You hear the phrase all the time when you watch coaches get stopped by sideline reporters before heading into the locker room. It’s a conversation that usually goes like this. Reporter: “Coach what adjustments are you going to make at halftime.” Coach’s response: “We just aren’t making shots” or “we have to take away their space, they’re just making shots.” Shot makers come in all shapes and sizes, but there are those who are put on the floor to make them. That’s their
Hot lingo among the internet world when discussing a player similar to one from years past is to refer to said player as “so-and-so 2.0.” It is a tech term for an upgrade. Well, Draymond Green of Michigan State seems to be Anthony Mason 2.0. Green is not left-handed, and it took a long time before Mason became a trusted jump shooter. But Green is an excellent combination of size and skill. He possesses the rare combination of post-up ability at the
While the nation learned of the name C.J. McCollum last night thanks to a 30-point performance in leading the 15th-seeded Lehigh Mountain Hawks in a major upset over Duke, those in the Patriot League are familiar with the silky smooth lead guard. Living in the Northeast, I’ve had the opportunity to see McCollum several times this year, and his ability to combine his supreme athleticism within a very structured and disciplined system is a major plus in his ledger. McCollum possesses a
I had the pleasure of watching a college player actually make two polished post moves that caused Kevin McHale and Jack Sikma flashbacks. The first was a drop step, spin move. The next, a counter spin, pump fake jump hook that countered off of the first move. Thank you Yancy Gates. Gates made national headlines and was sincerely apologetic after this ugly incident against Xavier… a black eye for himself, his university and the game of college basketball. But a player cannot and should
In last year’s draft there were only two legitimate shooting guard prospects that I counted taken in the first round, Klay Thompson of Washington State, who went to Golden State 11th overall, and Colorado’s Alec Burks, who went immediately after to Utah. With the rise in athletic ballhandling guards dominating drafts over the past decade, shooting has become a commodity. Guys who fight to work off screens the way Reggie Miller, Allan Houston and Richard Hamilton made a living on is
Few players in the nation have baffled me more than Patric Young. Here’s a guy who plays his best against the best, then can completely disappear while having the ball completely ignore him on both ends. Coming out of the first half against a Kentucky team that could challenge some NBA teams, Young perfectly sealed UK’s wonderbig Anthony Davis then perfectly fed a cutting teammate for a layup. Beautiful drop step followed by an even better delivery to get an easy
Of all the players in the NCAA tournament, heck, every school in the entire country, no one has asked me to do more homework and send in reports than on Iona’s Scott Machado. I’m not going to get into whether Iona should have been selected in the tournament. That’s not my world. I’ve seen this team dismantle opponents at times with a style that can be very fun to watch. It’s an up and down pace that centers around the decision making of Machado, who led the
A division 1 coach who had a pretty successful year this year told me something very interesting when it comes to recruiting players out of high school. He said he tells them that 85% of the NBA are role players then asks them what, besides scoring, can you excel at at the professional level. What can you do to dominate a game that doesn’t include putting the ball in the basket that will make you a pro. And can you work