Maybe not what we expected, but here's an idea...
by Meriones on Jan 26, 2009 2:44 PM PST
in Basketball
Email
PrintSO, our Bruins have lost 2 of 3 for the first time in Heaven knows how long... and what do we know?
We know enough to know that things we were certain of at the beginning of the year are not so certain anymore, both for bad AND for good.
(1) POINT GUARD -- DC is rightly heralded as one of the fastest point guards in the game… and yet he has gone into the paint less and less over the past few weeks. With all his legit speed, he's getting cut off at the pass, i.e, the arc just above the FT-line elbow in the key.
(2) SHOOTING GUARD -- Jrue started the season as a high-flyer, one-and-done prospect. Now, although his athleticism is still there on breakaways, offensive rebounds (!), solid help defense, and perimeter man defense... our offense (including Jrue's) has stalled like my wife's old Saturn in crunch time.
(3) SMALL FORWARD -- A riddle in an enigma. Earlier this year, Josh’ s rebounding was heralded by no less than CBH as a reason to start him over the resurgent (and finally healthy) Roll. Now, like a surfer after a shark attack, Josh hasn't hit the boards like he used to (bolded stats showing better numbers):
First 5 games = 3.55 rpg; last 12 games = 2.33 rpg.
That's the riddle, here's the enigma: in that same span, Josh scoring has returned in a BIG way.
First 5 games = 9.8 ppg; last 12 games = 13.4 ppg.
(4) POWER FORWARD: We all hoped Keefe would build on his eye-popping performances in the postseason (Pac-10 and NCAAs)... and yet Drago took over at the 4 spot.
Now, Drago is FAR from a prototypical power forward… and yet he is showing significant improvement on both ends of the floor, tripling some of his stats in only double the time.
2008-09 ND:
20.2 min.
7.9 ppg.
3.3 rpg.
.424 FG%
.338 3FG%
2007-08 ND:
9.2 min.
2.5 ppg.
1.4 rpg.
.339 FG%
.238 3FG%.
(5) CENTER --This summer, Aboya was the major question mark at the 5 spot, no question. No one was expecting KL2 from AA2, but many of us were hoping for at least LMR2.
NOW? AA2 is giving us production that is even with -- if not arguably better than -- what we got from old LoMa about 2 years ago:
2008-09 AA2:
26.3 min.
8.7 ppg.
5.3 rpg.
0.2 bpg.
.577 FG%
.667 FT%
2006-07 LMR
23.1 min.
6.6 ppg.
5.4 rpg. (only 0.1 better)
2.7 bpg.
.642 FG.
.372 FT.
To me, this means that our team is STILL growing, STILL learning, all while facing MORE adversity — and the season is NOT done yet.
I am now idly wondering if another lineup change is in order, so that we can maximize and reward those players who have stepped up, and to honestly help bolster our players who are hitting rough patches this season by refocusing their strengths. CBH tinkered with his lineups some last year, to address both injuries to ourselves and challenges from opponents. We may need the same sense of experimentation now. Here’s what’s just randomly running through my head:
POINT GUARD — Keep DC where he is.
Yeah, he’s had a rough month. His end-of-clock decision-making and his forays into the lane are not the sure things they have been before. It happens. I still wouldn’t bench a pre-season All-American, 4-year senior and 2-time F4 starter at PG for anything. That being said, if the creases for drives are not as wide as they used to be, then we need someone who can both slash in traffic and hit from outside. So…
SHOOTING GUARD — Switch Josh for Jrue.
This is not a knock on Jrue, but, by way of example, Toby Bailey (another strong, long, quick guard with FAA-warning hops) sure didn't start his whole frosh year. Josh is slowly but surely realizing if the outside shot isn’t falling, then drive and get a rhythm. He’s getting FTs more, and if his shot is falling a little better than Jrue’s right now, then let’s get a bigger, 6’5" guard out there, one who can shoot a little better over the arms of extended-zone defenders. Who gets the SF spot, then? Not who you might think…
SMALL FORWARD – Switch Drago for Josh.
Yep, I’m more than half-serious here. AA2 is doing yeoman work at the 5 spot, and is to be commended. However, one of the maxims in hoops (IMO) is that if you have a less-than-traditional-sized center, you need strong, active rebounders bookending him in your frontcourt. The Pistons had Rasheed Wallace pulling down 8 caroms a game next to Ben Wallace. The Suns had jumping-jack Shawn Marion next to Amare. Drago has clearly improved his shot, and his aggressiveness and smarts on perimeter D. That being said, he may never be a 5-boarder in Division I. If we want him to stretch Ds, then let’s bring him out to the perimeter. And with his newfound conditioning, he may not get burned by opposing SFs as you might think – his length alone may help compensate. How about giving opposing teams a freakishly long outside gunner to guard at the 3 spot for a change???
POWER FORWARD — Switch Keefe for Drago.
I like having Keefe standing next to Aboya and throwing his 6’8", 235 lb. frame at the boards. I figure if CBH’s first inclination is to use his veterans to play smart-shot O and grueling D, then let’s put our biggest, thickest, and toughest out there on the front lines.
CENTER — AA2 stays, thank you very much.
What can you say about AA2? He’s done everything we had hoped for, and added a nifty baseline jumper good for 2-4 points a game. He still doesn’t have a go-to post move, but his rebounds are still keeping us close down the stretch. Now, all he needs is a little help. If zone defenses are keeping our backcourt and wings from getting to the glass, then let’s get JK riding shotgun for him instead.
Plus, as improved as DC is on his runners in the lane, we need to give him options to dump off to in the lane. With ND camped out on the perimeter, we have one less guy to grab the interior pass and shove and slide in for chippies a la Hollins, Mata, Luc, etc. Remember -- we didn't have reliable, inside-post move scorer for 2 years prior to KL, but we had an inside game based on JF dumping to Hollins, and DC dumping to Luc AND Mata.
Since DC is not 6'5" and 220 like AA, he's not goping to be able to get in for layups on sheer force of will. AA2 can, but not if he's the only one going for the points every time. Our chiseled-granite big man needs an enforcer's cover fire (just like Moses Malone, Ben Wallace, and others did before him). Keefe is best-suited for the job... just like AA2 is best-suited for the one he has now as starting 5.
NOTE: I am NOT down on Jrue -- heavens, no. I think it’s always understandably harder for a guard to adjust to starter’s minutes on the next level than for a big. However, I like the idea of having Jrue and Drew coming in to help speed up the D AND the O. Perhaps the change of pace generated by Drew’s blocks and hustle can free up Jrue with more open-court opportunities and help bring him rhythm. Besides, Gordon’s emergence as a long, energetic backup at the 5 makes me feel more comfortable about bringing Keefe back up front, and makes me more excited about teaming 2 live Jrues/ Drews off the bench for spark and aggresiveness.
If this works, note the difference in size. From what we have now...
DC — 6-0, 160
JH — 6-3, 180
JS — 6-5, 220
ND — 6-9, 216
AA2 — 6-9, 245
... to what is possible:
DC — 6-0, 160
JS — 6-5, 220
ND — 6-9, 216
JK — 6-8, 236
AA2 — 6-9, 245
In theory, this lineup would give us: (a) added bulk on the glass, (b) extra length in the passing lanes, (c) more opportunities for our younger players to use their own strengths, (d) taller players to shoot over zones, (e) stronger bangers to give DC more dump-off oppportunities, and (f) more length to get 2nd-chance points on putbacks.
Again, just some random thoughts. Feedback is welcome.
M
26 comments
|
0 recs |
Do you like this story?
Comments
love the new lineup
Keefe is our second best rebounder on our team (by rebounds per minute or rebounds per possession), behind none other than Drew Gordon.
If Morgan develops after his flashes of brilliance against UW, we’d have two solid rebounders to back up AA2 and Keefe.
The lineup you suggested is a better defending lineup as well with incredible flexibility and depth.
i will throw one caveat in though
to follow up with my comment, Jrue is actually one of our 2-3 best offensive rebounders so his size certainly isn’t a detriment
Best post I've read this season
Very good post Meriones. Well thought out and very well reasoned.
As you highlighted, one of the main problems for DC this year is that when he does drive, there is two or three defenders converging on him and he is forced usually to throw up a floater or a difficult shot that is often blocked. This is because when the help defender comes over, there isn’t a viable person for him to drop it off to. I know DC is averaging like 5.5 assists/game, but he would be closer to 7 if 1) the bigs that are in position catch the ball, 2) finish strong once they catch it. This situation has only gotten worse with ND in the game as he isn’t a post player so there is only AA2 or DG (whoever is in at the 5) to pass to. With JK and AA2 in there with ND stretching the defense, I think our offense would open up a lot more.
The thing that has killed us since Pac 10 play started is more than anything rebounding. (if someone wants to go through the stats to nitpick this fact, more power to you, but I’m gonna trust my lying eyes). Defensively other teams get way too many second chances against us and having a frontline of AA2, JK, and ND would greatly improve that. Offensively, JK seems to be the only one who ever gets any putbacks so getting him more playing time would be great.
The final point that I liked was making other teams adjust to us for a change with ND at small forward. Too often people worry that “if we play Player Y he will be a mismatch at that position.” But basketball is all about matchups and if we can create a difficult matchup for other teams who don’t have a SF with Drago’s size, then that is a bonus for us. Drago has shown enough ability so far to play defense at CBH’s expected level and I think he could do a good enough job defensively to make his offensive mismatch worth it.
Rebounding
This line-up would lower expectations of Drago boarding as he would be playing the 3 not the 4. I do think that although his D is much improved, a good three would absolutely kill him off the dribble, blasting past and making his extra length a moot point.
I would like to see the simple tweak of our normal starting line-up switching up JH and DC in terms of who is responsible for beginning the offense. It might help to throw the opponents a little off balance, especially if they are over-committing to stopping DC.
Quick Q to any big stat keeper…what do we look like giving up offensive rebounds the past three years versus this one. I have to think, especially in conference, we are giving up far more this year than in the past.
Offensive rebounding
I don’t have rebounding stats going particularly far back, but I do have last year’s numbers to compare to.
Pac-10 conference games:
2007-08 (21 games): 148 offensive rebounds allowed (7.05/game). Margin: +3.47/game
2008-09 (7 games): 61 offensive rebounds (8.71/game). Margin: -0.57/game
Overall schedule
2007-08 (39 games): 311 offensive rebounds (8.18/game). Margin: +3.64/game
2008-09 (19 games): 151 offensive rebounds (7.95/game). Margin: +2.37/game
Looking at the 07-08 stats, the team allowed an average of ~ 7 offensive rebounds/game throughout the season, until the start of the NCAA tournament, when the team’s ability to prevent O-rebounding seemingly collapsed – 13.60 offensive rebounds/game allowed during the NCAA’s, compared to 7.15/game entering the tournament.
In conference play, not only are opponents getting more offensive rebounds than during last season, but opponents are flat out out rebounding us.
correction
overall offensive rebounds in 2007-08 should be 7.97/game (39 games), with a margin of +3.54/game.
correction
overall offensive rebounds in 2007-08 should be 7.97/game (39 games), with a margin of +3.54/game.
Thanks Hoo
Shows pretty much what I thought it would.
by Free the 16 on Jan 27, 2009 12:51 PM PST up reply actions
We Give Up A Lot of D With Both JK and ND on the Floor and JH on the Bench
JH is probably our best or second best defender depending on how JS is playing. JH takes some of the toughest assignments. Neither JK or ND are stellar D players. Both are slow and get beat on the drive, pretty easily.
If I could ask anything more from JH this season, it would be that he be a bit more aggressive, drive and slash more, and try to score more from inside. He has made some incredible inside moves and I’d like to see more.
If I were going to make personnel changes, I’d look to put DG into the starting line up at the 4. I think he is a more complete player than either JK or ND — but for ND’s outside shooting. DG’s biggest deficiency is FT shooting. JK is not stellar there either.
My sense is that DG is being held back because he is the best back up to AA2. But, with Bobo looking better and better, I’d like to see Bobo off the bench for AA2.
I can’t see keeping JH off the floor. He plays a very quiet but very complete game. If he could be encouraged to take it up a notch on O, I’d be thrilled.
sjh
Coming off the bench may help JH be more assertive
66, I totally agree with you on JH needing to be more aggressive. I think that him coming off the bench might actually free his game up. Right now, he plays mostly with DC, JS, and ND where he is usually the third or fourth option. Obviously, CBH isn’t like an NBA team with a real “second unit” and the players are always mixing and matching. That said, coming in as a spark off the bench could take some pressure off of JH and let him not feel like he needs to defer to the upperclassmen so much. He would still probably play the same amount of minutes coming off the bench, just in a different format.
As for DG, there is no doubt he is a passionate player and a rebound from him is much more noticeable than from JK. DG is definitely the most athletic guy on the team, but weirdly he is a better perimeter defender than low post defender. He has made many good plays away from the basket knocking the ball loose leading to a fast break. However, his post-defense leaves a lot to be desired. Since he is so athletic and a good shot blocker, he hasn’t needed to work on position defense that much. However, when he goes against good post-scorers, such as Brockman, he is often out of place. (He got beat baseline at least 3 times against Brockman.) I would much rather have JK in the starting lineup with DG getting more minutes backing up both JK and AA2 so that AA2 and JK could be on the floor at the same time. JM is looking better, but still is probably a month or so away from being ready to play college level basketball.
DG has been playing out of position
but I think he has so much talent that when he gets back to where he’s supposed to be, he’ll be better than both JK and ND.
ND has upped his game, perhaps more than anyone on the team. But, he is not a banger. And, at least twice, in two different games, when he should have been diving to the floor to go after a ball — he didn’t, and the other guy did. I truly believe that’s a remnant of the game he played before he got here but DG doesn’t give ground.
I know it won’t happen, but if we are talking about hypothetical teams, I think DG is a starter at the 4.
sjh
i would like to see JH
assert himself more in general, bench or not
He has an uncanny ability to drive to the rim and collapse the defense. I know that CBH likes to use JA to sub Collison all the time, but why not give Holiday a shot at playing PG when Collison is on the bench?
I’ve seen numerous plays these past few games where JH dishes the ball to an open Dragovic after passing it back after a drive
I respectfully disagree, 66.
Here is my logic:
(1) JS is bigger than Holiday. Granted, Jrue has shown steadily improving skills as a perimeter defender throughout the season. However, half of the starting SGs in the Pac-10 measure up thusly:
UA — Johnson — 6-5, 199.
ASU — Harden — 6-4, 218.
CAL — Christopher — 6-5, 215.
USC — Lewis — 6-5, 215.
WSU — Capers — 6-4, 172.
In fairness, the other 4 starting Pac-10 SGs in the are shorter than Jrue. However, I think we all remember what has happened when faced with big (i.e. 6-4 and up) SGs in the Tournament. Avoiding fouls while guarding bigger guards gets a lot harder the deeper you get in the Dance.
Even if we don’t start JS at SG everytime, I think his shooting and — more importantly — his shot selection have improved to the point where is using his veteran smarts more effectively on O. With his newfound knack for blocking breakway shots and stripping balls on help D, especially coming after his first healthy offseason in years, JS is proving to be a more reliable defender than he was last year.
In other words, he is now in better shape to guard SGs.
(2) DG may not be ready to play starter’s defense yet. I LOVE how DG uses his hands to strip the ball, his elbows to clear space, and his body on loose balls. However, as the UW game shows, he is still in the process of learning to use his LEGS and FEET. As a reserve in the mold of 1989-season-Laker-sub-Orlando Woolridge, DG gives us the blend of force of leaping ability in a big man which we have not seen since possibly Gadzuric. However, he is still a little hyperactive in reach-ins and jumping at fakes. For solid position D, I favor Keefe at this stage of the season.
(3) JH could flourish more against other team’s reserves. Correct me if I’m wrong, but I think JH may be the only freshman starting guard in this league. Does he have the physical tools to match opponents? Sure he does. Does he have the basketball instincts and skill-set? Obviously.
But does he ahve the experience, the acquired memory, the practical know-how? Not quite yet. He’s learning, but he’s not all the way there. I think he might be better served in a 2007-season Westbrook role, sparking us off the bench with hustle and penetration. Just when opponents get used to a deliberate, grinding style with the starting 5, let JH and DG step on the gas at the rotation.
M
"In this program your passion bucket must be full to play SC." -- CRN, to Dan Patrick, 1/2008
Our Respectful Disagreement
is not JS v. JH. To me, it’s whether we ought to put in both JK and DG at the expense of JH, and I don’t think either of them bring what he brings on O or D mainly because both are much slower than he is. I think the only thing most people can say about JH’s need for improvement in any part of his game is that he defers to the more experienced players on the team. He has very good numbers that would be a lot better were he to be a little more focused on scoring.
All of this is fun, but none of us know what CBH knows and for however we use the numbers and our impressions, he’s there day in and day out with a lot more knowledge and skill than we have.
He puts the right people on the floor.
sjh
Agreed. This is obviously mere speculation and armchair coaching.
I trust CBH’s judgment and knowledge and skill, even if I don’t always agree with or understand every move right away.
Thanks for the feedback. Peace, my friend.
M
"In this program your passion bucket must be full to play SC." -- CRN, to Dan Patrick, 1/2008
do fundamentals matter anymore?
This team passes the ball very poorly. They move without the ball sparingly and without purpose. Hence the stagnant offense during crunch time. On defense they block out sporadically without a physical presence. All these weaknesses are correctable. Yet it seems noone understands the benefit of having MR on the floor. Let me explain. He is the best passer and decision maker with the ball. I could’nt even tell you who would be the next best passer …probably JA. He remains the only perimeter passer with the ability to pass to the post (a major reason for little scoring from the bigs….ask KL). Off ball he is in constant motion and that is a great reason the ball moves quicker with him on the floor. This team will underachieve unless they pass the ball, move quickly without the ball, and take the first good shot that the offense provides. I don’t care if all their shots are from three, so long as they come from running their offense. They are good shooters. They need to shoot, not dribble. In sum, MR, when given significant minutes, flat out produces numbers. Check the stat sheets. I love this teams potential but they’ve hit the crossroads. The next week will be very telling.
They do, but I like MR off the bench...
… as he can be a steadying influence with his sound shooting and passing inside and on perimeter. Also, if JH and DG were to come off the bench, they are still prone to occasional overplay and gambling for steals, so a sound team defender in Roll would be important to rotate in.
Also, I prefer JS at the SG for now because he really is trying to mix in drives with his kick-out shots. He still occasionally does the back-it-out-when-I-don’t-have-a-6-foot-wide-lane move, as DC has been doing recently, but on broken plays, he has been taking it strong to the rim more.
M
"In this program your passion bucket must be full to play SC." -- CRN, to Dan Patrick, 1/2008
Lineup change yes, but I would go a different direction
DC stays: absolutely
JS for JH: agreed (or dare I say it, MR)
ND for JS: agreed
AA2 stays: absolutely
But I say DG for ND: let’s get the Drewuiser going. DG for ND. Energy, Rebounds, Energy, Rebounds. I like how he adds to the gene pool: DC and JS’s greatest assets are their ability to stay cool. We need some ENERGY and passion added to that mix.
That means throwing Bobo into the mix as a back-up center. I think he will be great so let’s get it going.
Not likely to find its way into CBH’s lineup but I think it could work!
by Bruin Dad and Grad on Jan 26, 2009 8:12 PM PST reply actions
Thats my Line Up
at this point in the season.
PG – DC
SG – JS
SF – ND
PF – DG
C – AA
Gordon just shows me more than Keefe right now and has a ton of upside. My thoughts on JH – and I am not downing him when I say this – but his inconsistency is proving not to be a one and done player. I see him being more as a Russell Westbrook type progression with a better jump shot. Westbrook didn’t start a lot but still got a lot of pt and he still went high in the NBA draft. Keefe can back up both AA and DG. I also think Howland’s hand is needing to be forced into getting JM a lot more pt because we need a wide body down low grabbing some boards and clogging space.
Outfielders For Sale! This weeks special...GMJ - see Tony for details!
Great analysis and ideas...
I love all of this lineup speculation — it is well thought out and underscores how much potential this team has and how fun it is to watch them grow. I really hope to see some incarnation of these lineups at some point, but we’re getting deep into the season.
I too would love to see JH coming off of the bench. I think he needs that opportunity to watch/learn and develop, much like DC and RW in their freshman years. Both DC and RW came off the bench and played out of their minds, especially at the end of their freshman years. It worked for them, why not JH? JH has a lot to offer and is one of our better defenders, but it could be a positive move, especially if JS is able to step into the SG slot.
That said, I trust CBH to make the right personnel decisions. After all, he sees what each of these guys offers on a daily basis in practice and has much more insight as to how to put the pieces of the puzzle together.
Thank you for the analysis
The amount of thought you put into this post is outstanding. My time is short, so I can’t be as thoughtful, but here goes:
- I think that Josh is not quick enough to guard the 2s in this league, including our competition at UW and ASU, which actually plays Harden at the 3 and Abbott at the 2. Cal would present an interesting test for your lineup, howveer, because its wings are 6’5" and 6"6".
-I think that Drago is not quick enough to guard many of the 3s in this league. If the goal is to increase our height and rebounding, I would leave Drago at the 4 and try to give Lee more minutes as a backup at the 3.
-The conundrum is that of the current options at 4 and 5, Howland’s two best rebounders are Keefe and Gordon, while Dragovic is the best scorer and Alfred is the best post defender. My solution would be not to play Dragovic and Aboya at the same time and to make sure that either Gordon or Keefe is in at all times. Since Keefe seems to be better off the bench and Dragovic has blossomed as a starter, I would actually try to put Gordon into the starting lineup at center and bring Alfred off the bench.
-Another switch I might try would be to move Alfred to the 4 and to play Gordon and Keefe at 5. Why? Alfred is the best post double teamer we have. Playing the 4, he would go back to that role, and I think it would vastly improve our pressure on defense.
Of course, these are armchair solutions, so they should be taken with a grain of salt. I suppose that what I am really saying is that I don’t like the Aboya/Drago combination because we suffer with rebounding, and I don’t like the Gordon/Keefe combo because it’s not good enough offensively.
Thanks for the feedback, BR.
As for your concern over JS’s footspeed, I think JS at the SG works for 2 reasons:
(1) As a 6’5" senior, JS can rely on positioning, length, savvy, and (finally) two healthy legs to avoid getting beat. While UW and OSU do run double point-sized backcourts, I think having JS at least start at the SG will get him ready for Tourney play and matching up against both quicks and bigs at the 2 spot.
(2). Given CBH’s emphasis on controlled defense and offense, I think JS at the 2 to start allows us to keep the tempo in check, with less gambling ons teals, and cleaner execution on O. If UW or OSU or ORE try to run and gun, then we can easily switch in DG and JH for JK and JS/ ND, and we’re up to speed.
I want to keep ND at the 3 for length and reward his hard work, but I see the concern over speed agaisnt smaller perimeter teams. Ideally, though, if JS can swing it, I like my bigger lineup, as it gives us about 5 more inches of height and 50 more pounds of bulk to get boards, set screens, and plug up the lane on D.
M
"In this program your passion bucket must be full to play SC." -- CRN, to Dan Patrick, 1/2008
From MY Arm Chair -- Full Court Press
As long as were are being hypothetical — some time in the last 10 days I put up a post with my fantasy that we start to play a full court press ala Coach.
To do so, a team has to have depth: we do; and,
Stoppers under the basket: we have that, too.
The full court press slows down the tempo of the game, creates turnovers and, if a team is not deep, creates fatigue in it toward the end of the game.
Since we have pretty good on ball defenders and players like DG and JK who can play the back position, I think we can do it.
If you’ve not seen a great press, look for some old video of the teams Fox and I grew up watching. It is a thing of beauty.
sjh
There was a
key ingredient in the success of the full-court press for a three-year period—Keith Erickson. I think I remember Coach talking about how KE’s special abilities made the press work so well back then. A tall (for the time, anyway), lithe, agile, and quick “rover,” who could occupy the middle, make players throw around or over him, deflect passes, and, in general, wreak havoc, led to many turnovers and demoralized opponents.
Not to take away from the other Bruin players, themselves quick and well-conditioned. But, Erickson and his special talents really made the press hum. A varsity volleyball player, Erickson also could jump out of the gym, and had a keen sense of timing. Sort of a free-range Luc, Erickson’s presence supercharged the press.
DG could grow into that role, perhaps. I don’t think JK is quick, or fast, enough, but I could be wrong. In any case, you’re certainly right about the beauty and effectiveness of the press. When the Bruins would score on both their own possessions and those of their opponents three or four straight times, the game would be over.
Erickson Was the Best Ever, but
the press worked with others and I think we have the talent to make it work for us.
IIRC, KE was 6’5" or so, a great volleyball player and therefore a great jumper.
The role of which is to prevent easy baskets, mostly inside, if a team breaks the press. We need someone who can get back, fairly quickly, jump and block.
I think we have a bunch of guys who could play that position — In our current starting line up we have AA2 — and also JS who is 6’5". JK and Drago may be a bit slow — but I think they could do it, too. The ultimate players for the role are DG and ML when they are in the line up. In DC, JH, ML and JA we have some very fast guards who can pressure the ball on it’s way up court.
This is all good fun — there are probably dozens of good reasons CBH doesn’t press. I wonder if we ever practice it for games where we are behind with not too much time left and we have to create turnovers. (I actually think we pressed, with CBH, in exactly that situation in the last few years.)
sjh
Comments For This Post Are Closed
Secondary Sidebar
User Tools
Related FanPosts on Bruins Nation
Related FanShots on Bruins Nation
FanPosts
Community blog posts and discussion.
Certain photos copyright © 2012 by Associated Press or Getty Images. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of Associated Press and Getty Images is strictly prohibited.
