Eric Crawford
Aug 17, 2015 3:25 PM EDT
6. ONUAKU AND MATHIANG ARE BETTER. Free-throw struggles notwithstanding, both players showed the ability to catch the ball and finish in the post, and they’re already solid defenders and rebounders. U of L needs to begin to look for Onuaku more in the post. Several times he sealed defenders off, but didn’t get the ball. And Pitino wants both to work on their interior passing.
7. THE CARDS HAVE FRONT-LINE DEPTH. Spalding can play. Johnson can play. Anas Mahmoud had one outstanding game in Puerto Rico and should see more minutes this season. Pitino also has the ability to go small and move Lee to the four-spot.
8. THE CHEMISTRY IS REAL. I’ve alluded to this earlier, but the chemistry with this group isn’t just coach-speak. Off the court, they appear to get along well and were hanging out together every time I saw them. Now, Pitino has a different definition of chemistry. “I told the guys that basketball chemistry is defense and passing,” he said. That kind of on-court chemistry will take work and time.
9. EVERYBODY GETS HOME HEALTHY. As physical as the play was, and as dangerous as the moisture was on the court where the Cards played the final night, that wasn't always a given. Anas Mahmoud was able to go 100 percent after his summer knee surgery. So the Cards come back in about as good a physical shape as can be expected. They were a bit tired on the final day, which is to be expected, and why I wouldn't put too much stock in some of the things that happened in the final two games -- for better or worse. But seeing how his team reacted to that kind of strain was a positive for Pitino.
10. OVERALL CONCLUSION. The big thing is that Lee looks as if he is as good a scorer, an guy the Cardinals can rely on at the end of the shot clock. They’ve got a number of guys who are improving on the front line. They have Lewis and Snider at the guard spots, with Mitchell able to come off the bench, along with David Levitch, who should play even more this season.
Pitino could use lineups where, in man-to-man, the Cards are able to switch everything. That hasn’t always been the case, and makes the team’s match-up zone look even more difficult. The Cards already were showing zone and morphing into man on Pitino’s call in the final game in Puerto Rico, and figure to improve upon that defensive system as the year goes on, a system that will become even more difficult for opponents to deal with under the 30-second shot clock.
It’s not an overpowering team. A year from now, this collection of frontcourt players could be really good. How far U of L goes probably depends on the speed at which that group as a whole develops. It’s not an elite team. It probably won’t be ranked to start the season, nor should it be. But it is the kind of team that could be ranked at the end. If the attitude remains where it is now, Pitino should have a fun year with this group.
Aug 17, 2015 3:25 PM EDT
6. ONUAKU AND MATHIANG ARE BETTER. Free-throw struggles notwithstanding, both players showed the ability to catch the ball and finish in the post, and they’re already solid defenders and rebounders. U of L needs to begin to look for Onuaku more in the post. Several times he sealed defenders off, but didn’t get the ball. And Pitino wants both to work on their interior passing.
7. THE CARDS HAVE FRONT-LINE DEPTH. Spalding can play. Johnson can play. Anas Mahmoud had one outstanding game in Puerto Rico and should see more minutes this season. Pitino also has the ability to go small and move Lee to the four-spot.
8. THE CHEMISTRY IS REAL. I’ve alluded to this earlier, but the chemistry with this group isn’t just coach-speak. Off the court, they appear to get along well and were hanging out together every time I saw them. Now, Pitino has a different definition of chemistry. “I told the guys that basketball chemistry is defense and passing,” he said. That kind of on-court chemistry will take work and time.
9. EVERYBODY GETS HOME HEALTHY. As physical as the play was, and as dangerous as the moisture was on the court where the Cards played the final night, that wasn't always a given. Anas Mahmoud was able to go 100 percent after his summer knee surgery. So the Cards come back in about as good a physical shape as can be expected. They were a bit tired on the final day, which is to be expected, and why I wouldn't put too much stock in some of the things that happened in the final two games -- for better or worse. But seeing how his team reacted to that kind of strain was a positive for Pitino.
10. OVERALL CONCLUSION. The big thing is that Lee looks as if he is as good a scorer, an guy the Cardinals can rely on at the end of the shot clock. They’ve got a number of guys who are improving on the front line. They have Lewis and Snider at the guard spots, with Mitchell able to come off the bench, along with David Levitch, who should play even more this season.
Pitino could use lineups where, in man-to-man, the Cards are able to switch everything. That hasn’t always been the case, and makes the team’s match-up zone look even more difficult. The Cards already were showing zone and morphing into man on Pitino’s call in the final game in Puerto Rico, and figure to improve upon that defensive system as the year goes on, a system that will become even more difficult for opponents to deal with under the 30-second shot clock.
It’s not an overpowering team. A year from now, this collection of frontcourt players could be really good. How far U of L goes probably depends on the speed at which that group as a whole develops. It’s not an elite team. It probably won’t be ranked to start the season, nor should it be. But it is the kind of team that could be ranked at the end. If the attitude remains where it is now, Pitino should have a fun year with this group.
