Poythress with a double double
- Thread starter KWilt43atbuzz
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Think Cal will continue using Alex as the 6th man or move him into the starting lineup when his game is more like 100%?
Alex is growing. Two plays highlighted that for me. He developed a baby hook that reminded me of Randle/Towns in the middle of the paint. If he can do that somewhat regularly he'll be fine, even if he doesn't get his former explosiveness back. 2nd the steal he made and the dunk showed that he is getting that natural fast twitch back. He also had a nice dunk in traffic later in the game that showed signs of former Alex.
From someone who has had the exact same surgery that he had (4 times actually) I can attest to the fact that it takes a lot more time for the ACL to regain that strength/Agility than just a year. So the fact that he is out there performing the way he does shows his resilience and drive to get back to normal.
I love the fact that Cal isn't accepting less from him. Alex probably knows that Cal wants the best for him and that is why he is pushing him, but he won't fully appreciate it until a couple years later and he finds that he is no longer even thinking about the injury. Cal is doing something great for Poythress, I just hope he doesn't lose sight of that.
From someone who has had the exact same surgery that he had (4 times actually) I can attest to the fact that it takes a lot more time for the ACL to regain that strength/Agility than just a year. So the fact that he is out there performing the way he does shows his resilience and drive to get back to normal.
I love the fact that Cal isn't accepting less from him. Alex probably knows that Cal wants the best for him and that is why he is pushing him, but he won't fully appreciate it until a couple years later and he finds that he is no longer even thinking about the injury. Cal is doing something great for Poythress, I just hope he doesn't lose sight of that.
Wow four knee surgeries? Sorry to hear that Sith.
I agree Cal is trying to help Poy get to that level of total trust in his reconstructed knee.
Poythress is averaging 7.5ppg and 6.8rpg on the season.
I think those numbers rise to about 10 points and 8 rebounds/game by the time the NCAA tourney rolls around. That's all UK really need from him - rebound, defend, finish at the rim. The bulk of the scoring will continue to come from the guards and Skal.
I think those numbers rise to about 10 points and 8 rebounds/game by the time the NCAA tourney rolls around. That's all UK really need from him - rebound, defend, finish at the rim. The bulk of the scoring will continue to come from the guards and Skal.
No Ohio, I think Poy will eventally start and hopefully soon.
Lee will eventually be our 6th man and thats not a knock on Lee at all.
I think you are right KWilt, sometimes Lee has those Willie moments where he kind of disappears like last night. If Alex gets back to the top of his game I think he brings more to the table.
Tax I think we could see Poy in the starting lineup as soon as our next game v BU Tues nite, especially after the DD.
Thanks, It's like an entire year of my life was in a haze. As someone who has never done drugs before, it's what I imagine that those who are addicted to drugs live life like everyday. The four surgeries were tough but not as tough as coming off of the pain meds were. That truly sucked.
However they say that your ACL gets to about 110% of its former strength at the 12 month mark. At that point you start working on your trust. It's mentally challenging to trust that where you move your leg to is where it will be. If he still has numbness in his kneecap (which I'm almost sure he does to some extent) that is the major issue.
Basically if you've ever had a tooth pulled and your mouth was numbed and you tried to talk after and it just felt weird, like you didn't know where your tongue or lips were. That's kinda the feeling, except now you are expected to play a sport where precision movements are dependent on a partially numb joint. You can see why he is a bit behind the curve. He has actually impressed me quite a bit with how far he has come in such a short period of time. It is really a testament to his resolve. I know UK has a great Orthopedic wing but if he wasn't so determined to get back on the court he'd still be on the bench at this point in his recovery.
Poythress looked a lot better yesterday.
His main thing is after his offensive rebound he has is to make a good physical play to finish or get the ball back to the guard.
It's too obvious for other players to block him because it's obvious what he is trying to do. If he can use his body and jump into the defender more, he can get the spacing he needs to make easy basket.
Also, i wish he can shoot the three like he was pre-season. He's still open, but he's missing it all right now. :-/
I think he can be 13 - 8 this season. His stats are improving on game by game basis.
His main thing is after his offensive rebound he has is to make a good physical play to finish or get the ball back to the guard.
It's too obvious for other players to block him because it's obvious what he is trying to do. If he can use his body and jump into the defender more, he can get the spacing he needs to make easy basket.
Also, i wish he can shoot the three like he was pre-season. He's still open, but he's missing it all right now. :-/
I think he can be 13 - 8 this season. His stats are improving on game by game basis.
Happy for Alex!! I thought he looked really good against Duke as well, other than the missed bunnies. He's getting there.
I don't think it matters right now that Alex is coming off the bench, but when we play teams that have more beef in the post, we will need to start Alex at the 4. Alex has the muscle and hops to play against teams with the weight in the post. You see now see flashes of Alex getting back to 100% and the awesome thing is, the kid is not playing scared anymore. The fear of reinjuring an injury can make guys play not at 100% on every play and a few times early in the year you could tell Alex was playing a lil scared, but now if a lose ball is on the floor, Alex is on the floor going after it. I know this seems like such a minor detail, but it's really not.
I will be *thrilled* if Alex can get to 10 and 8. I suspect as Skal develops though it may be difficult. There won't be as many second chance opportunities for him. Of course I LOVE Alex...one of my all-time favorite Cats. He had a good game last night that could've been even better if he had been able to finish a few plays at the rim that he normally does.
I really like the rotation of Skal, Poy and Lee inside with Humphries coming off the bench. Once Skal gets stronger and understands positioning better, this is going to be a lethal combination. Look for Isaac to get important minutes and to be pretty darned efficient in the time he's on the floor. Love his old school game.
It seemed like a quiet double double. Honestly, other than the steal and dunk and the other dunk late in the game, I didn't realize he was even close to a double double. All I can remember is the many weak attempts he had under the basket. Hopefully as the season goes on, he will become more confident and more aggressive and become the player we all expected when he first got here.
K, what I am most excited about Alex is he is back to moving without the ball like he used to.
