Team USA/Baker vs. Brazil

[capnkirk]

Mark Few reminds me of Monty Burns in Homer at the bat.

"Where are my beloved ringers??"

"Baker I said trim those sideburns!"

That damn hypnotist!

[ShockerPrez]

Glad Ron made the team.

Sorry Ron has to actually sit through this crap when he could have been helping the Shox get better.

[Dan]

Reading the summer recap article the other day made me realize how different Marshall and Few really are. 3G said his recruiting priorities are a point guard and a post. He said we have several guys "that can play point" but we need a true point guard. Few obviously thinks you just need a guy that can bring the ball up the court, guess we found out where that gets you.

[RoyalShock]

Baker has clearly been the best perimeter defender on Team USA, and it's unfortunate that his shot has been woefully off. Although my personal opinion is that it's due to the pressure he's feeling that he needs to score.

I honestly believe that if he hits just one of those five threes against Puerto Rico, he probably gets more minutes against Brazil.

It's just a bad time for him to go cold from the arc.

[Kung Wu]

With Baker in, USA cut the deficit to about 8. After Few pulled Baker, Brazil went up by 18.
.
I get the feeling we may be watching some minutes from next year's MVC DPOY If he can beat out FVV.

Nah, now that Tekele's gone they will feel it's more fair to give it to someone on Drake or Evansville.

[Cdizzle]

It's just a bad time for him to go cold from the arc.

From my perspective, these are the best games all year for him to be cold.

[Heinro]

Few's offensive first mentality drives me crazy. On top of that, I really wish either Fred or Monte Morris were on this team. It would be interesting to see how USA would do with a pass first, low turnover type of point guard. Shame we wasted a roster spot, could desperately use a 3rd pg.

[engrshock]

Brazil shot 58% from 3-pt range in beating USA Basketball by 10 pts tonight at the Pan Am Games. Only one US player made more than one three. Some of that was just good shooting by Brazil. Most of it was bad defense on the perimeter by the US and the fact that Brazil actually runs an offense, sets picks and passes the ball to the open player. The US "offense" appears to be trying to drive the ball to the basket and get off a tough shot and hopefully get fouled.

[ShockdaWorld]

I haven't seen any real good stat lines to prove my theory right or wrong, but I can't imagine many guys have a better plus/minus than Ron does. Sure, he's not hitting his 3's, but he's getting steals, rebounds, fouls drawn, assists, etc. These are all things that a GOOD coach would see as at least as important as hitting shots, if not more important. The fact that Ron isn't getting minutes along with the fact that they are not playing well or playing as a team is a spotlight directly on Mark Few, not on Ron. I know, I know, Benite hit some crazy shots while Ron was guarding him. He was on fire. It happens. The difference is when Ron was guarding him, he was able to receive the ball much less often than against anyone else, and when he did, he had to work for it. Against all other defenders, he was 10 feet open the majority of the time. Oh yah...that zero turnovers looks pretty good too, particularly when compared to the trash Few has handling the ball the majority of the time.

[xazshox]

Retractoin

I see I managed to type the exact opposite of what I meant to see last night, re:

Two pt guards on the US team with a pass 1st mentality! Who picked Mark Few to be the head coach of this team?

I think I was so upset with the way the US Pan Am team was playing that I just typed that wrong. What I meant to say was that the 2 US point guards, Trimble & Brown, have a shoot first mentality. I got so disgusted watching the game last night that I turned it off. I did notice this morning that the US team managed to cut the final score to a 10-pt deficit.

If the US point guards ever thought of passing to Baker in the corner, for example, they might have found the lane much easier to drive through instead of attempting those horrible shots that were blocked out of bounds, etc.

[ShockerPhi]

I know I would actually root AGAINST this USA team if Baker weren't on it. It's some of the most selfish basketball I've ever seen, and I actually prefer watching pick-up games amongst ameteurs. I won't be watching tonight as I have better things to do.

[boltforge]

Brazil shot 58% from 3-pt range in beating USA Basketball by 10 pts tonight at the Pan Am Games. Only one US player made more than one three. Some of that was just good shooting by Brazil. Most of it was bad defense on the perimeter by the US and the fact that Brazil actually runs an offense, sets picks and passes the ball to the open player. The US "offense" appears to be trying to drive the ball to the basket and get off a tough shot and hopefully get fouled.

How much time does Brazil have to put together a team?

Is it a lot more than the USA?

It just seems that all the other countries players are actually running an offence where we are not. The USA team looks like what happens when Marshall puts in the "all freshman squad" to get them time. Lots of motion mistakes and standing in places that make the offensive movement worse. I just don't see that problem with the other countries. And this is also a Few problem ... he doesn't help during the game. Look at how much Marshall coaches his learning players on and off the court during the game. To get them moving to the right spots and to get them to RUN THE DAMN FLOOR.

That last part really hurts the offense with a 24 second clock. Really only Ron has learned to RUN THE DAMN FLOOR. The announcers just say it is his motor. It's simply that he RUNS THE DAMN FLOOR.

[boltforge]

I know, I know, Benite hit some crazy shots while Ron was guarding him. He was on fire. It happens. The difference is when Ron was guarding him, he was able to receive the ball much less often than against anyone else, and when he did, he had to work for it. Against all other defenders, he was 10 feet open the majority of the time.

On Benite ... FVV had an interview last season on that sometimes it takes a point guard on defence. Brazil was running basically the same offence as Evansville. Run, run, and run the shooter who can make the crazy shots. It seems that WSU shuts that down by slowing the shooter's motion with the backside defenders. Make his life miserable each time he tries to move without the ball. But, that would require the other defenders to pay attention to more than standing there.

[Stickboy46]

On Benite ... FVV had an interview last season on that sometimes it takes a point guard on defence. Brazil was running basically the same offence as Evansville. Run, run, and run the shooter who can make the crazy shots. It seems that WSU shuts that down by slowing the shooter's motion with the backside defenders. Make his life miserable each time he tries to move without the ball. But, that would require the other defenders to pay attention to more than standing there.

No matter what they did, its pretty much impossible to guard a running, falling away from the basket, short armed shot.

[ShockdaWorld]

No matter what they did, its pretty much impossible to guard a running, falling away from the basket, short armed shot.

This is true, but Ron did a MUCH better job of keeping the ball out of his hands than anyone else on the team even attempted to do.