Defense & Coaching staff
- Thread starter JonathanW
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I get what you are saying about “athletes” but also at the same time all those guys are unbelievably strong and built like brick s*it houses. Does pure physical strength not count as athletes - is it just quickness and can jump high?
Explosiveness, speed and strength all help with defense but there’s not a big enough gap that our guys should be this bad. You can be lacking a be a good defender. A lot of guys are strong but poor defenders. Some are strong and quick but bad defender. Bruce Bowen wasn’t really muscular or quick but was an elite defender. Delladova did a great job on a faster Curry but he isn’t a physical specimen. You don’t have to be muscular to be physical and in the correct position. Watch our last game and watch the guys who fight through screens and those who let themselves be screened. Watch for the ones who are willing to jam cuts, who communicate, who move to their shell position when the ball is in the air, and who tries to find someone to block out when the shooter rises up, not when the ball is shot. You’ll see which ones have the tools to turn into good defenders. These are all things that don’t require athleticism that very few of our guys do, whether from poor instincts or poor instruction. But I do agree with you that athleticism makes it easier if you have the instincts to play.
If you have 5 Nate robinsons that are communicating and playing hard/smart, can you be a great defensive team? I’ll let you think about how foolish that notion is
I mean right now our first 5 is:
6’4” -215
6’6” -192
6’7” - 215
6’11 - 235
7’ - 262
We’re not a bunch of Nate Robinsons. Our issues are effort, communication, and IQ whether it’s from bad habits or poor teaching. Do we spend too much energy on offensive execution that we rest on defense? I don’t know, but our talent level is better than what our defense is playing.
Tenn is:
5’9” - 171
6’4” - 199
6’3 - 186
6’11 - 235
6’10 - 225
And they’re one of the best defensive teams in the country. No reason we shouldn’t be better.
Congratulations, you completely missed my point. I wasn’t saying our team is Nate Robinsons. I’m saying that defense takes more than the categories the poster listed. I said nothing about our team makeup whatsoever either way.
Either way, the point is we have the guys who should be able to do it. They’re just not getting it done for whatever reason.
I don't think we're sitting at like 100+ in Kenpom Defensive efficiency strictly from a lack of effort. I think there are plenty of times we're trying and just not very good on defense.
We certainly saw terrible effort in the 1st half vs Ole Miss.
But there are lots of games where guys have been engaged on defense and we just get cooked.
I think the athleticism, agility, foot speed whatever--I think we're limited in some spots.
And with Butler out--guys are having to shift over to guard guys they maybe wouldn't normally guard.
We certainly saw terrible effort in the 1st half vs Ole Miss.
But there are lots of games where guys have been engaged on defense and we just get cooked.
I think the athleticism, agility, foot speed whatever--I think we're limited in some spots.
And with Butler out--guys are having to shift over to guard guys they maybe wouldn't normally guard.
Absolutely correct! A lot of us keep saying this, but I don't think you're going to convince some of those that believe our defensive woes are almost exclusively a lack of athleticism. As I stated in another post, I watch a lot of basketball teams play that do not have any more athleticism than this team but are significantly better on the defensive end.
Believe it or not, I think a lot of it is mental. We talk about them being lazy/soft/lack of intensity etc. and I believe they may be willing but lack understanding. I don't think it comes natural to them except for Butler. They are only "reactive" and are slow at it. That is why numerous times this year on true 50/50 balls we seldom get them. Our players do put forth effort sometimes to go get them, but it is a split second after the opposing player has already instinctively reacted.
If this true it can be improved upon with emphasis, drills, and desire. I agree with what the UNC player said describing the things their coaching staff did.
May not become elite defensively but there is room for significant improvement in "team" defense.
That is stupid. Of course you cover the 5 positions, or at least come close to covering the 5 positions, instead of 5 5'10 guys. Your analogy is like saying a football team made up of Mahomes, Brady, Manning bros, Favre, Marino ....
No the analogy works. You have to think it all the way through though. My guess you aren’t willing.
theres a lot of truth in that. Theyve not instinctively crashed the glass, for instance, when the shots have gone up, as an example. Some things are learned, taught. Some cant be. Sometimes the talent and instincts take over, but, much like my guitar playing, Im not the most talented player, but Ive played for nearly 50 years. Hell I dont know many people with clasical guitar performance degrees, but the point is :
I still have to focus intently on little things that for the life of me, I still can overcome.
Id love to see them stand around less and simply be more active with body movement, whether or not it is being emphasized or not. The more these guys are moving around and positioning on the court, the better they are and the better they play, this specific team.
But they do seem to tend to fall into the category of reactionary rather than otherwise. I hoipe the proactive part is the thing that they can get together and do well at, because I don't think they are far away (that and health) to become great. I mean a great team here at Kentucky.
they could be, they can be.
Let's keep the faith and encourage the hard work to get there !
Thanks for sharing your post, JRCAT14 !
Go Big Blue!
TN coach demands high pressure defense or you sit. And we as fans can see which team plays the hardest the whole game. Just so we are always the team playing the hardest the whole game I can live with whatever. But to get out hustled, out toughened and out hearted is what I can't take.
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