Just Relax

#1
W

westtnvol

Addicted to Vol Nation!!
Joined
Nov 11, 2006
Messages
1,815
Likes
0
#1
I know its very easy to freak out but we just need to take a step back and look at the big picture. Tennessee has ran into two teams that shot lights out against them and Tn has struggled to score. This Tennessee team may or may not be very good it is to early to tell. TN needs to take this game and grow with it and get better, its only December guys. Temple could have beat all but about 6 or 7 teams today the way they played. Tennessee will be alright, remember this was our second game in 2 weeks. Bruce will get this back going right, theres a reason he is one of the best coaches in the country. Just relax and remember its early. GO Vols.
 
#2
#2
With the youth and inexperience of this team, Im not surprised with the early struggles. I am however concerned with the lack of defense shown by some of the players. If you can't play solid defense you can't win. This team especially going to have nights where they struggle on offense so defense is really important.
 
#3
#3
westtnvol said:
I know its very easy to freak out but we just need to take a step back and look at the big picture. Tennessee has ran into two teams that shot lights out against them and Tn has struggled to score. This Tennessee team may or may not be very good it is to early to tell. TN needs to take this game and grow with it and get better, its only December guys. Temple could have beat all but about 6 or 7 teams today the way they played. Tennessee will be alright, remember this was our second game in 2 weeks. Bruce will get this back going right, theres a reason he is one of the best coaches in the country. Just relax and remember its early. GO Vols.
Click to expand...

Temple shot lights out for a freakin' reason. Reality check buddy. We were constantly out of position and falling down on the court. Can't switch off screens... can't play in transition. Shooting is the least of our worries. I don't think it's a coincidence that most of our opponents are shooting well over 50%.

Temple is hardly a good team and would not have beaten any quality top 25 team today.... because they would not have shot nearly 60% against a half decent defense.
 
#5
#5
It's amazing the way people act like the sky is falling. This is only a giant upset if you take the rankings seriously. Rebuilding team + nine days off + tough road venue - Prince + Christmas = probable loss to begin with. Add in the way both teams shot the ball and you have a blowout.

Our inability to play defense is of course disappointing, but by now it's pretty clear that sound, fundamental defense isn't something we can reasonably expect from a Pearl-coached team. It's like marrying a brewer's daughter and then worrying that she drinks too much.
 
#6
#6
Vercingetorix said:
It's amazing the way people act like the sky is falling. This is only a giant upset if you take the rankings seriously. Rebuilding team + nine days off + tough road game - Prince + Christmas = probable loss to begin with. Add in the way both teams shot the ball and you have a blowout.

Our inability to play defense is of course disappointing, but by now it's pretty clear that sound, fundamental defense isn't something we can reasonably expect from a Pearl-coached team. It's like marrying a brewer's daughter and then worrying that she drinks too much.
Click to expand...

It's also amazing that people believe that this isn't a big deal and nothing to worry about. You can't fix that type of defense before SEC play. We're a bubble team at this point if our defense doesn't improve.
 
#7
#7
Bassmanbruno said:
Temple shot lights out for a freakin' reason. Reality check buddy. We were constantly out of position and falling down on the court. Can't switch off screens... can't play in transition. Shooting is the least of our worries. I don't think it's a coincidence that most of our opponents are shooting well over 50%.

Temple is hardly a good team and would not have beaten any quality top 25 team today.... because they would not have shot nearly 60% against a half decent defense.
Click to expand...

I've got to agree. The last three games, and really the whole season, we have played terrible defensively. And I think you're right about the shooting percentage, it's really not a conincidence that our opponents have had a high percetnage. We keep giving them a lot of open looks. It's astonishing how easy our defense breaks downs. In reality, it is early in the season, but Bruce Pearl has certainely got his work cut out for him. It will be interesting to see how much we improve throughout the season.
 
#8
#8
Bassmanbruno said:
It's also amazing that people believe that this isn't a big deal and nothing to worry about. You can't fix that type of defense before SEC play. We're a bubble team at this point if our defense doesn't improve.
Click to expand...

Of course. But this is year four of the Bruce Pearl era, and none of his teams have ever played fundamental defense. We either get turnovers off of the press and inbounds plays, or we give up layups and wide-open shots. I don't understand why this is such a big shock to some of you. This is what you're going to get with Bruce Pearl.
 
#9
#9
I don't know how Pearl will ever get a team beyond the Sweet 16 if they don't learn some defense.
 
#10
#10
Indeed. The problem is we're not getting near as many turnovers off the press this year compared to prior years, and about the same off of the inbounds plays.

Our press hasn't been near as effective this year against quality opponents.
 
#11
#11
Vercingetorix said:
Of course. But this is year four of the Bruce Pearl era, and none of his teams have ever played fundamental defense. We either get turnovers off of the press and inbounds plays, or we give up layups and wide-open shots. I don't understand why this is such a big shock to some of you. This is what you're going to get with Bruce Pearl.
Click to expand...

Our defense is significantly worse than the past three years. Yes, we do give up easy points in transition every year... but not all of the wide open looks behind the line and uncontested dunks and layups do to crappy switching and players getting lost and/or falling down.
 
#13
#13
I don't think it's time to think that the sky is falling, but I think it's time to accept that this team isn't nearly as good as we may have thought initially. If there isn't significant improvement soon, this can easily be a team that will lose 10+ games this season. I imagine they are still going to make the NCAA tourney, but at this point expecting a any sort of Final 4 run is just delusional. Given that this is the second time they have gotten completely run out of the gym this season, I can see why people are beginning to get a little antsy.
 
#14
#14
It's not as simple as saying "play better defense." Their offense is just as bad when they're playing a team with a decent bball IQ. We play bad defense because we play dumb defense. We don't recognize where we are on the court, where our man is. We foul in dumb situations (time running down on the shot clock, on a big man on the perimeter, grabbing a guy crossing the lane, etc.). We don't cover the full court pass on the press. We don't call out picks and switch on picks - Christmas' 3 barrage was an embarrassment. Yes, he's a great player, but there are dozens of players who, given those looks, could rip off several in a row. And it was multiple UT players who got burned by it.

These are simple fundamental principles. Stuff you learn in 7th grade bball camp.
 
#17
#17
Those of you who use VN Mobile know that you can't see who the thread-starter is until you open it when you access this page from a phone.

I just want to point out that I knew from the title "Just Relax," that this thread wasn't started by Hat.

:)
Posted via VolNation Mobile
 
#18
#18
I think we will be alright, but like everybody says, we have got to have to must play better D. We are not going to beat many teams letting them shoot 60% and us shooting 35.
 
#19
#19
Bassmanbruno said:
Our defense is significantly worse than the past three years. Yes, we do give up easy points in transition every year... but not all of the wide open looks behind the line and uncontested dunks and layups do to crappy switching and players getting lost and/or falling down.
Click to expand...

No question. But our half-court defense has been consistently bad enough in recent years that I don't see why anybody would expect to see anything different. We win games by outscoring the other team, fueled by turnover-driven runs; if we don't get that, we lose. This isn't something that we're going to improve significantly during the season; this is something that Bruce Pearl just isn't particularly good at coaching, apparently.

I'm not advocating that we fire him or anything. I just think it's important that we realize that this is a systemic limitation of his system. We are going to score in bunches or we are going to lose.
 
#20
#20
Vercingetorix said:
No question. But our half-court defense has been consistently bad enough in recent years that I don't see why anybody would expect to see anything different. We win games by outscoring the other team, fueled by turnover-driven runs; if we don't get that, we lose. This isn't something that we're going to improve significantly during the season; this is something that Bruce Pearl just isn't particularly good at coaching, apparently.

I'm not advocating that we fire him or anything. I just think it's important that we realize that this is a systemic limitation of his system. We are going to score in bunches or we are going to lose.
Click to expand...

He said on the radio postgame that he's gonna have to make a change in his scheme.
 
#22
#22
You know, I am not saying fire Bruce Pearl at all. No way..... BUT it is clearly evident if we are going to take that next step after establishing the program as a national stage school, that we need to get coaches in there that specialize in offense and defense. Donovan had to do the same thing down at Florida.

The lack of a half-court offense for three years has just really been so frustrating to watch. And the lack of ability to man up and move your feet on defense over that same period has been very discouraging. Thoughts about this season, though:

1. Tyler Smith is no NBA player. He isn't tough enough. He doesn't have a shot that was so widely reported he had developed this offseason. He just get manhandled in the lane when he is squared up against.

2. Our ENTIRE team has a lack of toughness. It's bad when your big men's first inclination after getting any pass in the post is to pass. I am confident Perl will recruit other big men who don't have this mentality and have toughness, but it isn't there yet.

3. How many full court layups are we going to give up this year? I mean.....really......

Look, the bottom line is I feel like Pearl still tries to use his system he used with the underdog teams and the little scrappy players. Bottom line is this is top tier talent you are getting now. You have to evolve, or you might turn into another Fulmer if you aren't careful.
 
#23
#23
Bassmanbruno said:
It's also amazing that people believe that this isn't a big deal and nothing to worry about. You can't fix that type of defense before SEC play. We're a bubble team at this point if our defense doesn't improve.
Click to expand...


Losing to 2 "mid-majors" in a couple weeks time is cause for concern. From what I've seen of this team, they lack heart and desire. Zags are a great team, so that is not a bad loss.

Great teams do not lose to the 3rd or 4th rated team of a "mid-major" conference. Good thing Vols play in the mighty SEC where they will cake walk to the Regular season championship.
 
#24
#24
calisking said:
losing to 2 "mid-majors" in a couple weeks time is cause for concern. From what i've seen of this team, they lack heart and desire. Zags are a great team, so that is not a bad loss.

Great teams do not lose to the 3rd or 4th rated team of a "mid-major" conference. Good thing vols play in the mighty sec where they will cake walk to the regular season championship.
Click to expand...

C-USA. Gonzaga... mid-major.... gtfo off the our board.
 
#25
#25
Vercingetorix said:
I don't think it's just a problem with his scheme. I hope I'm wrong.
Click to expand...

It is early in the season. Coaches across the country are still seeing what players will do in game situations, and probably will be before conference play.

However, between the houses and the nail salons I have an eerie feeling about the focus of this team and coach right now.
 
New posts
You must log in or register to reply here.

VN Store



Back
Top