Team News (current roster)

[bleedingTNorange]

You’re a fool if you think my opinion is based solely on last night. You’re also a fool if you think last night was an overall reflection of the way Nkamhoua has played, particularly rebounded, throughout his career.

But you already know the truth about those two things.

The guy is 6-8, 230 lbs, and is a career 2.3 rpg guy, so far. Maybe he turns it around, and last night is a sign of things to come. I clearly gave him credit for the work he did last night, but stop carrying water for him as if that were a reflection of the player he’s been thru two seasons.

I haven’t brought up last season at all defending his rebounding, the OP was ragging on his rebounding last night in which he had 14 rebounds…that’s where this all started.

The reports were he’s looked improved this off-season, we’ve had an exhibition and a game so far to see him, through those 2 he’s put up: 25m 11.5p 10r 2.5a 50%fg 33%3pt that is what I’m going off of and saying he does look like an improved player.

 

[cncchris33]

Seems like a guy that many already have an opinion on and it’s going to take much more than is probably fair to change that.

That street runs both ways, pal.

 

[bleedingTNorange]

That street runs both ways, pal.

I don’t recall me touting him a whole lot last year, certainly not to the opposite extent of how you were dogging him since before ever arriving in Knoxville.

 

[cncchris33]

I haven’t brought up last season at all defending his rebounding, the OP was ragging on his rebounding last night in which he had 14 rebounds…that’s where this all started.

Then why did you quote me? All I did was compare his intensity level and aggressiveness to Tshiebwe. It’s hard to deny that a lot of those 14 rebounds just came to Nkamhoua, last night.

Honest question: Had ON been playing the Tshiebwe role for UK, last night, you think he grabs 19 rebounds? Nkamhoua would have gotten 2 of them rebounding the way he has across two seasons. And if Tshiebwe had been playing the ON role for Tennessee, he’d have had 25 rebounds, last night. That’s a fair assessment.

 

[cncchris33]

I don’t recall me touting him a whole lot last year, certainly not to the opposite extent of how you were dogging him since before ever arriving in Knoxville.

Am I wrong, yet?

And you haven’t necessarily “touted him”, but you’ve certainly laid under the bus tires for him and excused his lack of production at every turn.

 

[bleedingTNorange]

Then why did you quote me? All I did was compare his intensity level and aggressiveness to Tshiebwe. It’s hard to deny that a lot of those 14 rebounds just came to Nkamhoua, last night.

Honest question: Had ON been playing the Tshiebwe role for UK, last night, you think he grabs 19 rebounds? Nkamhoua would have gotten 2 of them rebounding the way he has across two seasons. And if Tshiebwe had been playing the ON role for Tennessee, he’d have had 25 rebounds, last night. That’s a fair assessment.

Lmao, so Tshiebwe would’ve broke his career high by 6 last night according to you? And yet I’m supposed to believe you aren’t pushing an agenda/opinion on ON, ok!!!!

But yes, let’s further compare ON to arguably the best rebounder in CBB to prove my point that ON sucks lol…that’s like Cardvol sitting back comparing Vescovi to the best CG in CBB to prove his point that Vescovi is slow and sucks, good lord.

 

[bleedingTNorange]

Am I wrong, yet?

And you haven’t necessarily “touted him”, but you’ve certainly laid under the bus tires for him and excused his lack of production at every turn.

Yes, so far this season you are 100% wrong lol.

Thinking you’ve got the wrong poster, sheesh. I’ve liked his potential long term but don’t recall “excusing his lack of production at every turn”.

 

[cncchris33]

Lmao, so Tshiebwe would’ve broke his career high by 6 last night according to you? And yet I’m supposed to believe you aren’t pushing an agenda/opinion on ON, ok!!!!

Good grief, man. You are so emotional whenever your opinion gets challenged.

I wasn’t being literal by saying he’d have grabbed 25 rebounds, as if to say that anything less would have been disappointing. I was using your earlier, exaggerated number for Nkamouha, for effect as to suggest that Tshiebwe earned just about every one of those 19 rebounds he got against Duke, while Nkamhoua had several of his 14 just fall in his lap against UT-Martin. That is an inarguable fact.

I’m sorry if your implicit belief is that Nkamhoua and Tshiebwe are similar players in terms of effort and intensity when it comes to rebounding the basketball. I’d guess your alone on that island.

 

[bleedingTNorange]

Good grief, man. You are so emotional whenever your opinion gets challenged.

I wasn’t being literal by saying he’d have grabbed 25 rebounds, as if to say that anything less would have been disappointing. I was using your earlier, exaggerated number for Nkamouha, for effect as to suggest that Tshiebwe earned just about every one of those 19 rebounds he got against Duke, while Nkamhoua had several of his 14 just fall in his lap against UT-Martin. That is an inarguable fact.

I’m sorry if your implicit belief is that Nkamhoua and Tshiebwe are similar players in terms of effort and intensity when it comes to rebounding the basketball. I’d guess your alone on that island.

Never once compared them, that would be you…if you don’t see a middle ground between a crappy bench player and arguably the best rebounder in CBB then just maybe you are the emotional one?

 

[cncchris33]

Yes, so far this season you are 100% wrong lol.

Thinking you’ve got the wrong poster, sheesh. I’ve liked his potential long term but don’t recall “excusing his lack of production at every turn”.

Cool, so based on 1 game out of 55 career games, I’m wrong.

Using that logic, anyone who thought Uros Plavsic was an All-SEC player was right on the money that one day in February of 2020 when he rolled Mississippi State for 16 pts, 3 rebs, and an asst.

 

[cncchris33]

Never once compared them, that would be you…if you don’t see a middle ground between a crappy bench player and arguably the best rebounder in CBB then just maybe you are the emotional one?

I’m pretty certain I’ve conceded the middle ground by admitting that ON did well, last night, the one thing I’ve complained about the most across the previous two years. Are you intentionally ignoring that, or are you just unknowingly that obtuse?

All I’ve said is that ON could change a lot of people’s opinions, mine included, if he rebounded the basketball like his hair was on fire. That’s all I want from him. Rebound and play defense. Last night was a terrific start in that regard on the glass, but I think it’s also fair to admit that of his 14 rebounds, he didn’t have to outhustle anyone to get several of them. But I’ve even conceded that (@Vol49er back me up as I borderline defended ON, last night). So, good on him for grabbing those, too. He hasn’t always done that in the past.

I’m just not going to grossly overreact to one game and portend some major shift in his game. A career 2.3 rpg player grabs 14 against a smaller, inferior opponent. I truly hope what we saw, last night, is a glimpse of things to come for him. And I’m not even asking for that kind of performance to be his normal. If he can give us 6 pts and 7 rebs a game, I’ll call that a success, and I’ll trade his scoring for more rebounds. He doesn’t need to score a lot for us to be an effective offense. But he does need to grab rebounds and play defense.

 

[bleedingTNorange]

Cool, so based on 1 game out of 55 career games, I’m wrong.

Using that logic, anyone who thought Uros Plavsic was an All-SEC player was right on the money that one day in February of 2020 when he rolled Mississippi State for 16 pts, 3 rebs, and an asst.

Sure, we will say that’s the exact same thing.

 

[Thunder Good-Oil]

Some rebounds did just bounce to ON, but his discipline staying well positioned should be credited as well. Rebounding is as much horizontal as vertical. Pons wasn’t much of a rebounder despite being the best jumper on the floor. Lemonte was a really good rebounder.

 

[bleedingTNorange]

And I’m not even asking for that kind of performance to be his normal. If he can give us 6 pts and 7 rebs a game, I’ll call that a success, and I’ll trade his scoring for more rebounds. He doesn’t need to score a lot for us to be an effective offense. But he does need to grab rebounds and play defense.

Noted and that was my point…sure seemed you, and definitely @Vol49er were talking as though 6/7 just wouldn’t do it either, which was going to be my next post…I’m seeing a season from him in which he’s around 20-23mpg 6-8ppg 6-8rpg and to me that’s totally fine, but it was coming off as though if he doesn’t go out and averaged 8ppg 15rpg like OT from Kentucky then he’s horrible and should be benched. To me the stat line in which I posted would be an important player on this team and a guy that definitely is a key component and well worth a scholarship.

 

[Vol49er]

Noted and that was my point…sure seemed you, and definitely @Vol49er were talking as though 6/7 just wouldn’t do it either, which was going to be my next post…I’m seeing a season from him in which he’s around 20-23mpg 6-8ppg 6-8rpg and to me that’s totally fine, but it was coming off as though if he doesn’t go out and averaged 8ppg 15rpg like OT from Kentucky then he’s horrible and should be benched. To me the stat line in which I posted would be an important player on this team and a guy that definitely is a key component and well worth a scholarship.

If he can get 6-8 RPG once we’re playing real opponents I’ll be happy. If he rebounds with the intensity (or lack thereof) he did last night, I doubt he makes it to that number. And yes Chris did give ON credit last night for rebounding, more than me and he was more down on him than I was throughout the offseason, to the point where I needled him about it at one point. Yes he did better than he has before, and he did better in the second half than the first, but I still hold that he should’ve done better as a starting SEC power forward entering his third season with his build and athleticism. I don’t think I can make that point any more times, we’ll just have to see if he can produce rebounds against quality opponents. If he does, I’ll gladly eat crow, I’m sure you’ll bump this conversation to remind me to

 

[bleedingTNorange]

Ok you were right. ON sucks

Fwiw this is what prompted the reply from me…someone stating that ON sucks in the middle of him posting 11 & 14

 

[bleedingTNorange]

If he can get 6-8 RPG once we’re playing real opponents I’ll be happy. If he rebounds with the intensity (or lack thereof) he did last night, I doubt he makes it to that number. And yes Chris did give ON credit last night for rebounding, more than me and he was more down on him than I was throughout the offseason, to the point where I needled him about it at one point. Yes he did better than he has before, and he did better in the second half than the first, but I still hold that he should’ve done better as a starting SEC power forward entering his third season with his build and athleticism. I don’t think I can make that point any more times, we’ll just have to see if he can produce rebounds against quality opponents. If he does, I’ll gladly eat crow, I’m sure you’ll bump this conversation to remind me to

So he should’ve done something Fulky never did, Pons never did, Alexander never did, Plavsic never did, Anosike never did? That just seems a bit unreasonable to me, but to each their own I suppose.

 

[bleedingTNorange]

Again, you wanna criticize his past seasons go for it. You wanna say you need to see multiple games from him, go for it…both of those things seem pretty warranted and reasonable. I just don’t know how anyone watched last nights game and criticizes his performance last night to the point of saying he sucks, as he puts up 11pts 14rbd 2blks

 

[The Dog]

So he should’ve done something Fulky never did, Pons never did, Alexander never did, Plavsic never did, Anosike never did? That just seems a bit unreasonable to me, but to each their own I suppose.

What was Grant's high rebound game, just out of curiosity, can't remember, maybe 18 ? Now, I gotta go look it up

 

[walkenvol]

Seems like the universal take on ON is we all think he would be more productive if he would raise his intensity level considerably. Is that fair?

I think if he can produce 6 & 5 in 20 minutes a game we should all be pleased as BHH is clearly going to eat into ON’s minutes as the season progresses.

 

[Vol49er]

Again, you wanna criticize his past seasons go for it. You wanna say you need to see multiple games from him, go for it…both of those things seem pretty warranted and reasonable. I just don’t know how anyone watched last nights game and criticizes his performance last night to the point of saying he sucks, as he puts up 11pts 14rbd 2blks

Ok I’m sorry, I don’t even like to say that about players when it’s true, I was frustrated and also being humorous because as I said before I’d made fun of Chris for being an “ON hater” so I was exaggerating my response to ON’s poor first half play. It’s more accurate to say ON has consistently lacked intensity to a damaging degree and IMO still did last night. Ok now I’m done for now

 

[golfballs]

I think we can pump the brakes on ORN love/hate for a week and half and see how he does in his first competition of the year against athletic bigs. Last night is a reason to be hopeful and as long as he plays like that he can see the court. BHH is still developing anyway but I think it will be much clearer in a couple weeks what to expect go forward

 

[golfballs]

I also don’t think it’s unreasonable to think that even if ORN does continue to play like that, he can still be beat out by BHH. His ceiling is undoubtedly higher

 

[bleedingTNorange]

What was Grant's high rebound game, just out of curiosity, can't remember, maybe 18 ? Now, I gotta go look it up

14

 

[bleedingTNorange]

Seems like the universal take on ON is we all think he would be more productive if he would raise his intensity level considerably. Is that fair?

I think if he can produce 6 & 5 in 20 minutes a game we should all be pleased as BHH is clearly going to eat into ON’s minutes as the season progresses.

Unless JJJ is going to play a bunch of 4 I’m not sure how much BHH eats into ON’s minutes…I think Plav is the odd man out. Not sure I see Barnes consistently giving 30+mpg to BHH, imo.