The question is how much do these players grow as overall as players in practice over a season vs playing in games. I think the answer is both. Can a player come close to maxing out his potential "learning curve" by playing 10-15 MPG and practicing everyday?
The other question.....what is the value of playing guys just for development when everyone is a free agent. Pike can say screw it and hand Gavin 30 MPG and end up developing him so Danny Hurley can have a player that has had a valuable year learning to play D in our program.
As for as last year's backcourt........getting wins in current year has to be 99% of what the focus has to be. That changes when probabilities of post season play start to wane.
As far as next year......I think Dylan and Ace can create their own shots against all competition. The concerns will always be with what efficiency. Do we need 3 players on the court that can do this if the offset is poor defense and rebounding?
Pike talked ALL preseason about how fast this team was and how uptempo we would be. He threw it out the window 20 minutes in to the season. Our tempo appears to be on pace to be even slower than last year. I am having a tough time envisioning Pike saying FVCK it, lets go outscore our opponent. I have to think given what you have posted there has to be that thought in your mind.
I think it's somewhat of an insult to assume every player or Pike recruit is selfish or a free agent. I am somewhat biased because I drove 2 plus hours this past spring to Connecticut to actually watch Gavin and Papa Kante play live....and was fortunate enough to meet and talk with Gavins parents with RU72. Just because I took that drive and had a chance to get a good comfort level on what type of people Gavins family is like, gives me gratitude and confidence, he's not a flight risk....
Can something change at a point in time?? Sure, but we are talking about someone Pike has recruited for 3+ years, not 3 days, like Cam Spencer. If one was a flight risk, logic would say he would have a better feel for someone and the family he spent years on vs not. I am not saying free agency doesn't exist, but part of CBB is still HS recruiting based and a relationship based process.
My other "guess" is that when we do bring in someone from the portal, that Knight, TJ Thompson or Smoke Williamson or even Steve Hayn, has a good relationship with someone attached to that player....and that they buy in and are in for the long haul.
What I find concerning or ironic is this...
The same fans complain, complain, complain for the last 3 to 4 years about recruiting and the "lack of talent".....then we develop these "not as talented recruiting pieces, they don't do much, then become productive.....once the player in 2 to 3 years becomes productive, then that player becomes invaluable.
And on the other hand, when those players struggle or have bad games "while developing", then its back to the lack of recruiting......
I just want fans to pick a lane and stay in that lane. If Mag is so valuable that he can't be replaced, but Simpson suddenly can, I need to understand the difference between both players.
If I advocate to recruiting over Mawot Mag (with a Baye Ndongo type, or 2024 recruit), it's only after 2 to 3 years of waiting for that player to click. But we need to toss out Simpson or Woolfolk, who are on a similar path and weren't overexposed early in their careers.....
