Pre-Game Thread: vs Missouri (11/29/22)

[ShockingButTrue]

CP is a very good basketball player. He’s just not what you want as a tight ball handler and facilitator at the PG. His handles are too loose, as 3G would say. Watching on TV you can see defenders constantly sneaking up behind him to swat the ball away or luring him into a double team. It’s exactly what i would do if I were game planning against him.

You're talking over their heads. They don't hear when you, or anyone else, says he is a good, not great, player who makes some really stupid unforced errors game after game that don't appear to be just mental but also due to a lack of true point guard ball handling skills. Ray Charles sees it. That's the problem for him, and the team (admittedly, one of many). He doesn't really make his teammates better either which is what most intelligent sports fans expect from a good point guard. Kinda sorta like a good center blocks shots...

The fact that CP is maybe our best player (since Mo is gone) reveals why this team will probably finish anywhere from 5th (doubtful) to 8th in the league. That's not a knock on CP. That's reality.

But, compliments for the kid aside, why HCIB still has him throwing the ball in bounds underneath their hoop is a serious head scratcher, after what we saw last year. Maybe he's the best they got there too...

[Aargh]

After a defensive rebound, the rebounder (if it's not Porter) almost always gives the ball to Porter.

There's almost always an opponent behind Porter, which gives WSU a 5 on 4 transition opportunity, but Porter never pushes the pace. He always dribbles slowly upcourt. That's coaching - or lack thereof.

Instead of moving toward the basket quickly with a one-player advantage, Porter (IB) dribbles slowly up court and the defender behind Porter has an opportunity to go for a reasonably easy steal.

"Dawgs gonna be dawgs" works pretty well if you do it before the defense is set up. It's less effective if the defense has time to set up and identify and defend their targets. that same lack of urgency in transition gives opponents a clear opportunity to strip CP from behind.

Maybe CP can't sprint and dribble at the same time?

[ShockingButTrue]

Maybe CP can't sprint and dribble at the same time?

Eureka! There's been several times in this short season that he's flirted with a 10 second call, just like TE did last year, which another poster alluded to.

[Dan]

TE was a really good player too. He was not a good PG, Maybe CP is the best PG option we have, I’m not there every day at practice. I guess we should all trust IB is making the best personnel decisions since we all agree he knows what he’s doing.

[Shockm]

Well, Point guards are important, but they can't win by themselves. The few times I've watched Fred, he doesn't even bring the ball up. Often their forwards bring it up, and get the offense started, so with a 30 second clock, I'm not sure how important a pure point guard is. I've seen Walton bring up the ball a lot of times for WSU.

None the less, Porter is a very good basketball player. He does many more things than TE who definitely needed to be open, and receive passes to be in shot rhythm. Porter does everything well for a guard, and he has the respect of his fellow players this year, but he needs more than 1-2 consistently good players around him. Sometimes he looks like he's playing by himself.

Defensive pressure definitely bothers Porter because he can't do it by himself. Picks don't help him at all, because the defense, just comes off of the pick to double team him, and Porter has to give up the ball. He needs more help.

[asiseeit]

Good post

[ShockingButTrue]

Well, Point guards are important, but they can't win by themselves. The few times I've watched Fred, he doesn't even bring the ball up. Often their forwards bring it up, and get the offense started, so with a 30 second clock, I'm not sure how important a pure point guard is. I've seen Walton bring up the ball a lot of times for WSU.

None the less, Porter is a very good basketball player. He does many more things than TE who definitely needed to be open, and receive passes to be in shot rhythm. Porter does everything well for a guard, and he has the respect of his fellow players this year, but he needs more than 1-2 consistently good players around him. Sometimes he looks like he's playing by himself.

Defensive pressure definitely bothers Porter because he can't do it by himself. Picks don't help him at all, because the defense, just comes off of the pick to double team him, and Porter has to give up the ball. He needs more help.

Ok. So if the other players would have played as good and as intelligently as CP did against Alcorn State, WSU's worst home loss ever, the Shocks would won. Got it. I'm glad I didn't watch that wretched display of basketball. It seems a lot of other ShockerNet posters missed it too? Hi Kel.

And he dribbles into the defense a lot in the other games because the other guys just aren't setting good enough picks. Sure, let's not believe our lying eyes. What next? Mo didn't bring anything to the team his last 2 years playing in the post. Oh, wait...

[Shockm]

Ok. So if the other players would have played as good and as intelligently as CP did against Alcorn State, WSU's worst home loss ever, the Shocks would won. Got it. I'm glad I didn't watch that wretched display of basketball. It seems a lot of other ShockerNet posters missed it too? Hi Kel.

And he dribbles into the defense a lot in the other games because the other guys just aren't setting good enough picks. Sure, let's not believe our lying eyes. What next? Mo didn't bring anything to the team his last 2 years playing in the post. Oh, wait...

According to you, It sounds like Craig Porter is the reason for the Alcorn State loss and if not for him, they may be 7-0.