Yeah, I understand that part of it from the family dynamic. Just don’t completely understand it from a roster management perspective.
Yeah, most grad transfers are going to have some sort of medical issue (why they are grad transfers). Kier played every game for his first three years, predominantly as a starter, and then had a foot issue that caused him multiple issues as a senior.
Any injury is probably a risk… speculating about it without knowing anything other than it is a foot thing is a bit of a fool’s errand though.
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Maybe like sophomore year MAAR? A lot of head down dribbling like him but much more reliance on the mid-range game (and a lot more turnovers) than MAAR, who rarely took mid-range shots at Michigan.
No way he is that good.
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Stress fracture in foot has also been Langford’s injury. Might be something that is especially susceptible to repeat injury. I guess beggars can’t be choosers. Could be a high-risk/high-reward scenario.
My point is that there are 100s of different types of stress injuries that can happen in the foot. They aren’t all of the same severity, they don’t all recover the same way, they are all different.
Just because Josh Langford and Caris LeVert both hurt their foot doesn’t mean there’s anything similar between their injuries.
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I think it shows a loyalty to the rest of the team. Definitely a family dynamic thing but also a team dynamic thing. You gotta think that the rest of the team sees how he is treating his son and internalizing how Juwan is going to operate - it’s an optics thing IMO
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Yeah, but it’s got to give you pause; you don’t want to just assume he’ll be 100% either. I hope the staff is doing their due diligence.
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Right, I did read the part that said he was efficient off the bounce and lived in the mid-range. However, I think we already have a guy like that in Mike Smith, so I was specifically hoping for a slasher who can get to the basket.
Also, who would be the primary creator next year in your opinion, if Kier would be secondary?
I don’t really look at primary creator/secondary creator as a description of hierarchy in a team, maybe that’s unclear. More descriptive of a guy’s game and how much they play on the ball (PNRs, ISO, etc.) versus off the ball (spot up, off ball screens, etc.)
Smith is a more ball dominant player than Kier, Kier is a more ball dominant player than Brooks.
I’m not sure what exactly you’d want to see from Kier’s stats/film to make you think he’s more of a slasher. He gets a lot of FTA, creates his own shot, etc.
What parts of his game (or any grad transfer’s game) translate is anyone’s guess.
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I think in order for the offense to hit its ceiling, the following things need to happen:
1 - Livers comes back, stays healthy, and does his thing
2 - Wagner makes a sophomore leap and takes on a lot of efficient usage
3 - Smith is able to make the leap up well enough to earn ~30mpg at PG and run the offense effectively (good shooting, good distribution, low turnovers)
4 - The center position works itself out to be average
5 - They find an effective 3rd guard out of Bajema, Jackson, or a new addition
Kier would be a good rotation piece and I’d take him at this point, but he’s not the key to success.
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Regarding his stats: his shot chart being red across the mid-range and blue around the restricted area. I think I’d rather have it the other way around but I’m just being picky.
Regarding his film: I barely saw him get a step on his defender when going downhill, for example, the way Simpson could. Credit to him for being able to make contested shots instead though.
Again, a big part of this is being able to compromise the defense. I just don’t think you’re going to draw a lot of defenders by surviving in the mid range. Once you get to the paint/show you can do that, the defense collapses. Not to say I wouldn’t love Kier on the team though, any player of his calibre, at this juncture, would be super helpful
Most guards with a high FTA/FGA have a lower FG% around the rim, FWIW. In short, a guard who makes ~50% of his twos with a very low A/2PM rate is a pretty good slasher/scorer. The turnovers are the bigger concern there IMO.
For example:
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Ohhh, did not know that, thanks.
Guys who make >60% of their shots at the rim usually have very high assisted rates around there. Or are super unique.
Ayo Dosunmu is one guard who shoots really well at the basket but a lot of that is because of how effectively he gets to the basket in transition, not always in the half court.
Of course with an up transfer, you’d probably rather they stand out for being exceptional finishers around the basket at a lower level to then be average finishers at a high major level.
is it fair to say that the A-10 is less of an up-transfer than most? it’s probably the best non-P6 hoops conference. Either them or the MWC
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Less of an up transfer, without a doubt. Still think it is an up transfer though.
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A10 to Big10 is Massive leap. A10 is not Colonial or Sun Belt, but it is a different world. Hunter Dickinson would immediately be league POY if he went to Mason or GWU.
I’d be happy if Kier committed. Perfect profile to help. Just what we need. Ball handler. good hands. 6-4. Fully built up and an experienced defender. Just right.
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