I think if he gains that weight along with a little improvement in his handle, he can be a great player. He is pretty darn skinny so I have my questions about the weight gain and how he will adjust to being heavier. We are dealing with "if"s though. I think Matthews is our best player as long as he is wearing our jersey.
Has to play out on the court, but the Eli Brooks take seems more baffling to me with every passing day knowing what I know. Really hoping he excels here but him playing as a third guard was the intent and Brooks is aware of it (some here questioned that). Considering the roster composition and needs, I think taking a third guard by design probably wasnāt the best utilization of that scholarship considering what it cost us
I think getting him to be our backup pg is a great get, especially considering how bad Villanova wanted him. I like him a bit for what he will be used for.
Letās call it what it is here. Cain needs to gain weight/strength if heās going to be an impact player period. BUT Iām not convinced Charles Matthews is UMs best playerā¦if you canāt shoot then playing time and designed plays are hard to come by under John Beilein unless you have Darius Morris level playmaking ability, to which Matthews isnāt even close.
Also, youāre a bit bias toward ILL and IN guys lol. Thatās your neck of the woods so I get it
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Even if it cost UM Nojel Eastern. I disagree with that emphatically. Brooks is nowhere near that talent level
Matthews has it all imo. He got stuck behind 3 nba guards and then his confidence was shaken. The way Kentucky guys and calipari talked about him, proves that he has all the skills. Heās also getting a year to improve the shot and get stronger. Heās got the most talent on our team as of today. Sucks he canāt play this year. When does Cain want to decide what school?
Iām not a big fan of nojel. He struggled big time the entire summer and wants to play pg. he averaged a bit more turnovers than assists and thatās not good at all. He canāt shot worth a darn either.
I hope I didnāt come off as saying Matthews isnāt talented, because thatās not what Iām saying at all. I donāt think the problem is with Matthewsā talent at all, I think any potential problem is with JB and his obsession with shooting. That being said, Matthews potential talent as a 2 way player and great athlete is EXACTLY what this team needs in my opinion.
John Miller - I know you love shooting, but cāmon man Brooks and Eastern are playing at a completely different level, and Nojel is on the higher one in that regard.
I know that, but he struggled a ton and played 20+ games. 20% from 3? More turnovers than assists, Iāll pass.
He didnāt improve at all from game 1 to game 22. Thatās not good.
You have to understand he played the 3 for Meanstreets, which is why he left to play for Florida Sons during the last exposure period. Brooks is playingā¦well, playing much of nothing to be honest. That comp level is very poor
Honestly, if you think Brooks is even approaching Easternās talent level in terms of all around impact on the game, its pointless to discuss. Eastern if FAR ahead on everything excluding shooting on both sides of the court.
Thatās a good point, watching the video you can tell the comp is very poor. I do like his shot though. He is our backup pg, and I like him in that role. Where would nojel play for us?
As you stated, beilein loves shooting. Eastern canāt shoot AT ALL and brooks can.
If you want my candid, unfiltered opinion, I honestly think Eastern wouldāve overtaken X as the starting PG at some point during his freshman year. 6ā6 PGs with elite passing skills that can defend 1-3, while pulling down 5 boards a game donāt grow on trees. In a nutshell, Eastern is a bigger, better, more versatile version of Darius Morris with more upside.
From what Iāve seen, I donāt see him playing pg at all our team. I think Simpson is a MUCH better pg than eastern.
Then maybe the problem isnāt Eastern. ANY coach in the country would take Eastern over Brooks and I think you know that.
What? Yeah, this discussion is headed nowhere. X does 99% of his work in transition, heās not a creator in the half-court at this point, certainly not in a facilitating role.
I definitely would not let eastern run my team over Simpson.