I would love to have a quicker point guard than DM; but, with Hammons and Haas guarding the paint I don't see that as a major liability. Breaking the press will be key. I'd like to see a Final Four with this team. Realistically, no injuries, a Sweet 16 would make my year. With a solid 5th year transfer, or our current PGs stepping up it could get magical.
My early homer projection
- Thread starter Mcluck
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I read a lot of opinions about how this player or that player can't guard the opponent's PG because they are too slow, or not athletic enough, etc. The fact is most guards can find an occation to get by their defender and drive to the hoop. For the Purdue team, an opponent driving to the hoop means very littl with the paint defense AJ plays. This aspect changes the defensive requirements of which ever player guards the opponent's PG. People have to remember this is not 5 guys going one-on-one. It's a team sport.
Haas has not shown himself to be a shot blocker. Plus why just assume that putting extra pressure on both really helps us? Mathias could be an emergency PG but he's not really suited to playing that position.
Haas doesn't have to block shots as long as he can "alter" them. I agree about Mathias not being a PG.
I don't think people are forgetting this is a team game but it seems people are forgetting how we lost the Cincinnati game. With a game tying layup. Not to mention how VCU made one of our best shot blockers ever look helpless with their simple 2-man game.
It's 5-on-5 but when your PG can't stay with his man, it becomes a 2-on-1. No level of shot blocking can guard two guys at the same time.
It's 5-on-5 but when your PG can't stay with his man, it becomes a 2-on-1. No level of shot blocking can guard two guys at the same time.
Purdue lost the Cincy game because of terrible shooting (3pt and late FT) and inability to protect the ball late. Purdue's defense, whether it be PG or shot blocking, was not the major factor.
Well, that game tieing shot was over our 6'8" forward, who switched off and picked up the driver. That shot was not over our PG. It's a team game if you play it right. Painter made a smart move by calling that switch. It made the shot much more difficult. The Cincy kid gets credit for making a fantastic play. Edwards almost got the block, and didn't cause an +1 foul.
You can look at a number of different ways. It is a game of individual skills, but even a team with high skills at every position can still get beat by a team playing good team basketball with reasonably skilled players. See Wisconsin v UK.
You are seriously taking a sample from one player of a totally different style of play and then transferring it on to another...and actually two players who never stepped foot on Mackey at the same time? Come on man. As good of a shot blocker as JJ was, he wasn't nearly as good of a paint defender as AJ was. Do remember that VCU team made it to the Final Four and unfortunately we were in the way of that run.
Also, why do you just assume that our PG is going to play some type of ole` defense next season? Thompson was a true freshman last season and seemed to play pretty good defense, especially late in the year. He is known as a hard worker and a guy who follows what Coach Painter asks him to a 'T'. With that in mind, you have to think he is going to take the steps that Coach Painter and the staff want him to take to improve himself on the court. In all honesty, the team will be just fine with PJ running the point if he can simply improve lateral quickness and strength to be able to body up on opposing PG's in the half court. For a true freshman, PJ did a good job of running the motion offense and setting up teammates within the offense while also being able to knock down some open shots...that is literally what Coach Painter wants from his PG's. As good as Lewis Jackson was, that describes him exactly and why he was such a good PG and why Ronnie Johnson was just flat out terrible in his time at Purdue.
Painter is soooo happy with PJT and GW that he is no longer looking for 5th year transfers and surely not promising them 30+ starter's minutes per game. Right?
Why the sarcasm? I don't think JDB meant his post to apply to only PJT or Weatherford. I think he was speaking in general about PG defense. It was an attempt to help others look at the PG position with more flexibility. Just because our kid brings the ball up in a PG role, doesn't mean he will be forced to guard the opponent's PG. That was true even this year. Often Davis gaurded the opponent's PG on defense, while Octeus was our PG on offense.
What that means is someone with good handles like DM can play the PG role on offense, but Davis or Edwards could guard the opponents PG on defense. There is no rule that PG's guard PG's. Hope that helps.
My response was to all of the 'we are fine at PG' posters. If we were fine then CMP would not be on the trail looking for 5th years...and it's not for depth either. It is for a starter. This time last year it was goodbye Ronnie, starter minutes going to a somewhat inexperienced sophomore and and unproven freshman. This year it is goodbye Bryson, starter minutes going to a somewhat inexperienced (and much more athletically challenged) sophomore, and an unproven freshman. Painter was not thrilled last year just like now. All of the same posters that said we were fine before JO should understand just how not fine we were. This year is no different, we need a PG and Matt knows this more than anyone.
Bingo! We are in the exact same position as we were last year at PG. Except I doubt we are going to see an angel (Octeus) fall from heaven (UCLA) this time.
I agree. Lump all of this into simply poor decisions when the game is on the line. MP admitted as much after the season was over. It's also a sign of youth.
And once again I am not stating that Coach Painter shouldn't be out looking for a 5th year transfer. What I have stated is that you are looking at things as if PJ isn't going to attempt to make strides to become a better player in the off-season. As a true freshman PG, he took over the role of backup pg from JO from an established player in Bryson Scott because of his hard work, attention to detail, and his ability on the court. I stated that improving his lateral quickness and build should allow PJ to be a good defender in the half court and having two players like AJ and Haas (to a lesser extent Taylor), if PJ can provide sound defense at the perimeter, he will be successful as a pg at Purdue.
Now, let's break this down more on the defensive side because I don't think there is any issue with PJ running the point on the offensive end. He provides exactly what Coach Painter wants in a PG...sound decision making, ensuring offensive flow to the motion offense, and providing enough ability to knock down an open shot when called upon (he isn't the focal point by any means).
With the exception of Yogi, what other B1G team will have an elite PG that you honestly think would give PJ trouble in the half court to defend? That is truly the only issue I see in conference next season as you would have a tough time switching off Davis to Yogi because that leaves PJ to defend Blackmon. I watched nearly every game this season and can't really remember PJ being a huge liability on defense as a true freshman. Were there times where he got beat? Sure, but who wasn't last year at Purdue at times? He doesn't play ole` defense and works to fight through screens effectively.
It is simply very annoying that many on here think Purdue will, for some reason, regress without the addition of a 5th year guard. Like many have said, a JO doesn't happen all the time and I think many would be happy to add another guard like Carter from a few years ago. What would happen if that 5th year player comes in and fails to make gains and PJ ends up starting the rest of the season? Would that suddenly be a recruiting problem because Painter couldn't woo a 5th year transfer guard to play at Purdue to start? Or would it be more indicative to the fact that PJ was a better player than most are giving him credit for and worked in the off season to improve what he needed to to help himself AND the program?
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