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I actually think this is skewed by how bad we were playing through December and early January. We've gotten better recently. -
Have we? I'm still seeing the same ridiculous defensive breakdowns that I saw in November. And like Tom Hart noted on Tuesday night, it is what it is. I don't think it's going to improve.Originally posted by Will Lavender View PostComment
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I think we have.Originally posted by KCKUKFan View Post
I throw Tuesday night out. Without Wallace this team is a shell defensively. In the games he's started at pg we've looked much better. We were so unbelievably terrible for a six- or seven-game run there that we dipped down into the 300s in efficiency.
This team will never be overly solid defensively though with Oscar against the pick and roll and with a lack of any kind of shot-blocking. But when "the lineup" plays together this team guards fairly well. CJ Fredrick is a surprisingly good defender because he plays really hard.
The problem is you can't play that lineup 40 minutes a game. You also can still put the lineup in pick and rolls as we saw against Kansas.Last edited by Will Lavender; 02-02-2023, 09:24 AM.Comment
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Speaking of the pick and roll, I'm not sure why we are so bad at defending it. It is February and this team is still flummoxed by a simple offensive set. They're not even in position to guard it. The Kansas game made me want to cry because Cal could've easily shut it down with a zone. And, well, you know that story.Comment
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I think it's probably communication. I don't think Oscar talks well on the court.Originally posted by KCKUKFan View Post
Remember last year Oscar was responsible for almost getting Sahvir Wheeler killed more than once.Comment
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I don't think any of these players talk well on the court. Not even Cason Wallace.
The only guy who I really see talking out there is CJ Fredrick, and he has obvious limitations.Comment
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I'm probably more in the Pitino school of defensive philosophy where you always have a zone in your pocket and you aren't afraid to switch up.Originally posted by Los Gatos View Post
However if this team can't communicate in pick and rolls they probably wouldn't communicate well in a zone. At this level it's like if you aren't totally on point some dude's gonna light you up for 9 made threes in a game.
We've seen a zone very sporadically in Cal's era but never anything except a 2-3. Seems like one year they may've played a little bit of 3-2 or what used to be called "match-up zone."Comment
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We do have a bad defense. Not sure we can turn anything around on our D. Do not see this team magically "Getting it".Proverbs 25:24Comment
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We don't have a team that can guard. The only guy that can guard his man is Wallace. He's doing to much to try and guard his man and then help on Oscar and Toppin's man too. It's wearing him out and getting him in foul trouble. The whole team doesn't understand help defense. I know Cal doesn't want to play a zone and I don't like a zone either. But this is a team of zone players.Comment
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I think that one lineup can guard pretty well. He just doesn't play that lineup for long enough stretches sometimes and, ya know, you can't play the same five guys for an entire game.
When he mixes and matches weird things happen to this team. Notice that in the Kansas game when things got away from us in the first half it was when Lance and Wheeler were in. That 9-point hole or whatever it was ended up being what doomed us.Comment
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What line up would that be? Oscar is not a good defender. Toppin does not guard. Wheeler can't guard. Reeves is not a good defender.Originally posted by Will Lavender View Post
The game is always going to get away against decent teams when Wheeler plays. We are playing 4 against 5 on both ends when Wheeler plays. When Wheeler and Ware play together we are playing 3 against 5 on offense. Ware is not a great defender but he's better than our other frontline players. Except maybe Onyenso? But he hasn't played enough to know.Comment
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I've seen Toppin sticking on some guys. Held down Brandon Miller until he got hurt.Originally posted by BJD View Post
Reeves is okay. Gets bodied a lot. Not strong enough. But not terrible and he will get after it, particularly in these last few games. Defense comes down to effort a lot of times and if you're playing hard you generally will defend well. Reeves has everything going offensively and I think that's bled to his defense--but he's always at a disadvantage because guys get into his body.
CJ's a good defender. Oscar is brute strong which helps him in one-on-ones. Can't handle picks as we all know.
That isn't a bad team defensively when those five are in there. They've done some things. I ain't gonna call them elite or anything but they can hang in alright until the avalanche of pick and rolls comes.Comment
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Also, I like Lance. You could make a case that outside of Wallace he might be our best defender. His strength helps him and he also plays mean.
If the guy could score at all he'd be a solid college player.Comment
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