It's more than regressing to the mean for Cujo. Defenses have changed with milan out. Lane is clogged, 4 v 5 on offense
Milan Rumors - Hand Injury
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It's more than regressing to the mean for Cujo. Defenses have changed with milan out. Lane is clogged, 4 v 5 on offense
That brings a new definition for the phrase, "Finding the cutter."
It's funny you mention this, I've thought all season watching rebounds and contests he looks like he can jump, yeah. But, it's one thing to be completely unwilling to lets 3s fly, and another to also not try to score other ways. I wanted to see better ball movement Monday—and I did—but a few times I focused on Heise and he was literally backing away from the action. I see no reason he couldn't take a page out of Watson's cutting playbook. At that point all he'd have to do is jump as high as he can with two hands on the ball. You're likely getting fouled. Or at least set an off-ball screen for goodness' sake. As always, I'm sure coaches are harping on all these things, but he's got to execute.
If you ask me, based on what CW often says about Otz's staff, this is more a matter of them sticking with the guys they believe they'll need to be at their best in crunch time during games a month from now. While it's easy to watch the recent offensive woes and wonder if Nojus could be a spark, people forget there is opportunity cost to everything. If we all know Heise's confidence is shot, should they have just benched him for two weeks? Maybe it would've helped, or maybe he would've gone into mental free fall and been much less reliable on defense after. In all sports there are play-through-it staffs and what-have-you-done-for-me-lately staffs. I don't think ISU's is totally in the play-through-it camp, but if they believe someone not only provides value somewhere but is reliable, e.g., doesn't turn it over nor foul too much, we've seen they ultimately trust that player more than someone with potential but whose value is hard to pinpoint yet.
As for the actual subject of this thread, @isucy86 and @heitclone absolutely nailed the reasons the offense is struggling, and while I hope Mom is back as soon as possible, it won't be rainbows and butterflies as soon as he does. As many others mentioned, teams know how to guard Jones much better now. The coaches will have to adjust
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I recall that post from the UNI fan but it’s just not accurate, IMHO. Or at least feels a bit misleading.
His highlight tape (that - again - does include tape against high major programs) shows a really well rounded player, a guy that can shoot from all over, and can make all sorts of different types of plays offensively, including in the lane and off the dribble. Certainly not a guy that was deceptively getting a bunch of easy bunnies at the hoop that anyone could make.
And the "level of competition" thing goes both ways. Did he score 15ppg in the Valley solely because, for the most part, he was playing way inferior teams than he is now? Well, what about his teammates? Sure, he's playing against much better teams game-in-and-game-out in the Big 12, but he's also surrounded by a Top 10 cast of teammates now, when he wasn't surrounded by talent at UNI.
It’s 100% confidence and coaching right now. He's literally not even attempting to do 95% of what his tape showed he can do.
Man, some of those finishes off the dribble… Also mid-range Heise (with Mom back) would take this team to the stratosphere. need the coaches to unlock that
The weird thing is that in non-conference play he was a great cutter. He was the beneficiary of a ton of Jefferson passes from the high post or middle of the zone on backdoor cuts. I think that's a lot of the reason Watson wasn't getting any minutes--Watson's best offensive skill was cutting, and if Heise was doing that as well as him, there wasn't much reason for Watson to play because the rest of Heise's game was similar or better.
Right! It is like watching a completely different player.
Again, I think most understand the massive jump from the Valley to the Big 12. But some of those skills/plays can (and do) translate, and for whatever reason, they haven't at all for Nate (yet).
You realize they practice and TJ practices them hard right?
We’re 3/4ths of the way through the season. Not going to hold my breath on Heise. You are what you are by this point of the year and looks like he’s got the yips out there
Man watching those highlights is so depressing
I thought we were an elite 8 team (possibly Final 4) about 3 games ago, but we are only as good as we have been lately. I know it's cliche, but we are not great right now.
Can we get back to where we were? I hope so, but we will have to adapt to how teams are playing us. Sure would be nice to get a few wins soon. That much I know.
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I mostly agree but if they can get the offense clicking again players won't have to think as much. Most of the bad possessions during this stretch have been two passes at most then someone trying to create from nothing. Jones pick and rolls were effective, but teams adjusted. Gilbert can get the ball on the rim because he's so crafty, but probably everyone in the backcourt has been in his own head recently because nothing is flowing, nothing looks obvious. I'm not saying Heise will suddenly be hunting spot-up 3s and shoot 38%, but ball movement, motion, and screening creating spacing which creates driving lanes doesn't leave much time for you to worry you're about to miss or that you have to hit a step back, you just react. All of this is coping, but I have so little hope left
I agree on the offense. However, if you look at the last few games stats. We have not been very good on turning them over on the defensive end which leads to easy points on the break.
Cmon man lol one week ago today we were coming off of a win @ ASU and a heartbreak loss with back breaking effort. We had a horrible week but I don't think us fans should lose hope because of a bad 7 days.
I can’t tell if our fanbase has gotten soft with success or maybe it’s just the young crowd that has only seen success majority of the time but the amount of fans writing the season off after bad stretch is hilarious.
Poor Milan. When he comes back he's going to have a lot of expectations on him for the whole team to make an immediate turnaround. Maybe it will. If it does his broken and now healed hand will be henceforth known as THE HAND OF GOD.
No, I figured they just show up to the games and this point and don't practice much.
In all seriousness, if people think that's what's going on maybe the coaching staff needs to rethink their approach. It's important to be conditioned but running then into the ground isn't helpful either.
