IMO, Franz would start… 2/3 doesn’t matter. He would start from day one
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I think this is exactly what happened at MSU this year vs last - I believe Dylan made this point elsewhere
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I agree that it takes two to tango, but ultimately I feel Coach B showed 100% trust (probably too much?) in Poole and that it was Poole who couldn’t or wouldn’t try to fully understand and trust his coach. I just don’t think it bodes well for Poole’s ability to take coaching/training/development from any other professional coach. Hopefully the whole thing is just sour grapes from his father and Jordan is the kind of person who will find the motivation to work hard and excel when he gets paid to do what he loves. I wish the kid well and hope he develops his game to a point where he makes millions and has a long, happy basketball career.
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Kennard’s usage was, however, markedly higher.
In Beilein’s system 3/4 are more similar than 2/3.
agreed, i think franz has versatility to play 2-3 and be a very small 4… but given pierce/livers/johns/wilson are all exclusively 3-4s (talented/deep). I think Franz would slide to 2, because he’d be a top 3-4 player on the team.
The list of options at 2 not as deep (hypothetically) with Brooks/DDJ/ Nunez/Bajema
purely, if you put your best 5 out there, what are your options and pecking orders/depth of possibilities
Is there a legitimate chance Iggy is still considering returning to school?
Dylan - great article & thanks for the thoughtful response to BQ’s article in the athletic.
I’m reminded of an interview video - I think it was post game, during player availability, but it may have been a pre-gamer as well - I think it was somewhere around Feb-ish. I believe it began with Livers being interviewed and being asked about his strong shooting % from 3, and Poole was beside him and it became a joint interview with both players. There was some banter about which is the better shooter… IL has better game % but JP’s the better shooter, always hits more in drills etc. and Poole was quick to say something about the game situation always being him blanketed vs. IL wide open… at the time it made me raise an eyebrow a bit about the handy “excuse”, but in retrospect it came back to me with reading both of these articles.
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I echo others who praise the fantastic analysis in this post. Dead-on stuff.
I can see where Poole’s camp is coming from, that an offense built around Teske and Simpson will simply not be a great place for him to play with the ball in his hands. Michigan needs shooters around Simpson because Simpson is not a great shooter, and thus best uses the floor in ball screens. That is, honestly, as much of a referendum on his offensive limitations as it is an endorsement of his (genuinely excellent) ball-screen game.
But the problem Poole had was that he didn’t shoot well. I mean, that’s almost entirely the issue. He got ball screens and there were often jump shots available at the top of the key and he didn’t make them. Guys like Stauskas and Irvin could and did make those shots, and if Poole had made them Michigan’s offensive struggles could have been significantly reduced. And, as Dylan says, Michigan probably gets a banner if he could have been better.
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Obviously, we need a 2 even more than a 3—though I suspect Livers will always be a better 4 on the defensive end. I was just pointing out that 2 and 3 are really different positions at Michigan. Irvin played some 2 and 3/4 in last two years and I believe Nik and Caris did a little as well.
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The point that’s really hitting me today is one that Dylan alluded to late in the article. NBA offences are largely ballscreen oriented, so had Poole adapted better to his role in the Michigan ballscreen oriented offence, NBA teams would certainly have viewed him positively, as that is the exact role that most, if not all, NBA teams would envision for him.
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Yes, but it’s not like he had to be a gunner for Duke. He took 13 shots per game. Tatum took a half a shot less per game and Grayson Allen took 2.5 less.
Poole took 10 shots per game, so not a crazy amount less than Kennard.
I agree with much of your of your post, but other than his freshman year Irvin did not make that shot. In fact, his inability to hit jumpers is much of the reason Irvin got often unfair criticism. I also think that Poole hit more 3s than suggested. Just not up to expectations and not what he was hitting in December.
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I agree. You nailed it and I, too, think Poole is receiving bad advice. His dad was a little too honest in revealing the decision time and it was inevitable for sharp eyes to compare Poole’s production (lack thereof) to that timing. Poole simply disappeared and now we understand why.
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Fantastic letting the numbers do the work here, Dylan. One of my favorite posts in a while.
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There’s something poetic about the fact that, on the exact day Poole officially goes pro, the sports world is gushing over a 37-foot, step-back three pointer.
No matter what Jordan Poole has done or does from here on out (within reason), he gets a lifetime pass from me for making what may be the single biggest individual play in Michigan sports history. A fun, unique and often wonderful player who I’ll greatly miss watching – I’ll always be a fan.
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I am gonna miss Jordan Poole!
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Dylan, add me to the list calling this a fantastic article. Extremely well done.
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I still like Quinones for the 2. We’ll find out soon.
Nice work, Dylan.