop some and his assists increase and turnovers decrease. Ideally, 10ppg 4rpg 5apg 2to.

- can Jordan find that consistency? In order for us to be good/great and for trae to be more of a distributor not a scorer, we need that 2 that can score at will. Jordy has the makings of that kind of guy, but the consistency hasnt been there. I'd like to see him bust it in the offseason improve his shot, dribbling, defense and add about 15-20 lbs. a 14ppg 6rpg 3apg 40%3pt would be nice.

- can jeronne become the versatile player CCM wants? Jeronne was arguably our best and most consistent player, now can he become better? His post game isn't the question, but can he extend his game out now making himself more dangerous? CCM envisions that draymond green type guy for maymon, handle the ball, shoot the 3, rebound, post up, do it all type. If he can become remotely close to that watch out.(I'd like to see his to drop, he has good vision just needs to be wiser. 16ppg 8rpg 4apg 1.5to is something he's capable of IMO.

To me those are the 3 biggest ?. A few others, how effective will Edwards be, can Richardson offense improve, can stokes become quicker with decisions, can Kenny be aggressive, can yemi continue to progress???


Your thoughts?
 
#3
#3
Chris4Vols22 said:
IMO, we need Stokes to be closer to his true potential as well. I doubt it will be a problem.
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Yea I agree. As you said though I don't think it'll be a problem, I'm not too worried about him. He shot a good fg% IMO the biggest problem was just a lack of touches.

Like to see his defense and mid range game improve though, and that 18ft jumper become consistent.
 
#4
#4
I think Golden can become a slightly better decision maker at the point, but I don't think he will get any quicker and still have the same issues with the smaller fast guards.

I think we can become better with Maymon and Stokes getting a 3 pt shot. The thing with Maymon is that he doesn't jump when he shoots. He shoots flat footed, so not sure how accurate he can be shooting the 3 without changing his shot some.

Best thing for this team is we get a decent pg where Golden can slide to the 2, McBee drops from the starting rotation, Jordan slides to the 3 and becomes a consistent 10+ ppg player.
 
#5
#5
Your last paragraph was my hope and would be ideal. It'd have taken care of the quick guard problem that we face, and would make us better offensively.

This is why I was so high on Fabyon, unfortunately from what it's looking and sounding like our roster is pretty well set.
 
#6
#6
I agree, but it is also nice to have a scoring PG, use it to our advantage
 
#7
#7
Vols188 said:
I agree, but it is also nice to have a scoring PG, use it to our advantage
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Trae will always have the scoring ability, but we need him to learn to be a distributor first. There will be games well need him to score, but for the most part if he'll handle the ball, limit turnovers, and continue his progression hell be a very good PG.

My biggest concern is his quickness on defense. Hell never be quick enough to stick with the smaller quicker guards, so he needs to learn how to still be effective and keep them out of the lane though.

If trae puts his mind to it I think he can be one of he best PG in the sec, and country. He has the scoring ability now he just needs to improve the true PG areas and if he does that he'll be a good one IMO. Lots of ifs but he's more than capable of it.
 
#9
#9
I agree that perimeter play is the key. Jordan McRae is our most dynamic player at that position, and he has the highest ceiling of anyone there. You could argue that next year's team will go as far as his improvement takes them. If he develops a desire and a will to get to the basket off the dribble, and gets a little more arc on his jumper, this team could be top 3 in the conference again. If we get 10+ppg and smarter decisions from him, that will be a giant upgrade from what we had this season.

Stokes will be better, Maymon needs to work on his game outside the paint to become complete, Trae needs to cut back on bad decisions, and Kenny needs to stay eligible and focused. If we get a secondary PG (Stanton) who can provide some relief at the position, we will be much improved.
 
#11
#11
Give Stokes the next 6 mos. in an SEC conditioning program. He'll be an absolute stud next year, I think.
 
#13
#13
calban said:
Learn to defend the high ball screen.
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Agree. I was speaking purely offensively. Defense seemed to really come along as they picked up the system, but you're right, there are certain aspects that they need to work on like ball screens and switches (Stokes particularly). I'd also like to see them introduce a wrinkle of zone as a change of pace, not as a primary defensive scheme.
 
#14
#14
Agree with all above, but my X factor has got to be Jordan. If he hadn't disappeared down the stretch the season would have ended much differently imo.
 
#15
#15
I fully expect the returning players to excell in the off season workouts, my biggest question surrounds that former 5* walk on point guard that will be eligable in JAN. Just how good is he, could he be the answer that we need at point that finally makes Trae more of a shooting guard, Cause Stokes is going to be our work horse for the next few years.
 
#16
#16
TNDRIVER said:
I fully expect the returning players to excell in the off season workouts, my biggest question surrounds that former 5* walk on point guard that will be eligable in JAN. Just how good is he, could he be the answer that we need at point that finally makes Trae more of a shooting guard, Cause Stokes is going to be our work horse for the next few years.
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I got news for you, that walk-on was nowhere near a 5-star player. Sorry to rain on the parade, but I would temper enthusiasm.

Also, there is about 1% chance that Stokes is anything but gone after next year, so there likely won't be a "few years" of him. Enjoy him next season and expect anything beyond that to be a windfall surprise.
 
#17
#17
cncchris33 said:
I got news for you, that walk-on was nowhere near a 5-star player. Sorry to rain on the parade, but I would temper enthusiasm.

Also, there is about 1% chance that Stokes is anything but gone after next year, so there likely won't be a "few years" of him. Enjoy him next season and expect anything beyond that to be a windfall surprise.
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Stanton though not a 5* could have a big impact if we don't pull in a juco PG. It was clear at the end of the season that Trae was playing too many minutes and needed some bench rest during games. Stanton could be one option.
Also, Moore is called by some analysts a true PG but of course is a freshman. Could also platoon at the 1.
As for Stokes, I've seen no indication that he ever considered himself being a 1 and done.
Comes from a family that values education and he will most likely play the 013 and graduate in 3 years.
Smart young man. Smart family.
 
#18
#18
calban said:
Stanton though not a 5* could have a big impact if we don't pull in a juco PG. It was clear at the end of the season that Trae was playing too many minutes and needed some bench rest during games. Stanton could be one option.
Also, Moore is called by some analysts a true PG but of course is a freshman. Could also platoon at the 1.
As for Stokes, I've seen no indication that he ever considered himself being a 1 and done.
Comes from a family that values education and he will most likely play the 013 and graduate in 3 years.
Smart young man. Smart family.
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See I've heard that about stokes as well, but if he graduates after 2013 season that's only 21/2 years, is that really possible for an athlete to do? I know 3 years is pretty common, but he came in half way through year 1, so it'd only be 2 1/2 years, unless I'm missing something of course.
 
#19
#19
calban said:
Stanton though not a 5* could have a big impact if we don't pull in a juco PG. It was clear at the end of the season that Trae was playing too many minutes and needed some bench rest during games. Stanton could be one option.
Also, Moore is called by some analysts a true PG but of course is a freshman. Could also platoon at the 1.
As for Stokes, I've seen no indication that he ever considered himself being a 1 and done.
Comes from a family that values education and he will most likely play the 013 and graduate in 3 years.
Smart young man. Smart family.
Click to expand...

I'm not saying Stanton won't be serviceable, I just didn't want the poster to operate under the assumed notion that he was a former 5-star player who was destined to be the savior of our team at the PG position.

As for Stokes, I've said it before; money talks. If he is a projected lottery pick, I'm not sure you pass that up. He was never a one-and-done, you're right, but a year of strength training and individual skill development combined with another entire season of experience, he could have an opportunity that's too good to pass up. Of course, I hope he does stay, but I doubt CCM is moving forward assuming Stokes is here beyond the 2013 draft. If he does stay, and we land some guys we are in on for 2013, look out.
 
#20
#20
Good thread.

Golden needs to gel more as our leader and PG. There is no reason he shouldn't progress this offseason with two full offseasons under Martin and a full year being that guy for UT. I agree with bleeding and would love to see his APG pick up a lot. He has great floor vision and can see where to throw the rock around, has the ability to drive, and can pull back and bust a 3. I'm hoping he's not one of our main offensive weapons in terms of points but I really hope he's as balanced as they come but becomes a pass first guard instead of feeling like he has to do it himself.

Maymon - Continue working on freethrows and develope a mid range game. If he can step back and hit a shot outside of the paint consistantly, he becomes deadly. I think he has better handles than MSU's Green but I like that comparison. He already goes to his right nicely, can drive effectively on big men in the paint, and is pretty solid defensively, just being balanced with a mid range game would set Maymon off.

Stokes - FREEthrows and developing a higher IQ when he gets the ball in the paint. He can pass effectively in the paint for a big man but looked lost a lot of times when he got doubled up in the paint. Game film and an offseason will go a long way in recognizing those double teams coming when he's in the paint for a kick back to one of our guards. I don't think we have much to worry about when it comes to Stokes. Guy is a worker and will do what needs to be done to become a leader and more effective on both offense and defense.

McRae - become more consistant. Geez! Guy has all the tools in the world to be an elite SEC type of player. He really needs to mature a lot more and realize when to take a shot and when not too. He had to many "WTF" moments last year when he just put the ball up. At least 60-70 perccent of the time when he goes into the paint, he's looking for contact first. In those situations, look to score and weather the storm. He's great at the FT line but plays to emotional.

McBee - Pretty sure he's doing all that his skills allow him too. I think he's reached his ceiling but if there's anything I'd love to see from him, it's create your own shot. He's a smart defender and works really hard so creating his own shot. Also, if McBee could hit something inside the 3 point line, that might help.

Yemi - Keep developing and getting comfortable. He's obviously a very smart kid to have already picked up on everything we've seen this year and especially when you factor in how he started playing basketball late. I'd like to see him become smarter on defense and be a force around the rim. He plays physical but that don't always translate into a good thing if your not smart with it.

Hall - Stay out of trouble and remember the basic things. Too many times this season I watched Hall breakdown on a ton of fundamental things (blocking out, using his body when he goes up on defense, palying with too much emotion and blowing the smart play when he gets to the rim) so honestly, just do what you've been taught. I'm hoping he adds on some more weight this offseason and gives us quality minutes off the bench.

Richardson - Pick up where you left off last season. He was a lockdown defender and shot the ball pretty well towards the end of the season. Just continue to get better offensively because on defense he's there.

I'd like to see someone step up to be a really decent ball handler who's comfortable bringing the ball up when Golden sets but with the way Martin rotates, that's about it.
 
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#21
#21
Good write up...

Golden I'd love to see down every second with assistant coach Tracy Webster. He was arguably the best PG in Wisconsin history and was a true PG, may still lead them in assists. Working with him as much as possible would do wonders for Trae IMO.

As far as the ball handler who can bring it up when Traes out I see that being Armani, he was recruited as both a PG, and SG so he should e more than capable. I hate to say it, because he's a freshman, but I see either mcbee or Richardson losing their minutes to this guy. He can play the 2, and play point and is great defensively, he will go straight to the top of CCM list IMO.
 
#22
#22
I don't want to repeat too much of what has already been said, so a couple of mine are less crucial fixes.

I hope this off-season the guys learn the full motion offense. I liked the little bit we got last year and look forward to seeing a full 40 minutes of offensive flow.

I hope Martin can find someone to give Golden a good 10 minutes rest per game. Golden was bruised, beaten and exhausted at the end of last season from all the minutes he played.

I want Miller to fix whatever it was that kept him off the floor last year. Having a post guy who can step out and hit a 3 is nice and Miller showed he can if he gets solid minutes.

I want Yemi to learn to take charges with his hands up instead of down (covering his junk). Too many times the charge isn't called a shorter guys would just shoot over him.
 
#23
#23
zansdad said:
I want Miller to fix whatever it was that kept him off the floor last year. Having a post guy who can step out and hit a 3 is nice and Miller showed he can if he gets solid minutes.

I want Yemi to learn to take charges with his hands up instead of down (covering his junk). Too many times the charge isn't called a shorter guys would just shoot over him.
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Bingo on Miller. To me it seemed like any time he'd get on the floor, he'd try to make the most of it and most of the time that resulted in an ill advised shot. 3 schools in his college career so I don't see him leaving but if I had to kick one of the big men to the curb, it would for sure be him.

Yemi on the other hand is just so raw. He really showed signs of development late in the season. That one start grew him up a lot so I'm really hoping for some good things.
 
#24
#24
bleedingTNorange said:
Good write up...

As far as the ball handler who can bring it up when Traes out I see that being Armani, he was recruited as both a PG, and SG so he should e more than capable. I hate to say it, because he's a freshman, but I see either mcbee or Richardson losing their minutes to this guy. He can play the 2, and play point and is great defensively, he will go straight to the top of CCM list IMO.
Click to expand...

Agree. Would like to see another lock down defender like Richardson. We seem to have a ton of "in your face" guys that can get it done on the defensive side of the ball.
 
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