I think that game gave us as fans, the team itself, and Calipari a false sense of "we have figured this out". Our defense played ok that game but Duke missed a ton of open shots. I think we maybe gave our defense more credit than it deserved. Here are some things I see/think.
1) Everyone thought this team needed to get up and down the floor and play extremely fast. I think that's false. This team is not far superior to everyone in terms of athleticism and size wise. That may work against SOME teams but I think this team is going to need to make games half court games. IMO this team is going to need to do what teams did to us last year. Pick our spots in transition, but this team I think is going to need to rely on execution in the half court, much like 2010-2011.
2) We can improve defensively, but this team isn't going to be a shut down defensive team like years past. This team is not a shot blocking team. This team is a ball pressure team. This isn't a team that is going to be able to take the principle of "funnel everyone to the paint to our shot blocker"... its going to need to be much more of a "keep everyone in front of me" type deal. Really deny passes, especially entry passes to the post.
3) This team, (Skal especially) needs to gain some toughness. While I liked the leadership Ulis showed jumping on Skal, just by watching Skal's responses he doesn't respond to that. You are going to have to teach him, explain what you want and then pat him on the back and say "go get em kid, you got this". Positive Affirmation.
4) Skal and Murray HAVE TO JUST PLAY. They are thinking way too much, and I think this is due to how much Cal presses "drive the ball". I think Cal has the philosophy backwards. I think it should be "shoot the ball" for Ulis, Murray, Skal, Willis, Matthews. See in years past we had big PG's that can finish at the rim that when they drove, were driving to score. Ulis is driving to set people up. Driving into teams packing the lane isn't going to work because this team doesn't have the overwhelming athleticism and size to offensive rebound like crazy.
5) We need to just ask our guys to do what they do. Right now we are asking Skal to be KAT. He isn't...Skal isn't overpowering anyone on the block or holding deep post position with his body. Skal is a pick and pop guy. A true stretch 4....not a Center. We need to use him exactly how UCLA used Welsh. Skal and Murray are thinking too much. Look at the 3's Murray made....no hesitation, catch and shoot. The ones he missed, it was like you could see him catch it, think about shooting and then say "Cal said drive so I gotta drive". We should use Murray like UCLA used Alford and Golden State uses Steph. Run him ragged off screens. Go watch how he played in the Hoops Summit and Fiba games....that's when he is at his best.
6) Cal is gonna have to sacrifice some mistakes on defense for offense. Derek Willis needs run. He can score from the perimeter and that's where this team is going to have to score from more consistently.
7) Not sure the 3 guard lineup is gonna work. In order for that to work, you typically need 3 guards that can shoot well (see Jones, Cook, Winslow/ Thornton, Allen, Jones). Plus we cant play Ulis and Murray damn close to 40 min a game and Briscoe 32+ all year. Also, Briscoe is just not good off the ball. If the ball isn't in his hand, he is standing.
8) Im not sure how much Lee and Poythress can play. They are garbage men. Freak athletes but they are guys that have little to no skill in facilitating their own offense. They have to be set up via lobs, dishes, transition or offensive rebounds. Problem is I think this team is going to need to be more of a grind it out, half court offense, which doesn't play to their strengths. When they are in, it kinda makes us play 4 v. 5 offensively.
9) To be the best version of us I think Humphries has to play more. Humphries needs to be force fed into starting. He is big, has an extremely high IQ, is very skilled with his back to the basket and I think could take a TON of pressure off Skal, Ulis, and Murray. We don't need him to be a world beater, we need him to be Josh Harrelson. Again, with this will come some defensive struggles in the beginning, but the more I see Isaac, the more I see him as a player that gets exponentially better the more run he gets in game.
10) After the Duke game I thought the pieces to this puzzle were pretty close. After all the games after plus this one I think we have learned that is far from the truth. We haven't played well at all since the Duke game. I really hope Calipari REALLY experiments with the lineup these last few games before conference play to try and figure out how this team really needs to play. Once you get into conference play, teams know your tendencies and can really prepare (just look at Ole Miss, aTm, LSU, UGA and even Florida last year). Those teams played us well, just didn't have the horses to fully execute. This team has talent, but not a ton of athleticism. We just have to put our talented pieces in the right positions and just ask guys to be who they are and do what they do best. This team as a whole is thinking wayyyy to much. I have faith Cal has got this, but I think he needs to go back to square 1 in terms of building this team and their style of play. I have faith he can do it.
1) Everyone thought this team needed to get up and down the floor and play extremely fast. I think that's false. This team is not far superior to everyone in terms of athleticism and size wise. That may work against SOME teams but I think this team is going to need to make games half court games. IMO this team is going to need to do what teams did to us last year. Pick our spots in transition, but this team I think is going to need to rely on execution in the half court, much like 2010-2011.
2) We can improve defensively, but this team isn't going to be a shut down defensive team like years past. This team is not a shot blocking team. This team is a ball pressure team. This isn't a team that is going to be able to take the principle of "funnel everyone to the paint to our shot blocker"... its going to need to be much more of a "keep everyone in front of me" type deal. Really deny passes, especially entry passes to the post.
3) This team, (Skal especially) needs to gain some toughness. While I liked the leadership Ulis showed jumping on Skal, just by watching Skal's responses he doesn't respond to that. You are going to have to teach him, explain what you want and then pat him on the back and say "go get em kid, you got this". Positive Affirmation.
4) Skal and Murray HAVE TO JUST PLAY. They are thinking way too much, and I think this is due to how much Cal presses "drive the ball". I think Cal has the philosophy backwards. I think it should be "shoot the ball" for Ulis, Murray, Skal, Willis, Matthews. See in years past we had big PG's that can finish at the rim that when they drove, were driving to score. Ulis is driving to set people up. Driving into teams packing the lane isn't going to work because this team doesn't have the overwhelming athleticism and size to offensive rebound like crazy.
5) We need to just ask our guys to do what they do. Right now we are asking Skal to be KAT. He isn't...Skal isn't overpowering anyone on the block or holding deep post position with his body. Skal is a pick and pop guy. A true stretch 4....not a Center. We need to use him exactly how UCLA used Welsh. Skal and Murray are thinking too much. Look at the 3's Murray made....no hesitation, catch and shoot. The ones he missed, it was like you could see him catch it, think about shooting and then say "Cal said drive so I gotta drive". We should use Murray like UCLA used Alford and Golden State uses Steph. Run him ragged off screens. Go watch how he played in the Hoops Summit and Fiba games....that's when he is at his best.
6) Cal is gonna have to sacrifice some mistakes on defense for offense. Derek Willis needs run. He can score from the perimeter and that's where this team is going to have to score from more consistently.
7) Not sure the 3 guard lineup is gonna work. In order for that to work, you typically need 3 guards that can shoot well (see Jones, Cook, Winslow/ Thornton, Allen, Jones). Plus we cant play Ulis and Murray damn close to 40 min a game and Briscoe 32+ all year. Also, Briscoe is just not good off the ball. If the ball isn't in his hand, he is standing.
8) Im not sure how much Lee and Poythress can play. They are garbage men. Freak athletes but they are guys that have little to no skill in facilitating their own offense. They have to be set up via lobs, dishes, transition or offensive rebounds. Problem is I think this team is going to need to be more of a grind it out, half court offense, which doesn't play to their strengths. When they are in, it kinda makes us play 4 v. 5 offensively.
9) To be the best version of us I think Humphries has to play more. Humphries needs to be force fed into starting. He is big, has an extremely high IQ, is very skilled with his back to the basket and I think could take a TON of pressure off Skal, Ulis, and Murray. We don't need him to be a world beater, we need him to be Josh Harrelson. Again, with this will come some defensive struggles in the beginning, but the more I see Isaac, the more I see him as a player that gets exponentially better the more run he gets in game.
10) After the Duke game I thought the pieces to this puzzle were pretty close. After all the games after plus this one I think we have learned that is far from the truth. We haven't played well at all since the Duke game. I really hope Calipari REALLY experiments with the lineup these last few games before conference play to try and figure out how this team really needs to play. Once you get into conference play, teams know your tendencies and can really prepare (just look at Ole Miss, aTm, LSU, UGA and even Florida last year). Those teams played us well, just didn't have the horses to fully execute. This team has talent, but not a ton of athleticism. We just have to put our talented pieces in the right positions and just ask guys to be who they are and do what they do best. This team as a whole is thinking wayyyy to much. I have faith Cal has got this, but I think he needs to go back to square 1 in terms of building this team and their style of play. I have faith he can do it.
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