since my thoughts have been expressed in the original game thread to
@qazplm , I'll just copy and paste to add my $.01.
No, I haven't either. What I can't do is state for certainty that they can't (physically incapable )versus won't (mentally lacking confidence) versus shouldn't (inside a set that generally places them farther down the options in what they should do). This is where a conversation could quickly point to a short shot clock and how it affects motion (better with longer clock) versus a set (a counter to a short clock) under the "team" type offense where motion is only mostly player scouted and sets being more scripted than motion has the set and player within the script scouted. What the shorter clock has done is force teams to attempt a shot relatively quick since the clock is playing D as well as the other team. This naturally leans to the quicker more athletic defender and offensive player which leans to more to offensive players "needing" to be able to score more as an individual. Consequently, the individual player's value is enhanced. The sport for "most" is entertainment value and most people like the track star qualities over the basketball "team" skills many times not noticed and so the rules have followed that line of thought I believe.
Now, I do expect Myles and Cam to grow as players and get "more" capable to "breaking down" the D sometime at Purdue, but that has NOT been their experience at Purdue. Myles is in his first year of playing much and Cam is getting many more minutes as well. Neither last year needed to break down the D since Zach was the "closer" if the clock was winding down and so BOTH have
no experience to draw upon in the roles they now have and when you throw in the freshmen...there is a lot of inexperience Purdue relies upon. A couple of years ago it was Jaden that was the closer as the clock was winding down, but soon became the closer when the clock was NOT winding down.
What about this year? Obviously, Purdue needs more out of Myles and Cam offensively. I suspect neither worked on their dribbling near as much as shooting (over the summer) and that was probably almost all catch and shoot and as we have seen teams load up on defending Braden and trying to keep Trey from getting the ball on short drives...and then trying to run Fletch, Myles and Cam off the 3 pt line where only Fletcher has put the ball on the deck...as you and others know.
This is where maybe not depending on them to attack pressure individually should take a backset and just incorporate them into a set as an earlier option where they may get an open look or at least need fewer dribbling to get in scoring range? Or could add motion to more screens (of similar player size that allows more dives, slips and generally more action even if maybe not getting the physical size difference in the screening of a 5 for a 1. Purdue needs to get more offense out of them.
Perhaps this is a time where Matt takes one or both out of the starting lineup and perhaps goes smaller with CJ on the court more and/or Burgess or Berg getting more minutes which if were to happen would most likely see Burgess I'm guessing. Both offer growing pains, but could the pains be short in duration? I have to believe that we see some things different in the next game, but what they will be...who knows? Hopefully, some of that is getting Myles and Cam involved in the offense in ways that their usage is not just a late option behind the arc or an early if open in transition behind the arc.
