Now that we are 5 games into the season, I would be interested to hear what folks perceive as specific individual or collective improvements. A couple that immediately come to mind:
Haas footwork and balance is so much better than last season. He plays taller, where multiple times last season he would stumble or not remain upright with strong basketball moves and end up on the floor. His stamina seems improved and while of course not the rim protector AJ is...he has shown much better aggression to at least limit some penetration, and use his height to block effectively. He still struggled in the Florida game defending penetration and the timing of who to commit to...driver or his man...and stay out of foul trouble defending another big man...but he is but only a freshman+ with only 5 games in his sophomore season. I personally think AJ is 1st team conference and the best post defender in the league, but Haas is also a top 5 center and that is amazing to have. Lastly, when does he take a 'bad' shot? He is so efficient and has dramatically limited his turnovers with more decisive and quicker moves.
Another person commented a little on this play in another thread, but I absolutely love the high/low potential with AJ and Biggie. Biggie has the weight/height, post moves, and experience to cause damage in the low post and there will not be too many teams that can match up well, especially for a whole 40 minute game. I do think Haas is limited in this capacity because AJ does have range and the ability to draw his defender to the perimeter. I understand the skeptics with AJ taking any perimeter shots, but I think he displays positive form and touch from just outside the free throw line and he will need to be able to hit some shots from this distance at the next level wherever that might be. Just like RD choosing the right spots and putting hard work in and where he shoots his 3's, AJ has only been in a couple of games now and might have put a ton of work since NBA scouts have almost certainly told him that this needs to be in his tool bag. Regardless, I can see this play giving us a couple of positive possessions and draws a tall defender/rebounder from the post letting Biggie isolate and do his thing. If they double down, Biggie can hit a shooter.
I am excited that we have not really seen an explosive Vince Edwards yet. By explosive, I think he has a game or two in him like we used to see from E'twaun and Robbie where he just goes off for 20+ because he can score so many different ways. I love how he quietly has very good games, and even in his 'off' game collected 6 boards in 23 minutes and only needed to take 5 shots...and seemed fine with that. His game is so well rounded. After praising him for being so unselfish, he is the one guy that you can feel has more ability to break down his defender...and I would love to see him evolve at least a little more alpha to his game complementing his already realized strength of letting the game come to him. A specific improvement is his athletic ability to finish in transition and to shoot the mid-range shot off of the dribble. They are both improvements from last season.
Lastly, a complement to Johnny Hill and his body control and ability to finish with penetration. He has an athletic body that can float that extra second longer countering defensive rotation by their shot blockers. It has been good for at least one layup in the last 4 games. We all witnessed P.J.'s amazing game against Florida, but also saw Johnny rattled early with the press. Not to be a masochist, but this will be good for his development. Both being pushed at his position, and to look at film of how he handled what we should see at least several more times this season. A last concern is the press. P.J., and our team were able to handle what was roughly a 20 second shot clock. There were 1-2 times the 10 second clock was very close. Even though we were successful maintaining possession, and effectively score...there are a few elite teams that can defend the half court better than the athletic but at times undisciplined Florida. Some might disagree or perceive this as an unnecessary gripe...but if you can get to the sweet sixteen, your team will face equal to superior opponents. We are an unselfish, assist oriented offense, predicated on taking good shots with ball rotation. I would love to see as much press as possible since Painter acknowledged we struggled with Dayton in the secret scrimmage. We need to see continued growth from both Johnny and P.J. getting the ball down the floor and into the flow of our offense.
Haas footwork and balance is so much better than last season. He plays taller, where multiple times last season he would stumble or not remain upright with strong basketball moves and end up on the floor. His stamina seems improved and while of course not the rim protector AJ is...he has shown much better aggression to at least limit some penetration, and use his height to block effectively. He still struggled in the Florida game defending penetration and the timing of who to commit to...driver or his man...and stay out of foul trouble defending another big man...but he is but only a freshman+ with only 5 games in his sophomore season. I personally think AJ is 1st team conference and the best post defender in the league, but Haas is also a top 5 center and that is amazing to have. Lastly, when does he take a 'bad' shot? He is so efficient and has dramatically limited his turnovers with more decisive and quicker moves.
Another person commented a little on this play in another thread, but I absolutely love the high/low potential with AJ and Biggie. Biggie has the weight/height, post moves, and experience to cause damage in the low post and there will not be too many teams that can match up well, especially for a whole 40 minute game. I do think Haas is limited in this capacity because AJ does have range and the ability to draw his defender to the perimeter. I understand the skeptics with AJ taking any perimeter shots, but I think he displays positive form and touch from just outside the free throw line and he will need to be able to hit some shots from this distance at the next level wherever that might be. Just like RD choosing the right spots and putting hard work in and where he shoots his 3's, AJ has only been in a couple of games now and might have put a ton of work since NBA scouts have almost certainly told him that this needs to be in his tool bag. Regardless, I can see this play giving us a couple of positive possessions and draws a tall defender/rebounder from the post letting Biggie isolate and do his thing. If they double down, Biggie can hit a shooter.
I am excited that we have not really seen an explosive Vince Edwards yet. By explosive, I think he has a game or two in him like we used to see from E'twaun and Robbie where he just goes off for 20+ because he can score so many different ways. I love how he quietly has very good games, and even in his 'off' game collected 6 boards in 23 minutes and only needed to take 5 shots...and seemed fine with that. His game is so well rounded. After praising him for being so unselfish, he is the one guy that you can feel has more ability to break down his defender...and I would love to see him evolve at least a little more alpha to his game complementing his already realized strength of letting the game come to him. A specific improvement is his athletic ability to finish in transition and to shoot the mid-range shot off of the dribble. They are both improvements from last season.
Lastly, a complement to Johnny Hill and his body control and ability to finish with penetration. He has an athletic body that can float that extra second longer countering defensive rotation by their shot blockers. It has been good for at least one layup in the last 4 games. We all witnessed P.J.'s amazing game against Florida, but also saw Johnny rattled early with the press. Not to be a masochist, but this will be good for his development. Both being pushed at his position, and to look at film of how he handled what we should see at least several more times this season. A last concern is the press. P.J., and our team were able to handle what was roughly a 20 second shot clock. There were 1-2 times the 10 second clock was very close. Even though we were successful maintaining possession, and effectively score...there are a few elite teams that can defend the half court better than the athletic but at times undisciplined Florida. Some might disagree or perceive this as an unnecessary gripe...but if you can get to the sweet sixteen, your team will face equal to superior opponents. We are an unselfish, assist oriented offense, predicated on taking good shots with ball rotation. I would love to see as much press as possible since Painter acknowledged we struggled with Dayton in the secret scrimmage. We need to see continued growth from both Johnny and P.J. getting the ball down the floor and into the flow of our offense.
