I think if Poole comes back next year he will have the ball in his hands more. I know that we all anticipated him to initiate the PnR a fair amount this year, but his decision making is really his biggest weakness right now. I think spending next season as the secondary high level playmaker would really benefit his whole game. IMO he just needs to be more comfortable in his role. He never really settled in to what “his job” was. Freshman year it was clear. I think if he returns we will see a more mature game from him.
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I actually think his brief summary of Poole is pretty accurate?
Poole’s decision-making could improve, but his assist rate was higher and TO rate lower than MAAR’s and THJr’s their junior years, for comparison.
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Not disputing that. Part of what i was considering “decision-making” is whether to take a shot or not. There were more than a few times you knew exactly that he was going to jack a shot and it was unlikely to go it. Doesnt count as a turnover on the stat sheet, but certainly felt like one at times
Poole’s eFG@ and TS% were higher than THJR’s junior year or MAAR’s senior year - or Caris’s sophomore year. Poole could’ve taken a few better shots here and there, but that this was a particular problem for him wasn’t really a thing. It’s certainly nothing the NBA will worry about for a kid whose the same age as many freshman.
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Well, those stats tell a better narrative than I had in my mind. I wonder how much usage plays a role in some of those numbers… not asking you to bring them up. I guess this is part of the narrative that i have internalized that Poole had a bad year (obviously he did not). It felt like he left some things on the table and it makes it feel like he under-performed but he didnt do poorly compared to other players of note from the past.
I know he’s not one of our guys, but I have NBA League Pass, and have been watching some Hawks (they’re actually a fun watch right now, along with the Kings). For the life of me, I can’t see a huge difference between Cassius and Trae Young, other than 1 year of age. Trae is small for a PG, not very fast, not that athletic, not very strong (if you doubt this, check his scouting profile on nbadraft.net where he graded out as below average for the NBA. Trae is an abhorrent defender.
However, Young is a magnificent passer - one of the best to come out of college in years, and a next-level shooter. I think Cassius probably isn’t quite the shooter Trae is (although he’s a very good shooter), and again, will be 2 years older than Young was when Young was drafted. However, I think he shows more ability to get to the rim than Young. There’s no way this kid isn’t an NBA draft pick now.
I’ve always thought Cash reminded me of Kyle Lowry a bit. I think your passing comprising with Trae is on point but I think Trae is a much more dynamic scorer off the dribble and has a quicker first step.
Thanks, UMHoops. You are great at gleaning the pertinent stats for some of these conversations. Often, they run strongly counter to the received narrative and serve as useful correctives.
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Trae’s handle is better than Cassius’. Trae has incredible body control and has the ball on a string with crossovers, in-and-out moves, hesitations.
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Cassius is shifty forward and backwards with changes of pace and head fakes… Trae can do those things but is also extremely shifty side-to-side with his dribble. This allows Young to use his quickness to get by his defender in one-on-one situations, whereas Winston may struggle.
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I don’t have the stats handy, but I would wager that Trae got to the rim more frequently his freshman year, although finishing probably similarly to Cassius. Cassius doesn’t really finish at the rim, usually opting for a floater which he is quite good at. Trae got to the hoop last year and surprising to many, including me, has been able to in his rookie season in the NBA, too.
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Trae’s off the dribble shooting, for as good as Cassius has been, is better and he can shoot from deeper range.
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Trae can make almost any pass and do it with both hands – Cassius mostly passes with his right from what I have seen (but is still a great distributor). This matters more in the NBA for smaller guards, where windows and opportunities to deliver passes are smaller.
They are probably similar defensively, although I think Winston is 2 inches shorter (similar wingspan), and both are excellent passers in their own right… but there are some pretty big differences, too.
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You don’t see much difference? Come on.
I like Cassius, and I think he’s going to stick in the NBA and be a solid backup for a long time.
Trey Young is averaging 19 and 8 as a rookie (and averaged what, 25 a game last year as a freshman?). Night and day. And he’s WAY quicker than Winston. He’s like Tremont Waters with a great three point shot and really great passing skills.
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The finishing is a good point - that Cassius generally does it with floaters further out, and I’m probably conflating Young’s (poor) NBA finishing with what he did in college (which I have admittedly no idea about). And yeah, while Cassius is a very good shooter, there are few that I think are on Young’s level.
My point wasn’t to say Cassius is as good as Young (though I think how they were used in college makes the gap appear larger than it is), but that I think he possesses many of the same skills and many of the same weaknesses as Young.
From what I recall, Young was a very good finisher in college. IMO he settled for too many long threes when he could get to the rack.
I think Tillman might go pro. One big thing is he’s got a young kid to take care of. He’s a good FT shooter so I think the 3 point shot will come too and he’s great defensively.
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Yeah, I’d expect most players to answer that way after a crushing defeat.
While Winston’s stock won’t go up, I could see Tillman’s. He wasn’t really on the radar til the second half of the season. A full year as a key player plus improving his jump shot and he can fly up the boards. Winston is a second round pick (if that) regardless of whether he stays or goes
IMO it would be wise for him to declare and go through the process. I assume he’d get a combine invite.