A very good piece. Right on target.
Sam Webb had an assistant coaches roundtable this morning with Saddi, Haynes and Yak. I highly recommend. It’s always very entertaining when Sam does these with the guys. You can listen on the Michigan Insider podcasts (there are five parts).
Here is part one:
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For whatever reason I can’t get Sam’s show on audioboom anymore, so now I get it on Podbean. So, if this link doesn’t work for some, try Podbean.
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Anyone who hasn’t listened to this, NEEDS to. I love these sessions anyway, but this is special and I’m only on segment one. I just heard Coach Dre talking about X and saying he put us on his back and took us to Monday night. I must admit that I was really disappointed in reading some comments on this very forum several weeks ago when talk turned to X, and while people were giving him some credit for helping us get to Monday night, some seemed to almost, kind of, blame him for our loss. You’ll not hear such talk from Coach Dre, and I’m sure you won’t hear it from any of the other coaches including Coach B, or from X’s teammates either. I heard admiration in Coach Dre’s voice as he talked about X. Admiration. I don’t mean to offend anyone, I really don’t, so DON’T be offended by what I said above, but Dre gives credit to X for helping turn around the season and get to Monday night. That’s special. For any of us who love Michigan basketball, and who think we know what’s going on, listening to these coaches is really important, and gives great perspective. Listening to Dre talk about the brilliance of Coach B or Charles saying after Nebraska that “that will NEVER happen to us again,” and mean it, well that’s just special. I can’t wait to hear the other segments. I think Saddi is up next in segment 2. I’m going to listen to it now!: slightly_smiling_face: Edit: Nope, it’s Yak.
This seems to be a recurring thing that keeps coming up. Similar to the athleticism/Iggy thing in the other thread.
You can say that Simpson 100% carried Michigan through the NCAA Tournament with his defense while also saying that his offensive limitations are something that needs to be fixed.
You can also say that Iggy isn’t a great athlete, but he is a great scorer.
I doubt you will find a single person “blaming X for Michigan’s loss in the NC”… Somehow that’s what some people manage to read into any honest discussion of a player’s game sometimes.
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Anyone that blames Simpson for the loss to a better team in the National Championship has a personal vendetta. I have also made it very clear that the refs blew no less than six calls during the first 10 minutes that cost us the game!
I don’t think anyone did, that’s kind of the point.
Not sure this is the case either.
How about we just stay positive and rejoice in the fact that this team made it to the national championship, and that X was very instrumental in getting us there. Why is it that some of us need to be critical of some of these guys. Why is it some have to talk about the glass is half empty, or more than half, for Heaven sakes, rather than how full that glass is. I know you’re going to say, well, this is a forum and this is what we do here. Well, it’s not what I do, not in a public forum. But, hey, a big part of what you do is run a forum, so I get it. And, people like to speculate and discuss this kind of thing. That’s fine, but I have a right to be disappointed with some of it. If I sometimes find criticism of others to be disappointing, so be it. If you want me off your forum for expressing that thought, just say the word. Did you listen to the coaches? So much fun listening to those guys. That’s what THIS comment and my previous couple of comments should be about. I love listening to our coaches, and hearing THEM talk about the players. By the way, they are the ones who truly know. They are the ones in practice with these kids everyday. They are the ones who spend so much time with these kids and get to know them so well. You run a Michigan basketball site, and a REALLY good one at that. Comments on here tend to, generally, be fair and knowledgeable. But if I had my choice, in trying to know what I can about players and what they need to work on to improve, and about our program, I’d listen to our coaches everyday if I could. By the way, most of this is in reference to you last sentence, cause I guess I’m the “some people” you’re talking about. Now, I’m going back to listen to segment 4 and 5. Have a great evening!
What happened to the paragraphs?
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I, seriously, was just waiting for such a comment. Thanks for not disappointing me!
I thought some of the criticism was excessive too, silverblue. And after a season like the last I feel a lot of affection for these guys, and tend to get het up when it crosses the line. But I don’t really think it did–it just failed to balance X’s negatives with his positives and potential, IMO. I don’t think you need to take it quite so personally.
I do think you make a great point about the coaches. I have learned more listening to Coach B talk after games and in interviews than I’ve learned almost anywhere else. When people were criticizing him like crazy the last few years I always found that he was answering the questions, very patiently and usually very well, in post-game and other interviews. I was always a little surprised that people palavered so much here but that there was, usually, zero commentary on the interview pages.
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No. This is two sides talking past each other.
I know some on here think I’m a complete buffoon when it comes to my opinions, and they respond to me as such. I try to avoid these people at all costs. Never got my jolly’s following sports in such a contentious manner.
I never complained or disagreed about anybody saying Simpson has limitations; my point was all season long people made claims about Simpson not being a PG you can win with. Those people were 100% inaccurate. When I said so the conversation became “omg Simpson has limitations X Y and Z how can you be so obtuse”.
As far as Iggy, I think he is a great athlete, others think not. No big deal. He’s not as explosive as Miles Bridges, but there are other things he appears to be more advanced or more fluid than Bridges. Great is a very subjective word.
I think everybody on here would be better served to consider the other persons view point as valid but different. Rebuttals are usually better received if you truly consider the other persons viewpoint
Visually more appealing and desirable to read. Not really that hard is it?
This is such a straw man lol.
Regarding the topic in general, discussing a player’s strengths and weaknesses certainly seems firmly in the “Normal, healthy basketball forum off-season discussion” category. Unless you’re saying Simpson is perfect, which I doubt you are, there will be potential improvements to his game that will be discussed.
IIRC, the thing you got upset about was people saying after the season was over that Simpson’s offense, specifically his shooting, put a ceiling on our team. None of your arguments against that notion have done much to sway my opinion.
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Nope, it isn’t. Thanks professor.
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This is a forum for discussion and I don’t think anyone just blatantly castigated any of the players, just pointed out and debating weaknesses and strengths. Zavier will improve, to what degree is yet to be seen. But I have no doubt that he will be working hard at improving his weaknesses and strengths. Teams have a blueprint on how to defend Mich with Zavier in the game and JB will need to counter that with an improved Zavier or better scheme when he is on the floor.
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Zavier Is bearing to much of the blame. His slashing and passing ability creates a lot of offevse imo. I’d say Duncan’s inconsistency and livers total lack of contribution offensively is to blame more than z. Also Mathews inability to shoot is right there .
Zs shooting hurt but there was many factors to why our offense sucked. Maar and moe were the only consistent threats. We often had three guys on the court that no one was worried about from deep.
I think his defense passing and slashing is a far greater positive for the team comparatively to the negative his shooting creates. The board is too focused on zs offensive weakness. It hurt but so did everything else. He’s a great pg and a main factor in our success. I expect him to win us many more games
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I think everyone is making to much out of one game albeit the championship game. Yes the team as a whole did not shoot well during the tournament with the exception of the Texas A&M game. But Matthews had one of the best tournaments out of anyone on the team (he came to play).
Now teams are going to play under screens and off of Zavier to give away the open shot and when someone else initiates the offense his man will be the help defender. Zavier will do all those positive things you said above but he also needs to improve this open spot up shot and occasionally make shots when players go under screens. That goes for whoever is playing the point (Brooks, Dejulius) not only Zavier.
Next year is going to be fun to watch as they develop and transition in the freshman. Team is going to be young and that could make for growing pains.
According to Ace on MGoBlog Kevin Huerter is “an ideal college stretch four,” and Carsen Edwards is “a modern NBA off-guard…” Lol what?
So glad for Dylan and the community here at UMHoops.
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No reason to rag on other sites. Ace does good work, probably made a mistake on the Huerter thing. I have seen 2019 mocks with Carsen Edwards in the top 20 as well so that’s not that crazy.
I am glad for the posters here who know modern basketball and aren’t beholden to the 90s Bad Boy Pistons
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