Perimeter defense, or a lack thereof, undoes Michigan in Big Ten opener
I thought the two situations were pretty different. Our open looks were created from Beileinās system and usually came from getting good penetration. We worked for them and they were generally wide open. Their looks came because they dribbled two times and our defenders are too slow to keep up on drives so they commit fully to it before the offensive player even goes towards the rim, leaving space for a contested but still decent shot. Iowa just happened to make them today.
Thus seems (to me) an obvious reason we struggle to close games and halves. X has to play, Irvin has to rotate out. 32 - 34 regulation minutes.
Wait a minute here, I leave for 3-4 months and come back to this? Wow, I must say Iām shocked.
Dang, youāre down on Irvin now? Man, Iāve been gone for a while. Geez
Irvin is the most frustrating player Iāve ever watched. He will be the death of us in close games late in the year.
The refs were so bad. Had they not been so terrible Michigan pulls away with nine to go and wins imo. That said Michigan still has to finish these guys off when they have the chance. Thatās like the third time we had a chance for the last shot,tied and donāt even get a shot off over the last two years. One of many bad plays/decisions late.Pretty sad.
This team has potential still, I firmly believe that. They just need to get it together and play smarter. They donāt play as a team well or utilize everybody properly. Low bball iq it seems.
Whose Michigan basketball team is this? Everybodyās and nobodyās
For those that would love nothing more than for me to admit Iām wrongā¦I was WRONG on X Simpson. Thought heād be better than this in year 1. However I did change my tune once I had the chance to view him in practice this summer/fall.
Heās a development project for sure
Competition caveats apply, but Bryce freaking Aiken is producing at a high level.
Nearly every guy that they were recruiting after Battle, Cumberland, Coffey, etc are producing. They needed kids to produce in the worst way behind Walton and Irvin and they donāt.
Again, talk about a guy where I was wrong. Watched him a few times this year and I didnāt see that coming at all
In your defense, I think you rightfully had much more modest expectations of x than most all other posters.
I was heading into this year, and I warned people about the same in the fall, but I was pretty high on the pickup when he committed.
Reason being that he displayed a midrange elbow jumper and floater in EYBL. But that hasnāt translated in college because heās simply too small and appears timid on offense at this point.
I think in the end JB is going to regret taking gambles on Watson, Davis and Brooks. We couldāve obtained guys at that level as late spring adds in the 16 or 17 cycles. The Brooks add is particularly perplexing in light of Daveās commitment.
I still think X can be a good player but not this year. He has active hands and is not afraid to get physical on defense and is quick. Offensively he seems to be playing afraid to make a mistake. He has made some nice passes. In particular yesterday against Iowa he drove baseline kicked it out for 2 open corner threeās (I believe both Robinson). I think once he sees his role get bigger he will play better. He has potential most improved on next years team where he will most likely be a starter in my opinion. Do you think JB wishes he still had Spike or even wasnāt redshirting Dakich as a better option?
To answer your question, Iām thinking JB wishes he could recruit or develop better over the last 3 seasons. Is Xavier Simpson a better option than playing Dakich, the answer is an emphatic yes. However, thatās not the relevant question. The relevant question is whether Xavier Simpson is enough of an upgrade to win more ball games in relation to last year, and the answer is an emphatic no on every level.
Bottom line is that we need HUGE upgrades at nearly every position from 1-3 in order to be where we want to be. Is Xavier Simpson ever going to be a huge upgrade from Derrick Walton in terms of in game impact on both ends? I highly doubt it.
Well said. Reasons I am excited for your boy David DeJulius to come. The kid has game and will be an impact player. I feel like with X is that he plays afraid being a freshman on a veteran team. I see the potential there but for what he was ranked and all the talk he has been disappointing to this point. I am not ready to call it a day with him though I really do think on a team he will be asked to do more he will be much better. Next year there is a great chance he starts and I really do believe he can improve.
We need an NBA player, its that simple. Everything else will fall into place if that happens because guys revert to their complimentary roles rather than trying to do something they simply arenāt capable of doing. This is the Zak Irvin issue in a nuthshell, heās forced to be the primary option when heās really a third/fourth option on a really good team. Issue is that JB may not have what it takes to land an NBA player in the near future. Hopefully he does.
The Simpson recruitment was odd to me. His dad practically comes and solicits Beileins interest and all of a sudden we have to act immediately after Winston appears to have cooled. Why?
Thatās fine if X was thought to be a 1st year contributor, but how long did we really truly evaluate him in person? Or even project him to be a potential take?
It seems HIGHLY likely there were still kids out there with higher ceilings and more college ready to contribute that needed due diligence still done.
JB loves kids who are beating the door down to play here and will commit upon offering. But the zealousness to be a Wolverine shouldnāt supersede ability.
I just donāt see a long term scenario where X is an upgrade over Walton in any way. Heās going to be 20 next month and he doesnāt possess any above average skills to compensate for his physical limitations. He is just so incredibly tiny.
People seem impressed with his 3 minute stints of perimeter defense, but it will be a different animal when he has to play 30 minutes and defend physical attacking guards who will truck him on straight line drives and post up mismatches. It wonāt take long for that tape to circulate.
His biggest strength (imo) is an up and down free flowing full court pressing game. He is just so limited in half court sets. Iām highly skeptical of his successful development in running the high P/R in the future.
His game time development this season is essentially 3-4 minute shifts of trying to harrass opponents on the perimeter on defense, and standing in the corner on offense. Not optimal for game maturation growth in potentially running a team.
Insert all first year caveats you subscribe too in his defense going forward, I understand. We just need a more talented kid at his position in the worst way.