Some optimism:
What I saw this morning was pretty close to what I thought I’d see from this team early on. This team is going to be a lot different than we were in previous years. I think we’ll be more defensively oriented and will get our transition points off of turnovers instead of pushing pace. We have more size, more length, more depth, and more athleticism.
Some concerns:
I’m not sure where our point production comes from. We need some guys to step up and become consistent double-figure scorers (West, Kinsey, Williams, & Bennett). I like what I see from Taylor, but I've seen some Elmore comparisons and they need to stop. I don't see him being that type of player. I think he’s closer comparison to Burks, where he can penetrate and finish through contact, than he is a creator/shooter like Elmore. I think this team will be frustrating to watch in non-conference play, but will be fun to watch as conference play begins if you enjoy seeing guys develop and a team come together. There's just a lot of new faces out there trying to find their role.
Initial reactions of some new players:
#0 Andrew Taylor—He physically looks more advanced than the other freshman guards we’ve recruited. He looks like a taller Jarrod West. We heard comparisons of him to Elmore and I just don’t see it. He’s not the ball handler/creator Jon was. I think his game is somewhere between Burks & West. That’s not a knock on him as a player, I just don’t want the weight of Elmore to be hanging around his neck.
#5 Jeremy Dillon—Another guard who’s more physically advanced than the guards we’ve had in the past. He’s solid all around, but doesn’t really flash anywhere. My early thoughts on him are that he’ll be able to give us some deep bench minutes if we decide to play 9-10 guys. In previous years, if we needed to go to those 9-10 guys, you were kind of holding your breath just hoping the opposition didn't exploit them. I don't think that will happen now.
#15 Marko Sarenac—I like him a lot. This is what I was hoping Nikolic would be for us. He’s a legit 6’7 and has the best court vision & passing ability on the team. He threw some passes in angles today that i didn’t see from the stands. He’s one of those guys who if you’re playing with him you better be aware and ready to catch a pass when he’s got the ball because you never know when he’s going to put it on you. He throws some Pistol Pete/Jason Williams type passes while making it look easy. It might take some time for him to grow accustomed to the size & speed of our competition, but he’s going to be a player.
#24 Cam Brooks-Harris—I think he has the highest ceiling of the newcomers. He’s still really weak and raw, so I’m not sure what he’ll contribute this year, but I like the thought of what D’antoni can do with him. He’s long, can handle the ball, has a nice shot, and his experience playing around the basket early on in high school has given him a nice touch on floaters and hook shots. Once his mind catches up with his motor, I think he can be a really nice defensive perimeter player this year. Just not sure what else how much he can provide outside of that until he gets physically stronger.
#32 Dajour Rucker--Initial thoughts on him are similar to what I have of Dillon, except as a big man. Solid in just about every aspect, but didn't really flash to me in any certain aspect. He's a big body and I think in previous years would have been some nice depth at 4 (especially last year), but right now I see Williams & George getting the majority of those minutes and Kinsey & Sarenac getting some against certain matchups when we want to go smaller. If we get 9-10 deep in our bench, I'm not scared of him seeing the floor in his first year.
#50 Goran Miladinovic--I was hopeful that we could come in this year and give us some solid minutes as a 7'er. After seeing one practice, this guy is a long-term project. Don't get me wrong, there are some tools to work with there. He's 7 foot, he's not a great ball handler but can put it on the floor, he's not a great shooter but can knock it down if left open. Where I was disappointed in him was his lack of physicality, lack of motor, and is mentally doing his best to just tread water right now. If Dan can get to him and turn him into the rim protector type he did with Penava (it clicked with him in year 3), we got us a player. If that never sinks in with him, this will be another Euro who didn't work. Early on, I think he's a project worth taking a chance on because the potential is there. I just wouldn't expect anything from him right now.
Quick notes on returning players:
#1 Taevion Kinsey--I know there were some concerns with his social media posts about him not being happy. But watching him out there on the court, you would never think there was an issue. He's as crazy and fun as he was last season. One thing I did notice from him yesterday that I didn't see much last season was that he seems to be more vocally involved. Yelling at guys, directing them where to go, where the ball needs to be, how to time some of their cuts/screens. He seems to be stepping up as a vocal leader, much like West. Oh, yeah, the dude is still an athletic freak and has added some offensive moves to his arsenal. He was shooting the ball really well yesterday too. How does he handle being the #1 guy our opponents game plan for? That's my only question with him.
#2 Iran Bennett--We're FINALLY going to get to see what this guy can do. His body looks tremendous. He finally looks like a basketball player, not an offensive lineman. He's moving better and I will be someone we'll need some production from this season. Last year, whatever he chipped in was icing on the cake. This season, he'll need to be the cake.
#3 Jannson Williams--I think we all know what we're getting with Jannson. I love his game, his demeanor, and how he plays. I think he'll be our #2 guy this year. We'll have the bodies to play the 5 and he'll be able to be him at the 4. Jannson at the 4 gives us solid rebounding at that position, someone who can stretch the floor offensively, and a guy who can protect the rim coming free from his man instead of having to be the last line of defense, which lead to him getting into a lot of foul trouble. I'm expecting a big year from Jannson.
#12 Ante Sustic--When you watch this guy go through individual drills, you see why he was liked so much by Dan to offer him. He's very skilled for a 6'10 player. But you put him out there in live action and he just looks lost and the skill in individual drills doesn't translate to live action. He's a senior and still has a way to go. I just don't see it with him.
#13 Jarrod West--While he probably won't be one of our top producers, this is his team. He's 100% on every play and will get into other guys who don't match his level of effort. He's a coach on the floor as well. I know there's some concern about him running point and I know he isn't Jon Elmore, but he's also added to his arsenal offensively. He showed off some nice step back moves and hesitations. He's still 5'11 and when facing other lead guards in live action who are around 6'3, can he still pull those off? That's the question. In just one practice, I like him at PG more than I do Taylor.
#21 Darius George--I think it's going to be hard to keep him off the floor this year. I'm concerned with the amount of guards we have on this team, but that 4 position is deep. Instead of kicking Kinsey down to play the 4, I think we have to play him at some 2 to get George on the floor at the 3. He's a heady player who doesn't get too up or down and seems to always make the right play. Putting him at the 3 with Williams & Bennett at the 4 & 5 respectively, gives us a nice sized lineup that people have been yearning for.
#31 Mikel Byers--I think this guy has made the biggest jump from last season. He's not trying to keep his head above water mentally. He's reacting to things instead of thinking. He showed some ball handling ability I didn't think he had. If he can knock down that corner 3 consistently, he'll be a great option at the 5 to replace Bennett instead of having to kick Jannson down.
Overall:
I like the potential of this team down the road. Obviously, we don't have Elmore & Burks. Those guys aren't coming through the door. So we have to be a different team. How long does it take THIS team find themselves? Who steps up to collectively fill the void of production left by Elmore & Burks? I'm not saying it can't be done, but it will have to be done through defense, being more efficiently offensively, playing more inside-out as opposed to spacing and attacking. I just think this team takes a while to find themselves and lets not act like we have a history of success in the non-conference portion of our schedule under D'antoni when we do know who we are. After just seeing one practice, which I know is a very small sample size, I think this is a middle of the pack CUSA team, who has the potential to knock on the door of that top pod if they can find themselves, Kinsey becomes a 1st team CUSA performer, Jannson produces like a 2nd team CUSA, and we get good production from Sarenac. I don't think the bottom will fall out because D'antoni is such a good coach and developer of talent. We're only going to get better and I think next season will be really special. I just think this season will be half frustrating and half really fun if you like to watch a young team develop and grow.
What I saw this morning was pretty close to what I thought I’d see from this team early on. This team is going to be a lot different than we were in previous years. I think we’ll be more defensively oriented and will get our transition points off of turnovers instead of pushing pace. We have more size, more length, more depth, and more athleticism.
Some concerns:
I’m not sure where our point production comes from. We need some guys to step up and become consistent double-figure scorers (West, Kinsey, Williams, & Bennett). I like what I see from Taylor, but I've seen some Elmore comparisons and they need to stop. I don't see him being that type of player. I think he’s closer comparison to Burks, where he can penetrate and finish through contact, than he is a creator/shooter like Elmore. I think this team will be frustrating to watch in non-conference play, but will be fun to watch as conference play begins if you enjoy seeing guys develop and a team come together. There's just a lot of new faces out there trying to find their role.
Initial reactions of some new players:
#0 Andrew Taylor—He physically looks more advanced than the other freshman guards we’ve recruited. He looks like a taller Jarrod West. We heard comparisons of him to Elmore and I just don’t see it. He’s not the ball handler/creator Jon was. I think his game is somewhere between Burks & West. That’s not a knock on him as a player, I just don’t want the weight of Elmore to be hanging around his neck.
#5 Jeremy Dillon—Another guard who’s more physically advanced than the guards we’ve had in the past. He’s solid all around, but doesn’t really flash anywhere. My early thoughts on him are that he’ll be able to give us some deep bench minutes if we decide to play 9-10 guys. In previous years, if we needed to go to those 9-10 guys, you were kind of holding your breath just hoping the opposition didn't exploit them. I don't think that will happen now.
#15 Marko Sarenac—I like him a lot. This is what I was hoping Nikolic would be for us. He’s a legit 6’7 and has the best court vision & passing ability on the team. He threw some passes in angles today that i didn’t see from the stands. He’s one of those guys who if you’re playing with him you better be aware and ready to catch a pass when he’s got the ball because you never know when he’s going to put it on you. He throws some Pistol Pete/Jason Williams type passes while making it look easy. It might take some time for him to grow accustomed to the size & speed of our competition, but he’s going to be a player.
#24 Cam Brooks-Harris—I think he has the highest ceiling of the newcomers. He’s still really weak and raw, so I’m not sure what he’ll contribute this year, but I like the thought of what D’antoni can do with him. He’s long, can handle the ball, has a nice shot, and his experience playing around the basket early on in high school has given him a nice touch on floaters and hook shots. Once his mind catches up with his motor, I think he can be a really nice defensive perimeter player this year. Just not sure what else how much he can provide outside of that until he gets physically stronger.
#32 Dajour Rucker--Initial thoughts on him are similar to what I have of Dillon, except as a big man. Solid in just about every aspect, but didn't really flash to me in any certain aspect. He's a big body and I think in previous years would have been some nice depth at 4 (especially last year), but right now I see Williams & George getting the majority of those minutes and Kinsey & Sarenac getting some against certain matchups when we want to go smaller. If we get 9-10 deep in our bench, I'm not scared of him seeing the floor in his first year.
#50 Goran Miladinovic--I was hopeful that we could come in this year and give us some solid minutes as a 7'er. After seeing one practice, this guy is a long-term project. Don't get me wrong, there are some tools to work with there. He's 7 foot, he's not a great ball handler but can put it on the floor, he's not a great shooter but can knock it down if left open. Where I was disappointed in him was his lack of physicality, lack of motor, and is mentally doing his best to just tread water right now. If Dan can get to him and turn him into the rim protector type he did with Penava (it clicked with him in year 3), we got us a player. If that never sinks in with him, this will be another Euro who didn't work. Early on, I think he's a project worth taking a chance on because the potential is there. I just wouldn't expect anything from him right now.
Quick notes on returning players:
#1 Taevion Kinsey--I know there were some concerns with his social media posts about him not being happy. But watching him out there on the court, you would never think there was an issue. He's as crazy and fun as he was last season. One thing I did notice from him yesterday that I didn't see much last season was that he seems to be more vocally involved. Yelling at guys, directing them where to go, where the ball needs to be, how to time some of their cuts/screens. He seems to be stepping up as a vocal leader, much like West. Oh, yeah, the dude is still an athletic freak and has added some offensive moves to his arsenal. He was shooting the ball really well yesterday too. How does he handle being the #1 guy our opponents game plan for? That's my only question with him.
#2 Iran Bennett--We're FINALLY going to get to see what this guy can do. His body looks tremendous. He finally looks like a basketball player, not an offensive lineman. He's moving better and I will be someone we'll need some production from this season. Last year, whatever he chipped in was icing on the cake. This season, he'll need to be the cake.
#3 Jannson Williams--I think we all know what we're getting with Jannson. I love his game, his demeanor, and how he plays. I think he'll be our #2 guy this year. We'll have the bodies to play the 5 and he'll be able to be him at the 4. Jannson at the 4 gives us solid rebounding at that position, someone who can stretch the floor offensively, and a guy who can protect the rim coming free from his man instead of having to be the last line of defense, which lead to him getting into a lot of foul trouble. I'm expecting a big year from Jannson.
#12 Ante Sustic--When you watch this guy go through individual drills, you see why he was liked so much by Dan to offer him. He's very skilled for a 6'10 player. But you put him out there in live action and he just looks lost and the skill in individual drills doesn't translate to live action. He's a senior and still has a way to go. I just don't see it with him.
#13 Jarrod West--While he probably won't be one of our top producers, this is his team. He's 100% on every play and will get into other guys who don't match his level of effort. He's a coach on the floor as well. I know there's some concern about him running point and I know he isn't Jon Elmore, but he's also added to his arsenal offensively. He showed off some nice step back moves and hesitations. He's still 5'11 and when facing other lead guards in live action who are around 6'3, can he still pull those off? That's the question. In just one practice, I like him at PG more than I do Taylor.
#21 Darius George--I think it's going to be hard to keep him off the floor this year. I'm concerned with the amount of guards we have on this team, but that 4 position is deep. Instead of kicking Kinsey down to play the 4, I think we have to play him at some 2 to get George on the floor at the 3. He's a heady player who doesn't get too up or down and seems to always make the right play. Putting him at the 3 with Williams & Bennett at the 4 & 5 respectively, gives us a nice sized lineup that people have been yearning for.
#31 Mikel Byers--I think this guy has made the biggest jump from last season. He's not trying to keep his head above water mentally. He's reacting to things instead of thinking. He showed some ball handling ability I didn't think he had. If he can knock down that corner 3 consistently, he'll be a great option at the 5 to replace Bennett instead of having to kick Jannson down.
Overall:
I like the potential of this team down the road. Obviously, we don't have Elmore & Burks. Those guys aren't coming through the door. So we have to be a different team. How long does it take THIS team find themselves? Who steps up to collectively fill the void of production left by Elmore & Burks? I'm not saying it can't be done, but it will have to be done through defense, being more efficiently offensively, playing more inside-out as opposed to spacing and attacking. I just think this team takes a while to find themselves and lets not act like we have a history of success in the non-conference portion of our schedule under D'antoni when we do know who we are. After just seeing one practice, which I know is a very small sample size, I think this is a middle of the pack CUSA team, who has the potential to knock on the door of that top pod if they can find themselves, Kinsey becomes a 1st team CUSA performer, Jannson produces like a 2nd team CUSA, and we get good production from Sarenac. I don't think the bottom will fall out because D'antoni is such a good coach and developer of talent. We're only going to get better and I think next season will be really special. I just think this season will be half frustrating and half really fun if you like to watch a young team develop and grow.
