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Posted by Cold Spring Cat (Member # 14751) on 02-06-2018, 10:44 AM:

I have struggled with a question with this year's team and wanted to get everyone's thoughts....

Is this team playing individually for the name on the back of the jersey instead of as a team for the name on the front?

Discuss.....

Posted by ALA_KAT2 (Member # 1559) on 02-06-2018, 06:05 PM:

They are accused often for playing for the name on the back, but I think as the season goes along that they (at least most) cannot help but buy in to team play. No matter what, they like to have success for their team.
However, a few of them know they're only going to be here one year, so that may keep them from buying in completely.
In either case, coach Cal cannot truly develop a team identity with such young players and who leave after their first year. Unfortunately, Cal has created this dilemma and now must figure out how to adjust, especially if the NBA changes the OneNDone rule to minimum 2 years in college if the don't go to the NBA straight out of High School. Personally, I'll be surprised if that rule is changed any time soon.

Posted by ukcatfannfl (Member # 1425) on 02-06-2018, 06:10 PM:

no question in my mind they play for themselves and the contract at the end of this wasted year in college.......

Posted by catmandoo (Member # 1284) on 02-06-2018, 06:33 PM:

I agree I don't think they are going to change and truly believe they play for the team. Their may be an exception but not many. Cal does a great job keeping them on the staraight and narrow.

Posted by ukcatfannfl (Member # 1425) on 02-06-2018, 06:46 PM:

last yr we had two ky kids to keep everyone in line - this yr we have no one!

Posted by Cold Spring Cat (Member # 14751) on 02-07-2018, 10:36 AM:

quote:
Originally posted by catmandoo:
I agree I don't think they are going to change and truly believe they play for the team. Their may be an exception but not many. Cal does a great job keeping them on the staraight and narrow.

CMD - Knox is clearly playing for draft position at this point. The kid lives and dies behind the arc and rarely goes inside. Diallo has one foot out the door too even with as poor as he has been playing. Alexander is eyeing the next level because he has played himself into that position. Washington is not engaged either.

If I had to pick a player or two that are playing for the team, it would be Gabariel and Green.

Posted by Bama Cat (Member # 153) on 02-07-2018, 10:42 AM:

Agree

Posted by Tiptree (Member # 844) on 02-07-2018, 11:05 AM:

I am not going to judge these player's hearts. I think we all agree that this team has been incredibly disappointing. My personal opinion is that they all suffer from never having to be team players, and thus, never really having to develop "basketball IQ". When you are The Man on your team, why bother with that? Your coach will make sure your teammates feed you the ball, so all that "IQ" stuff is on them. If you watch them play offense, you can tell that they are all used to just being fed the ball... there is little thought of moving without the ball, or setting up another teammate. No, they are all used to being the number one option offensively, so they stand around and wait for the basketball.

Defensively, this team is doing just as one would expect a team of prima donnas to do. They are trying to learn how to play team defense, how to give 100% effort on every play. This is clearly not what they are used to doing. It isn't that they are incapable of playing great defense, it is just that it has never been asked of them before!

Ed pointed out that there is usually a big drop-off from the top 1-3 players and the next set of "5-stars". And, some years even the top players are not as good as the top players from other years. In other words, truly gifted basketball players are rare, and not evenly distributed between class years. Cal's system depends upon getting 2 or 3 of the very best players to be successful; he won the championship only when he had one of the decadal talents in Davis, backed up with some super-talented teammates. Other years, UK goes as far as our best players take us.

This is the downside of Cal's approach. When you hit one of the down-years in talent, and your cupboard is bare of upperclassmen, it really can be rock-bottom. What is very worrying is the sudden dominance of Duke among the top players. If that continues, Cal will be feeling some serious heat.

I will watch this team play out, but I have zero hope for a good ending to this season. My secret hope is (despite Trey's note otherwise) that all of them get their pride wounded and decide to come back. Another year could make a world of difference for each of them individually, and even more of a difference as a team.

Go Blue!

[ 02-07-2018, 11:09 AM: Message edited by: Tiptree ]

Posted by ukcatfannfl (Member # 1425) on 02-07-2018, 12:04 PM:

Tks Tip as u are right on

Also if the nba goes 2 and done and allow the best of the best go direct to the pro's or G League it will be even worse cause ALL the 5stars will have growth problems basically like we are having now..

anyone think of that?

Posted by Bama Cat (Member # 153) on 02-07-2018, 12:29 PM:

Sure. If the best kids leave HS and go to the NBA the level of basketball will be more balanced because someone will be lucky to get a kid to go to college that was good enough to go pro. There will be few of them. The level of college ball will revert to what it was some years ago but a lot of teams could win the championship.

Posted by ukcatfannfl (Member # 1425) on 02-07-2018, 12:47 PM:

Disagree Bama then the one and done teams will be just that - i.e. ky

The 3 and 4 yr starters will move back to being the best of the pack i.e. Purdue

Without Bagley Duke would really suck this yr..

Posted by PaulCat (Member # 513) on 02-07-2018, 02:16 PM:

And Oklahoma would be a .500 team without Trae Young.

Posted by ukcatfannfl (Member # 1425) on 02-07-2018, 02:31 PM:

maybe but only have young they wont go very far in the tourney either

Posted by PaulCat (Member # 513) on 02-07-2018, 03:18 PM:

Yeah Oklahoma and Dook are much alike. Remove Bagley and Young and neither one of those teams are any good at all.