Anyone viewing practices?

[Thadoc1]

With the work he’s put in and Painters making his improvement, commitment and work ethic the focus of what he’s putting out there in the public sphere it’s gonna be hard not to play him unless he implodes. Painter normally doesn’t make statements that aren’t in keeping with his assessment. If TKR is the one left out I think he will at least likely consider going elsewhere.

Someone good has to ride the bench...we only usually play 9 guys consistent minutes....you got loyer, Smith, and Jones at the 1 and 2....Colvin, Morton, and Waddell at the 3....heide, tkr, furst, Gillis at the 4....edey, furst, tkr, and Berg at the 5....you've got to knock off 3 guys there....Berg, Morton, and one of the forwards, furst, heide, Gillis will probably be out of the rotation....my guess is it will be the poorest shooter, probably furst...gonna be tough for painter but good for Purdue....these guys knew what they signed up for if Zach came back....I'm sure they'll put winning ahead of ego....

 

[DwaynePurvis00]

Why would he leave if he'll be a featured player next year?...are you going to play 12 guys this year because you're afraid they might leave?....the time to win is now, not next year....

Out of frustration. At the end of the day they’re still a 18-22 year old kids. Never know in today’s landscape with NIL…but I really hope he doesn’t leave. So, hopefully you’re right.

 

[Boiler Buck]

Someone good has to ride the bench...we only usually play 9 guys consistent minutes....you got loyer, Smith, and Jones at the 1 and 2....Colvin, Morton, and Waddell at the 3....heide, tkr, furst, Gillis at the 4....edey, furst, tkr, and Berg at the 5....you've got to knock off 3 guys there....Berg, Morton, and one of the forwards, furst, heide, Gillis will probably be out of the rotation....my guess is it will be the poorest shooter, probably furst...gonna be tough for painter but good for Purdue....these guys knew what they signed up for if Zach came back....I'm sure they'll put winning ahead of ego....

Heide you gave as a 4? Thought he was going to be a 3. Please explain if you have time.

 

[tjreese]

Our schedule is tough enough that we don't need to mess around just to get other players some confidence...we need to win as much as we can, get a 1 seed, play in indy and Detroit, and play weaker teams on the way to the final four....by playing the demanding schedule that we have we'll see all the ways different teams will play us....we just need to win as much as possible this year no matter what....when we play weaker teams we should have the depth to play our deep bench but against stronger teams we'll play Zach and the best players thar complement him as much as possible....

As I said several times...Purdue needs to win. However, all wins are not the same for the players individually or the team on the whole. Some wins help a player and the team more than other wins, but all wins are important. Confidence only happens due to sustained success, and I think most would agree that a bit more versatile offensively the players are…the better Purdue is. That is the essence of what I was saying about Zach earlier in the year. His scoring should not be needed quite as much as previously. I realize that Purdue has some tough games early that Purdue needs to win, but hopefully Purdue can win those having more talent this year around Zach that Zach’s offensive abilities are not needed quite as much this year and none of that implies that Zach shouldn’t need the ball more so than a lot of Bigs…because he is a superstar.

We all know the last two years Purdue has faltered towards the end of the year, and yet were very good earlier. Winning the tourney is not an indicator of the best team throughout the year, but “a” team playing the best ball for a couple of weeks towards the end of the year. Had the tourney been at the start of the year rather than the end, Purdue may very well have won it. Had Purdue beat FDU and won a few more, Purdue still might not have played as well as earlier in the year. Yes, it is important to win for everyone and Zach is a superstar, but had Zach not returned I think this group of players perhaps struggling early would be a tough out later in the year as well. I have no idea how this group may play this year, but if the team has less versatility to score it will not reach it's potential.

 

[tjreese]

What’s an example of what you’re suggesting? MP has said he wants Braden to be more aggressive offensively, and theoretically, that could mean fewer touches for Zach. Quite a few people have suggested that more athletic wings this year may equate to more fast break opportunities, which would also equate to fewer touches for Zach unless he picks up rebounds as a trailer.


Are you thinking post ups for Trey ‘s with Zach on the opposite block or elbow ready to hit the boards?

I don't know enough to suggest anything specifically. I do think that Purdue will continue to push the ball and probe the D. I think Purdue may look to score in the push a bit more whether Zach is across half court or not. Definitely, some of the wings would be fine getting the ball on a break. Generally, that will most likely come off a missed 3 ball from the opposition that bounces long to Purdue since Purdue has not created a lot of turnovers.

However, Purdue may extend the D a bit and look to force more turnovers since Matt now has TWO coaches (Lusk/Johnson) dedicated to D and if successful that would mean that Purdue was playing most likely smaller and quicker. Then does Purdue still double the post or let Zach handle his man by himself to see how he does? It is hard to create sustained pressure for Purdue if the opposition 5 man is a release and wide open for fear of Zach getting out too far. Then the clock could help Purdue, but that also puts a lot of wear and tear on PUrdue as a team when the opposition knows they have a release point should things get sticky at any second.

Back to the O. "IF" Trey plays the 4 as indications are then he must shoot better behind the arc for him to be a 4 man usage as the past. If Trey plays the 4 and does NOT shoot well, then it only reasons that if he is played at the 4 then Purdue intends to use his skill set differently. We know Trey is very good inside...not Zach good, but very good and maybe better than Zach against a smaller person due to his footwork inside and not being as athletic as desired for his size. Assuming Trey is a 4 playing with Zach at the 5 at some point whether starting behind the arc or say a 1-4 FT line extended set Zach or Trey would have one at the high post and the other low and this is why I said both need to be a threat at 12-15 to score. Both Trey and Zach would be great on the blocks, but can both be a threat from 12-15? If Trey's ability to shoot the ball is a threat, then we would see more of a traditional Purdue 4 man play.

We can speculate a lot of things since we really don't know the specific improved areas or the real abilities of many Purdue players. I just know the players and Matt have both stated some very positive things on Trey and we know Trey is not stealing minutes from Zach...and know he won't be playing the 1,2 and 3 and so the 4 is it should Matt's and the players words be accurate.

 

[tjreese]

Why would he leave if he'll be a featured player next year?...are you going to play 12 guys this year because you're afraid they might leave?....the time to win is now, not next year....

Matt intends to win now. We know this because of the way Matt determines who gets minutes. This is a topic I've mentioned a few times in the past...with no takers. A coach can error BOTH ways. A coach can look at what he needs and see those in certain players and play towards a perceived potential by favoring a skill set that he thinks he needs to be as good as possible with some experience. That approach however may never lead to fruition. The other approach is shorter term and seeing today which players today provide the best team. Matt takes this approach as we know since he talks about the players telling him today who gets minutes. That approach may never reach the full potential of a team. Both can work and both can be faulty. The reason I mention it is because Matt intends to win today.

 

[Heads up BOILER]

Someone good has to ride the bench...we only usually play 9 guys consistent minutes....you got loyer, Smith, and Jones at the 1 and 2....Colvin, Morton, and Waddell at the 3....heide, tkr, furst, Gillis at the 4....edey, furst, tkr, and Berg at the 5....you've got to knock off 3 guys there....Berg, Morton, and one of the forwards, furst, heide, Gillis will probably be out of the rotation....my guess is it will be the poorest shooter, probably furst...gonna be tough for painter but good for Purdue....these guys knew what they signed up for if Zach came back....I'm sure they'll put winning ahead of ego....

I agree and I think we’re all aware that Paint and crew have a difficult task/decision ahead in managing playing time and putting the best combinations out there to compete and win games. Since TKR stuck around after last year, I really don’t think he’ll leave next year but I do think he’d likely consider it as an option if he is the odd man out again this year. I say that only based on actually hearing and believing what Painter has been saying about TKR’s progress and his need for more playing time. He said he deserves it and that it’s best for the team to get more scoring ability on the court. He offers options to score when the 3’s might not be falling. In other words, our coach sees giving him more time as a needed adjustment to address a problem that existed last year. So based on what Painter and multiple other teammates have stated about TKR; concerning the work he’s put in and his resulting performance on the court, I don’t expect for his minutes to be the ones cut routinely unless certain game situations arise that make sense.
I also don’t think you’re correct on positional playing time. Yes Jones, Smith and Loyer will play at the 1-2 spot. Also Morton has stated he is aware his minutes will probably be lower with less at the 3 and more backing up the 1-2. He acknowledges the abilities of the other guys available for time at the 3. Those guys are Waddell, Heide and Colvin. Colvin can play the 2-3 and I believe he will play some at both. Morton will be a utility sub which he seemed to acknowledge during media days and preseason statements which makes me expect it playing 1-3. I predict Heide isn’t going to play the 4! At least not this year but possibly it would make sense in the future. My thoughts are that TKR will get his minutes. Both he and Furst can get time at 4-5. Gillis is a 4. Berg a 5 and will only get mop up minutes this year so probably won’t figure in routinely.
Berg and Morton seem to be odd men out and PT suffers. That leaves the decision of who gets more Furst or Gillis and at the 3 Waddell or Heide? Colvin will get time, more as the season progresses as long as he’s improving on what Painter sees as his deficiencies. I’ll be curious to see what position (2-3) he plays and if he plays both? If he plays only the 3 then PT for Waddell and/or Heide drops off more.
It’d be great to have inside information on who is earning what on the court in practice. We will see in a few more weeks. Until then it’s speculation based on bits of pieces of what we can manage to pick up from interviews and third party info.
BTFU 🖤💛🏀

 

[Schmedly_Whiplash]

I don’t think Mason is going to see a lot of mins as the season goes on, unless he is shooting 35%+ from 3.

And we all could see what Morton said haha. Based on the scrimmage it’s Colvin and Loyer at the 2 and Heide and Waddell at the 3. I’m sure Morton will start to begin the year there since Painter can’t seem to quit him. But like Gillis, id assume his minutes dwindle as we get into the second half of play. All assuming Heide, Waddell and Colvin can contribute significantly. However, if Morton magically shoots 35%+ from 3, he should play—but nowhere near what he avg last year…but we have been through this discussion, haven’t we 😂

You do realize there are parts of the game that decide who wins and loses that do not involve shooting the ball?

 

[ChoiceBeef]

All I can say is there is one style of play to win the BIG and another style that goes deep in March. Can we pivot and have guys step up to take us that far is the question.

Same feeling about the polls as I have about lineups, don’t care how it starts, just how it finishes.

 

[northside100]

Heide you gave as a 4? Thought he was going to be a 3. Please explain if you have time.

Heide is not playing the 4 this season unless someone in that rotation gets hurt. Gillis, Trey and Caleb will all play and I agree that whoever shoots it the worst of those three will play the fewest minutes.

 

[DwaynePurvis00]

You do realize there are parts of the game that decide who wins and loses that do not involve shooting the ball?

Yes. And we are deep in the position he plays. We know who he is at this point and he is an undersized 4 and isn’t quick enough to guard the 3. His rebounding doesnt stand out more than others. He didn’t help break presses and don’t remember anyone that he shut down defensively.

Look, I have liked Gillis his whole time at Purdue and I like his toughness, but I believe it’s time to let others play more—unless he provides something others don’t, which could be 3 pt shooting. He played 20 min/game last year and I think it’ll be closer to 10-12 this year.

 

[DwaynePurvis00]

All I can say is there is one style of play to win the BIG and another style that goes deep in March. Can we pivot and have guys step up to take us that far is the question.

Same feeling about the polls as I have about lineups, don’t care how it starts, just how it finishes.

Yessssss 💯💯💯

 

[Thadoc1]

Heide you gave as a 4? Thought he was going to be a 3. Please explain if you have time.

We lost to fdu because of quickness....I watched other teams in the tourney and they looked so much quicker than we were...we need Zach on the floor obviously but we also need to make up for his lack of quickness in other spots...playing tkr and furst doesn't add much for quickness (tkr) or skill(furst)....we need a quicker and more skilled 4...enter heide....great leaper, rebounder, and shooter....can get to the bucket too...he's also really strong...he can guard 4s too...with the logjam of minutes at the 3 with Waddell, Colvin, and Jones, heide will play the 4....

 

[northside100]

Yes. And we are deep in the position he plays. We know who he is at this point and he is an undersized 4 and isn’t quick enough to guard the 3. His rebounding doesnt stand out more than others. He didn’t help break presses and don’t remember anyone that he shut down defensively.

Look, I have liked Gillis his whole time at Purdue and I like his toughness, but I believe it’s time to let others play more—unless he provides something others don’t, which could be 3 pt shooting. He played 20 min/game last year and I think it’ll be closer to 10-12 this year.

Something has to give if Trey is going to play more minutes this season. Mason has to shoot it well and consistently to keep his minutes up.

 

[Thadoc1]

Heide is not playing the 4 this season unless someone in that rotation gets hurt. Gillis, Trey and Caleb will all play and I agree that whoever shoots it the worst of those three will play the fewest minutes.

I know it looks that way right now but when we need someone to hit shots at the 4, heide will be called upon....he'll play meaningful minutes there this year....mark my words....

 

[Thadoc1]

Something has to give if Trey is going to play more minutes this season. Mason has to shoot it well and consistently to keep his minutes up.

Trey will only play the 4 against certain matchups....will not be a consistent lineup with Zach....

 

[northside100]

All I can say is there is one style of play to win the BIG and another style that goes deep in March. Can we pivot and have guys step up to take us that far is the question.

Agree with your question of can we have guys step up. You have to have the horses to support a style of play. We've seen in the past that if guys can step up MP will allow them to do so.

 

[northside100]

I know it looks that way right now but when we need someone to hit shots at the 4, heide will be called upon....he'll play meaningful minutes there this year....mark my words....

I don't see it happening but agree with your statement that we need someone to hit shots at the 4. Probably a long shot but maybe you're right and it is Heide. I really don't care as long as it's somebody.

Consider your words marked.

 

[DwaynePurvis00]

I know it looks that way right now but when we need someone to hit shots at the 4, heide will be called upon....he'll play meaningful minutes there this year....mark my words....

As long as he can defend and knock down shots, I’m fine with that!

 

[northside100]

Trey will only play the 4 against certain matchups....will not be a consistent lineup with Zach....

I agree. That doesn't change the fact that there are 80 minutes between the 4 and 5 and Zach is going to take up 30+ of them. MP is committed to getting Trey more than the 11 mpg he played last year, those minutes have to come from somewhere.

 

[DwaynePurvis00]

Something has to give if Trey is going to play more minutes this season. Mason has to shoot it well and consistently to keep his minutes up.

Yep, just like if Morton can shoot it well, then he should play. But if he doesn’t, we have others that can do the same as him and we should see if they can help us out more. Time will tell….

 

[Thadoc1]

I agree. That doesn't change the fact that there are 80 minutes between the 4 and 5 and Zach is going to take up 30+ of them. MP is committed to getting Trey more than the 11 mpg he played last year, those minutes have to come from somewhere.

Not sure Zach will play over 30 minutes a game...with our improved depth I think edey can do less than 30 and the team still be great...don't want to wear him down this year before March...

 

[Thadoc1]

I don't see it happening but agree with your statement that we need someone to hit shots at the 4. Probably a long shot but maybe you're right and it is Heide. I really don't care as long as it's somebody.

Consider your words marked.

Long season and we'll see teams pack it in like fdu did....unless tkr or furst totally change their game and become 3 point snipers, we'll be counting on Gillis hitting a bunch of 3s again...wouldn't it be nice to put heide there some to take the pressure off Gillis?....

 

[northside100]

Long season and we'll see teams pack it in like fdu did....unless tkr or furst totally change their game and become 3 point snipers, we'll be counting on Gillis hitting a bunch of 3s again...wouldn't it be nice to put heide there some to take the pressure off Gillis?....

Not sure that you need to be a sniper to hit wide open threes but agree that Caleb's shooting last year was disappointing and Trey was just starting to get comfortable. I don't think it requires a miracle for those guys to shoot well on open threes but I have no idea whether they'll get it done or not. I've said it before, I think you could play Cam at some situational minutes at the 4 to prepare for that situation but maybe you're right and we need it earlier and more often than I'm anticipating.

 

[Heads up BOILER]

We lost to fdu because of quickness....I watched other teams in the tourney and they looked so much quicker than we were...we need Zach on the floor obviously but we also need to make up for his lack of quickness in other spots...playing tkr and furst doesn't add much for quickness (tkr) or skill(furst)....we need a quicker and more skilled 4...enter heide....great leaper, rebounder, and shooter....can get to the bucket too...he's also really strong...he can guard 4s too...with the logjam of minutes at the 3 with Waddell, Colvin, and Jones, heide will play the 4....

We DID NOT lose because of quickness. We’re they quicker, yup without a doubt. Also without a doubt we would have won if the entire team besides Edey hadn’t played hesitant and lacking confidence even though they were quicker. They were all hesitant to shoot and all missing wide open opportunities to score. Hitting just a few shots would have won the game but we were tight and afraid we would fall to an underdog team playing with swagger. We shot 19.2% from 3 (5-26) and 35.8% (19-53) for the game! You take away EDEY’s (7-11) and we’re 28%, take away Furst (2-2) who only played 9 minutes too and we shot 25%!!! We played afraid, afraid to lose to a team whose coach called his shot. We had everything to lose and played like it, hesitant and lacking confidence in what worked all season long, They were loose without anything on the line and the world to gain with everyone but Purdue fans cheering them on. Purdue failed to execute and beat themselves. The coaches didn’t adapt and make changes, leaving the same unproductive lineup in. Where was painter or a coach to point out to him that Furst was 2-2 with an assist in his 9 minutes of time. Wasn’t he worth a shot at playing to see if he could add a spark and score some points?
Yup they were quicker and more aggressive but we had plenty of chances and opportunity to win that game going away but just played horribly lacking confidence, grit and a player that would step up as the rest of the team struggled.

I think Heide will be a great asset before his 4 years are up and will likely spend time at the 4 but I don’t believe this is that year. Don’t get me wrong I believe he can and will be a beast on the floor and am hoping he can pull it off this year. I think if he does it will be at the 3 and not the 4 though.

Do you think Colvin will play any at the 2? You mentioned Jones playing some at the 3, why do you think that? How do you see Morton being utilized and how much? I’m asking because im interested in other’s opinions on this.

 

[Thadoc1]

We DID NOT lose because of quickness. We’re they quicker, yup without a doubt. Also without a doubt we would have won if the entire team besides Edey hadn’t played hesitant and lacking confidence even though they were quicker. They were all hesitant to shoot and all missing wide open opportunities to score. Hitting just a few shots would have won the game but we were tight and afraid we would fall to an underdog team playing with swagger. We shot 19.2% from 3 (5-26) and 35.8% (19-53) for the game! You take away EDEY’s (7-11) and we’re 28%, take away Furst (2-2) who only played 9 minutes too and we shot 25%!!! We played afraid, afraid to lose to a team whose coach called his shot. We had everything to lose and played like it, hesitant and lacking confidence in what worked all season long, They were loose without anything on the line and the world to gain with everyone but Purdue fans cheering them on. Purdue failed to execute and beat themselves. The coaches didn’t adapt and make changes, leaving the same unproductive lineup in. Where was painter or a coach to point out to him that Furst was 2-2 with an assist in his 9 minutes of time. Wasn’t he worth a shot at playing to see if he could add a spark and score some points?
Yup they were quicker and more aggressive but we had plenty of chances and opportunity to win that game going away but just played horribly lacking confidence, grit and a player that would step up as the rest of the team struggled.

I think Heide will be a great asset before his 4 years are up and will likely spend time at the 4 but I don’t believe this is that year. Don’t get me wrong I believe he can and will be a beast on the floor and am hoping he can pull it off this year. I think if he does it will be at the 3 and not the 4 though.

Do you think Colvin will play any at the 2? You mentioned Jones playing some at the 3, why do you think that? How do you see Morton being utilized and how much? I’m asking because im interested in other’s opinions on this.

You didn't really watch that fdu game did you?...they totally killed us on the boards when edey came out....furst couldn't even get a shot off and fdu ran circles around him on offense...fdu beat us because we couldn't keep up with them and their quickness affected our shooting....if we had more dynamic and quicker players then we would've had a better chance...fau beat them that way....heide, Waddell, jones, and Colvin can all get in the lane, score, and shoot....we just didn't have that last year...this will be the biggest difference this year....not playing slower with furst, tkr at the 4....

 

[Heads up BOILER]

You didn't really watch that fdu game did you?...they totally killed us on the boards when edey came out....furst couldn't even get a shot off and fdu ran circles around him on offense...fdu beat us because we couldn't keep up with them and their quickness affected our shooting....if we had more dynamic and quicker players then we would've had a better chance...fau beat them that way....heide, Waddell, jones, and Colvin can all get in the lane, score, and shoot....we just didn't have that last year...this will be the biggest difference this year....not playing slower with furst, tkr at the 4....

Yes I saw the entire sad poor damn excuse of a game. Care to weigh in on the questions I asked?

 

[Thadoc1]

Yes I saw the entire sad poor damn excuse of a game. Care to weigh in on the questions I asked?

Yeah I gave you the reason why furst was a detriment to our team and we didn't shoot well....Jones is quick and strong, good ball handler, he will play the 3 at times against quick pressing teams...heide will play the 4 because we need better shooting there and he's a good leaper, can rebound well....Morton will be the 10th man... fill in if we need help at the 1 or 2 behind smith, jones, and loyer.....Colvin is not a great ballhandler or decision maker right now to play the 2, he might get there at the end of the year but playing him at the 3 behind Waddell is his best position...he can really shoot, very athletic, and will be a fast break option....basically what Newman did last year except hopefully better shooting....

 

[Dryfly88]

Yeah I gave you the reason why furst was a detriment to our team and we didn't shoot well....Jones is quick and strong, good ball handler, he will play the 3 at times against quick pressing teams...heide will play the 4 because we need better shooting there and he's a good leaper, can rebound well....Morton will be the 10th man... fill in if we need help at the 1 or 2 behind smith, jones, and loyer.....Colvin is not a great ballhandler or decision maker right now to play the 2, he might get there at the end of the year but playing him at the 3 behind Waddell is his best position...he can really shoot, very athletic, and will be a fast break option....basically what Newman did last year except hopefully better shooting....

Are you saying that Colvin's playing time will be behind Waddell at the 3? I sure hope you are wrong there. Colvin will hopefully get minutes at the 2 and the 3 and not behind Waddell, but in front of him. Maybe I misunderstood what you meant about Colvin and his PT. He brings the one thing this team lacked last year, athleticism.

 

[northside100]

He brings the one thing this team lacked last year, athleticism.

Athleticism was missing from last years team but shooting was equally missing. Not saying that means the BW should play over Colvin, just pointing out that an improvement in either area would be impactful.

 

[Dryfly88]

Athleticism was missing from last years team but shooting was equally missing. Not saying that means the BW should play over Colvin, just pointing out that an improvement in either area would be impactful.

Agreed on the shooting. But I would say we have shooters on this team, they just didn't do it well when we needed it. We simply didn't have athletes like Colvin period.

 

[Heads up BOILER]

Athleticism was missing from last years team but shooting was equally missing. Not saying that means the BW should play over Colvin, just pointing out that an improvement in either area would be impactful.

Agree! In our last 2 games last year we shot a combined 20.4% from 3!!! (6-28, 5-26). We shot 37.4% (43-115) on the game over those 2 games. That doesn’t correlate with winning games nor does scoring less than 60 points in the NCAA tournament. Poor shooting, execution and turnovers was the reason for the first round loss. Yes they were quicker and the aggressor in the game. Yes that led to some turnovers (too many unforced) and along with quick affective ball movement in their rotation offense resulted in a high percentage of their scoring, but they laid off our perimeter shooters giving them the opportunity to score and we COULD NOT do it! Shooting just 27% (2 made 3’s) from 3 changes the outcome. I painfully rewatched the game last night (and the outcome was the same 😂) it was not the defensive pressure on our shooters that caused the poor shooting performance unfortunately. Do better! Boiler up! 🖤💛🏀

 

[Schmedly_Whiplash]

Yes. And we are deep in the position he plays. We know who he is at this point and he is an undersized 4 and isn’t quick enough to guard the 3. His rebounding doesnt stand out more than others. He didn’t help break presses and don’t remember anyone that he shut down defensively.

Look, I have liked Gillis his whole time at Purdue and I like his toughness, but I believe it’s time to let others play more—unless he provides something others don’t, which could be 3 pt shooting. He played 20 min/game last year and I think it’ll be closer to 10-12 this year.

I wasn't talking about Gillis specifically. You seem to suggest that "if this guy hits xx% of his 3's then he plays, otherwise he's useless". There are other parts of the game for all 5 guys. Jones WILL play because he's very good defensively. And that will be very large for this team. And he probably won't shoot it as well was Loyer, but that's ok if he does enough OTHER stuff to make himself valuable. Like other guys.
Here's my argument stated very concisely. Starts at 4:30

 

[SCBoiler1]

I don't see it happening but agree with your statement that we need someone to hit shots at the 4. Probably a long shot but maybe you're right and it is Heide. I really don't care as long as it's somebody.

Consider your words marked.

Agreed. When I project lineups I listen to what Painter and the players are saying. I haven't heard Painter or anyone else associated with the team mention Heide playing the 4.

Not to argue with other posters but it doesn't matter if it makes sense to a subset of fans, it really only matters what Painter believes is best. Two different things.

I'll give you an example from last year. Newman had a great run for team USA and many fans had high expectations for him coming into last year. However, anytime Painter was asked about Newman (as a player) he never was as enthusiastic about him as he was about other players. I wanted Newman to start at the beginning of last year but from the comments Painter had made during the offseason (freshmen guards and the value Morton) it was pretty apparent before the season even started Newman was the odd man out. After the first couple of games it was even more clear. Also, after watching a couple of games last year you could tell it was going to be tough for TKR to get minutes last year.

This year Painter consistently talks about getting TKR more minutes. He also stresses the increased athleticism at the wing. Morton has stated he'll be playing more of a guard role this year. These are indications of what we might expect. After watching the first exhibition game we'll have a pretty good idea of how things are going to play out.

 

[tjreese]

Not sure that you need to be a sniper to hit wide open threes but agree that Caleb's shooting last year was disappointing and Trey was just starting to get comfortable. I don't think it requires a miracle for those guys to shoot well on open threes but I have no idea whether they'll get it done or not. I've said it before, I think you could play Cam at some situational minutes at the 4 to prepare for that situation but maybe you're right and we need it earlier and more often than I'm anticipating.

Caleb's wrist went sideways a LOT. Someone fix that and he learns to put the ball on the court and he could be VERY good. I have no feel for Cam @Thadoc1 . I get to Mackey about an hour before every game and tried watching Cam and all I saw were dunks. He has REALLY got some springs and a nice build for basketball. I think as a Soph he may have been rated inside 30 (24?), but don't remember for certain. I just have no feel for his shooting or ball handling since I've seen so little. However, I can see why @Thadoc1 is high on him playing the 4 as far as athletic ability. He and Myles add a LOT of athletic ability to the team. As a first year player for Purdue...if he logs the most minutes at the four then there are reasons to believe that accomplishing that results in Purdue being better than we imagined.

What I don't wish to see is Purdue's offense either being Zach inside or the 3 ball. I want some threats at the mid-range and more driving of the ball which doesn't have to end up at the rim or even a shot by someone other than Braden and Fletcher. I would like to see a bit more activity playing offense by the 3 and 4s than just standing behind the arc or running behind the arc to see if the 3 ball or what is going on wiht Zach

 

[SCBoiler1]

Are you saying that Colvin's playing time will be behind Waddell at the 3? I sure hope you are wrong there. Colvin will hopefully get minutes at the 2 and the 3 and not behind Waddell, but in front of him. Maybe I misunderstood what you meant about Colvin and his PT. He brings the one thing this team lacked last year, athleticism.

And Shooting! If you watched Team USA this summer that is why he was on that Team. To make three-point shots! You don't keep a guy like that on the roster unless he's shown he can hit the shot in tryouts, practice and in games. Colvin also made the most three-point shots on the team in Europe and he only played three games. Anybody can get hot but the fact that he was being utilized primarily as a three three-point threat tells me he must be making them in practice as well.

 

[SCBoiler1]

I wasn't talking about Gillis specifically. You seem to suggest that "if this guy hits xx% of his 3's then he plays, otherwise he's useless". There are other parts of the game for all 5 guys. Jones WILL play because he's very good defensively. And that will be very large for this team. And he probably won't shoot it as well was Loyer, but that's ok if he does enough OTHER stuff to make himself valuable. Like other guys.
Here's my argument stated very concisely.

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Starting at 4:30

Nothing Concise about it. Everyone is great!

Actually, added Jones as a possibility at the 3. No insight at all, speculating 5 guys could start at the 3 and three guys could start at the 4. I'm glad I'm not paying for that. I could ask my wife who would start and she could probably give me that much information based on how tall the guys are and how good they look in their uniforms.

 

[tjreese]

Agreed. When I project lineups I listen to what Painter and the players are saying. I haven't heard Painter or anyone else associated with the team mention Heide playing the 4.

Not to argue with other posters but it doesn't matter if it makes sense to a subset of fans, it really only matters what Painter believes is best. Two different things.

I'll give you an example from last year. Newman had a great run for team USA and many fans had high expectations for him coming into last year. However, anytime Painter was asked about Newman (as a player) he never was as enthusiastic about him as he was about other players. I wanted Newman to start at the beginning of last year but from the comments Painter had made during the offseason (freshmen guards and the value Morton) it was pretty apparent before the season even started Newman was the odd man out. After the first couple of games it was even more clear. Also, after watching a couple of games last year you could tell it was going to be tough for TKR to get minutes last year.

This year Painter consistently talks about getting TKR more minutes. He also stresses the increased athleticism at the wing. Morton has stated he'll be playing more of a guard role this year. These are indications of what we might expect. After watching the first exhibition game we'll have a pretty good idea of how things are going to play out.

Get a little more feel after Saturday

 

[DwaynePurvis00]

I wasn't talking about Gillis specifically. You seem to suggest that "if this guy hits xx% of his 3's then he plays, otherwise he's useless". There are other parts of the game for all 5 guys. Jones WILL play because he's very good defensively. And that will be very large for this team. And he probably won't shoot it as well was Loyer, but that's ok if he does enough OTHER stuff to make himself valuable. Like other guys.
Here's my argument stated very concisely.

View embedded media

Starting at 4:30

Ok, I'll explain more what I meant.

What Gillis does, is nothing that other guys at the same position (4) can't do -- TKR and Furst. These two, in my mind are better than Gillis and provide more of an advantage at the 4. He may be a bit quicker than TKR, but isn't as tallor physical and I'd say Furst and him look to be about the same in quickness, if not Furst having the edge there. TKR and Furst are able to screen and rebound, if not better than him and can guard bigger players at the 4. Gillis is too slow to guard the 3. With that said, I would expect those two to play more minutes than Gillis. I suggested that the 3pt shooting would help keep Gillis more on the floor, because the other two can do what he already does and may do it even better. So, I was trying to identify something that he could and does better than those two, which is shoots the 3 better and shoots FTs.

I doubt he will play the 20ish mins he's been avg in his career. He may start out that way, but if he is playing significant minutes over the combo of TKR and Furst towards the end of the season, then we may be in some trouble IMO. Again, I am a fan of his and hope he is able to contribute efficiently this year, but just giving my opinion since that's all we can do until the season starts

 

[SCBoiler1]

Get a little more feel after Saturday

Maybe a little but it's easy to give guys equal time during a scrimmage. May not be until we can only put 5 guys on the floor until we get a feel as to how its going to play out.