From what I could tell tonight we're having some growing pains with either new players figuring out where they fit into the team or guys having expanded roles from last year. It will get better as time goes on, but there are only two players from last year I would say have the same role from last year.
Hogue is still in there as a rebounder and cleanup man who benefits from good passing to score easy buckets down low and Edozie is still just there to be a rebounder and post defender (he played very well tonight going beyond that role).
Everyone else is having a few growing pains. BDJ is struggling with not having to score all of his team's points and playing within a team system. He also seems to have issues driving and dishing for wide open 3's. Morris, Thomas and Naz are all trying to add a slashing element to their game to account for the loss of Kane and are at times still hesitant to power in and finish hard at the hoop. Naz seems to have picked up slashing the best of the 3. Nader looks lost at times, it'd be nice if he could settle into the role that Dustin had last year, albeit with less production probably. Niang at times is trying to do too much and you can tell he really is trying to put the team on his back. If he is going to play the 5 he needs to challenge drivers, at least until McKay is eligible.
Thing to remember though, we had growing pains in the early season pretty much every year since we've become Transfer U, last year was the exception not the rule. Once these guys get used to playing with each other and carve out their roles we'll have a fun ride.
Hogue is still in there as a rebounder and cleanup man who benefits from good passing to score easy buckets down low and Edozie is still just there to be a rebounder and post defender (he played very well tonight going beyond that role).
Everyone else is having a few growing pains. BDJ is struggling with not having to score all of his team's points and playing within a team system. He also seems to have issues driving and dishing for wide open 3's. Morris, Thomas and Naz are all trying to add a slashing element to their game to account for the loss of Kane and are at times still hesitant to power in and finish hard at the hoop. Naz seems to have picked up slashing the best of the 3. Nader looks lost at times, it'd be nice if he could settle into the role that Dustin had last year, albeit with less production probably. Niang at times is trying to do too much and you can tell he really is trying to put the team on his back. If he is going to play the 5 he needs to challenge drivers, at least until McKay is eligible.
Thing to remember though, we had growing pains in the early season pretty much every year since we've become Transfer U, last year was the exception not the rule. Once these guys get used to playing with each other and carve out their roles we'll have a fun ride.
