Player Development

[spider23]

Rick, I agree with you on Grace a little, he has really developed into a solid scorer.

But has Mooney also brainwashed you into the sentiment that defense doesn't count??

Even Goldens defense against the chin mask guy was absolutely non existent. Our interior defense is not there, and a big part is these guys are not great athletically. I think Golden is, but has been coached not to foul over the years due to lack of depth.

 

[Eight Legger]

We're having the same issues this year that we've had in the past. We can't or don't stop the ball initially, our first defender gets beaten, and then we can never catch up to the ball against a team that moves it around even decently. Thus, there are usually wide open shots.

And as had been discussed ad nauseam on here, the flying Dutchman defense against the three-pointer is not effective. Worse, it's actually Mooney's intended plan, as he has said publicly before. The goal of his defense is to crowd the ball and passing lanes to make it hard to get the ball to those open corner shooters. The problem, though, is what I described above. When we fail there, the ball usually gets to corner shooters easily, and when you give a D1 college player enough wide open looks at a three, he tends to make a bunch.

Then if we decide to guard against the three more aggressively, it opened up everything else that much more.

 

[SpiderRick]

I'm just saying that Grace has developed from NOTHING to SOMETHING, 23. He's not been a good defender, but at least he hustles and doesn't look like he's disinterested or sleepwalking like some do.

 

[SpiderK]

I suspect that while I deflect stressful situations with humor (at least to me it’s humor), I think K deflects stressful situations with mocking. “Noodle arm”

Not really mocking, I just cringe when Grace and Sal enter the game based on observation and experience. The other team starts drooling when they enter the game. Grace makes a 3 every now and then, but then again the ball has to fall somewhere.

 

[spider23]

Rick, agree that Grace has developed way more than I ever thought, especially for not having a d1 offer other than us, maybe SF can fact check me. Just hate the soft lack of defense from the whole team.