BGleas

1 hour ago, Artesian_86 said:

…..just looking over the Pacer’s stats and current place in the standings. We are sitting at 26-20, 6th in the East, 3 games behind 5th place NY and 9.5 out of first. 
The way we’ve been playing, lately, especially since picking up Pascal, feels/seems like we are the best team in the East, if not the top 5 in the NBA. Get Tyrese back to full strength and acclimated with Pascal, we could be nasty..…JMO 

I think what the Pacers have done is phenomenal. I thought they were really good before the Siakim trade, and now they're even better. 

As a Celtics fan, I honestly would prefer we don't come across the Pacers in the playoffs, and I felt that way before the Siakim trade. 

With all of that said, given what the Celtics have done so far this season, I don't think you can say the Pacers are the best team in the East. 

The Celtics have the best record in the league, the best offensive rating, 3rd best defensive rating, and #1 overall net rating. Along with that, they have the most wins/best record against over .500 teams. 

But yes, I think the Pacers are right in that next group and maybe #2. 

Big thing for the Pacers will be how much ground they can make up? Often in the playoffs homecourt is the difference in a 7-game series. You'd prefer to have homecourt, especially in the 2nd round. 

35 minutes ago, KoB2011 said:

It’s honestly a simple adjustment that needs to be made to produce better results for the remainder of the year. 

Yup, super easy adjustment that has the potential to take our perimeter play from a net negative to maybe at least neutral, while not really taking anything away from the advantage our bigs have because everyone would have more space. 

It would certainly be something if Doc Rivers ended up the East All-Star Coach 🤣

36 minutes ago, IowaHoosierFan said:

Its just different.  Its not what i expect to see when i see KoB2011 has posted something.

I envision a "K" with a green background. Anything else is unacceptable IMO @KoB2011

1 hour ago, IU Scott said:

I was able to shoot at Market Square Arena when we took the boys and girls club to play there. I was use to the line being 19'9 but I was able to hit 8/20 from the pro line 23'9.  I would hope ba college level player could adjust to the college line

Calbert Chaeney couldn't adjust to the NBA line. You'd think the all-time leading scorer in Big Ten history and an excellent shooter could make that small couple of steps back, but he never could. 

He was almost 44% for his career from 3 in college, but just under 30% in the NBA.  

1 minute ago, tdhoosier said:

This is interesting to me. Not surprising, but interesting. 

In Woody's first year the team looking great defensively. What was it about that team that grasped his scheme? I know Archie seemed to recruit 'defense first' players....so maybe the personnel had a better awareness to what was going on.

The thing that doesn't make sense to me is why we started slipping defensively in year 2. Sure X was injured for half of the year, but the collection of players didn't change that drastically. And our vets were even older. 

And currently, the problems we had last year are even more magnified this year. Even the players who have been in the system for 2 years look out of sorts. Every time our opponents reverse the ball we are out of position.

I fear that with the way CBB has changed - with the transfer portal - we won't have the luxury of keeping players in the program to learn the system in the way Woody needs for it to be effective. We will be in a perpetual state of learning and competitive teams will eat us up.

So where does Woody go from here? 

I think we had better defensive players in Year 1. XJ, Stewart, Kopp, Phinisee and Galloway was a pretty good defensive backcourt/wing group. 

Phinisee came with offensive flaws, but he was an excellent defender. 

Stewart and Kopp caught a lot of heat that season, but I always thought they were pretty strong defenders. Certainly from a defensive IQ standpoint. 

The scheme is pretty much the same. I think it's been a steady decline in the jimmy's/Joe's in terms of perimeter defense. 

23 minutes ago, Steubenhoosier said:

If this shows anything, it's that the fans are engaged, not apathetic. It could very well signify that the fans are a source of problem if the majority of the 1 million are disgruntled and complaining.

Yeah, its kind of one of those chicken/egg things. 

Kansas, Kentucky, UNC, Duke, etc., have fans just as crazy as IU fans. 

The difference is that those programs have delivered winners. Those programs for the most part are delivering on their promise of being ranked, winning conference titles, competing for and largely delivering Final Fours and National Titles. 

Maybe IU fans are worse over the last 25 years, but that's because the program isn't holding up their end of the bargain. 

24 minutes ago, KoB2011 said:

Announcer said Luka trips 🤣🤣🤣

Mavs players were mad because the game was in Dallas and the Mav entertainment ops team showed the replay on the jumbotron 🤣

It's good for IU that Illinois plays today and Wednesday. IU will have plenty of rest comparatively. 

11 minutes ago, Kdug said:

Agreed all around. The thing is I could see Woodson realizing he needs to build a roster differently. But based on his comments, I struggle to see him realizing he needs to modernize our style of play.

For me, Dolson also needs to know what candidates are interested in the job. If there’s a coach who’d be a clear upgrade, make the move.

Using an example from the MLB, just look at what the Cubs did this offseason. They had a manager who was average, still under contract, and done an acceptable but not great job. However, one of the best managers was available and interested. So they fired their manager to make a clear upgrade. It’s cutthroat, but those are the types of moves an AD at a big program needs to be willing to make if available.

Great reference on the Cubs. Very applicable if there is a candidate out there that would be interested. 

My reference was the Eagles when they fired Doug Pederson. After a 4-win season the plan was to give him another year to try and get things back on track. 

But when he met with the owner on offseason plans, the owner wasn't happy with the lack of change that Pederson was proposing. 

That's when Pederson got fired. It wasn't necessarily the plan initially going into the offseason. 

33 minutes ago, dgambill said:

Agree 100%…and Scott is the only one with behind the scenes knowledge of what Woody is doing day in and out. If he looks like a 65 year old coach just coasting along and not relating to these you kids no matter what he does in recruiting parents it isn’t translating on the court. None of us can know that but Scott sure can…and id pull the plug too if he already knows Woody isn’t up to it…otherwise yes another year is about all you can let this go.

Yeah, and I think if you determine he's "up to it", then the next question from Dolson has to be "show me your plan."

Then if you're not aligned on the plan I think you also need to make the move. 

If the plan is basically "we just need to keep working", then I think you need to make the move then too. 

2 hours ago, IUCrazy2 said:

I want to hang onto him if he learns how to pass out of the post.  We had a play last night that actually went into Sparks.  Wisconsin brought the double and he passed to a wide open and ready to shoot Galloway who buried the shot.  That is something Malik needs to learn.

I think Cupps can and will be good if given the right direction.  Still have Newton sitting over there.  Keep McNeeley as your 3 and maybe even bring Galloway back for another year and you have pieces to build around.  Cupps, Galloway, Mgbako, Reneau, and Ware are one of the most efficient line ups in the country.  We have pieces, we just need a new systemic approach.  Now I would want to add some guys still obviously but you could probably make some hay with Cupps, Galloway, McNeeley, a stretch 4, and Reneau.  Go in the portal and get a veteran guard to take over and bring Gabe off the bench to develop more and even better.  Get 2 guards and have Gabe and Galloway be bench guys and you are really cooking.

That is going to take Woodson getting his butt out there this summer though.  

I think Galloway, Reneau, Cupps, Mgbako and McNeely is a solid core to build off. 

Bring a coach with the cache to hit the portal hard for guards and some depth frontcourt guys, and that wants to play a modern style of basketball, and you can be back in pretty short order. 

1 minute ago, Inequality said:

That’s interesting because when I heard Ware might be out Walker made more sense to me than Sparks

Same. Seemed like a no-brainer. 

Does the staff not even look at data at all?

I think it's a little early in the season for a guy like Ware to think about shutting it down. 

He would slide down draft boards, and as crazy and unrealistic as it sounds, there still is a path to making the tournament. 

Mid-to-late February maybe, but too early at this point. 

1 minute ago, FWIUFan said:

I think we have forgotten how unimpressed most were with the CMW hire when it was announced.  

What seemed to placate fans was we were given some sort of holy trinity of BB in the deal.  CMW with NBA experience and a modern approach to our play. for the present, Matta for college experience, and last Fife for the future.  Now Matta is gone and successful once again.  Fife has gone who knows where.  CMW is left standing on his own now and the emperor has no clothes.

Unfortunately, he has shown us nothing more than CAM 2.0 for now his 3rd year.  It's Groundhog Day with men's IUBB.  I see no evidence of any change for this season and no evidence of improvement next year.

IUBB is a meritocracy.  I'm officially giving my vote of NO CONFIDENCE.  He should retire or be fired at the end of this year.  If not both he and Dolson need to be fired and replaced.  

That's what got me excited. I was extremely underwhelmed at first. 

But when Matta and Fife were hired, along with some of the other moves, I thought maybe Dolson was actually being innovative here. 

I thought maybe IU was going to be at the forefront of building the college version of an NBA Front Office. 

Matta as sort of a quasi General Manager helping with developing the stylistic makeup of the program and the recruiting philosophy, with Woodson as the Head Coach/President of BBall Ops or something like that. 

That's what got me excited. 

1 minute ago, IU Scott said:

Another positive, we won the second half.

IU 53 

UW 52

Got them over the hump in the 2nd half!