tennesseeduke
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Jul 11, 2012
- Messages
- 8,669
- Likes
- 9,336
Don't disagree about how the game has changed to a 3pt contest, but it's not like UT has a lot of options in the paint. Let's be honest....Plavi and ON won't remind anyone of Reggie Johnson or Ron Slay.Steph Curry has ruined basketball. The game is now centered around the 3. This team is way too talented to get blown out by Colorado. Barnes needs to do better.
Don't disagree about how the game has changed to a 3pt contest, but it's not like UT has a lot of options in the paint. Let's be honest....Plavi and ON won't remind anyone of Reggie Johnson or Ron Slay.
I’ve been concerned that Barnes has really gone on the cheap and easy In replacing some good assistants. His initial staff is essentially all gone. You would think a coach as tenured as Barnes would attract better candidates.Maybe Barnes can hire Heupel as offensive coordinator. He can scheme some open shots
It's one of those mysteries of life I suppose. Can't remember having a real post presence since Barnes has been here. Maybe one of the guys who transferred out turned out to be a legit threat in the paint? Honestly didn't care enough to follow those who left. Maybe they're as rare as hens teeth. These days even post players want to camp outside the 3pt line and jack up three balls. Kind of like all the players today want to be WRs and not DBs. Post players wanna be shooting guards. BHH comes to mind. Truthfully, it's not the only weakness I perceive in today's game. The midrange jumper, the jumper from the paint/elbow, working a guy on the block, etc. Lots of skills that old school guys grew up watching are lost today. Sadly, the college game now looks just like the NBA game. 3 pointers and dunks. When I remember what the NBA used to look like, it actually saddens me to see such a beautiful game watered down into todays product. Always hated the Celtics, but man, when I look back on the teams that featured Bird, Parrish, McHale and see how they played such beautiful basketball, it just amazes me that the game looks like it does today.Why can’t Barnes find some good players in the paint? Why can AU, UK and others find them but he can’t??
Terrible performance. After going to the Tennessee Tech game and watching the barrage of 3s, I had a few observations. It’s as if we’re trying to replicate the Auburn run a couple of years ago. If you remember, they blew us out in the SEC finals launching 3s. That style can win if you’re hot but you can also lose to literally anyone. The thing Auburn had that we don’t is a bunch of bad dudes who crash the glass when the 3 goes up. We have 5 guys standing around the 3 point line and no one goes to get it. They just assume it’s going in. That won’t work. We need some toughness inside.I hate to say it, but this team doesn't really have an identity. Are they a run and gun team, shut down defense, inside monsters, or 3 point wizards? We don't know, I guess what we do know is that if teams give us open 3's, we can't seem to consistently cash in. And that's what teams will do, until we prove otherwise. When I think of what we lost last season, yes Chandler would have been a scoring gem, but what this team really needs is John Fulkerson, a team mate that will carry the team emotionally through the let downs and scoring droughts. I was hoping to see that more in JJJ or Santi, but for whatever reason, it hasn't happened. The whole offense, but especially Zeigler, seems out of sorts and grasping at straws. Barnes better start coaching his A game. This team seems to have no inside scoring presence or real offensive option besides hit a ton of 3's. Unfortunately when the shots aren't falling, this team is going to really struggle, because I can't see any other aspect of game that they really excel at.
For example:
Defense, not as good as we've seen in previous years. Plenty of steals, but what do they lead to, where is our Inside Intimidator?
Transition Offense, not really capable yet of making other teams pay with fast breaks and open 3's.
Inside presence, almost non existent from a scoring perspective and still growing defensively.
Point guard play, seems unfocused and without purpose in getting the offense on task. Too many, well I guess I'm mostly open, let's shoot another 3.
This team maybe a much better team at the end of the season than they are now, but at this point, I wonder if anybody knows who this team really is.