Same AAU program as Winston? Brundige went to Southfield HS, right?
Here's the thing with Cassius... Wherever he goes he looks good. At Michigan Elite Camp last summer, he clearly wasn't as athletic or highly touted as Derryck Thornton, but in terms of production Winston was probably the king of the camp.On the Nike EYBL this summer – best summer circuit out there – Winston was leading the league in scoring for the first two weekends.
He’s just a really productive guard and he produces so consistently that you have to respect that.
I agree. There are a lot of great point guards without great measurables–from Trey Burke to Jalen Brunson to Kevin Pangos to countless others. At some point, you stop looking at what the shot looks like, how high the guy can jump, etc., and start focusing on the fact that the guy is lighting up high level competition on a regular basis.
Cassius Winston is not Carlton Brundidge. Carlton had no court vision and could not shoot from the perimeter–he just bullied kids with his body and converted at the rim. Cassius has very good PG skills and is shooting almost 50% from 3 in EYBL games.
Yeah, Winston’s shot looks funky, and you’d prefer he shoot it from a higher release point. Here’s the thing though–at 6’, what college player he will face could not block/alter his shot if close enough even if he released it from perfect position? PGs generally don’t shoot from distance over guys who are closely guarding them–they get their perimeter shots off of screens, step-backs, or other maneuvers to create space, and spot-ups. If Cassius Winston, wherever he goes to college, is getting his shot blocked or altered because of his release point, he’s taking bad, guarded shots.
There are legitimate concerns which have been expressed by Matt D and others about Winston on defense. Those are part of the calculus which has to be considered in prioritizing who to pursue. To me, Cassius becomes a bigger priority with Battle in the fold, because Tyus can create, and will be helped by having a guy at PG who can slide to the corner and catch and shoot off penetration (similar to Walton’s role as a freshman with Nik ), but reasonable minds can, of course, disagree.
Cassius Winston is not Carlton Brundidge. Carlton had no court vision and could not shoot from the perimeter–he just bullied kids with his body and converted at the rim. Cassius has very good PG skills and is shooting almost 50% from 3 in EYBL games.
This was pretty much my point. They both played for The Family (Brundidge before the EYBL was a thing) but the similarities in their games stop there. Brundidge was a heads down, down hill driver that was carrying too much weight.
Winston is a bit smaller, but he’s definitely a point guard and he can pass, play the game, etc.
Same AAU program as Winston? Brundige went to Southfield HS, right?
Yep, both played AAU for the family. Sorry for the lack of clarity.
Totally agree with both MHoops and Dylan - Winston is far more skilled than Brundidge. Point still remains though, whenever a small, subpar athlete has to step up the comp level there are going to be question marks, whether it is from HS to college, or college to pro. I mean, a lot of folks swore up and down Trey would be a legit starter, borderline all star in the NBA…but the reality is no matter how hard he works, or how far his skill progresses, he is simply not athletic enough to be an upper echelon PG in the NBA on either end of the court. Now that doesn’t mean that Winston will struggle in college, but there is logic as to why some are concerned.
Personally, I think Winston is a great offensive player, but I do acknowledge there is some risk involved. I do agree that Winston is a perfect fit with Battle, at least on the offensive end.
One more thing, let’s take the optimistic approach and assume Winston’s jumpshot shot doesn’t get blocked…are we just supposed to ignore the fact that he most likely won’t be able to shoot in the paint because of the lack of size/athleticism? Winston is a great passer and good jump shooter, but he becomes less of a threat because I doubt he’s finishing over anyone in college.
Sub par athletes that are small must posses two things:
High basketball IQ
Confidence
Ask Spike Albrect
Cassius posses both of these qualities. He’s a very crafty player that knows who he is as a player and what he can and cannot do. He plays to his strengths.
Sub par athletes that are small must posses two things: High basketball IQ Confidence Ask Spike Albrect Cassius posses both of these qualities. He's a very crafty player that knows who he is as a player and what he can and cannot do. He plays to his strengths.
Agreed, but ask yourself…would you want Spike running your team for 32-33 minutes a night? We experimented with that last year and it’s not optimal. Im on record as saying Spike is the best backup PG in the country, but I do not want him logging major minutes in the 25-35 range…if that is the case the team isn’t likely to be very good.
Also, it’s fine to play to strengths, but what do you do about the weaknesses, especially on defense.
I have a feeling a borderline five star recruit like Winston is a lot better than Spike.
I don’t worry about defense that much because we are an offensive oriented team. Our defense wasn’t special in either 2013 or 2014, but our team was. Of course I’d love to have a point guard that excels on both ends of the court, but if the choice is between Winston (scorer, could struggle a bit on defense) versus DeVearl Ramsey (seemingly very quick on defense, struggles on offense), I’ll take Winston.
I do definitely wonder if his game will translate. Seems like it will, but I’m not 100% on it. With that said, I think Goodin has some clear flaws too, so Winston may be the best PG option we have left in 2016.
If we get Winston, I’ll be happy. We’ve been blessed with Burke and Walton as nice defenders.
That said, just because I’ll be happy, doesn’t make it my preference. Goodin or Brown are my top 2. Brown is more of a combo guard but I don’t care. He’s good.
I’m rather confident Winston is not a sub par athlete
I watched some film on Goodin and see why Winston is higher rated. He’s better at the game of basketball.
I watched some film on Goodin and see why Winston is higher rated. He's better at the game of basketball.Exactly. Was talking to friend today who is a HS coach (two state titles), and he commented on how everyone looks for length and athleticism, but undervaluing just playing the game at a high level mentally. There are really countless examples from Steve Nash to John Stockton to Tiny Archibald (extra credit if you now who he is).
I watched some film on Goodin and see why Winston is higher rated. He's better at the game of basketball.Exactly. Was talking to friend today who is a HS coach (two state titles), and he commented on how everyone looks for length and athleticism, but undervaluing just playing the game at a high level mentally. There are really countless examples from Steve Nash to John Stockton to Tiny Archibald (extra credit if you now who he is).
Tiny, I don’t want, especially at his age! Dribbles too high, overly dependent on his left hand, plays below the rim, and very little range on his jumper.
Haha wow Tiny Archibald wouldn’t stand a chance against mediocre PGs in the current NBA with that loose handle of his
I know Sane, my point was Cassius has the IQ and confidence to play at a high level in college despite not being a Thorton type player.
Personally, I’m leaning more toward the athlete in this instance given the timeframe and roster. JMO
Personally, I'm leaning more toward the athlete in this instance given the timeframe and roster. JMO
Curious what you mean by this. Michigan is going to pair its point guard with a plus athlete and five-star wing guard so just curious what you mean.
Jamal Murray is on an official visit to Kentucky. The #1 prospect in Canada and maybe even the world. #CanBall @NorthPoleHoops @BeMore27
— Elias Sbiet (@Elias_NPH) May 19, 2015
Lol Jamal Murray is not the #1 prospect in the world but glad they have Canadian pride