Can’t believe I’m saying this…but Fernandes needs to take Simpson’s minutes
- Thread starter RUSCFORMERLYRULOU
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Now that Simpson has adjusted his offensive game it would be foolish.
Noah just flat out doesnt pass. This is NOT lost on his teammates
Noah just flat out doesnt pass. This is NOT lost on his teammates
Times a million. DSelfish’s shots are essentially turnovers. His defense does not make up for that. Noah plays D well enough to relegate DS to minor minutes.
Noah's defense sucks, and Simpson's defense does make up for other deficiencies. Noah hits a couple of threes and all of a sudden he's a B1G starting guard. I like to believe most posters here are pretty knowledgable, but anyone who believes Noah should play more than Simpson really doesn't know what they're looking at.
Your guards are expected to be better shooters than your 4
Mag showed a lot of improvement last season prior to injury while Simpson is shooting worse in his second year
Mag showed improvement while Simpson regressed. That's a concern. Mag doesn't look as sharp offensively this season but coming off a major injury and not having the off season to improve is a legitimate reason to explain the reason he hasn't been better this season
I think it's more likely a healthy Mag with a full off season improves offensively vs Simpson back to back healthy seasons of very very poor shooting to breakout when he has shown no signs of doing so halfway through his career
I do think Simpson and Mag together is potentially a problem if neither improves next season and both play a lot of minutes
Simpson has 24 games this season shooting 40% or worse. 20 freaking 4
4 games over 40%
These are just flat out unacceptable numbers especially for someone playing major minutes and taking as many shots as he does
4 games over 40%
These are just flat out unacceptable numbers especially for someone playing major minutes and taking as many shots as he does
For sure. But there’s no question Simpson fills others needs on this roster that are gaps without him (ball handling, perimeter D, situational FT shooting - Noah can hit free throws, but he’s not the guy I want to count on not to turn it over to close out a game - I want Simpson in that situation).
This is wrong. First, Noah’s defense doesn’t suck. Name a team that scorched specifically him. Second, the other starters are good defenders and help or offset his somewhat weaker D. You know whose defense did suck ? Mulcahy. Too slow to guard his shadow and an instant blow by for everyone but the others played good D to make up for it. His steals were due to being lost in passing lanes.-
But on offense, Noah’s shooting is desperately needed most games. Sometimes Hyatt shoots well from deep but he’s the only one. Without those two, the D doesn’t have to defend agajnst three pointers. Noah is needed more on O than DSelfish is needed on D.
Noah’s shooting against Michigan, although nice, would only have been needed for the final outcome if J Will ended up in deep foul trouble throughout the second half. It was a nice perk that helped us balloon our lead further and withstand Michigan’s only run when our penetrators had to sit.
Unfortunately, Noah is too small to be a high volume impact shooter at the BIG level. He can come in and hit a few key perimeter shots but that’s about it. He’s also not a strong ball handler or distributor at this level. That’s the number one reason Simpson plays over him.
Mag isn't healthy.....is that a concern or wishful thinking that he suddenly improves this summer?? It is March and he's not playing, not playing consistent minutes and constantly in and out of the lineup, with literally minutes to spare before games. How that is a positive, is strange to me. I look at Simpson and Davis as a tandem, because they provide the same things Mag does as a forward, and they're better at it than Mag in a lot of areas.
The plus minus
On ball defense
FT shooting (Simpson by a lot)
Depth with JMike/Simpson
The item last year was Mag's loss had a negative impact on RUs defense, because he was impactful on the 1-3-1 press. We have seen almost a full season and RUs press is actually better this year vs last year.....there is NO dropoff in defense with RU.....that is in part because of Simpson and Davis together. To try and ignore or not view Davis and Simpson as a combination is where you and other fans just don't want to like Simpson.
I am evaluating the ENTIRE roster and could easily say that if Davis shoots better or takes better shots, he is still no better from 3 than Simpson and shoots a much, much lower FT percentage (51%)...... Shouldn't we have the same concerns about Davis being one of the guards who isn't a good 3 point shooter AND isn't a good FT shooter?? In any other discussion, there would be serious considerations on how you play Davis at all, if fans weren't hyperfocused on Simpson.
If RU had to play the last 4 minutes of a close game with Davis or would you Simpson?? Any reasonable fan watching the close games will see immediately, the staff subbing out Davis for Simpson or Fernandes, because any opposing coach would foul Davis if he is the primary ball handler and had to shoot foul shots in a tight game. How you ignore obvious items while focusing on FG% is silly.
I would rather fans just say "I don't like Simpson ", then trying to talk around that and pulling some stats and ignoring obvious important game situations.
And what has a better chance of improving, Simpson taking better shots in fewer minutes and raising your true only item of FG% OR Davis becoming a 80 to 85% FT shooter?? Davis approaching 80% is far less likely, BUT I'm not going to say Davis isn't improving his FT shooting, when he is. There's no rule that says Simpson can't improve again next year if Davis can improve across the board as well.
We have to assume BOTH Improve from one year to the next....Simpson with a role in
Fewer minutes with fewer shots
Excellent defense
Can play in late game situations..
OR
We have to hope Davis, who is 21 out of his last 36 FTs (58.8% & just now over 50% for the season) makes that number 29 or 30 out of 36, which would be 80% plus.
There's no perfect guard on the RU roster right now, but to act as of that doesn't mean Mag or Davis as some sort of finished or perfect product, when they're clearly flawed as well. Ignoring obvious gaps that are more prevalent in Mag and lesser extent Davis, but highlighting Simpson’s deficiency, is flimsy.
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So much here. I don't think the press is better this year than last, and don't see anything that says it is. I will say, it's close to the same, which surprises me, and that is due to Simpson and JD. Turnovers we force are similar to LY, and we do score slightly more off TO's. We come up with less steals, which makes sense w less length.
I agree JD is a weak spot, but people ignore it due to the fact he had almost no expectations heaped on him coming in. I wish everyone had listened and not heaped those expectations on Gavin, the angst would be so much lower there. You CAN'T count on freshman, you never know what you'll get. It's why I don't love all the emphasis you've put on playing this year for next. Next year will be a disappointment without upper class leadership and talent.
As for Mag, he's not been a plus to date. Thay doesn't mean, further down the line, and healthy, he wouldn't be for next year.
While I agree, I'm responding to posters who are flat out ignoring that Simpson has improved across the board in a LOT of categories. To emphasize just one and ignore 5 to 6 others that actually impacts winning, is flawed.logic.
If Simpson shot the FG% fans believe he should shoot, plus be an elite defensive player, 85% FT shooter and doesn't turn the ball over, he'd be an all B1G caliber starter at most schools.
Mag, injuries or not, is not an effective shooter or playmaker as a wing. Does that require him to be 100% healthy?? I'm not so sure we can make that assumption. I don't see how fans want Mag to start, when his numbers are no better than Simpson and worse in others. I'm just pointing out the flawed arguments supporting Mag.
Outside of FG% being better than Simpson (which I believe BOTH players should be better), what else does Mag do well???
I am fairly certain we can get 25% 3 point shooting from Grant and Dortch next year and the same length and athletic abilities. If Dortch and Grant are better off the dribble and are equals athletes, what does RU lose outside of experience??
I am fine with Mag, just in a reduced role off the bench. This notion of essential difference making player isn't there.....and that's before I factor in NIL after this season.
You know Noah is bigger than Dug McDaniel, right ? Michigan’s best shooter and best player ? And how much taller is Buie really ? An inch ? Don’t go by listed heights.
You see Noah getting the ball stolen ? Falling on his face leading breaks ? No, those have been DSelfish plays. Noah is a less versatile and less athletic defender, clearly.
That’s why he plays less.
He’s a far better half-court offensive player, including as ball handler, than Simpson.
Pike’s strategy though is to minimize half court offense and excel on the other end, including getting steals leading to transition scores.
I whole heartedly agree on Simpson. Even last year, his high usage and inefficient shooting opened up the court down the stretch. This year, he is better across the board. He's not a great shooter and still doesn't know what a good shot is, but he contributes everywhere else.
I don't really need to compare him to Mag, but get the point about value added for this year. I do think he was growing into an efficient low usage scorer pre injury and fully healthy, is exactly what you want with young shooters next year. Ive been consistent in not liking to depend on freshman, so I'd rather have what I think I know I'd get from a healthy Mag over TBE complete unknown of a not playing this year Grant or Dortch, both who I really like for the future.
For my detractors - circumstances change. Right now Simpson is shooting miserably. And he’s hurt us with momentum in other games (the three point shot miss against Minnesota which enabled them to tie at halftime). I’m not saying he doesn’t bring other things to the table. But he will never be a big ten caliber starter, but he can be a big ten caliber reserve (eighth or ninth guy off the bench).
You think bc Mag isn't fully healthy now coming off a major injury, that he won't be healthy by next season? Lol what?
This tandem argument is weird especially if the argument is both Davis and Simpson struggle offensively. That compounds the problem it doesn't solve it. It also doesn't make sense since next year we will have Dylan and JWill playing major minutes at the guard and possibly add a portal guard shooter. Simpson and Davis likely aren't going to be playing major minutes together on the court next year so don't really think we need to be discussing it much
Yes, play Simpson over Davis late game in a fouling situation and have Noah in too. Haven't seen anyone arguing otherwise. Simpson is a better FT shooter not sure why you are obsessing over this. Davis is a freshman and it's a small sample size so we'll see if he improves. He has had a bunch of games more recently where he knocked down FTs 2/2, 5/6, 4/6. FG% is also more important than FT%
Davis has also been a much more efficient scorer as his freshman season has gone on. He has shot 50% or better in 4 of the last 5 games!! Simpson has 3 games over 50% all season
I certainly have NOT ignored Simpson's improvement in other areas. I talk about it over and over and over. You just only respond to the shooting piece. I bring up the shooting a lot bc shooting is obviously a huge part of the game, especially for a guard and bc his numbers aren't just bad shooting. They are extremely poor worst in the conference type bad
Complete agree if Simpson could shoot he would be an all conference-ish type guard the way he is playing defense, hustling, steals, rebounding for a small guard. My concern is two years of absolutely terrible shooting numbers makes it seem very unlikely that he all of a sudden becomes a good shooter next season. Sure anything is possible and it would be freaking amazing if he can figure it out. What are the odds that actually does happen though? Realistically players who are very poor shooters for 2 years that regress in year 2 shooting don't all of a sudden become good shooters in year 3
Mag is perfectly suited as a role player. Not sure why you keep trying to argue that he needs to be some superstar offensive juggernaut. We will have so much more offensive firepower next season and will need less from Mag offensively which is a good thing and should allow him to thrive. Yes experience does matter and is important. Relying on 2 freshman to be better than Mag as freshman seems unrealistic
If you want to rely on Grant who apparently isn't even playing basketball this season and Dortch who is lower rated in major roles to go along with Dylan Ace and Lathan, that's 5 freshman in major roles. That is a recipe for disaster not success. We need veterans and defensive pieces surrounding these freshman if we want them to succeed
90% of what you say is wrong, maybe 99%, and Simpson isn't selfish either. He is so quick he's the only one who who can get a shot off when the non existent offense isn't getting open shots, and so he looks selfish. Mulcahy's length also made him twice the defender. Comparing the two defensively is an absolute joke, and Noah has been eaten alive defensively by most every guard he has covered this year. It's mind boggling that Noah's overall play is being compared to Simpson or Mulcahy. Sorry, but your opinion that Noah's defense doesn't suck disqualifies you from making any further comparisons between he and Simpson IMO.
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I really can't remember much pressing last year. I don't recall Cam and Paul applying much back court pressure.
Did you ever stop and think that Fernandes is having success because they've found the right role for him off the bench?
It was a different press no doubt, not as high up the court. The new press hasn't resulted in creating more turnovers, points scored or less points given up, so no matter where on the court the pressure starts, it hasn't been more effective.
We definitely pressed last year with Mag at the point and it was very effective
Last year’s D and press really dropped off when we lost Mag. That team had no depth at all.
I definitely remember us pressing a lot last year particularly before mag got injured ? No?
Not really sure whether it matters which press was better. Last year befoee mag went down we pressed effectively and this year the press has also been effective .
You’re right. I didn’t recall us pressing as much last year in general, but especially after Mag went down. At least this year we can press even without Mag.
I like Noah coming off the bench. If he is hot, you ride him, if not then you pick spots to get rest for the other guards. He is mature enough to handle this role and be a positive teammate.
Do you think Simpson is not mature enough to handle same ? Is that why he plays as much as he does ? To baby him ?
That comment has nothing to do with Simpson. Simpson does more on the court than Noah which is why he's getting the majority of minutes right now.
No - it’s because Noah sucked as a starter. We tried it and it didn’t work. His skill set is very limited at the BIG level. He can get hot and nail down some 3s but he is a net liability relative to Simpson and Davis when his shots aren’t falling at a high rate. They do all other things better than him. It’s really that simple.
Correct, and when he went down we had to stop doing it, it became a disaster.
Simpson's free throws are just really baffling since it's usually a pretty good indicator of general shooting acumen.
Among the top-100 free throw shooters nationally (2 shots per game to qualify), of which Simpson is one, 36 are high-major basketball players. Of that subsection, 30 players shoot either >50% from 2PT or >38% from 3PT.
Of the 36, the worst shooter other than Simpson is probably Cormac Ryan, who is shooting 42-96 (44%) from 2PT and 53-165 (32%) from 2PT. Simpson is 60-184 (32%) from 2PT range and 19-66 (29%) from 3PT range.
I have no explanation, although Simpson would be way more playable if he cut out that mid-range
Among the top-100 free throw shooters nationally (2 shots per game to qualify), of which Simpson is one, 36 are high-major basketball players. Of that subsection, 30 players shoot either >50% from 2PT or >38% from 3PT.
Of the 36, the worst shooter other than Simpson is probably Cormac Ryan, who is shooting 42-96 (44%) from 2PT and 53-165 (32%) from 2PT. Simpson is 60-184 (32%) from 2PT range and 19-66 (29%) from 3PT range.
I have no explanation, although Simpson would be way more playable if he cut out that mid-range
Not sure it’s a totally accurate explanation, but Simpson’s foul shots are obviously with both feet planted on the ground, more of a set shot, with a nice arc. Whereas his shots from open play are mostly jump shots, some extremely high jumping shots which tend to be more line drive with less arc. Even when wide open, he leaves the ground more than he needs to.
It seems like he's almost shooting on his way down sometimes. Definitely feels like he could do with a more streamlined release
Yeah, Simspon and Davis are better at all other things besides scoring and passing. Brilliant !
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