I mean if an alley oop is a designed play it would be efficient. Whatever that back door alley oop play El Coacho L used to run with Gabe and Mike Mo was guaranteed points every time.
Dave Paulsen
- Thread starter GMURaider
- Start date
I mean if an alley oop is a designed play it would be efficient. Whatever that back door alley oop play El Coacho L used to run with Gabe and Mike Mo was guaranteed points every time.
I would hate them too if my players were as bad at executing it as ours were last year. Balls going off the top of the backboard, tossing them into the stands. It was bad.
Alley oops are one of those things, that if practiced, can be executed beautifully and are tough to defend against when you have a guy like AJ going up for them. It was clear last season that there was no time built in to practice throwing the alley oop.
and we may not have Gabe but AJ is just as if not more athletic at the rim as Mike Mo..... all these 5 foot 11 PGs better be practicing the lob this fall
I mean, sure, but even if you don’t practice it, you shouldn’t be off by three feet on the pass (I know AJ can jump but he’s not picking quarters off the catwalk).
I think XJ can make that pass. I’m looking for him to hook up with AJ and Oduro a lot next season.
I laughed entirely too much at this
I know its fun to pick on Dave for being boring and not originally liking full court D or not trying enough alley oops, but I have to think that he tailors the plays to how his players are and whats best for them (at least thats what he says). Perhaps with more athleticism and length coming in year over year, he will build in something like alley oops. I mean it took 5 years before he tried some full court pressing (soft pressing but on occasion it was still cool), so maybe he will work them in.
Of course, Dave is Dave, and he probably won't do it. But theres always that chance!
if he had a good winning percentage I would agree with you. So he doesn't which gives more ammo to those of us who think he is boring, not tactically fit for coaching at A10 level, and unable to create a game plan that fits his teams strengths.
Oh I am with you, I'm just going with what he says and what I think his mind would be thinking. He's always been a "tailor to personnel" thinker (not necessarily executor).
I'm hoping the improved recruitment, athleticism, blah blah blah, will lead to a better brand of basketball and more wins, of course.
Some coaches come in and win right away. Some can build a culture and the championships eventually come. Some can't get it done, period.
It is a little disconcerting that we still don't know about Dave. In my mind, this is the year he has to prove that he can get us to the promised land.
It is a little disconcerting that we still don't know about Dave. In my mind, this is the year he has to prove that he can get us to the promised land.
Anyone who is watching intently knows
And this year is going to be busted. Even if they play, the preparations for the season have been hijacked.
I mean look, an interviewer asked a D1 coach going into his sixth season at a school what his teams defensive identity was going to be, and he botched the answer lol. I don’t know how that can inspire confidence to anyone on these boards. The interviewer threw him an absolute softball question and you’d think he asked Dave to do long division by hand in his underwear at Mason Madness. He starts spouting off about recruiting faster and longer, how UVA is better than us at a pack line, how we pressed, how we are adjusting the system to the personnel, but he never really answered the question lol.
Do you think if you asked McKillop or Grant or Schmidt or Rhodes what their teams defensive identity was they would have a problem answering it? That’s the difference between good coaches and bad in this league. Good coaches have a clear vision for the type of identity they want their team to have, then they go after guys who can fit that identity. Bad coaches think that long and athletic will cover up their lack of a coaching vision. We seem to lack any kind of identity and are trying to make that an identity and are confused why it doesn’t work in an extremely well coached league.
Based on the things he said in his answer, defensively was the plan last year to press then fall back into a pack line defense? Has anyone thought about how completely stupid that is? Those are two complete opposite defenses. The results we saw are completely indicative that was the plan. We had token pressure that rarely resulted in turnovers, and it was a layup line on the other end aside from when our bigs could bail us out. I can live with a full court press that gives up some easy layups if we are gambling on steals and generating turnovers. I can deal with a slow paced pack line that doesn’t generate a ton of turnovers if we are playing low scoring games and working for ugly Ws. I can’t deal with the worst of both of those worlds.
The fact that Dave can’t clearly articulate going into year 6 what his teams defensive identity is should be worrying for a lot of people.
Do you think if you asked McKillop or Grant or Schmidt or Rhodes what their teams defensive identity was they would have a problem answering it? That’s the difference between good coaches and bad in this league. Good coaches have a clear vision for the type of identity they want their team to have, then they go after guys who can fit that identity. Bad coaches think that long and athletic will cover up their lack of a coaching vision. We seem to lack any kind of identity and are trying to make that an identity and are confused why it doesn’t work in an extremely well coached league.
Based on the things he said in his answer, defensively was the plan last year to press then fall back into a pack line defense? Has anyone thought about how completely stupid that is? Those are two complete opposite defenses. The results we saw are completely indicative that was the plan. We had token pressure that rarely resulted in turnovers, and it was a layup line on the other end aside from when our bigs could bail us out. I can live with a full court press that gives up some easy layups if we are gambling on steals and generating turnovers. I can deal with a slow paced pack line that doesn’t generate a ton of turnovers if we are playing low scoring games and working for ugly Ws. I can’t deal with the worst of both of those worlds.
The fact that Dave can’t clearly articulate going into year 6 what his teams defensive identity is should be worrying for a lot of people.
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I agree and patience is certainly wearing thin. But I do think the nature of how athletics is done at Mason, it works. He isn't a young recruiter who is going to get guys like Christian does.
Whatever vision that Cabrera and Edwards discussed with Dave, I have to think Dave is carrying it out in some way. We all knew it would be a slow build, that basketball facilities needed to be improved etc but I'm just not sure snail pace was what anyone had in mind. In the decision makers mind, having "player improvement awards" is a good thing and somewhat good enough. It'd be nice to have higher standards but it is what it is. There is also excuses as well.
We'll see.
p8triotfan4life
Starter
I think Paulsen needs to tone down his political rhetoric on his twitter and focus on coaching the game of basketball. For the longest time, I felt that sports were the one beacon in our country to get away from politics.
Why would you think that? They’ve always been political.
FreeGunston12
All-American
Agreed. It may just be more visible because of social media and the 24/7 news cycle.
Take olympic boycotts and playing of the national anthem before games for example. Jesse Owens. Jackie Robinson. NFL after 9/11. Joe Louis. Bobby Fischer. Apartheid. India & Pakistan in cricket. The idea of Christmas Truce soccer games. North vs South Korea soccer. etc, etc, etc.
p8triotfan4life
Starter
I'm just so sick of politics.
Encouraging your team to register to vote and discuss the effects of systemic racism on Black people in this country isn’t political. I’m glad we have a coach who at least seems to care about his players beyond whether they can dribble and shoot a basketball.
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