Jumping to conclusions is exactly what I’m avoiding. I’m saying posters are too quick to want to change who starts/hand out pre-determined amount of minutes. I think that, during games, JB should be more open to playing who ever is performing best on that given night. MAAR had been more valuable to the team for the last 6 months, but had a bad game against VT while Duncan was playing well, so I think Duncan should have gotten more of the minutes down the stretch.
FWIW, 30 minutes is a lot for any 5 to play. I’d take 25ish, for Mo, in a heartbeat. And against VT, Mo was easily the best option at the 5, and IMO should’ve been playing all the minutes down the stretch.
He was playing well early I thought. Had a couple real nice baskets off spin moves and a three. It went down hill after he missed that wide open three late. Shot his confidence for some reason. Had he shrugged it off he had a chance to hit that open three and pull up but he was scared to shoot it looked like.
I still think Dj’s foul trouble did us in. His defense and rebounding was missed big time. He would have locked down lavine or whatever his name is imo. He came in one possession late and did a good job of not fouling when the guy went after him and kept his arms up and didn’t fall for any fakes causing the miss. I think he would have locked that kid down. Add in his help d and boards and v tech wouldn’t have been able to score so easily in the paint and off drives. I think this was an example of how he may be our x factor or most indispensable.
One thing that pisses me off is that with a quick as hell point guard in Walton, a guy who can finish through contact in MAAR, and 2 bigs who can run the floor extremely well in Wilson and Wagner there are literally 3 teams in the NCAA who have a slower tempo than us. I couldn’t watch today’s game so that may have changed but this is something I really wish Beilein would change in the offense.
Totally speculating, but could some of that stat be owed to our slow, methodical half-court sets? We go through 3 or 4 motions every time, until one opens up, rarely taking an early shot that isn’t super open. I’m not sure how little we actually run on the fast break vs the average team, though. We also dont cause a ton of turnovers, making it harder to run.
Someone else in a another thread mentioned that it is like we are running clock even when we are losing. It is crazy. What happened to our early pitches for a quick three point shot? What happened to our early drag screens? Walton consistently fails to take advantage of fast break opportunities. DJ and Wagner can outrun opposing 4’s and 5’s most of the time. Why does it seem like Irvin and Walton are constantly wanted to reset the action in the half court? It kills us with the short shot clock. It was the same stuff last year.
Slow as hell is not the same thing as methodical and patient.
Everything seems to be in delay mode.
I did not watch today’s game so I am talking about it in general.
@BleedBlue No, I totally get what you’re saying there. However, in a year like 2013 we were around 200 in tempo, not 348. Being this slow is okay when your offense is ridiculously efficient, but when we go into a shell with the half court offense like all of the South Carolina game or the second half of VT it seems like it literally cannot hurt to try getting out and running with the type of players in our starting five. It’s good when the offense is using a lot of the shot clock to get good shots but when it’s passing the ball around in a circle until Irvin decides to play hero then it’s not a good thing. That 2013 season one of the killers was the 3 pointers off the secondary break. Even in slow 62 possession games like Maryland at home last season Duncan Robinson hitting a couple of those gave us a ton of momentum. It seems like we don’t even do that anymore.
Definitely agree with trying to push more often, I was just trying to decipher the statistic. Unfortunately seems like we lack the great slashing/facilitating player to create early, good shots (Trey, Nik, Caris). But, like you said, sure does seem like we should use the Dwalt/Mo/DJ combo to get some more fast break points.
Im dying to see the Notre Dame game Dwalt, with crazy active hands. Really think he could average a couple steals per game, if he’s given the leash to do so.
Hundred percent. I’ve been saying that since two summers ago. I missed today’s game but this group and next year should be pushing the pace. I love coach b but this is something he needs to stress/ change. This isn’t gansey/pittsnogle. run, run, run.
Walton is very capable to push the pace and penetrate the defense a little bit even if he has no intention of taking it to the rim or attempting a fast break basket. Good things happen when a guard pushes pace and penetrates around the free throw line, taking a pause. If nothing develops, then nothing develops. Instead, Walton is in the habit of pushing the pace at times and then he stops and waits outside the three point line for all of his teammates and the defense to get into position. In my opinion it is abnormal for a point guard at any level to do what he does on a regular basis.
Lack of elite finishers and shot creators gives M very few opportunities to score at the rim. This is not a team adept or constructed well enough personnel wise to succeed in transition.
To put it bluntly they are not very athletic or blessed with any above average quicks. Should they take opportunities when presented? Sure, but those are far and few between for this team. Only really happen against hopelessly outmanned frosted cupcakes.
It is mind numbing how slow they play and how hard they have to work for a basket against good teams.
During the two year run of success you had a team that was incredibly efficient at the rim. It is just too dang hard to have to grind out half court buckets all night. You have to get some bunnies to be a real threat on offense.
Michigan is shooting 62% at the rim this season, which is really pretty good. If I had to worry about one thing with the offense is that there probably isn’t enough consistent shooting which is just going to cause problems down the line.
They struggle mightily when playing solid teams to get easy baskets. Very few backcuts or baseline lobs for dunks. It’s difficult to have a PG who is anemic from inside the arc. As always with this team, we will live and die from the perimeter.
I just think this team’s problems are still going to come on the defensive side of the floor. Michigan lost at South Carolina because its offense could do nothing, but that USC team has now held 4 straight opponents below .8 PPP (a 6 straight under .9 PPP) – that’s an elite defense (up to 8th in KenPom).
Big chance to go on a run with our upcoming schedule. Texas is a turnover machine that should have no shot at beating us at home. Add in the cupcake phone ins and a very manageable early B1G slate, we “should” go 9-2 in our next 11 games. Maybe 10-1 if we can get Groce again at their place. UCLA is most likely an L.
There is no way this team should miss the Tournament. No flipping way. Especially with all the game experience.
Yeah, this Texas game feels like a trap, but get past that. Show something at UCLA… The front and back of Michigan’s Big Ten schedule is much easier than the middle.
Got to get through that opening 5 game stretch in good shape and then buckle down for @Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, @MSU, OSU, MSU, @IU, Wisconsin in a month’s time.
The back isn’t quite as crazy, but 4 of the last 5 games on the road is still pretty crazy.
I think they could run. Walton and maar are quick. Wilson and moe run well for bigs and Irvin although not quick wouldn’t hold them back. They just never ever try to run out.
To the board in general: I thought the consensus was we were athletically deficient because of Beilein’s recruiting? How are we expected to be quick and athletic in transition if that’s the case?