What will successful adjustment look like?

[BruisedOrange]

This is probably a question to coaches. It's a question about the process and the learning curve.

So every team on UT's schedule knows how to play us, and our players know what Barnes expects them to do to negate that. Leading up to tournament time, the name of the game is IMPROVEMENT, and the goal is to maximize potential and be able to perform at that level each night by end of season.

To gauge how successfully our guys are implementing the changes Barnes wants, what do we look for? Even if our shooting remains cold, what changes should we see in ball movement, touches, shot selection, positioning, etc.?

I'm not asking what results we should see. Wins are wins and losses are losses. But if we are progressing, if the guys are starting to execute, what will be the evidences we can appreciate as fans?

 

[madbamahater]

If the opponent is stopping what you are trying to do, do the opposite. It's not that hard.

 

[savannahfan]

If the opponent is stopping what you are trying to do, do the opposite. It's not that hard.

Unless your team can't execute the opposite of what they normally do. Which is shoot better, handle the ball better at the point, stop the drives by the other team's guards. You know, the things we can't or don't do now...

 

[orangemadam]

My suggestion, and I am not a coach (just rendering an opinion) is to draw up more plays that could utilize Keon and Springer room to either post up or to drive to the basket.

Keon (Keyon?) is still learning how to finish at the rim, but I suggest we let him do more of it. He is probably our most athletic player( besides Pons).

 

[Phil-A-Man Jaro]

Opposing defenses are doing everything they can to shut down fulky (successfully I might add). Which puts more pressure on our guards to hit outside shots....which they have not been hitting. Until they force the opposing d to stretch out, there is no reason for said d to give fulky more room to work.

We're getting good looks from 3, but we have to hit them.

I think that's been the issue in most of our recent struggles. However. I will say that 1 minute into the Florida game I could tell the gators brought more intensity than we did. We picked it up later, but it was too late and when we weren't making ground late in the 2nd, we lowered our effort again. Thus the blowout.


ps. Yes I know several guys battling injuries as well has contributed.

 

[USAFgolferVol]

Not so sure it isn't as simple as making more open shots and making free throws. Missing FTs have cost us at least one game

 

[bleedingTNorange]

Get healthy, go back to taking care of the ball and shoot better...especially from 3 and FT.

 

[BruisedOrange]

I don't get to see the games, only listen. But it sounds like (and even more so since Fulky's wisdom teeth weight loss) defenses have been keeping Fulky from setting up as deep in the paint, so he's been less of an offensive threat from inside 10 feet. Is that what y'all are seeing?

If so, is it an oversimplification to say Fulky's positioning has diminished the effectiveness of our inside-out game, put less stress on defenses, and made penetration from the point more problematic?

I say it often, but basketball is "rock, paper, scissors." Defenses have learned to cover our rock.
How long will it take our guys to learn to run with scissors?

 

[cardvolfan]

Get healthy, go back to taking care of the ball and shoot better...especially from 3 and FT.

I think being more healthy is going to be the key. I hope it all doesn't turn into a Turner type situation where playing just doesn't allow them to get close to 90-95% healthy.

 

[omghulkhands]

I do think our team is pretty banged up right now and my hunch watching is that there are some unreported injuries.

Offensively, we need more ISO play. This is less an “adjustment” as it is a player confidence thing IMO.

If you look to successful Rick Barnes offenses be it here or at Texas, much of it was predicated on the ability for a big to ISO in the post and make a play out of a double team to a cutter/flasher, pass to an open shooter or...score.

Fulk is the only player on the roster able to ISO Post with all the skills needed, and he just hasn’t done this year what he did in SEC play last year. Throw out his numbers, ignore them. He is getting most of his points this year on effort plays and clean up, being the open guy when someone cuts etc..

Which is fine but it’s not what this team needs.

Maybe he is injured, maybe he has some confidence issues right now, but either he has to demand more attention and be an ISO threat or somebody else has to step up.

A wing can create the same motion in the offense, but they have to step up and do it.

Why does the offense run better with Springer? Because he is a great driver and solid finisher. Accounting for him doing that turns the game into 4 on 5.

And of course, we’ve gotta knock down more shots. But we can’t continue to just pass around the 3 line. More driving, passing to cutters or post iso is needed. It feels almost like everyone is too scared of being reprimanded to try something. That’s no an accusation, just a feeling.

On defense, we play well most of the time. What explains the games we don’t?

It’s cliche, and I mostly hate when people say this. But Alabama kind of exposed weaknesses in our defense.

Contrary to popular opinion, Alabama did not whoop us with 3 point shooting. They whooped us by exploiting our defensive switching scheme.

They were 2 steps ahead all game. We got lost on dribble drive. They’d get easy looks at the basket. We over adjusted and gave them open looks from range and by the time we settled down it was over.

If we don’t get better here, we’ve got some really bad matchups left on our schedule.

Anyway, just my 2 cents.

 

[Phil-A-Man Jaro]

I do think our team is pretty banged up right now and my hunch watching is that there are some unreported injuries.

Offensively, we need more ISO play. This is less an “adjustment” as it is a player confidence thing IMO.

If you look to successful Rick Barnes offenses be it here or at Texas, much of it was predicated on the ability for a big to ISO in the post and make a play out of a double team to a cutter/flasher, pass to an open shooter or...score.

Fulk is the only player on the roster able to ISO Post with all the skills needed, and he just hasn’t done this year what he did in SEC play last year. Throw out his numbers, ignore them. He is getting most of his points this year on effort plays and clean up, being the open guy when someone cuts etc..

Which is fine but it’s not what this team needs.

Maybe he is injured, maybe he has some confidence issues right now, but either he has to demand more attention and be an ISO threat or somebody else has to step up.

A wing can create the same motion in the offense, but they have to step up and do it.

Why does the offense run better with Springer? Because he is a great driver and solid finisher. Accounting for him doing that turns the game into 4 on 5.

And of course, we’ve gotta knock down more shots. But we can’t continue to just pass around the 3 line. More driving, passing to cutters or post iso is needed. It feels almost like everyone is too scared of being reprimanded to try something. That’s no an accusation, just a feeling.

On defense, we play well most of the time. What explains the games we don’t?

It’s cliche, and I mostly hate when people say this. But Alabama kind of exposed weaknesses in our defense.

Contrary to popular opinion, Alabama did not whoop us with 3 point shooting. They whooped us by exploiting our defensive switching scheme.

They were 2 steps ahead all game. We got lost on dribble drive. They’d get easy looks at the basket. We over adjusted and gave them open looks from range and by the time we settled down it was over.

If we don’t get better here, we’ve got some really bad matchups left on our schedule.

Anyway, just my 2 cents.

To be fair, I think a lot of the reason they made us look bad on defense was the lack of Yves Pons. He was out much of the game due to foul trouble. He's a much bigger cog in our defense than I realized.

Combine that with Springer being out most of the game. This meant Santi had to take on more defensive workload. He's much better than he was last year defensively, but still one of our least effective defenders.

All that said, we still only lost by 8 and they only scored 71. We went 4/21 from 3. If we shoot better, we could have weathered the storm against a really good team even with an early injury (Springer) and foul trouble (Pons).

 

[FranklinVol16]

Spoiler alert there will be no adjustments under regular season Rick

 

[JelloPuddinPup]

Two things I'd really like to see us do more often:

1. Attempt to capitalize on obvious opportunities to push a fast break or enter it into the post early. It just seems to me that we do not do that. I know Barnes is really REALLY big on taking care of the ball and that doing those things would probably end up in a few more turnovers per game as a team but I am beginning to think the risk is worth the reward. On several of those opportunities it seems we just purposefully give up or don't even look at them because they are not the highest % pass or decision we could make. I think it's time to look at those more and at least probe them with Springer, JJJ and maybe even Keon.

2. Fulky has to get back to his old ways and SPRINT the floor. He's not going to out-muscle anyone this season. He's lost some size and strength and it's obvious that he cannot create his own positioning any this season. I hate that because he's really successful at it in the past but the book is out on him and it's just not working. He's got to get back to effort in the open court getting him 4-6pts a game. I think if we bought in to exploring or attacking those opportunities I mentioned in #1, that this would be an obvious lead-in for #2.

 

[Thunder Good-Oil]

Two things I'd really like to see us do more often:

1. Attempt to capitalize on obvious opportunities to push a fast break or enter it into the post early. It just seems to me that we do not do that. I know Barnes is really REALLY big on taking care of the ball and that doing those things would probably end up in a few more turnovers per game as a team but I am beginning to think the risk is worth the reward. On several of those opportunities it seems we just purposefully give up or don't even look at them because they are not the highest % pass or decision we could make. I think it's time to look at those more and at least probe them with Springer, JJJ and maybe even Keon.

2. Fulky has to get back to his old ways and SPRINT the floor. He's not going to out-muscle anyone this season. He's lost some size and strength and it's obvious that he cannot create his own positioning any this season. I hate that because he's really successful at it in the past but the book is out on him and it's just not working. He's got to get back to effort in the open court getting him 4-6pts a game. I think if we bought in to exploring or attacking those opportunities I mentioned in #1, that this would be an obvious lead-in for #2.

I think that it really helps to do those things if Springer is on the floor. And they need to do #1 with several quick passes without turning the ball over. They lack a Bone on this roster. #2, Fulk is better able to run when TN is attacking as they advance the ball instead of struggle to figure out the full court pressure.

I think they get better the more they can work together. 11 of 13 on the roster are first or 2nd year players and COVID blew up the off season work.

 

[Roustabout]

I do think our team is pretty banged up right now and my hunch watching is that there are some unreported injuries.

Offensively, we need more ISO play. This is less an “adjustment” as it is a player confidence thing IMO.

If you look to successful Rick Barnes offenses be it here or at Texas, much of it was predicated on the ability for a big to ISO in the post and make a play out of a double team to a cutter/flasher, pass to an open shooter or...score.

Fulk is the only player on the roster able to ISO Post with all the skills needed, and he just hasn’t done this year what he did in SEC play last year. Throw out his numbers, ignore them. He is getting most of his points this year on effort plays and clean up, being the open guy when someone cuts etc..

Which is fine but it’s not what this team needs.

Maybe he is injured, maybe he has some confidence issues right now, but either he has to demand more attention and be an ISO threat or somebody else has to step up.

A wing can create the same motion in the offense, but they have to step up and do it.

Why does the offense run better with Springer? Because he is a great driver and solid finisher. Accounting for him doing that turns the game into 4 on 5.

And of course, we’ve gotta knock down more shots. But we can’t continue to just pass around the 3 line. More driving, passing to cutters or post iso is needed. It feels almost like everyone is too scared of being reprimanded to try something. That’s no an accusation, just a feeling.

On defense, we play well most of the time. What explains the games we don’t?

It’s cliche, and I mostly hate when people say this. But Alabama kind of exposed weaknesses in our defense.

Contrary to popular opinion, Alabama did not whoop us with 3 point shooting. They whooped us by exploiting our defensive switching scheme.

They were 2 steps ahead all game. We got lost on dribble drive. They’d get easy looks at the basket. We over adjusted and gave them open looks from range and by the time we settled down it was over.

If we don’t get better here, we’ve got some really bad matchups left on our schedule.

Anyway, just my 2 cents.

Excellent observations. Our defense has been solved. The fact that Barnes continues to allow that beyond the top of the key weak trap attempt is beyond me. Any film study would show that. This team would benefit from a basic zone every once in a while. I’m starting to wonder if shooting percentage is affected by fatigue due to the amount of energy spent on defense. They are not getting the steals and easy transition baskets.

Our offense has more problems. It takes too long to get the ball up the court as Vescovi is slow and bothered by pressure. Too much dribbling around the perimeter. Players are starting to not want the ball. James should be putting this team on his shoulders. He should be posting up his man on occasion. I expected to get some post help from him this year and he’s doing none of it.


Fulk is in bad health. He’s hurt and has lost a bunch of weight. I don’t know who the nutritionist is but they need Fulk to double his calories. The week we had off for the Vandy cancelations Fulk had wisdom teeth surgery and lost additional weight. I’d say he’s down 15-20 from where he was in the summer. He had finally added some bulk. Plus we don’t know the residual effects of Covid, which hit this team early.

 

[Thunder Good-Oil]

Excellent observations. Our defense has been solved. The fact that Barnes continues to allow that beyond the top of the key weak trap attempt is beyond me. Any film study would show that. This team would benefit from a basic zone every once in a while. I’m starting to wonder if shooting percentage is affected by fatigue due to the amount of energy spent on defense. They are not getting the steals and easy transition baskets.

Our offense has more problems. It takes too long to get the ball up the court as Vescovi is slow and bothered by pressure. Too much dribbling around the perimeter. Players are starting to not want the ball. James should be putting this team on his shoulders. He should be posting up his man on occasion. I expected to get some post help from him this year and he’s doing none of it.


Fulk is in bad health. He’s hurt and has lost a bunch of weight. I don’t know who the nutritionist is but they need Fulk to double his calories. The week we had off for the Vandy cancelations Fulk had wisdom teeth surgery and lost additional weight. I’d say he’s down 15-20 from where he was in the summer. He had finally added some bulk. Plus we don’t know the residual effects of Covid, which hit this team early.

A zone was used a little bit. It gets used quite a bit with the full court press but they’ve also thrown out the 2-3 in the half court recently.

 

[Volfan2012]

This is probably a question to coaches. It's a question about the process and the learning curve.

So every team on UT's schedule knows how to play us, and our players know what Barnes expects them to do to negate that. Leading up to tournament time, the name of the game is IMPROVEMENT, and the goal is to maximize potential and be able to perform at that level each night by end of season.

To gauge how successfully our guys are implementing the changes Barnes wants, what do we look for? Even if our shooting remains cold, what changes should we see in ball movement, touches, shot selection, positioning, etc.?

I'm not asking what results we should see. Wins are wins and losses are losses. But if we are progressing, if the guys are starting to execute, what will be the evidences we can appreciate as fans?

I think we are what we are and only thing that will change anything is when we start making some perimeter shots. Last couple games defenses really packing the paint against Fulkerson getting the ball where he usually scores inside. We'll either have to start making some perimeter shots or drive the ball for paint points and hopefully free throws. A lot of players must up their games rebounding the ball way to many offensive rebounds being given up and those second chance points have been killing us.

 

[BruisedOrange]

I contend that even on merely okay teams, when all the players... all go cold... for weeks...
it's gotta be a defensive scheme they're facing.

Unless some hedge fund is short selling Vols Basketball.