Irvin giveth and taketh. He has hit some HUGE shots in the midst of HORRIBLE games. He is Jeykll and Hyde often in opposing halves.
What is the most frustrating to me is his insistence on trying to create off the bounce. How many times a game do teams lay in wait for his misguided baseline forays and come up with the turnover?
He makes some brutal decisions with shot selection far to often, and is zero threat to finish off the dribble as well.
Walton is just a mystery sometimes…that’s all I can say.
We are what we are and when we stagnate and need someone to take it to the basket MAAR is by far our best option. He has flashes of being brilliant off the bounce and is by FAR our best finisher in traffic. Maybe our only one.
There is some obvious conflict there at times, but going forward MAAR has to be the one to grab the mantle and be the creator next year. If anointed, his vision and passing will start to develop more rapidly as he will have opportunities.
If this team is going to take a successful jump next year it won’t be with Irvin trying to create. Walton either. They are to physically limited.
the question really becomes which is more likely to happen- Irvin regains his late 2014-15 season form or rahk develops any semblance of a passing game? I’m not sure I would bet on either for next season. Irvin just seems so sapped by his back injury and rahk is such a head down driver.
Rank has the higher ceiling and the biggest chance to exponentially be a difference maker.
He just needs more opportunities to learn to see the floor. Right now he is doing what is asked of him. It’s time to put more on his plate and see how he eats.
No way this team takes a leap next year without a potential creator. If not him, whom?
They definitely need a bigger creator to take a leap next year. Irvin looked like the guy before he got hurt. Rahk has shown flashes but never the ability to create for other consistently. Walton is just a mystery in terms of what you get from game to game.
I just don’t get this rahk is only doing what is asked of him or being limited some how by the coaches line of thinking. rahk is doing what he can do. He goes and tries to score. He is a huge part of this offense especially when they aren’t making shots but the only limit on him right now, is his own ability
Rank has definately showed flashes this year. To me he is our only hope of making a impactful leap in the area we need it most next season.
I’ve seen three years of Walton - Irvin, they are not B1G creators. I’m not sure MAAR is either, but I’m hopeful he can blossom and enhance his skill set. We shall see.
Fair enough chez. I certainly hope he takes another step this offseason. My main point was more about there being some artificial limit being placed on rahk right now. I do think there is a chance Irvin gets back to where he was physically a year ago, but it’s nothing I would bet on especially with the luck Michigan basketball has had lately
What on earth are you guys talking about. How is Irvin not a creator? He lead the big ten in assists from a non point guard in big ten games only, Do you guys even watch basketball? The 4 guards we start play very well together, they can’t all play 40 minutes a night. The problem is with starting MAAR that we have no one AT ALL coming off the bench that’s worth a darn. MAAR is a great 6th man and hopefully next year he can return to that role until his senior year. 3.3 assists a game for Irvin, the most for any non point guard. What do you people want? He’s a scorer who has developed into a great created, he’s not Levert but he’s a plus creator.
I’m sorry to buss you guys bubble but Rahk is a bench player and would be one if not for Levert and Spike being hurt and out. That is one of the reasons Walton in my opinion wears down. No adequate back up to run the team. Rahk plays good defense but on offense is way to one dimensional. He has a crafty type game but against better talent that craftiness does not work
Against better talent his craftiness does not work?
You do realize we play in the big ten? Did you not watch MAAR play this year? He went toe to toe with some of the best teams in the country with little support this year.
You can’t look past the box score and it’s clouding your judgement.
Stats do no tell the whole story, if they did, I would completely agree with you, MAAR had a bad game.
However, MAAR almost single handedly changed how Tulsa played help defense in the 2nd half which opened up opportunities for the rest of the team. Donnal put back. Wagner put back. He actually made Tulsa defend on his own. That also effects how much energy Tulsa has left on offense. He got to the free throw line!!! He forced the other team to foul which then effects how aggressive they play defense.
He virtually did this all on his own. It won’t show up in the box score though.
Mgotweeter, players have roles. These roles are defined to them in one on one meetings with the coaching staff and implemented in practice. Whether you call it an artificial limit or not, that’s up to you.
It’s been pretty clear that MAAR has been the 3rd-4th option most of the year. If I had to guess, his role as explained to him early this season was to play hard defense and don’t turn the ball over. His play in the preseason backs that up.
It was only until Michigan’s backs were against the wall with Levert hurt and Walton and Irvin not cutting it, has he taken on the alpha mentality. He did the same thing yesterday. That’s clearly his role.
Agree that MAAR changed the complexion of the game in some intangible ways. He takes it all the way to the rack and isn’t afraid of contact. He gets bumped a lot and some of his lay-ups don’t go in. But we have nobody who slashes and spins as relentlessly and creatively as he does. Without him, this is a one-dimensional team chucking threes and long twos. I really hope there’s no tension or chemistry issues – but if there are, Walton and Irvin need to realize that this isn’t their team and let MAAR do his thing. I loved seeing MAAR run the point for a bit (and realistically, DW probably hated it) – way better than Dakich. Since LeVert went down, he’s the only guy who can actually turn the corner. Did anyone catch his great dunk just after the whistle?
Moritz Wagner was tremendous. So active. I don’t even mind when we picks up a stupid foul because he’s not afraid to improvise, play defense, break the rules, and demand a bigger role for himself – rare things for a JB center. Last guy that did that was… Mitch McGary. (Obviously not comparing the two, however.) Mo should start next year. Or next game.
JM - I NEVER want Irvin taking more than 1 dribble…80% of the time he drives right, only to come to a jumpstop and finish attempt that gets blocked or the ball gets cleanly stripped. He just lacks the athleticism to create separation off the bounce, finish over or through defenders, and doesn’t have change of direction ability to create enough space for a midrange jumpshot.
He is best utilized on down screens for catch and shoot situations, or 1-2 dribbles off PnR for either a midrange shot or dump off to big. I do not want Zak Irvin attempting to change direction or get to the rim…ever
What stat is there to prove what you’re saying? I Wil never believe 80% of the time anything fails or it wouldn’t be allowed by beilein. Your opinion of how something works is fine, but it’s far from any stat. I guess that drive and kick to Duncan vs Indiana shouldn’t have been allowed to happen because he took more than one dribble? My god
He has the highest turnover rate of any perimeter option since conference play started on the roster sans Dakich…in other words, you don’t want Zak handling the ball.
Big difference between shooting and creating…Zak can do a bit of the former, the other not so much.
JM - its pretty clear that Zak turns it over A LOT when attempting to penetrate off the dribble. Not saying he’s a horrible player, he’s just not a creator. Zak is Richard Hamilton like, and we’re asking him to be Jimmy Butler.