QUESTION: If Painter doesn't get a good PG from the transfer portal can't he just put Ethan Morton there next season?
Answer: In short, not really.
For one thing, Ethan Morton is almost certainly your projected starter at the 3 right now, so It would probably require someone else to really emerge to provide the sort of flexibility needed to do something like that. Purdue's backcourt all across the perimeter has really been stripped down from a numbers perspective with Sasha Stefanovic, Eric Hunter, Jaden Ivey and Isaiah Thompson gone. That puts Ethan Morton and Brandon Newman, on paper, not only as likely starters at this stage, but guys who are going to get big minutes on the wing. We'll see what Fletcher Loyer, Brian Waddell, etc., are capable of when they show up/get healthy. That could change some things.
But right now, Morton is your No. 1 3, your best off-ball perimeter defender and I think that even though he was an awesome gap-filler last season, I think this season from a personnel perspective, it's time for him to start working toward really standing out in a defined role. Last year was a different deal because of the gravity some of Purdue's other personnel carried.
That said, right now, with all Purdue lost, there's bound to be significant recasting of roles or whatever you'd call it, similar to what happened a few years back, when Purdue needed guys who were complementary pieces on a great team (Nojel Eastern, Matt Haarms) to move into more prominent roles as some of the teams best players. That didn't go well then, as it turned out, but this year could be different. Purdue has better assets now than it did then.
I'm off track here.
Purdue needs to add a point guard, IMO, to go along with Braden Smith, who's going to have to play a prominent role this season no matter what. I do think the transition to the college game could be a tall order for Smith in some ways, but he does have a lot going for him in terms of his moxie and whatever cliche you want to use. But Purdue's going to have to play through his youth at times, and as aggressive as he is, I'd worry a bit about fouls.
Purdue needs to add another capable player there, preferably with some quickness and scoring capability, but also somebody who can really get into the ball defensively.
That's one of the stickiest issues with Morton playing the 1.
With what Purdue asks of its point guards defensively, you need quickness on the ball, and Morton would be the first to tell you, that wouldn't play to his strengths. Beyond that, again, he's probably their best off-the-ball defender, and tethering him to the ball in the open court would put him behind plays and maybe wear him out. Yes, he did an excellent job on Marcus Carr against Texas, but that was in a halfcourt environment, denying and challenging jumpers. That was essentially him playing off-ball defense. That wasn't him picking up Fatts Russell at the other end of the court and having to stay in front of him for 80 of the court's 94 feet.
I do think offensively that Morton can be someone Purdue runs more offense through in terms of having the ball in his hands to make decisions. They have to figure that out this off-season. I don't know if he's going to get the same shots he got last season without Ivey and Trevion Williams but I do think there's some opportunistic-scoring potential there, but also some real point-forward sort of facilitation potential there as well.
Regardless of what position Morton technically plays, I think they can — and have to — find ways to maximize his offensive value.
Answer: In short, not really.
For one thing, Ethan Morton is almost certainly your projected starter at the 3 right now, so It would probably require someone else to really emerge to provide the sort of flexibility needed to do something like that. Purdue's backcourt all across the perimeter has really been stripped down from a numbers perspective with Sasha Stefanovic, Eric Hunter, Jaden Ivey and Isaiah Thompson gone. That puts Ethan Morton and Brandon Newman, on paper, not only as likely starters at this stage, but guys who are going to get big minutes on the wing. We'll see what Fletcher Loyer, Brian Waddell, etc., are capable of when they show up/get healthy. That could change some things.
But right now, Morton is your No. 1 3, your best off-ball perimeter defender and I think that even though he was an awesome gap-filler last season, I think this season from a personnel perspective, it's time for him to start working toward really standing out in a defined role. Last year was a different deal because of the gravity some of Purdue's other personnel carried.
That said, right now, with all Purdue lost, there's bound to be significant recasting of roles or whatever you'd call it, similar to what happened a few years back, when Purdue needed guys who were complementary pieces on a great team (Nojel Eastern, Matt Haarms) to move into more prominent roles as some of the teams best players. That didn't go well then, as it turned out, but this year could be different. Purdue has better assets now than it did then.
I'm off track here.
Purdue needs to add a point guard, IMO, to go along with Braden Smith, who's going to have to play a prominent role this season no matter what. I do think the transition to the college game could be a tall order for Smith in some ways, but he does have a lot going for him in terms of his moxie and whatever cliche you want to use. But Purdue's going to have to play through his youth at times, and as aggressive as he is, I'd worry a bit about fouls.
Purdue needs to add another capable player there, preferably with some quickness and scoring capability, but also somebody who can really get into the ball defensively.
That's one of the stickiest issues with Morton playing the 1.
With what Purdue asks of its point guards defensively, you need quickness on the ball, and Morton would be the first to tell you, that wouldn't play to his strengths. Beyond that, again, he's probably their best off-the-ball defender, and tethering him to the ball in the open court would put him behind plays and maybe wear him out. Yes, he did an excellent job on Marcus Carr against Texas, but that was in a halfcourt environment, denying and challenging jumpers. That was essentially him playing off-ball defense. That wasn't him picking up Fatts Russell at the other end of the court and having to stay in front of him for 80 of the court's 94 feet.
I do think offensively that Morton can be someone Purdue runs more offense through in terms of having the ball in his hands to make decisions. They have to figure that out this off-season. I don't know if he's going to get the same shots he got last season without Ivey and Trevion Williams but I do think there's some opportunistic-scoring potential there, but also some real point-forward sort of facilitation potential there as well.
Regardless of what position Morton technically plays, I think they can — and have to — find ways to maximize his offensive value.
