Z played pretty solid on D tonight. Didn’t drift from the lane a lot which I thought was key for him.
Big Z
- Thread starter SparksCat
- Start date
Teams can't jump the pick with Z in the game as they do with Ugo and Bradshaw. If they do they get burned, because Z can roll and score or pip the 3. He creates lanes when he picks. It's the little things that you might not notice.
THIS! He’s damn good in the pick and roll. Best big we have at it, easily. Better than Mitchell because he has better moves IMO.
Yeah some of us have known it for a month now .
Coaching malpractice- dude can’t see who his best players are -Bennie’s can but he can’t
I think it depends on the matchup. I'm not sure how playable he will be against Mississippi State
Don't agree with the OP at all. Yes, he played well today because of how Bama matched up. In other games, as we have all seen, he can struggle badly as well. I'm happy for Z today, let's see more of it. Can he do it against UT?
He definitely needs to come back next year. He would improve to where he would be hard to handle.
@Sejonesy told me Big Z wouldnt play today, for whatever reason. He's a great talent evaluator, obviously.
You did see him give up like 4 dunks in a row, right? His defense isn’t suspect, it’s horrendous. There is a place for him against certain types of teams but let’s not get crazy here.
There are games Z gets pushed around so much it's hard to play him. But his offense is light years ahead of the other centers. So it becomes a balancing act depending on matchups whether to give Z or UGO the most minutes.
Big Z desperately needed this game. He needed an opportunity to play extended minutes and begin adjusting to NCAA basketball. The kid simply oozes talent that most 7’2” guys don’t have.
I’d give about anything to have him back next season.
I’d give about anything to have him back next season.
He’s inconsistent, just like the team as a whole.
But, as pointed out, he (like the team as a whole) is a reflection of their coach.
But, as pointed out, he (like the team as a whole) is a reflection of their coach.
Man, I was drooling when we had the lineup on the floor of Reed/Rob/Reeves/Edwards/Z. No stopping that. Not a chance.
Actually, Sport, you did NOT say "in the past." You said "gets lost on D quite a bit." PRESENT TENSE. You might want to read your own comments for comprehension, Skippy. Mkay, Pardner?
GTFOH, you obviously didn't count his blocked shots today. "Give up like 4 dunks in a row" - is that an exact number, "LIKE 4?" LOL and what does "give up" mean? Did he get posterized? Or was he just on the floor when somebody dunked? Did you even watch him try to block a shot because somebody else's man got beat off the dribble? Nope, you just blamed the dunk on the guy who CONTINUES to play OUT OF POSITION.
You know ZIP about basketball, champ.
Would like to see Ugo and Z split time.
Sad thing is I would say don't get used to Z playing meaningful mins. Cal thought he had to outscore Bama today and I believe that's why he put him in early. I sadly expect to see Ugo 32+ mins next game. Z maybe 2-3.
I hate it and hope I'm wrong.
I hate it and hope I'm wrong.
I mean DJ still played 24 mins, went 1 of 7. He's been playing Rob and DJ the same mins and did again today. It's ridiculous at this point.
I think you were one of the ones calling for Cal to bench Edwards because he was a total bust. Since the one game benching, Edwards has been a changed player. I give Cal credit for that.
Today Z played great. He is progressing, as is Edwards. Bradshaw is getting very few minutes actually. He played 5 minutes today and that has been about his norm for the last few games. I love watching the guys develop and assert themselves. It happens every year when we have a lot of first year players.
Dillingham is Electric!!! I love watching him play. Personally, I loved the substitution pattern today.
It worked today because we didn't need it out of DJ, but he has been going 1 of 7 a lot. It cost us at LSU and it will cost us again if he is playing the same minutes as Dillingham.
Yeah I know his minutes have dwindled but why was he getting scored on every trip vs. Gonzaga but Z couldn’t get in? That’s what ticks me off.
Ok well didn’t think I needed to explain what is pretty much common sense. Thought his defense was solid today. It has been bad in the past. Much of that was him just adjusting I think. That make you feel better?
This game is an example where all the people asking Cal to “shrink the lineup” is nonsense. This UK team has a lot of players with good skills. If they want to go far then every single one of these players need to be prepared and in the right frame of mind to contribute on the floor.
Doesn’t mean they’ll all see time every game, but they need to be ready and Cal needs to learn how to best take advantage of the matchups he can exploit and the talent at his disposal.
So does ugo and Bradshaw, but they play
What ever happened to making the opponent adjust to your strengths?
Z would make their big men play out of position and allow Sheppard and Dillingham to drive and create.
True, kind of hard to produce on the bench
He is way more talented than ugo or bradshaw
FWIW we still need Ugo , Z is so inexperienced and , yes , foul prone , we need Ugo to be there when Z may be off . So I'm not ditching Ugo or totally forgetting him , I just thought Z had that large upside .. Where would we be if Cal would have simply played Z 20-25 min the past 30 days .
