Quote:
Originally Posted by duncan_idaho
I agree on cutting Mitchell Smith’s minutes. More for Brown and Jackson.
I disagree this is a team with top 25 talent. They don’t have anyone who can really break guys down off the dribble and create for himself and others. They don’t have a true low post scoring threat. They don’t push the pace and get transition buckets or secondary transition baskets.
They’re good defensively (though they couldn’t keep any of Butler’s guards in front of them last night), but the offense is so badly designed that it isn’t the strength it should be.
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How many teams have guys that can do BOTH of those things, though? A player that can break guys down, create for himself AND teammates is a premier player.
Mark Smith is a pretty good isolation player that had a bad day. Dru Smith is a good distributor with solid handles but not quite the first step quickness to blow by guys (outstanding body control though; definitely a guy who can be a plus finisher).
And then there's the most maddening player on the team - Xavier Pinson. Pinson can absolutely flash both of those things. He has a PGs eye and a SGs conscious. And the body of a 12 year old but that's better than the 9 year old he looked like last year.
In-season development will be so critical to this squad because none of those 3 guys have a ton of Power 5 basketball experience. That's worth noting when all 3 of them occasionally demonstrate the attributes you're looking for.
But man, I didn't realize Tilmon was that bad yesterday. I knew he was largely absent but not THAT absent. That's real bad and something he can't allow to happen. Not if Mizzou hopes to make the tournament.
I think it's fair to say that Mizzou doesn't have slam-dunk top 25 ability right now, but they have that
potential and more. Especially if Kobe Brown can continue to develop something of a point-forward's game and get his range figured out.
And I get a REAL bad feeling we're gonna see "Torrence Watson has entered the transfer portal" by Christmas. This is just the kind of thing you see happening to kids that don't quite buy in. They press, they make stupid mistakes, their minutes dwindle, they press worse....they leave. And if he transfers out now he'd be post-season eligible for his new squad next year.
I love the potential there but it just looks like a looooooong road to him re-earning Cuonzo's trust and I'm just not sure he's gonna be up for that.