Huge win! That was fun...

[Clone95]

That really was a fun win. Jones made up for some poor play early with a big block, taking a charge, and completing an and 1 in a short span. Jones has quick hands for his size, plays solid D, and definitely deserves 15 mins a game.

I really don’t know why someone would disparage one of our guys in a thread titled “Huge win…”, anyway, but really think their assessment of Jones is inaccurate and based on a couple bad plays.

 

[ISUTex]

He's more athletic than people give him credit for. He's not Hunter, but he's more athletic than Morris was, just doesn't have Morris' jump shot or length.

More athletic than Morris? Ehhhh, slow down there.

 

[madguy30]

You miss his length? Hunter is smaller than Lipsey! Lol

Length to get in passing lanes.

Not height.

 

[CYDJ]

Love the way ISU plays but holy cow is it weird to be estatic when a player finishes at the rim.

I liked Hunter and still miss his length at the perimeter (Lipsey is freaking quick with the hands and holds his own) but he struggled at the rim.

You might be messing up the numbers, Lipsey is the one that drives to the bucket and finishes, becuase he doesn't pick the most stupid times and places to drive. He knows how to both use his screens and fake and hesitate his man off him enough to get a clean look a the bucket. He doers this WAY more than he takes it into a defenders' chest.

Hunter is more athletically capable, I'm thinking. But, he didn't often win the battle when he took the ball inside, relying on his athleticism to overcome the 6'9" - 7'0" forward / center there ready to feed him the ball.

When Lipsey takes the ball inside, I trust there is a reason. I NEVER had that feeling with Hunter.

Sometimes great athletes are great becuase they are smart as well as gifted. Sometimes, their gifts carry them past possessing a high bball IQ. Either way, they might be equally good good ball players.

 

[madguy30]

You might be messing up the numbers, Lipsey is the one that drives to the bucket and finishes, becuase he doesn't pick the most stupid times and places to drive. He knows how to both use his screens and fake and hesitate his man off him enough to get a clean look a the bucket. He doers this WAY more than he takes it into a defenders' chest.

Hunter is more athletically capable, I'm thinking. But, he didn't often win the battle when he took the ball inside, relying on his athleticism to overcome the 6'9" - 7'0" forward / center there ready to feed him the ball.

When Lipsey takes the ball inside, I trust there is a reason. I NEVER had that feeling with Hunter.

Sometimes great athletes are great becuase they are smart as well as gifted. Sometimes, their gifts carry them past possessing a high bball IQ. Either way, they might be equally good good ball players.

Actually you're elaborating further on what I'm saying. I liked Hunter's ability to get to the hoop and he was pretty tough to it imo, but there were some straight clunkers when he got there.

Lipsey picks and chooses a bit more it seems but even so I have full confidence when he's there to get the bucket.

And when I say 'length' perhaps it's not the right term...just thinking Hunter seemed to be dangerous with his hands in the passing lanes on D while Lipsey tends to have great timing in attacking from a help position to swipe the ball and get downhill.

Hunter could 'play' long to the sides if that makes sense.

 

[Frak]

He's mostly a minutes eater but isn't really adept in any one area. At times he can display some post moves but he often turns the ball over, misses an opportunity, or misses an awkward shot when he tries. For his size (height) he is a poor rebounder and finisher around the rim. He plays adequate to good defense on direct post ups but lacks awareness to see cutters and provide help-side defense. He can run the floor well but that asset is often negated by his poor finishing ability.

At this point I think I've seen enough to surmise our best lineups are without Jones, especially with the addition of Tre King. There is no reason (other than foul trouble which has been problematic at times) for Osun to only play 16 minutes a game. He's better in almost every facet of the game and provides a lot of potential for easy pick and roll buckets with Lipsey, which is vital for a team that struggles to score. I also think that, at least against most teams, that going small with a guard centric lineup is better than having Jones on the floor. Both Ward, Watson, and King (along with increased minutes from Osun) are more effective lineup options.

I'm not even mad at Jones, he is who he is. It was mindboggling to see Jones get 15 minutes considering how much he was struggling. Worst player on the floor for us by a country mile.

I don’t disagree with you, but Osun gets in too much foul trouble for Jones to only be playing 10 minutes. Ward and King are not big enough to guard the 5 in anything but short stretches.

 

[isutrevman]

More athletic than Morris? Ehhhh, slow down there.

Yes.

 

[flycy]

Yesterday wasn't a great game for Jones, but calling him useless is ridiculous. He has been really good for us all year.

He's improved, has had a good game or two, but should get limited minutes most days. I still cringe every time tries to shoot a bunny. Good effort usually though.

 

[Cyclonepride]

He's improved, has had a good game or two, but should get limited minutes most days. I still cringe every time tries to shoot a bunny. Good effort usually though.

He's only averaging a little over 18 minutes a game, which seems about right. Also shooting 52%, and while that isn't fantastic for an inside player, it's serviceable. I think he's perfect for the role he is in.

 

[NWICY]

I have almost no complaint about Jones' contribution. Especially comparing it to last season. He misses some bunnies, yes, but he has enough productivity that he's more than a "minutes-eater" for opponents.

Jones is way better than last yr. You can tell he put a ton of work in on the off season to improve. The whole team is coming along nicely when you look at the parts replaced and where we were. The way TJ and staff continue to rebuild and improve the program is exceptional IMO.
The way the staff has adjusted to the new NIL/transfer world is pretty amazing figuring it didn't even exist 5 yrs ago.

 

[nfrine]

He's improved, has had a good game or two, but should get limited minutes most days. I still cringe every time tries to shoot a bunny. Good effort usually though.

Please forward this observation to TJ. I am sure he would be pleased and would know what to do with it.

 

[Cyclonepride]

Jones is way better than last yr. You can tell he put a ton of work in on the off season to improve. The whole team is coming along nicely when you look at the parts replaced and where we were. The way TJ and staff continue to rebuild and improve the program is exceptional IMO.
The way the staff has adjusted to the new NIL/transfer world is pretty amazing figuring it didn't even exist 5 yrs ago.

I think the most critical factor has been how we share the ball. We were right, there is no Brockington (consistent go-to scorer) on this team, but we're getting so many assists per made bucket that our offense has actually improved.