That was one of the more brutal ways of losing I can remember. And that's saying a lot as a life long Alabama basketball fan. Couple personnel observations:
1. Galin Smith. Seems like a good kid and I'm not trying to knock him. But he is the definition of a limited, low ceiling player. Not quite tall enough to be effective at his position, not athletic, not a quick twitch muscle guy. In my opinion, you gotta roll the dice with Javian Davis. He is clearly a work in progress, but he is much more athletic and you can see his potential offensively if he can refine his post game and play without fouling. He grabbed some competitive boards last night, and he plays with an edge. Gotta roll with Davis and Reese down low imo. Smith needs to be on the outside looking in.
2. Herbert Jones. He is an elite... maybe even generational defender. His length, athleticism, and versatility make him a nightmare for opposing teams. Unfortunately, he is a middle school level offensive player. People talk about how he needs to improve his shot. Guys, his shot is the least of our concerns. His inexplicable, unimaginable turnovers are just never going to stop. It's not just bad passes. He has clumsy hands. Loses the ball when there is no pressure whatsoever. Zero, and I mean zero, touch around the rim. I know some will say the same about Petty, and that's not completely wrong. However, Petty will occasionally catch fire offensively and carry us, so we can live with his turnovers and foolishness. Unfortunately, we need Jones to play because of what he brings on defense. But, he needs to play within himself and basically stop trying to do anything in half court offense. If he can get 6-8 points off fast break dunks that's a win. But in the half court, if he tries to create anything, it's a turnover or missed shot, guaranteed.
Overall, disappointing opener but it's way too early to jump ship on these guys. Some good flashes of what this team can be capable of if they clean up the turnovers. To shoot that poorly and still put up 80 points is a testament to Oats' system and our offensive potential.
1. Galin Smith. Seems like a good kid and I'm not trying to knock him. But he is the definition of a limited, low ceiling player. Not quite tall enough to be effective at his position, not athletic, not a quick twitch muscle guy. In my opinion, you gotta roll the dice with Javian Davis. He is clearly a work in progress, but he is much more athletic and you can see his potential offensively if he can refine his post game and play without fouling. He grabbed some competitive boards last night, and he plays with an edge. Gotta roll with Davis and Reese down low imo. Smith needs to be on the outside looking in.
2. Herbert Jones. He is an elite... maybe even generational defender. His length, athleticism, and versatility make him a nightmare for opposing teams. Unfortunately, he is a middle school level offensive player. People talk about how he needs to improve his shot. Guys, his shot is the least of our concerns. His inexplicable, unimaginable turnovers are just never going to stop. It's not just bad passes. He has clumsy hands. Loses the ball when there is no pressure whatsoever. Zero, and I mean zero, touch around the rim. I know some will say the same about Petty, and that's not completely wrong. However, Petty will occasionally catch fire offensively and carry us, so we can live with his turnovers and foolishness. Unfortunately, we need Jones to play because of what he brings on defense. But, he needs to play within himself and basically stop trying to do anything in half court offense. If he can get 6-8 points off fast break dunks that's a win. But in the half court, if he tries to create anything, it's a turnover or missed shot, guaranteed.
Overall, disappointing opener but it's way too early to jump ship on these guys. Some good flashes of what this team can be capable of if they clean up the turnovers. To shoot that poorly and still put up 80 points is a testament to Oats' system and our offensive potential.
