He's talking about Rich Paul and klutch btw.
Pilgrim says changes coming to lineup...
- Thread starter HagginHall1999
- Start date
Get rid of Edward's, I would rather have Burks in rotation.
We need to scrap any ''wing'' starting. Run the 3 guards out there. Hell i'd be up for 4 guards. If we can't play defense at least score 120 every game.
I do think Edwards is closer to being a positive for us, than Bradshaw is. Bradshaw simply needs another year (or two). He's very raw and has zero big man game (rebounding, touch, etc).
Edwards, at least for me.. I get the feeling that his issues are more of just adjusting. Sure, he as likely over ranked and a bit overrated, but sometimes it seems like he just needs that light-switch to come on. He had a pretty nice stretch in the last game.
You get the feeling, if he could just be the SF that we've coveted for so long, and start clamping down defensively on positions 1-4.. he could be a huge boost for us. I think that's there, it's just a matter of getting it to come out.
Edwards, at least for me.. I get the feeling that his issues are more of just adjusting. Sure, he as likely over ranked and a bit overrated, but sometimes it seems like he just needs that light-switch to come on. He had a pretty nice stretch in the last game.
You get the feeling, if he could just be the SF that we've coveted for so long, and start clamping down defensively on positions 1-4.. he could be a huge boost for us. I think that's there, it's just a matter of getting it to come out.
Do what other teams do when they go small they send 4 players to crash the boards.
Why wouldnt you play Big Z to spell Mitchell, that way you still have a passer and 3 pt threat, not Ugo. Ugo has the worst hands on a center since Rob Lock.
Dude is grasping for anything... He ain't got a clue how to get this team to play winning basketball. Since this team has been together, defense must NOT have been anything they worked on. And why do we always look good during summer games and it all turns to shit later? Cause Cal hadn't had time to get his coaching on them.
The fundamental problem (and fatal flaw) with this years team is roster construction. Reverting back to a small ball lineup is likely best for this team and its prospects but they have absolutely no inside presence. No post offensive presence at all. None of the bigs have good hands nor are they in any way physical or “dawgish”. Cal has a roster of 12 guards and small forwards including the 3 big men. It’s just not a roster designed to defend, protect the rim, or rebound even remotely enough to be a top team and title contender. I think it’s great Cal adopted a more modern approach and prioritized shooting and guard play. It’s critical. But he swung the pendulum too far. You don’t have to have a Zach Edey of course but you need a couple of grown men in the front court. And UK doesn’t have them.
has no idea what those terms mean, let alone implement them
at this point I would agree to giving more time to Edwards than Bradshaw. At this point I think what you see is what you get with both of them - the issue is that UK can't ever let what happened in Gonzaga happen again.
Yeah I think you keep Edwards at 10-15 mpg and just see if he can start putting it together. I dont have much faith he will figure this out in the next 6 weeks.. but I sure like what he gives more than Bradshaw at this point.
I agree. I'll believe it when I see it.
On z, the kid is as talented as anyone in the country and he's by far our best rebounder. He just inexperience on defense.
Depending on the game, he should absolutely get clock. Otherwise we're starving him of the one thing he needs.
We literally have two guys no one else has and cal barely plays one at all and doesn't play the other enough. It's crazy
It might make a little change, but we still need coaching, strategy, development, adjustments, game plans, etc. All the things normal coaches routinely do. Lineups are just part of the issue.
HOF coach going down with Justin Edwards. Head scratching. Edwards should not be playing more than 8 minutes a game
He thinks Edwards should play before Burks but when I asked him to list the things Edwards does
better than Burks he went silent, couldn't even come up with ONE thing.
Good on him if he actually does it. I'm very skeptical though.
If he actually runs small ball with three guards and Edwards/Thiero/Mitchell we may have some hope. I wish Z was part of this plan though.
Part of the problem is just this about Cal thinking the problem is always just about the lineups. Dont get me wrong I on board with the OP's original thought and agree with his lineup and ONE of Cal's problems is he doesnt keep his best talent on the floor enough and he's coaches by substitution when what we're really needing is some X and O game managing from him.
He kept saying last night . . . "We're going to break through, We're going to break through!" Cal maybe its not the players we're waiting for to break through, maybe they are waiting for YOU to break through!
Say what we want about the limitations of certain guys and their abilities but this team plays their butts off all the time. The bigs werent giving up easy buckets over and over because they were lazy or didnt want to stop it. They werent built for it yet and couldnt - all three kept coming in trying to no avial. That's where they need their coach to help them.
They can try all they want but that part of their game is not going to magically change because they try harder. The only person on that team that can make an immediate difference is COACH CAL. And the players and the rest of us are waiting for him to break through and start coaching to help these guys!
He kept saying last night . . . "We're going to break through, We're going to break through!" Cal maybe its not the players we're waiting for to break through, maybe they are waiting for YOU to break through!
Say what we want about the limitations of certain guys and their abilities but this team plays their butts off all the time. The bigs werent giving up easy buckets over and over because they were lazy or didnt want to stop it. They werent built for it yet and couldnt - all three kept coming in trying to no avial. That's where they need their coach to help them.
They can try all they want but that part of their game is not going to magically change because they try harder. The only person on that team that can make an immediate difference is COACH CAL. And the players and the rest of us are waiting for him to break through and start coaching to help these guys!
Many of you forget there are 2 aspects to the game, Offense is 50%, and Defense is 50%. I'm not saying Onyenso is anything close to AD on defense (absolutely not), but he and Theiro are the best defenders we have. And those 2 along with Z are the best rebounders we have.
That's why I don't get the criticism of his defense. He's no worse than Bradshaw by any stretch. Then he's way better on offense and rebounding and better at pure rim defense.
Frankly he's one of our better guys on defending one on the perimeter. He's lost on post defense.
And a random message board user who has seen a kid play in like 5 games all year does? Tell me then if you’re the talent evaluator, who is the best option for Kentucky right now given all the issues?
Bradshaw clearly has no desire to be a big man. He avoids contact and has mentioned several times wanting to be a perimeter player.
He has a really nice shooting stroke. The problem for him is he can't dribble. If he would make significant improvements to his handles + add some muscle, he could be a weapon. Until then, he just can't provide much on a consistent basis.
And he's out there chucking 3s, as probably the 2nd to LAST guy we want doing that. It's clear he's trying to force his stretch 4 game, and that hurts the team.
Play as the big we need you to be or sit. It's bot going to hurt your NBA potential if you play ONE year as a true forward/center in the paint.
I will have to see the change until I believe it.
The problem with Bradshaw is he wants to be like Kevin Durant and he is not and never will be. He is the last player I want see shooting a 3. He needs to sit on the end of the bench and use in mop up time if we ever need him.
If the new lineup has anybody but Reeves at the 3 it won't matter much. If Edwards is still starting it won't matter much.
Last edited:
Disagree. I think Edwards is just a natural born, piss poor defensive player. He just doesn’t have it.
Down two points with 5 secs to go and he had Ugo and Thiero IN the game and Rob OUT of the game. That should tell you all you need to know about his offensive acumen.
We have like 3 really good players and then a combination of other players. Burks is by far the worst of those players, if you can’t see that idk what to tell you.
It's crazy that sometimes we have the same posters/fans screaming "GO BACK TO SMALL BALL" but they're also saying "PLAY BIG Z MORE" but they're also saying "WHY CANT WE DEFEND AND GET STOPS" then they're saying "WE HAVE 7 FOOTERS WE NEED TO PLAY"
Yet they don't see, or choose not to see, how hypocritical and contradicting they are - just looking to blame something on Cal I guess.
Big Z had a breakout performance that was honestly followed by TERRIBLE defense, TERRIBLE rebounding, and really just kinda mehhhh on offense. Think about this: if he doesn't score, if he doesn't get assist, then goes down and gives up buckets or offensive rebs, it doesn't matter. If he makes a fancy behind the pass then gets toasted on defense, it doesn't matter.
What do you see in Edwards to make you think he is better than Burks? What is Edwards better at than Burks? Since you're saying other people don't what they're seeing, it's a fair question, imo.
Ugo and Bradshaw aren’t miles better than Burks, Ivisic is offensively but defensively he isn’t
Edwards has been terrible based on expectations and his ranking out of HS. But the last few games he actually looked decent. He defended, was way more aggressive with the ball and went for rebounds. He isn't shooting great from 3 but its enough for them to have to guard him. He has been almost useless for 90% of the season though.
No clue what you are watching to think Burks gives us anything bit energy. I like him as an energy guy just don't want him playing more than like 8 minutes.
I just have to disagree about "the last few games". He was excellent against Vandy, when Burks and Z were also excellent(and mostly the whole team). He wasn't good in any of our other last few games. The Vandy game was the ONLY game this year when Edwards has looked like a good player. We do know what we're seeing, and in Edwards we're seeing a player not good at anything. The high school ratings should no longer matter to anybody at this point. It's the same as a thoroughbred horse; the breeding is important before he's raced but when he's already shown he's a 5k claimer that breeding means squat.
I don’t think he should play 20 mins. 5-10 mins is fine, but he does bring energy which is my point. Bradshaw doesn’t all the time and ugo has so many problems
