Midtgaard ready For Expanded Role

[Aargh]

Not a lot of new info, but it is summer. He's stayed the same weight, but added muscle (which means he's more lean and stronger). It seems he may have refused (or discouraged) a redshirt.

https://www.kansas.com/sports/colleg...214290704.html

[C0|dB|00ded]

I don't know if he can jump. I jsut want him to hurt people.

Oh and hopefully he doesn't have concrete hands.


T


...:cool:

[IndianaShocker]

Cold,
No better than average positionally. Probable that his hands are at best adequate to slightly below average, but no better than average. I say that with fairly high confidence. If he had soft hands (an elite physical skill for post players of his stature) no doubt he disrupts our 2018 rotation.

If he were elite in any of the 1st 6 categories below he cracks the 2018 rotation and is getting serious looks as 2019 1st rounder.

1. Hand/Eye
2. Soft Hands (almost always accompanies those with good to great hand eye, but not always the other way around).
3. Instincts (anticipation, timing, etc)
4. Agility
5. Ability to jump quickly
6. Vertical leap
--------------
7. Basketball specific skills
8. Endurance

Heres the good news...average "hands" aren't a problem in this case. Doesn't make him a liability. Doesn't even keep him from domintaing at the college level. He has an elite measurable. When it comes to players of his size, it's more important to focus on any additional physical talents possessed rather than those lacked.

Steven Adams has adequate to below average basketball specific skills. He's an elite NBA Big because he possesses elite hand/eye, great hands, pretty good agility, and elite endurance. And I'm not talking positionally; he ranks as a plus in the areas above when compared to all nba players. Even with the lowest of ball skills, a player with those assets and a frame like AM or Adams = 10+ yr NBA starter if healthy.

If AM can just be above average POSTIONALLY at any two of the first 6 and one of 7 or 8, he will have an NBA career. Think Plumlee & Baynes

Key is to identify what AM does well rather than concern over what he lacks (assuming he DOES do something well). If he's a plus in literally any physical/athletic measurement, intangible, or basketball specific skill in conjunction w his frame, the advantage is great at the NCAA level.

The goal with AM - identify and exploit.

[im4wsu]

IndianaShocker[/URL] commented Cold,
No better than average positionally. Probable that his hands are at best adequate to slightly below average, but no better than average. I say that with fairly high confidence. If he had soft hands (an elite physical skill for post players of his stature) no doubt he disrupts our 2018 rotation.

If he were elite in any of the 1st 6 categories below he cracks the 2018 rotation and is getting serious looks as 2019 1st rounder.

1. Hand/Eye
2. Soft Hands (almost always accompanies those with good to great hand eye, but not always the other way around).
3. Instincts (anticipation, timing, etc)
4. Agility
5. Ability to jump quickly
6. Vertical leap
--------------
7. Basketball specific skills
8. Endurance

IMHO, AM has pretty good hands. Not great athletic agility. Biggest limitation seemed to be thinking where to be, what to do next, particularly on offense. Stats do not show that he became better in 2018 than in 2017 (23 min in 2018; 26 in 2017). Hopefully the summer scrimmages will allow him to become more comfortable in the schemes.

To me, he played pretty good post defense, but was lacking when asked to defend outside of the low block area.

He can be very valuable if he becomes familiar with the offensive sets and can implement instinctively. If he can accomplish that, he can set a very useful screen. When he gets the ball down low, he can score from inside 10 feet.

I'm not expecting AM to contribute more than 10-12 minutes a game, but if he can do that and have the score change in the plus category during his time on the floor, I'll be happy.

[ShockTalk]

You were being kind im4wsu with the "minutes" he played last year in '17 vs '18. Granted, it had more to do with who we were playing when, but AM played in 8 of the first 16 games, then only 1 of the last 17.

[im4wsu]

ShockTalk[/URL] commented You were being kind im4wsu with the "minutes" he played last year in '17 vs '18. Granted, it had more to do with who we were playing when, but AM played in 8 of the first 16 games, then only 1 of the last 17.

This is how statistics can be selected to paint different pictures. AM appeared in 4 of the 18 AAC games and none of the 3 post-season games. The skew in the regular season was not nearly as bad as 1 of the last 17 (which is technically correct). four of his games were under a 20-point margin (2 in AAC) and the remainder were over 35-point margins. So granted, he played against the lesser competition for the most part. I haven't checked to see the portion o each of the games he got his minutes; some was mop-up and some was before the final mop-up minutes.

[BostonWu]

Wish we could borrow former uni goon Lucas O'Rear to teach him the finer points of setting a screen.

[shock]

That dude had a big butt

[WSUwatcher]

Hence the name...