The Z situation sitting makes no sense

[uk78]

Z has played organized basketball for quite some time. He likely has grown up playing and certainly was on a team where life is basketball. There is no doubt he is skilled. But, from the videos I saw prior to his coming to Kentucky, he was not in a center position. I believe he is not a fit for Cal's system unless Cal is willing to have him play other than low post. It truly is a shame that he is not being utilized. His impact against Georgia was game changing.

 

[CincyUKFan]

Bleacher Report’s mock has him at pick #44. Even knowing that he likely plays very little the rest of the way. Cal is strange.

The same mock, done by the most respected dude in the business, has Edwards at #57 - and yet he keeps getting the start. Baffling.

 

[CUJO_1970]

Can't wait to see thee kid blossom as a basketball player, once he leaves Kentucky.

 

[westerncat]

Z has played organized basketball for quite some time. He likely has grown up playing and certainly was on a team where life is basketball. There is no doubt he is skilled. But, from the videos I saw prior to his coming to Kentucky, he was not in a center position. I believe he is not a fit for Cal's system unless Cal is willing to have him play other than low post. It truly is a shame that he is not being utilized. His impact against Georgia was game changing.

Big Z to play facing the basket, he should be playing the 3 or 4 position. Cal is misusing this kid big time.

 

[Mike-D]

He will play more in the NBA than AB or Ugo. That's for sure. Cal didn't promise Z or his handlers anything, apparently. Gotta keep these other promises.

 

[AGEE11]

Said it before.

We watch him break out next year either in the NBA or at Gonzaga

 

[WyleECoyote]

Big Z to play facing the basket, he should be playing the 3 or 4 position. Cal is misusing this kid big time.

He's too slow to play the 3. a Cal 3 is supposed to be driving and slashing.

 

[CatPhight]

Big Z to play facing the basket, he should be playing the 3 or 4 position. Cal is misusing this kid big time.

I think everybody sees it except for you know who and his lackeys...

 

[Mike-D]

He will be an NBA 4.

 

[RunninRichie]

Cal said he was behind and wont play much like 2 weeks back. He's trying to turn him into Shaq. When he's a modern face up NBA big. Like Chet Holmgreen.

 

[TFCats11]

Cal would have benched KD, just like he has Z! Z is being mismanaged and Z’s camp has to be regretting their decision to have Z attend UK under Calipari. I made a prediction that I will stand by, Z will be a NBA All-Star within 5-6 years, and Cal will somehow try to take credit for it.

 

[know1]

It makes sense if you remember that Cal's top priority isn't the University of Kentucky basketball program.

 

[jwphelps]

Z has played organized basketball for quite some time. He likely has grown up playing and certainly was on a team where life is basketball. There is no doubt he is skilled. But, from the videos I saw prior to his coming to Kentucky, he was not in a center position. I believe he is not a fit for Cal's system unless Cal is willing to have him play other than low post. It truly is a shame that he is not being utilized. His impact against Georgia was game changing.

No Big man who tends to play on the perimeter should ever come to play for Cal.

 

[Bluesbrother]

Z has played organized basketball for quite some time. He likely has grown up playing and certainly was on a team where life is basketball. There is no doubt he is skilled. But, from the videos I saw prior to his coming to Kentucky, he was not in a center position. I believe he is not a fit for Cal's system unless Cal is willing to have him play other than low post. It truly is a shame that he is not being utilized. His impact against Georgia was game changing.

The real "shame" is that Calipari is still being paid by UK to destroy this PROGRAM. That's a shame. The real shame is that Barnhart gave Calipari that #@^&#!% contract. The real shame is that Barnhart is still the AD. But ... you're absolutely right about Z. Calipari is a menace. Z "benching" proves how stupid/corrupt Calipari really is. BBN saw first-hand what he can do and then Cal basically benches him because he instantly became the "fly in the ointment" for Cal's NBA dog and pony show.

 

[westerncat]

What Cal is doing to Z will not help him land any other players from foreign country .

 

[Eagles_Ball]

I think everybody sees it except for you know who and his lackeys...

Exactly, Cal has zero clue how to use him. Which is nuts, because this team has the perfect pieces to have a stretch 4 like Z and a "5" like Mitchell.

 

[WyleECoyote]

Cal would have benched KD, just like he has Z! Z is being mismanaged and Z’s camp has to be regretting their decision to have Z attend UK under Calipari. I made a prediction that I will stand by, Z will be a NBA All-Star within 5-6 years, and Cal will somehow try to take credit for it.

No he wouldn't have, because KD had that 5* 1/2 National Player Ranking coming out of High School. KD would have gotten the same kind of treatment Justin Edwards has gotten under Cal.

 

[mbc82584]

No he wouldn't have, because KD had that 5* 1/2 National Player Ranking coming out of High School. KD would have gotten the same kind of treatment Justin Edwards has gotten under Cal.

Right but as a back to the basket 5 only.

Z not being allowed to float perimeter and shoot 3-4 3s a game is a crime

 

[sluggercatfan]

Bleacher Report’s mock has him at pick #44. Even knowing that he likely plays very little the rest of the way. Cal is strange.

The same mock, done by the most respected dude in the business, has Edwards at #57 - and yet he keeps getting the start. Baffling.

Not baffling at all. CCC has a lot of ti e invested in JE. Z fell into his lap. I look for Z to transfer, kill it next season and be a lottery pick in the 25 draft .

 

[Rockfly78]

What Cal is doing to Z will not help him land any other players from foreign country .

I was just about to say. We won’t be getting any more euro kids.

 

[Mike-McD]

Z has played organized basketball for quite some time. He likely has grown up playing and certainly was on a team where life is basketball. There is no doubt he is skilled. But, from the videos I saw prior to his coming to Kentucky, he was not in a center position. I believe he is not a fit for Cal's system unless Cal is willing to have him play other than low post. It truly is a shame that he is not being utilized. His impact against Georgia was game changing.

Occam's Razor. Cal doesn't like Z and the way he plays. He shoots too many threes. Remember KAT and Cousins? They were forbidden from shooting threes. Z also embarrasses Cal because he outplays Cal's fair haired prodigy Smoochy.

 

[rolaid]

Just imagine if Z got the open jumper opportunities that Mitchell gets
Plus he’s a even better passer as Mitchell has become so loose with the ball lately
I’m not sure Z couldn’t rebound just as much
You say he sucks at defense you ever watched Mitchell?

 

[Big Blue in 502]

Big Z to play facing the basket, he should be playing the 3 or 4 position. Cal is misusing this kid big time.

If I'm a stretch 4 I'm never playing for Cal, ever! KAT, Skal,Big Z are all suited for playing face up away from the basket and stretching the floor. Yet he tried turning them into Shaq. These guy's never got to showcase their skills to the fullest. Is there anyone I'm missing?

 

[ukcatz12]

Occam's Razor. Cal doesn't like Z and the way he plays. He shoots too many threes. Remember KAT and Cousins? They were forbidden from shooting threes. Z also embarrasses Cal because he outplays Cal's fair haired prodigy Smoochy.

In what world should Cousins have been shooting 3s? He shot 17% from 3 his first year in the NBA, 14% his second year, and 18% his third year. He didn't shoot above above 30% from 3 until his sixth year in the league. And Towns shot 25% from 3 while he was here. Just because he's turned into a good shooter in the NBA doesn't mean he was one when he was here.

There's some crazy revisionist history that goes on here sometimes.

 

[ukfan1622]

In what world should Cousins have been shooting 3s? He shot 17% from 3 his first year in the NBA, 14% his second year, and 18% his third year. He didn't shoot above above 30% from 3 until his sixth year in the league. And Towns shot 25% from 3 while he was here. Just because he's turned into a good shooter in the NBA doesn't mean he was one when he was here.

There's some crazy revisionist history that goes on here sometimes.

I agree about those guys. But Z is 5 out of 7 from three point range and is not those guys.

 

[K_TIME]

Granted it is 7 3pt in 6 games...but Z is hitting on 71% of 3pter so far.

Why a guy like that is out of rotation but we're playing Bradshaw...is silly.

Secondly, I think starting Mitchell is fair....but he doesn't need to run more than 30 minutes. To no pick up 10-12 minutes for Z as face up PF is another silly Cal coaching blunder.

In the end, Z has deficiencies...but nothing to warrant him not playing behind Bradshaw and not able to pick up reserve minutes behind Mitchell.

 

[ukfan1622]

Granted it is 7 3pt in 6 games...but Z is hitting on 71% of 3pter so far.

Why a guy like that is out of rotation but we're playing Bradshaw...is silly.

Secondly, I think starting Mitchell is fair....but he doesn't need to run more than 30 minutes. To no pick up 10-12 minutes for Z as face up PF is another silly Cal coaching blunder.

In the end, Z has deficiencies...but nothing to warrant him not playing behind Bradshaw and not able to pick up reserve minutes behind Mitchell.

Z comitted an unforgivable sin; he has showed he is better than Bradshaw on offense and at rebounding. Not acceptable.

 

[KA4Prez]

Z and Bradshaw should be playing away from the basket, handling the ball at times and taking shots. That's their game at the next level. Not standing under the hoop and hoping to block shots. Both need to learn to defend the pick and roll and on the ball much better, but that's largely just coaching as to why they can't be passable in college.

These are NBA big men who Cal has no clue how to use.

 

[CatPhight]

Just imagine if Z got the open jumper opportunities that Mitchell gets
Plus he’s a even better passer as Mitchell has become so loose with the ball lately
I’m not sure Z couldn’t rebound just as much
You say he sucks at defense you ever watched Mitchell?

The add on to that is now who knows how much Mitchell even plays going forward?

There's not a defensive alpha on the entire roster and still Cal refuses to play a minute of zone...it's like refusing to use a fire extinguisher because it doesn't contain his favorite type of flame retardants.

 

[westerncat]

Granted it is 7 3pt in 6 games...but Z is hitting on 71% of 3pter so far.

Why a guy like that is out of rotation but we're playing Bradshaw...is silly.

Secondly, I think starting Mitchell is fair....but he doesn't need to run more than 30 minutes. To no pick up 10-12 minutes for Z as face up PF is another silly Cal coaching blunder.

In the end, Z has deficiencies...but nothing to warrant him not playing behind Bradshaw and not able to pick up reserve minutes behind Mitchell.

I agree with you except Z should be playing before Bradshaw. Bradshaw is just not that good IMO.

 

[Mike-McD]

Granted it is 7 3pt in 6 games...but Z is hitting on 71% of 3pter so far.

Why a guy like that is out of rotation but we're playing Bradshaw...is silly.

Secondly, I think starting Mitchell is fair....but he doesn't need to run more than 30 minutes. To no pick up 10-12 minutes for Z as face up PF is another silly Cal coaching blunder.

In the end, Z has deficiencies...but nothing to warrant him not playing behind Bradshaw and not able to pick up reserve minutes behind Mitchell.

This situation is prima facie proof that Cal has winning far down on his list of priorities.

 

[270to615]

Z could end up being very good in time but right now he is not much of an asset to the team. Sure he can shoot but that's not what this team needs from him. Fact is that he is soft as Charmin which makes him a defensive liability, he's a poor rebounder for his size, and his offensive post play is mediocre at best.

The same can mostly be said about all three 7-footers, but I have no problem with Z's limited minutes in favor of AB and Ugo

 

[HagginHall1999]

Z may be back next year. I don't think he can go through combine again.

That said, offensively he is highly skilled. Defensively, huge upside. He does seem a bit lost out there.

 

[UK90]

Bleacher Report’s mock has him at pick #44. Even knowing that he likely plays very little the rest of the way. Cal is strange.

The same mock, done by the most respected dude in the business, has Edwards at #57 - and yet he keeps getting the start. Baffling.

Can you guess which one is the Klutch client?

He’s got promises to keep with one, but not so much with the other.

 

[Mike-D]

Granted it is 7 3pt in 6 games...but Z is hitting on 71% of 3pter so far.

Why a guy like that is out of rotation but we're playing Bradshaw...is silly.

Secondly, I think starting Mitchell is fair....but he doesn't need to run more than 30 minutes. To no pick up 10-12 minutes for Z as face up PF is another silly Cal coaching blunder.

In the end, Z has deficiencies...but nothing to warrant him not playing behind Bradshaw and not able to pick up reserve minutes behind Mitchell.

You play Z because the upside is huge, and because at any given moment, the light could come on, and he starts dominating.

If none of our kids had any type of ranking attached to their name before they got to Kentucky, and Cal could only critique or grade them based off what he sees in games and practices, he wouldn't be force feeding us guys like Bradshaw and Edwards.

 

[Mike-D]

Z may be back next year. I don't think he can go through combine again.

That said, offensively he is highly skilled. Defensively, huge upside. He does seem a bit lost out there.

Everything wrong with Z's game is from a lack of play-time. He's gotta get comfortable doing what he's good at first. He just needs a full season of playing and learning from his mistakes.

 

[jjsomer]

Z has played organized basketball for quite some time. He likely has grown up playing and certainly was on a team where life is basketball. There is no doubt he is skilled. But, from the videos I saw prior to his coming to Kentucky, he was not in a center position. I believe he is not a fit for Cal's system unless Cal is willing to have him play other than low post. It truly is a shame that he is not being utilized. His impact against Georgia was game changing.

There are two different sides of the ball.

Offense. I've noticed Z is put in pick n pop situations mostly. Very rarely do I see him operating as a traditional post big man on the offensive end. I think offensively, he provides spacing. Everyone sees the value in Z on the offensive end.

Defense. At 7' you have to at least be able to defend in the post. Most of the time, he will be matched up on traditional bigs that are playing that way. I see a player that has never done that. He gets muscled, can't hold his ground with fouling, and gets lost when put in a pick n roll. He is not even slightly prepared to defend traditional offenses. He cannot be in the game on the defensive end.

If we happen to play against teams without defensive big men, Z defense may not be as pick of a problem. But, clear as day, he was destroyed against Gonzaga. And Ole Miss bigs (Cisse and Sharp) would have been a problem. I think he is a situational player for us.

For the record, UGO should be #1 on the depth chart at the 5 imo...for his rim protection alone. He covers up our inability to stay in front of the other teams' guards.

 

[CatPhight]

There are two different sides of the ball.

Offense. I've noticed Z is put in pick n pop situations mostly. Very rarely do I see him operating as a traditional post big man on the offensive end. I think offensively, he provides spacing. Everyone sees the value in Z on the offensive end.

Defense. At 7' you have to at least be able to defend in the post. Most of the time, he will be matched up on traditional bigs that are playing that way. I see a player that has never done that. He gets muscled, can't hold his ground with fouling, and gets lost when put in a pick n roll. He is not even slightly prepared to defend traditional offenses. He cannot be in the game on the defensive end.

If we happen to play against teams without defensive big men, Z defense may not be as pick of a problem. But, clear as day, he was destroyed against Gonzaga. And Ole Miss bigs (Cisse and Sharp) would have been a problem. I think he is a situational player for us.

For the record, UGO should be #1 on the depth chart at the 5 imo...for his rim protection alone. He covers up our inability to stay in front of the other teams' guards.

Defensively he and everyone else gets pulled away from the basket and has to pick up a mismatch like a 6' 1" guard...not a soul on this team thrives on switches...there is no MKG or Willy Cauley Stein who can defend 1-5...not even close.

 

[jof2]

Z could end up being very good in time but right now he is not much of an asset to the team. Sure he can shoot but that's not what this team needs from him. Fact is that he is soft as Charmin which makes him a defensive liability, he's a poor rebounder for his size, and his offensive post play is mediocre at best.

The same can mostly be said about all three 7-footers, but I have no problem with Z's limited minutes in favor of AB and Ugo

He is too slow and doesn’t understand the American game of basketball.

 

[bnewt]

Bleacher Report’s mock has him at pick #44. Even knowing that he likely plays very little the rest of the way. Cal is strange.

The same mock, done by the most respected dude in the business, has Edwards at #57 - and yet he keeps getting the start. Baffling.

Always this way with ccc
Edwards = 5 star = guaranteed playing time to keep player & handlers happy
Z = over seas player = no guarantee of playing time even though has great up side
ccc = ignorant = non coach = time to leave