He's also a freshman playing in only his fourth collegiate game. Hopefully he will improve on that.
Thomas
- Thread starter mitten1975
- Start date
I don't worry one bit about Matts offensive game, we all know he can shoot and his penetration and mid range game have been better then expected. He will continue to get more aggressive and be extremely productive. Rebounding also really impressed me last night. Defensively he scares me to death but i have no doubt he will continue to improve this part of his game.
They were exactly what I expected. There was a reason he was the highest rated HS recruit Fred has gotten
I don't think it's that controversial to say he can't create his own shot right now. He can drive when a lane is opened for him and finish from any distance, but he doesn't get himself open and doesn't really have any offensive moves minus a floater.
Obviously he is a very compete player for a freshman and can stroke it, but you wouldn't expect him to be perfect.
Obviously he is a very compete player for a freshman and can stroke it, but you wouldn't expect him to be perfect.
Cyclonepride
Thought Police
I think I know what bringthemagicback means -
Matt has had trouble, or lacks confidence taking a slightly contested 3. You see him hesitate, and opt for a pass, or a dribble. One thing that's obviously new/ different than HS/ AAU is that Matt is no longer taller than most guards. In HS, he could take a shot over two (double-teaming) shorter guards without a 2nd thought. In college, most guards are his height or longer. They're also quicker to close when he begins his shooting motion. The 1 step he used to need has turned into a step-and-a-half or more of space. Sometimes when he comes off a screen, or takes a dribble handoff - if he's just slide a half-step back - I think he'd feel comfortable popping.
As the season moves along, I expect him to understand how to get an extra step, and feel comfortable taking the shot. I also expect Fred to run more screens and handoffs to be run for him.
and yes - sometimes our guys miss him when he's most open in the corner.
Matt has had trouble, or lacks confidence taking a slightly contested 3. You see him hesitate, and opt for a pass, or a dribble. One thing that's obviously new/ different than HS/ AAU is that Matt is no longer taller than most guards. In HS, he could take a shot over two (double-teaming) shorter guards without a 2nd thought. In college, most guards are his height or longer. They're also quicker to close when he begins his shooting motion. The 1 step he used to need has turned into a step-and-a-half or more of space. Sometimes when he comes off a screen, or takes a dribble handoff - if he's just slide a half-step back - I think he'd feel comfortable popping.
As the season moves along, I expect him to understand how to get an extra step, and feel comfortable taking the shot. I also expect Fred to run more screens and handoffs to be run for him.
and yes - sometimes our guys miss him when he's most open in the corner.
sorry, didnt mean to ruin your dry hump session, I guess watching both the byu game and the michigan game I didnt see him accomplish this more than a few times. Please provide examples as I would love to know what I missed.
It's nice to have, but not terribly efficient. The more I see of Fred's offense, I can see that he tries to create opportunities either around the perimeter or at the rack. Three feet inside the arc is the same number of points as a layup, but is a much lower percentage shot.
He has done just what? How? And define consistently?
Does making two moves in that past two games qualify you as a guy who can get his own shot? I don't know if he has done it more than that or less, but I certainly don't think it would be enough to qualify.
Again, don't get me wrong, he is going to be great for us. That is just the #1 thing he needs to improve on offense. If he can get himself open for good looks at 3s instead of having to launch long ones or wait for someone else to create for him he will be a more efficient shooter.
I agree with this, he makes whoevers guarding him look like a pro. I cant wait till he get some confidence and moves around w/in the offense to find spots to get the ball and do something w/ it. Seems pretty scared the last two games.
I don't think he is quite as athletic as Stauskus is right now, and maybe he can eventually get there, but I would want him to watch film on that kid as much as possible.
He was so subtle and completely worked Thomas over early in our game, and eventually did the same to our other defenders as well. That guy knew how to move to get open and how to create space.
he's a guy who was well known and expected to come in and be a pure shooter, he's proven he can contribute without shooting. I like it. He doesn't have to be a scorer on this years team. He has shown hes good on the boards and plays a pretty smart floor game, the scoring will come.
I just disagree. He rebounds decently and when he has shot he has picked his spots well and been efficient, but what else is he there for if not to score?
Certainly not his defense or playmaking. He is there to score. And if he is able to create shots and get open it will take a load off of Ejim, Kane, and Niang's shoulders.
I'm not sure what you guys mean by "create his own 3 pt shot". He's not a pt guard, so all he needs to do to create his own 3pt shot in this offense is keep his spacing. He was our most efficient shooter in the byu game. 12 points on 8 shots....he's coming along very nicely.
