Charleston Classic: Georgia game thread

[Kevin Reilly]

Robinson and N'Diaye are not very skilled or natural basketball players but we should use them better. I know they have poor hands and almost no offensive skills but we should use them to block shots. Before we went to the zone Georgia was scoring 51 points in the first half with almost all the points coming in the paint. Pitino has a very quick hook with both of them. Use them as picks on offense and shot blockers on defense. Can't get any better playing 3 minutes a game. Carroll played a great game but he got gassed in the second half. All the starters played at least 33 minutes which is too much .You can't squeeze blood from a rock or expect Robinson or N'Diaye to play like Carroll or Milicevic on offense. Pitino knew what he was getting from Robinson and N'Diaye when he recruited them. I say let them play some and develop . This team isn't going very far anyways. Also Moore somehow has lost his confidence. He needs to be more aggressive. Hell Carroll, Wright, Anderson and Milicevic all are not shy about shooting. LOL

[ChitownSteve]

Agreed, a nice effort by the Musketeers. While no one likes to lose, is it accurate to say pre-game expectations were exceeded last night?

Before subscribing to having Robinson and N’Diaye play more, would need to know what they are showing in practice. Are they working hard or cashing checks?

[Anti-Homer]

Robinson and N'Diaye are not very skilled or natural basketball players but we should use them better. I know they have poor hands and almost no offensive skills but we should use them to block shots. Before we went to the zone Georgia was scoring 51 points in the first half with almost all the points coming in the paint. Pitino has a very quick hook with both of them. Use them as picks on offense and shot blockers on defense. Can't get any better playing 3 minutes a game. Carroll played a great game but he got gassed in the second half. All the starters played at least 33 minutes which is too much .You can't squeeze blood from a rock or expect Robinson or N'Diaye to play like Carroll or Milicevic on offense. Pitino knew what he was getting from Robinson and N'Diaye when he recruited them. I say let them play some and develop . This team isn't going very far anyways. Also Moore somehow has lost his confidence. He needs to be more aggressive. Hell Carroll, Wright, Anderson and Milicevic all are not shy about shooting. LOL

KR,

I fully agree with your assessment regarding Wright taking the ball up with 10 seconds to play. He is too much of a deliberate and controlled dribbler. While I like Wright a lot, the ideal play would have been having Anderson, who can cover ground quickly, take the ball up. Although Anderson is a poor decision maker and is often out of control, he should have been given strict instructions: push the ball, pass to Filip, and allow him to initiate the offense (drive to score, dish to Carroll in the post, or kick out to Milicevic or Wright).

However, I strongly disagree with giving playing time simply for the sake of it, to NDiaye and Robinson. They appear to be regressing, which is stunning, considering the low bar. A huge swing and a miss by Pitino and staff.

Despite these issues, I am impressed by the team's overall progress, including the Iowa game. The team is inherently limited in quickness & athleticism, and very vulnerable in the post. Due to this, I think playing zone defense is a necessary staple against more athletic teams, and ones who have strong post scorers. In other words, we should see it in most games this year.

Pitino is effectively maximizing the hand he was dealt (including challenges from his own portal mismanagement; see the bigs, Walker, and Ponoam). However, all the core guys other than Moore and Anderson have shown improvement, in a very quick time frame.

My hope for the team is continued improvement, particularly from Moore, who I believe will soon emerge; his career stats suggest his struggles are mental. Also, hopefully Pozatto can return to the court by late December or January.