@drgnslayr said in This is a Second round team if they keep playing McCormick:
I think I've been perhaps one of the most critical people commenting on Big Mac. And I really love this guy! He totally brings the right attitude.
But his limitations are well known by everyone we play. His lateral dexterity is awful. He's a guy that can be taken off the drive by another big guy from the top of the key. So that means... any big can drive or shoot on him facing the basket as well as nail him down low on back to the basket moves. He is part of what keeps us from being a fast team.
I think the spots at the 4 and 5 are still hard to decide and should be made based on upcoming opponent for now.
So if we do go without a real 5 we need to adjust offense and defense to best take advantage of it. We still need ball screens and other tactics used with a real big man. Most of that is an attempt to get the ball handler an advantage by being defended by a big anyways.
The real key to our offense is keeping the ball moving, proper spacing, and plenty of motion (off-ball and driving). This isn't rocket science.
If we don't bring energy to a game we will probably lose. Texas proved that.
Having said that... we still need to have a valid big man this season. How do you keep him able to contribute if he rides the bench most of the game. It's a real dilemma... one that I know Self thinks about.
I think the biggest structural issue with this team is keeping Marcus at point. After he recoups from this injury he needs to be rewarded by putting him back at the 2. Tell him to mentally flush most of the crap he has had to deal with all year at point. Bring back the old Marcus! And though he can play at bigger positions.. his natural position is the 2, and he has already proven he can be National Defensive Player Of The Year at the 2.
Braun and Ochi have been good, but a bit inconsistent. See how it works to rotate them in, maybe also in the three-man rotation with Marcus, so he gets well-rested.
I honestly like Big Dave. I think he's a good player. Unfortunately, he needs to play in a more traditional lineup to be most effective and this team cannot play a traditional lineup and still have their best 7 players playing consistently.
Big Dave was the guy that was hurt the most with Silvio being out this year. If Silvio is still on this roster, we can play him and Big Dave together with a more traditional look, with Mitch backing them up. That team looks a lot different and can play a completely different style than this one can.
Big Dave just isn't the type of player that is a 4 out center. He's not a big time shotblocker or power post presence. He's an effective passer, but he's more of a face and shoot big than a power on the block player. That's what makes him effective with another big on the floor. But that's not this roster.
Trying to force the rest of the roster around him is a bad fit when you have a roster full of guys (Garrett, Agbaji, Braun, Wilson, Thompson, Harris, TGF, Enaruna) that actually do fit together well as cohesive units. It's not that Mitch and Big Dave are bad players. They just don't fit with what this roster can potentially do best. The eight man rotation I noted above is effective together in any mix of units. Trying to replace any of those guys with Big Dave or Mitch just doesn't work.
