@Brian_GoldandBlack.com To me, it is plainly obvious what is holding this team back, dating back to last year, most painfully in the North Texas game. On both ends of the floor, our lead guards (IT and EHJ) are getting exposed by physical and aggressive opposing guards with a game plan to target them. In each of these losses (and the wins that have been more stressful than they should have been), this has been the issue. The book on how to beat Purdue is pretty simple, clear, and proven, and as a fan of the team and Painter, it is frustrating to see a lack of adaptation. As a fan of your analysis and critical thinking, I'm also surprised at how you seem to be casting this clear gap aside as "angry knuckleheads looking for someone to blame".
So -- can you or someone please ask Painter about this trend, on both offense and defense? This biggest issue is on the defensive side. They can't stop the ball, fight through screens, or rotate quickly enough, leading to layups and wide open 3s. Also, there is absolutely no pressure on the ball to disrupt the point of attack. I'm so tired of the narrative that opposing guards "just had one of those nights". There is a reason for it, and it is not a coincidence. Every guard in the league circles Purdue on the calendar, I'm sure.
On the offensive side, the issue is an inability to simply initiate the offense and be confident with the ball. This shows up in turnovers (most of which are of the pick 6 variety), but more so in the multitude of key possessions that can't even get started because they can't 'get us into' our action -- picking up their dribble, dribbling backwards, or resorting to bail-out passes from the hash mark. The lack of playmaking is a lost cause, but I would settle for just being able to start the offense against a physical defender.
I have some ideas on how to fix this, and admittedly, none of them are great, but what I'm most troubled about as a fan is that we don't seem to be trying anything different out there. Yes, the offense is highly efficient, IT has a great +/-, Purdue missed a ton of FTs, and if Williams makes a layup, Purdue wins....but it is plain to see how this team will be beaten, which was once again on full display last night.
I think many of us would appreciate some perspective on this. Thanks for your great work -- I know we all value what you bring to the site each day.
So -- can you or someone please ask Painter about this trend, on both offense and defense? This biggest issue is on the defensive side. They can't stop the ball, fight through screens, or rotate quickly enough, leading to layups and wide open 3s. Also, there is absolutely no pressure on the ball to disrupt the point of attack. I'm so tired of the narrative that opposing guards "just had one of those nights". There is a reason for it, and it is not a coincidence. Every guard in the league circles Purdue on the calendar, I'm sure.
On the offensive side, the issue is an inability to simply initiate the offense and be confident with the ball. This shows up in turnovers (most of which are of the pick 6 variety), but more so in the multitude of key possessions that can't even get started because they can't 'get us into' our action -- picking up their dribble, dribbling backwards, or resorting to bail-out passes from the hash mark. The lack of playmaking is a lost cause, but I would settle for just being able to start the offense against a physical defender.
I have some ideas on how to fix this, and admittedly, none of them are great, but what I'm most troubled about as a fan is that we don't seem to be trying anything different out there. Yes, the offense is highly efficient, IT has a great +/-, Purdue missed a ton of FTs, and if Williams makes a layup, Purdue wins....but it is plain to see how this team will be beaten, which was once again on full display last night.
I think many of us would appreciate some perspective on this. Thanks for your great work -- I know we all value what you bring to the site each day.
