A dig at Cal on NBA Draft - Cason Wallace

[K_TIME]

On the website for ringer https://nbadraft.theringer.com/mock-draft

The comment on floor spacing....Cal has major offensive coaching problems.

Cason Wallace​

Kentucky, Freshman​

COMBO GUARD
HEIGHT 6'2"WEIGHT 195
AGE 19.6WINGSPAN 6'8"

• Points
  PTS11.754.3 TS%
• 3-point percentage
  3P%34.64 3PA/G
• Assists
  AST4.32.1 TOV/G
• Steals
  STL23.6 STL%

UTAH JAZZ
Kris Dunn’s production gives the Jazz an idea of what their point guard position could look like with someone like Wallace, who is a defensive-oriented player with size, playmaking ability, and downhill creation. Wallace faced cramped spacing at Kentucky, but he could thrive next to Utah’s shooters.

 

[bigblueinsanity]

Meh. It's fashionable to dunk on cal lately due to offense (especially from this writer Iirc), but the piling on results in many unfair criticisms.

We had Oscar, national player of the year. Given his skillset and production what were we supposed to do? Park him on the wing so givony can complain about that too?

When there are five NBA hopefuls on the floor at a time, each are having to sacrifice to a degree. Just how it is.

 

[bnewt]

No way the NBA could agree with the know nothing uk fans

Maybe the fans aren’t as dumb as ccc wants everyone to believe

 

[K_TIME]

Also the top picks after Wenbamyama....some of these dudes were not really good in college yet NBA is happy to pick them up.

- Anthony Black Arkansas, Freshman....nice size and athlete....but also shot 30% from deep. And they have him going #8.
- Grady Dick at #11....seriously. Nice shooter but he ain't that elite of a marksman and UK was shutting him down with athleticism in our game
- Nic Smith from Arkansas in top 15...I get he was hurt but dude shot less than 40%FG and was a terrible decison maker
- Derek Lively at #19....did he average what 5 pts a game and 5 boards a game. So he's a lesser version of Willie Cauley Stein?
- Jalen Hood-Shifano from IU ahead of Jackson-Davis....did they watch IU. This dude shot like 24% from 3pt land and the entire offense went thru Jackson-Davis.
- Not to mention a handful of kids that went to Overtime Elite garbage...kids just go there to not have to get potentially exposed in college.

College is a mess for sure....but NBA is just a garbage product that bad teams have to guess on projects so much. This draft looks like ass beyond first pick to be honest.

 

[K_TIME]

Meh. It's fashionable to dunk on cal lately due to offense (especially from this writer Iirc), but the piling on results in many unfair criticisms.

We had Oscar, national player of the year. Given his skillset and production what were we supposed to do? Park him on the wing so givony can complain about that too?

When there are five NBA hopefuls on the floor at a time, each are having to sacrifice to a degree. Just how it is.

I don't know...maybe something besides pick and roll to infinity with no plan? How about high post and hard cuts off of it at times? Oscar didn't have to play 37 minutes in tough games. Maybe play him closer to 30 minutes and run more action/sets....develop a bench to play more open space when he's resting.

All things an actual coach would try....maybe.

 

[bigblueinsanity]

I don't know...maybe something besides pick and roll to infinity with no plan? How about high post and hard cuts off of it at times? Oscar didn't have to play 37 minutes in tough games. Maybe play him closer to 30 minutes and run more action/sets....develop a bench to play more open space when he's resting.

All things an actual coach would try....maybe.

We did those things. Pnr is an NBA staple.

Yes Oscar did have to play so many minutes. Either him or ware. Easy choice.

 

[billCgmx]

We had Oscar, national player of the year. Given his skillset and production what were we supposed to do? Park him on the wing so givony can complain about that too?

Surround him with at least 3 shooters.

 

[chroix]

We did those things. Pnr is an NBA staple.

Yes Oscar did have to play so many minutes. Either him or ware. Easy choice.

Could have worked on developing Ugo more, especially when Oscar was out hurt early in the season.

 

[bnewt]

I don't know...maybe something besides pick and roll to infinity with no plan? How about high post and hard cuts off of it at times? Oscar didn't have to play 37 minutes in tough games. Maybe play him closer to 30 minutes and run more action/sets....develop a bench to play more open space when he's resting.

All things an actual coach would try....maybe.

What about an occasional back door,or an inbounds play to score, or a screen for an open shot
Just basics your learn in grade school

 

[The_Answer1313]

The title of this made me think it was Cason was the one saying that lol
Honestly since he played in the system, I'd be curious to see if he agrees with that assessment.

 

[LukaszObrzut]

Meh. It's fashionable to dunk on cal lately due to offense (especially from this writer Iirc), but the piling on results in many unfair criticisms.

We had Oscar, national player of the year. Given his skillset and production what were we supposed to do? Park him on the wing so givony can complain about that too?

When there are five NBA hopefuls on the floor at a time, each are having to sacrifice to a degree. Just how it is.

Perhaps, recruit better complimentary pieces around- must be hard at a school like Kentucky.

 

[K_TIME]

We did those things. Pnr is an NBA staple.

Yes Oscar did have to play so many minutes. Either him or ware. Easy choice.

Running into a ball handler is not the only coachjing you can do with a pick and roll.

- How about have a plan once the defense switches or goes under or goes over or even traps the ball screen? Do you honeslty think we looked to attack a pick/roll...or just ad lib it like we look like we always do?
- How about not play a SF who cna't dribble and isn't a really strong shooter? (I forgot Cal promised Livingston )
- How about run the floor the entire game....not jog it up vs. set defenses so much?

Cal has been as lazy a coach as his roster management.

 

[Jont0805]

For almost half the year Kentucky featured Oscar and wheeler. Two guys you can guard from the paint and never leave. It’s not hard to understand that the NBA will be way more open than that.


Spacing was better with the Benny line up but frederick was so bad the second half of the year it wouldn’t have mattered. However if that line up played the majority of the year this write up by an NBA person would be wrong.

As it is I don’t know how anyone can have an issue with the statement.

 

[JonathanW]

So much is made of 3pt shooting. Here are how their top 10 shot the 3 this past year:

1 Wembanyana 7'3-C, 27.5%
2 Miller 6'9-SF, 38.4%
3 Henderson 6'2-PG, 27.5%
4 Amen Thompson 6'7-PG, 25%
5 Whitmore 6'7-F, 34.3%
6 Ausar Thompson 6'7-SG, 29.8%
7 Hendricks 6'9-SF, 39.4%
8 Black 6'6-PG, 30.1%
9 Wallace 6'4-PG, 34.6%
10 Walker 6'8-F, 34.7%

That is your top 10 guys, and only 2 made 35%+, 4 actually made <30%.

 

[NociHTTP]

We did those things. Pnr is an NBA staple.

Yes Oscar did have to play so many minutes. Either him or ware. Easy choice.

We did none of the stuff like curls, backdoor cuts, give and go's (what Kanas State did to Oscar), misdirection, decoy stuff. The only decoy was CCC quacking ruuuunnnn, gooooooo. In short, floor spacing is almost always bad for UK teams under Cal. Not sure what his offense was like at Memphis.

 

[BGCATFAN2012]

Done forgot about Wallace and seeing the top 10 projected picks last night was laughable. We can't even get a guy to go top 10.

 

[bigblueinsanity]

Surround him with at least 3 shooters.

Perhaps, recruit better complimentary pieces around- must be hard at a school like Kentucky.

Running into a ball handler is not the only coachjing you can do with a pick and roll.

- How about have a plan once the defense switches or goes under or goes over or even traps the ball screen? Do you honeslty think we looked to attack a pick/roll...or just ad lib it like we look like we always do?
- How about not play a SF who cna't dribble and isn't a really strong shooter? (I forgot Cal promised Livingston )
- How about run the floor the entire game....not jog it up vs. set defenses so much?

Cal has been as lazy a coach as his roster management.

All these are roster complaints which are totally valid. Give the roster we had, it isn't valid to complain about playing with a big in the paint

 

[NociHTTP]

Perhaps, recruit better complimentary pieces around- must be hard at a school like Kentucky.

It is under Cal because he's made it to clear for all the world to see that by the tail end of the season he's only going to play 7 guys maybe 8. Which by the way also means there won't be any accountability because once you're the rotation, you're in. Nobody wants to come on as a complimentary piece knowing they won't be playing at the end.

 

[bigblueinsanity]

We did none of the stuff like curls, backdoor cuts, give and go's (what Kanas State did to Oscar), misdirection, decoy stuff. The only decoy was CCC quacking ruuuunnnn, gooooooo. In short, floor spacing is almost always bad for UK teams under Cal. Not sure what his offense was like at Memphis.

We ran curls. Well half ran them. CJ nor reeves went full speed and as a result didn't get open. We ran the same stuff we ran for guys going all the way back to dlamb that got them great looks.

Give and go and backdoor are both great but NBA guys just don't want to run that stuff. That's why cal doesn't want to run it. Sad but true

 

[UKBB4Ever]

Not a jab at Cal. But at our personnel. That's on Cal to not have floor spacers out there. Quickley, Herro, Monk, Murray, Knox, etc. had no problems with the offense.

Cason is a great player. When healthy he is going to show his skills when he's playing with other good players.

Game plan against us was simple. Double team Oscar when he doesn't have the ball. Triple team Oscar when he does have the ball. Face guard Wallace and don't worry about anyone else.

 

[BlueWorldOrder74]

Sometimes Cal makes it easy to dunk on Cal.

 

[MWes11]

This looks like an overall horrific draft class.

 

[kybassfan]

On the website for ringer https://nbadraft.theringer.com/mock-draft

The comment on floor spacing....Cal has major offensive coaching problems.

Cason Wallace​

Kentucky, Freshman​

COMBO GUARD
HEIGHT 6'2"WEIGHT 195
AGE 19.6WINGSPAN 6'8"

• Points
  PTS11.754.3 TS%
• 3-point percentage
  3P%34.64 3PA/G
• Assists
  AST4.32.1 TOV/G
• Steals
  STL23.6 STL%

UTAH JAZZ
Kris Dunn’s production gives the Jazz an idea of what their point guard position could look like with someone like Wallace, who is a defensive-oriented player with size, playmaking ability, and downhill creation. Wallace faced cramped spacing at Kentucky, but he could thrive next to Utah’s shooters.

Don't be so gullible in your zeal to bash UK. Fact of the matter is that the coaches were trying to improve spacing all year. The team bunched up like a bunch of grade school players. That is an indictment of the prep schools, not the UK staff. Takes time to learn that and without some years of proper experience, a player will revert back to old bad habits. Of course, the writer didn't mention that because the expected hits from Cal Haters won't materialize.

 

[Lionel_Hutz]

It’s amazing what having shooters on the floor does for a team’s spacing.

 

[cats2010]

Also the top picks after Wenbamyama....some of these dudes were not really good in college yet NBA is happy to pick them up.

- Anthony Black Arkansas, Freshman....nice size and athlete....but also shot 30% from deep. And they have him going #8.
- Grady Dick at #11....seriously. Nice shooter but he ain't that elite of a marksman and UK was shutting him down with athleticism in our game
- Nic Smith from Arkansas in top 15...I get he was hurt but dude shot less than 40%FG and was a terrible decison maker
- Derek Lively at #19....did he average what 5 pts a game and 5 boards a game. So he's a lesser version of Willie Cauley Stein?
- Jalen Hood-Shifano from IU ahead of Jackson-Davis....did they watch IU. This dude shot like 24% from 3pt land and the entire offense went thru Jackson-Davis.
- Not to mention a handful of kids that went to Overtime Elite garbage...kids just go there to not have to get potentially exposed in college.

College is a mess for sure....but NBA is just a garbage product that bad teams have to guess on projects so much. This draft looks like ass beyond first pick to be honest.

Agreed but it is their own doing in the can’t wait to get the next best thing in asap approach. Pretty much the equivalent of throwing shit against the wall and see what sticks. That’s todays NBA. A league of mostly potential mixed in with actual professionals.

 

[JonathanW]

IMO, it's a 2 player draft. The French Freak, and Miller. After that it is a big roll of the dice.
Honestly, he's not #3 pick quality, but I'd consider Wallace there just because you know you'll at least get steady D from him. But I'd probably go Hendricks 3.

Back to Miller. Who you take, him, or J.Smith from last year. I think that is a tough choice.

 

[K_TIME]

All these are roster complaints which are totally valid. Give the roster we had, it isn't valid to complain about playing with a big in the paint

He didn't have to exclusively play Livingston at SF and spot him at PF for stretches of games. That was not a roster complaint....

 

[UKMKG]

This draft class is terrible outside of the top 3 picks.

 

[Fox2monk]

Also the top picks after Wenbamyama....some of these dudes were not really good in college yet NBA is happy to pick them up.

- Anthony Black Arkansas, Freshman....nice size and athlete....but also shot 30% from deep. And they have him going #8.
- Grady Dick at #11....seriously. Nice shooter but he ain't that elite of a marksman and UK was shutting him down with athleticism in our game
- Nic Smith from Arkansas in top 15...I get he was hurt but dude shot less than 40%FG and was a terrible decison maker
- Derek Lively at #19....did he average what 5 pts a game and 5 boards a game. So he's a lesser version of Willie Cauley Stein?
- Jalen Hood-Shifano from IU ahead of Jackson-Davis....did they watch IU. This dude shot like 24% from 3pt land and the entire offense went thru Jackson-Davis.
- Not to mention a handful of kids that went to Overtime Elite garbage...kids just go there to not have to get potentially exposed in college.

College is a mess for sure....but NBA is just a garbage product that bad teams have to guess on projects so much. This draft looks like ass beyond first pick to be honest.

First 3 picks will be good. A lot of crap mixed in after it. I would trade away picks like crazy in this draft. Portland has the 3rd pick and that could be the lady actual decent pick so they need help for Dame. After that I would trade my picks like crazy for established players.

 

[Fox2monk]

IMO, it's a 2 player draft. The French Freak, and Miller. After that it is a big roll of the dice.
Honestly, he's not #3 pick quality, but I'd consider Wallace there just because you know you'll at least get steady D from him. But I'd probably go Hendricks 3.

Back to Miller. Who you take, him, or J.Smith from last year. I think that is a tough choice.

The other guard Henderson in the G league is very good too. He’s legit. I think Picks 1-2-3 will be very good players.

 

[K_TIME]

First 3 picks will be good. A lot of crap mixed in between.

Yeah...I don't know anythnig about those overtime elite guys that go in top 3. But there are so many dudes that had major holes in their games that are going lottery. Just absurd what NBA has crumbled to pickign all these players with major holes in their games.

 

[K_TIME]

We ran curls. Well half ran them. CJ nor reeves went full speed and as a result didn't get open. We ran the same stuff we ran for guys going all the way back to dlamb that got them great looks.

Give and go and backdoor are both great but NBA guys just don't want to run that stuff. That's why cal doesn't want to run it. Sad but true

Did you watch Nuggets, Kings or Warriors. They run a ton of cutting off the ball to basket for easy shots and at worst it makes the defense move and creates space. I agree half of NBA just is a glorified And1 game so iso ball and pick/roll to nowhere.

But there are teams that run a ton of motion and those are the better teams on offense.

 

[Fox2monk]

Yeah...I don't know anythnig about those overtime elite guys that go in top 3. But there are so many dudes that had major holes in their games that are going lottery. Just absurd what NBA has crumbled to pickign all these players with major holes in their games.

Oh yeah I forgot about the Thompson twins, they are supposedly legit but again they didn’t play traditional paths so who knows how they turn out. But you are right it’s a crap shoot for a lotto pick this year after the first couple. More than most years I’d say.

 

[bigblueinsanity]

He didn't have to exclusively play Livingston at SF and spot him at PF for stretches of games. That was not a roster complaint....

Livingston was one of our best players towards the end. He needed to play sf for his NBA chances. It all goes back to individual sacrifices from this kids.

Did you watch Nuggets, Kings or Warriors. They run a ton of cutting off the ball to basket for easy shots and at worst it makes the defense move and creates space. I agree half of NBA just is a glorified And1 game so iso ball and pick/roll to nowhere.

But there are teams that run a ton of motion and those are the better teams on offense.

They also run a lot of pnr. Plus it's different once someone is in the NBA. A big recruiting selling point is we give them an opportunity to show their NBA potential. I too much prefer winning games to being solely an NBA exhibition platform but that's where we are

 

[DraftCat]

Not sure if I was Cason i'd be thrilled with the Kris Dunn comparison.. he's been a bust

 

[kywildcat41086]

Could have worked on developing Ugo more, especially when Oscar was out hurt early in the season.

No way those were Ware’s minutes to have and now Ware will be taking his talents to Providence probably. This is the kind of crap that cracks me up about Cal. When Brooks was here he played him all year and Toppin barely got off of the bench he could’ve used those minutes to better develop Toppin. Here we sit again another year and another year Cal could’ve used minutes to develop a different player because the other player decided to transfer anyway.

 

[K_TIME]

Livingston was one of our best players towards the end. He needed to play sf for his NBA chances. It all goes back to individual sacrifices from this kids.



They also run a lot of pnr. Plus it's different once someone is in the NBA. A big recruiting selling point is we give them an opportunity to show their NBA potential. I too much prefer winning games to being solely an NBA exhibition platform but that's where we are

I love the Chris Livingston was so great....he actually went from unplayable for 2/3 of season to solid in some games (and then disappear for a few games).

His game log...I'll start with Arkansas game (that we lost) and forward

Ark - 13 pts, 5 boards (loss)
UGA 9 pts, 3 boards (loss)
Miss St 13 pts, 5 boards (win)
Aub 6 pts, 2 boards (win)
Vndy 8 pts, 7boards (loss)
Ark 1 pts, 9 boards (win)
Vndy 4pts and 7 boards (loss)
Providence 6pts and 7 boards (win)
KSt 11 pts and 6 boards (loss)

And he shot below 50% in this "best player on the team" stretch of games was 7 -23 from 3pt land for a whopping 30% from deep.

All evidence points to UK would have been better with Chris at the PF for stretches and the floor spacing would have been better served.

 

[chroix]

No way those were Ware’s minutes to have and now Ware will be taking his talents to Providence probably. This is the kind of crap that cracks me up about Cal. When Brooks was here he played him all year and Toppin barely got off of the bench he could’ve used those minutes to better develop Toppin. Here we sit again another year and another year Cal could’ve used minutes to develop a different player because the other player decided to transfer anyway.

It’s brutal.

 

[JRS_OH_Cat]

Meh. It's fashionable to dunk on cal lately due to offense (especially from this writer Iirc), but the piling on results in many unfair criticisms.

We had Oscar, national player of the year. Given his skillset and production what were we supposed to do? Park him on the wing so givony can complain about that too?

When there are five NBA hopefuls on the floor at a time, each are having to sacrifice to a degree. Just how it is.

Don’t write anything logical, this board just wants dumb hot takes.

 

[nickhorvathsuxazz]

We did none of the stuff like curls, backdoor cuts, give and go's (what Kanas State did to Oscar), misdirection, decoy stuff. The only decoy was CCC quacking ruuuunnnn, gooooooo. In short, floor spacing is almost always bad for UK teams under Cal. Not sure what his offense was like at Memphis.

The offense you're describing is too player oriented (in regards to decision making). Cal's too much of a control freak to allow that.