The problem with Harrow was, he was the only real PG. Skal is at a place where he can be replaced without killing the rest of the team.
Skal looks like a Harrow situation right now
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The problem with Harrow was, he was the only real PG. Skal is at a place where he can be replaced without killing the rest of the team.
This is a solid observation. The difference is losing Harrow changed the basic way we played, because we had no point without him. Nobody to run the offense. Instead we were left with two natural 2 wings having to change their roles to fill in at the spot. One, Goodwin, who clearly had no clue how the point/distributor role was meant to be played, and the other, Mays, simply lacking the athleticism and physical tools for the role. It turned our offense into dysfunctional chaos.
But even without Skal on the floor we can still play the same basic way with Marcus Lee stepping into that spot. Maybe we're not as strong in middle as we thought we'd be, but the offense basically runs the same way and the rest of the players' roles remain the same.
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How can he be compared to anyone this early in the season, he played super in the first few games, I thank its all in his mind and he may be a super player again before the season end, but then again he may need another yr or so to get it together..
Odd, plays against Duke everyone thinks he will be phenomenal..has a rough Dec, everyone's ready to put him in the trash. Complete nonsense.
If you think by the end of the year he's the same player I laugh at you.
Ryan Harrow was a head case..he was pretty good before he got here and he was good afterwards...something went on behind the scenes often with him. I don't think that's the case with Skal...he's not trouble or anything like that.
If you think by the end of the year he's the same player I laugh at you.
Ryan Harrow was a head case..he was pretty good before he got here and he was good afterwards...something went on behind the scenes often with him. I don't think that's the case with Skal...he's not trouble or anything like that.
I don't think that's what he meant. Harrow had a very fragile psyche and didn't respond well to Cal's style. Instead of fighting Harrow got demoralized. I do see that similarity in Skal. The big problem with Skal is that he's only a shell of the player he was a month ago. He clearly has confidence issues that at least for now are only getting worse.
Like Rodrick Rhodes. Confidence is a tough thing to get back once you've lost it.
Probably more like Dakari Johnson. He was the #9 player in the country. Some players need two years(Johnson should have stayed 3) in school to get stronger, gain or lose weight and learn the game. Skal was probably over rated coming out of high school but he is still a 5 star talent like Marcus Lee or Dakari who need a couple years in college.
Skal is a face up Chris Bosh type and is being asked to play like Shaq. Let him do what he does and he'll be fine.
Frank Kaminsky [click]
Frank Kaminsky [click]
Frank Kaminsky [click]
Frank Kaminsky [click]
Frank Kaminsky [click]
Of course that isn't what he meant. Fact is, we know nothing about Skal's psyche. We did know something about Harrow's because when he got yelled at, he quit.
Skal may lack confidence, but that's from having not played much basketball for the better part of 2 years. But I do believe Skal is trying. I'm not sure that's something that could always be said of Harrow, and that makes all the difference.
Skal is clearly much taller than Harrow at this point in their careers.
I don't know about the comparison with Harrow, but I do agree that Skal doesn't appear to be the type of kid that responds well to constant yelling and in-your-face type of communication. Anyone that has spent a lot of time working with young people are fully aware of this. What works as a motivator for one kid, isn't always going to work for another kid. The fear factor will simply make some kids shutdown. However, since most of the idiotic responses to your post comes from kids and those that have never worked with kids, don't expect to find very many to agree with you.
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I'll agree that Skal and Ryan have similar issues with confidence but that's about it.
Skal is a highly skilled frontline player. The kid can shoot and he has extreme length. Eventually it will click. He just needs one game where he goes off on a team and I think that will get him going.
If he comes out of his shell and sustains it this team becomes a monster.
Skal is a highly skilled frontline player. The kid can shoot and he has extreme length. Eventually it will click. He just needs one game where he goes off on a team and I think that will get him going.
If he comes out of his shell and sustains it this team becomes a monster.
So, you think a thread that tries to provide some understanding of why Skal is struggling is an awful thread, but you say nothing about the threads that constantly pile on this young kid. I think this is more about some of the awful posters on this board that are willing to pile on a young kid while attacking everyone that suggest that Cal might be somewhat responsible for Skal's dramatic regression.
Cal should include some of the fans with the scouts that he took exception with for the personal attacks on Skal.
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Some fans are so desperate to draw conclusions about this team based on the 2012-2013 team for some reason. "Skal is Harrow"..."Murray is Goodwin"...why? Skal has some issues right now, no doubt, but being a cancer to this team is not one of them. He is lacking in confidence at the moment, he is struggling against experienced big men that have several years of development on him, and he's not being used in a way that plays to his strengths. I believe Skal will have a good pro career, and hopefully he'll improve quite a bit over the course of this season, but it's foolish to write him off and draw such ridiculous conclusions at this time.
Odds are Cal will eventually adapt to Skal's personality and abilities. He'll ease up on him, learn how to teach him, and begin playing him in more pick and roll/pick and pop sets. He likely will never be a prolific rebounder or shot blocker here, but I believe he will eventually be a very good offensive player by season end once Cal adjusts and Skal improves in ability/confidence.
So, instead of trying to make Skal out to be a bad kid/bad player, how about we get behind him instead? He's a talented kid that is struggling right now, and he needs support instead of misguided, incorrect opinions.
Odds are Cal will eventually adapt to Skal's personality and abilities. He'll ease up on him, learn how to teach him, and begin playing him in more pick and roll/pick and pop sets. He likely will never be a prolific rebounder or shot blocker here, but I believe he will eventually be a very good offensive player by season end once Cal adjusts and Skal improves in ability/confidence.
So, instead of trying to make Skal out to be a bad kid/bad player, how about we get behind him instead? He's a talented kid that is struggling right now, and he needs support instead of misguided, incorrect opinions.
Honestly, I don't know what player "he was a month ago" posts like these are talking about. What are you basing that on? The NJIT game? Sorry, but competition that lowly does not count.
Skal looked OK for couple games against bottom rung opponents like Albany and NJIT, but the very first time he faced real competition--against Duke--he got absolutely destroyed by Marshall Plumlee, and it's been that same story in every game we've had against decent competition.
If a player's never ever yet had a good game against good competition then I don't think it accurate to talk about the player he supposedly used to be. This is essentially the same Skal we've had ever since he showed up in Lexington.
Look folks, any player who can score 26 points on 10-12 FGs and 6-6 FTs in 21 minutes on shots which were mostly NOT dunks, is a guy with huge potential. The shots he made against NJIT were shots that could be made against anyone. He scored 13, 16, and 17 in 3 consecutive games after that, also. He hit a wall, no doubt, but people need to support him. We're spoiled, my friends. We think every recruit should walk through the door and dominate from day one, but Labissiere has some additional obstacles to overcome, such as not playing much organized ball last season and being a foreign born player. People talk about his lack of strength, but the kid has some biceps and can move people around pretty well when he wants to. He's just too timid. I think it's all mental right now. And I also think he's about to have a breakout game, perhaps against Ole Miss.
I guess we'll see. Some people, it seems, are waiting to pounce if Skal fails. I don't have much use for that.
I guess we'll see. Some people, it seems, are waiting to pounce if Skal fails. I don't have much use for that.
Again, that was NJIT and Albany. Sorry, but I've seen lots of plain scrubs over the years go off in those early games against competition like NJIT, including guys who could never do anything against real competition.
That's why I learned long ago that those type games don't tell you much about a player, what tells you about a player is how he does against real opponents with real defenses and, unfortunately, Skal has wilted like a dying flower against every real opponent he's ever faced here thus far.
I don't mean to bash the kid, and I sure hope and expect for it to change, but facts are facts, and those happen to be the facts. I'm not willing to make any presumptions about his talent level until I first see him show it against decent competition in a game that actually matters.
That's why I learned long ago that those type games don't tell you much about a player, what tells you about a player is how he does against real opponents with real defenses and, unfortunately, Skal has wilted like a dying flower against every real opponent he's ever faced here thus far.
I don't mean to bash the kid, and I sure hope and expect for it to change, but facts are facts, and those happen to be the facts. I'm not willing to make any presumptions about his talent level until I first see him show it against decent competition in a game that actually matters.
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He hit that wall because instead of the coach leveraging what Skal was doing very well he berated him because he wasn't scoring with his back to the basket. Until Cal starts leveraging what Skal does well, Skal will continue to struggle and possible get worse if that is possible.
It sort of reminds me of a game when Steve Spurrier was the coach of the Washington Redskins. Spurrier was interviewed after a victory. Suprrier looked like his team had just lost. When asked what was wrong, he stated how upset he was because the scoring came from the run game and not his beloved passing game.
So you don't mean to bash the kid and you're withholding judgement on his talent level for now, but you think he may be a scrub? Listen, we all acknowledge that he has not lived up to expectations so far, but if you think he may be a "scrub" then I seriously question your basketball acumen. It's clear that the talent is there, he just has a long way to go. Will he ever be an NBA all star like some thought? Who knows. After all, Andre Drummond was mediocre at UConn and is now averaging a double-double in the league. However, I still think it is safe to say that he will grow into a good, skilled player that has a long career ahead of him (hopefully we see some of that growth by season's end). I'm buying up all the Skal stock that everybody is selling.
Do you consider Duke to be a scrub? Skal at least looked like he belonged on the court during that game which isn't the way he appears now. Skal looked good in those early games because he played the way that had served him well to that point which is why Cal thought he was good enough to play at UK. You either sign players that fit your system or be willing to adapt your system to maximize the strength of your players. Trying to turn Skal into a back-to-the-basket player is like trying to turn a thoroughbred into a plow mule and wondering why the thoroughbred isn't successfully pulling the plow as well as the average mule.
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It is an awful thread. Why are we comparing Skal to a kid that quit the team 3 or 4 times in one season? Because they're both soft? Just a terrible comparison. If you don't agree with that, that's fine.
Because the comparisons are valid. Ryan Harrow and Archie Goodwin weren't bad players, they were just frustrating to watch. Harrow was very gifted athletically and so was Goodwin. But we see the same personality traits in Skal that we saw in Harrow and the same lack of court awareness in Murray we saw with Goodwin. That 2013 team wasn't awful until Nerlens went down. These problems we see aren't going to put us in the NIT. But they are problems. Problems we've seen before. Fans come here to talk about how they think the team can get better.
You may be right about making him play with his back to the basket. Perhaps Calipari needs to put Poythress or Lee on the low block and let Skal face. I think Calipari knows more about basketball than either of us, so I'll let him make that call. I do know this- I trust that Calipari is doing what is best for Skal and the team in the long run.
I agree. But our so called fans believe that every 5 star player should average 20 points, 15 rebounds and 10 assists. Players advance at different rates and Skal may be "average" this year and dominate next year. No one knows.
The correct comparison for Murray is John Wall. He doesn't have the same elite level athleticism, but he does have the same penchant to try to make the spectacular play every time. He is a much, much better shooter than Goodwin and this will become apparent in conference play.
And this is going to sound weird, but of all the players under Cal, Skal reminds me a little of Randle in that he simply did not understand spacing at all in the post. How many times did Randle spin into a double team or get the ball stripped when he wasn't paying attention?
And this is going to sound weird, but of all the players under Cal, Skal reminds me a little of Randle in that he simply did not understand spacing at all in the post. How many times did Randle spin into a double team or get the ball stripped when he wasn't paying attention?
Frank Kaminsky [click]
Frank Kaminsky [click]
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I agree that Skal is more Kaminsky than he is Towns, and that his NBA bread will be buttered through a finesse-orchestrated game; however, I think Cal has been pushing Skal down low due to actually wanting Skal to be a multi-dimensional player. If Skal simply becomes the pick-and-pop perimeter guy some of our fans are desiring, he will be immeasurably easy to guard because he doesn't have anywhere close to the handles or savvy that Kaminsky had. If we remember correctly, Frank routinely took opposing bigs off the bounce, which is what made him a great player. People had to guard his shooting but also his threat of driving.
If you're going to spend most of your time floating the perimeter, you at least need to have an adequate ability of getting past your man on a semi-regular basis. Skal doesn't have that. Essentially, some of our fans seem to be okay with Skal being relegated to merely a jump shooter. He might just become the easiest player in the country to guard if all he's going to be known for is a pick-and-pop jump shooter.
What the hell are you talking about?
Skal was awful against Duke. His defense was SO bad that night it defied belief. Friggin Marshall Plumlee destroyed him. Plumlee had about the best game of his career that night specifically because Skal seemed to flat out refuse to try to block him out or put a body on him. In fact, we only got back into that game after Cal benched Skal and put in Humphries, because Hump at least tried to block out and cover Plumlee.
Good lord, I truly wonder if some of you knuckleheads even watch these games. Anyone who thinks the Duke game was some sort of mark in Skal's favor is just plain clueless about the game of basketball.
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He shouldn't be relegated to a pick and pop shooter but a few pick and pop plays run for him to get him going might help his confidence and get him into the rhthym of a game.
Right, and that's why many are saying that Calipari is doing what is best for Skal and the team "in the long run." I agree with others that Calipari could just let Skal face the basket and shoot the ball every time he touches it- just catch and shoot. And this might be more effective for him today, until defenses figure it out. That approach also takes him away from the basket and keeps him from the offensive glass or from being in position for alley-oops. But once defenses figured that out, he's shut down.
And it's as you say Son of Saul, Skal isn't a great ball handler. If he's facing and he's no threat to drive, he's just taking up space. You're better off putting Poythress out there facing. He can handle much better 15 feet and in than Skal can right now.
So, all of this to say, I think Calipari is right in putting Skal on the low block. He's got to learn to hold position and make a move. I think he can get position if he's more aggressive and I know he can knock down that jump shot. The good news is, he's probably not going to draw double-teams at this point. That might help him also.
What does Skal do well? Shoot jumpers? Occasional jump hook? I would agree that he does those well (at present). Those jump shots will be there all throughout Skal's career, however, and focusing solely on those components of his game right now would act as a detriment long-term. Calipari looks to be attempting to round out Skal's game, until he develops some handles to become the finesse scorer most of us see him as in the NBA. Right now, Skal has zero handles, and almost no ability at taking his man off the bounce. That ultimately makes him very easy to scout and even easier to defend.
Even NBA guys like Dirk have to bang at times. The league won't just let Skal shoot jumpers all day. He needs to round out his game. Cal is likely just trying to help him develop in a young college basketball season, even if it affects Kentucky in the short term from a negative aesthetic position.
Round out his game? This isn't the military where you completely destroy a player's confidence before rebuilding him into what you want him to be. That is so yester-year basketball. Recruit players because you believe that you can enhance their current skills and not because you believe that you can or should completely change the way they currently play. That is a recipe for player and coach frustration.
More importantly, if Skal cannot figure out how to guard the paint without fouling, he'll get crushed in the league. Forget offensive potential. He HAS to prove he can defend the paint and rebound at this level if he wants to be a lottery pick.
Cal knows basketball but he isn't God which means he isn't perfect. Sometimes even the best at what they do can become extremely one dimensional and too stubborn to admit that they are not always right. Anyone that has worked with kids know that being a good basketball coach doesn't make you a great motivator of all kids.
I thought that it was funny that Cal had Skal to spend the night with his family. On the surface that might sound like an excellent idea. However, the last place a kid would want to spend his free time is with the guy who is chewing on his backside like a dog on an old shoe. If anything, the kid would probably do better if he had less time with Cal.
Simple questions:
1. Do you think it will be necessary for Skal to develop some physicality before he enters the league?
2. Can you name any big man in the league who flourishes despite almost completely lacking in physicality?
Good point. That's part of the point I'm making about physicality. Skal needs to learn to play through contact and in traffic. Putting him out on the perimeter (right now) won't help. Like I said, the perimeter game will always be there for him and will continue to get better. Even guys like Cousins, Patterson, Towns and Davis have developed broader perimeter games in the league. Physical play must be the focus right now.
