What games have you been watching this year? He has been used as a turnstile by the opposing guards blowing right by him all game. We all know his offense needs work but his defense has actually gone the wrong way so far this year
JMike
- Thread starter RAC93
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Agreed 100% his defense awful and combined with his awful offense he needs to be the odd man out his missed 3 pointer on a 4 on 1 today was criminal and yet Pike keeps him in he unfortunately brings nothing
Think that was more a function of the fouls and needing to give guys a break. JWill and Derkack also had 4. Definitely see him headed for 5-6 max.
As long as you let kids do whatever they want to do on the offensive end of the floor you'll be a below average Big 10 team. Good coaches establish a system and get kids to accept their roles within that system, but first their roles need to be defined. Does our staff define kids' roles? Just watch us play and read all of these posts to get the answer. There is zero offensive discipline out there. Solid defense, blocking out, and offensive discipline wins championships - not sure we have any of the three - not even sure the staff cares about two of the three.
That happens to almost all guards across the country, the problem is our help rotations are awful at worst and late at best. Too much hedging toward the three point line leaving a highway.
I agree players need assigned roles.The problem is that opponents know which Rutgers players are poor outside shooters and they leave them open to shoot bricks.
The other team is generally hoping that JMike will have the ball, dribble and even better shoot.
He’s been really good about playing within himself over the last few games and limiting the ill advised drives where he tries to go at a 7 footer.
JMike has 4 pts and 4 assists in his last 7 games
How can anyone make the argument that he should play big minutes
When he starts we have no one who can hit a 3 besides Dylan and Ace and when Dylan drives who is he going to kick the ball out to???
No one
you have a choice....
start someone who cant make a 3
start someone who gets picked on defensively
one is more damaging then the other
This. I was hoping Hayes was improving but he had a particularly bad defensive moment Saturday.
To me at least we look a lot more stout on d when Derkack is not the best defensive player on the floor (thats not a shot on him - he's fine but not a lockdown guy). You can't go on 6-0, 8-0, 10-0 runs if you're giving up dunks.
I like the idea of starting JMike for defensive purposes, to throw some cold water on the opposing team to start the game.
Make them uncomfortable, especially their point guard, so they have to struggle a bit with their initial offensive strategy.
You don’t want the other team to get confident early.
Make them uncomfortable, especially their point guard, so they have to struggle a bit with their initial offensive strategy.
You don’t want the other team to get confident early.
This is it exactly. There are 2 extremely gifted offensive players on the floor for ~35 minutes (plus another offensive minded center who is on the floor for ~20 minutes) they are freshman and will have learning pains especially on D. If I'm Pike I choose the defense focused player to be on the floor with them. Out of the supporting cast, Derkack is probably the closest thing to a 2-Way player who can also handle and take some pressure off Dylan....which is why he is getting 25mpg.
You have to watch the games. His defensive efforts don’t show up on the box score but nearly every time SHU was rushing a shot with little time on the shot clock, JMike was a big part of that. If hes putting up 8-10 shots a game and forcing offense, that’s a bad thing.
to me that is the debate...
Dercack vs JMike
Dercack can take people off the dribble and get fouled or score (can also get blocked or miss). Is that what is needed with Bailey and Harper on the floor?
Is JaMike the defender of the 1st 9 games or the last 2?
Does it set the tone for the program to start a guy because of his defense?
Does it really matter who starts though
So much time, and frankly concern while watching games, is spent on what JMike should not do.
On your point, in the last four games, he's 2-9 shooting and 0-2 on FTs, he's got 4 TOs, 4 assists, 4 points and 1 rebound. That's over four games. Every time he touches the ball or seems open (which is most of the time, I'm sure by design), I'm thinking to myself, no, just no. When he had the ball and a wide open route to a breakaway basket against SHU, I felt that he wouldn't score. And he didn't.
League games are coming in earnest after New Year's, and his time may be running out.
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Not to mention Jordan also distributes the ball better (based on his assist numbers) and incredibly has the third most rebounds on the team. Playing JMike does really make it seem 4 vs. 5 on offense.
Montez had an outside shot. Had a very nice game against Clemson
I'd take a neutered Simpson that meshed with the team over JaMike with ZERO hesitation.
I don't get the sense Simpson would want to be told to not shoot and not take it to the basket and I don't know about the 2nd part.
Davis was someone who needed to develop during the offseason but so far, he looks exactly like the same player he was last year.
Montez Mathis shot 29.4% from three for his career.
Simpson did not want to fill the role that he would be asked to fill here and that's why he isn't here.
If anything regressed! Want him in the locker room, practice, even coach here some day. Unfortunately he cannot play on this team. He’s not a power 5 player.
Did we really throw cold water on SHU?
First play of the game was a turnover…pretty bad one and that really set the tone for the entire first half
True for the first play of this game, but I still like the idea in general. (Maybe we should’ve let them win the opening toss! 🙂)
Help me understand
2 ends of the floor Offense and Defense
Offense
Playmaker No
Shooter No
Distributor No *2 countries best scorers
Rebounder No
Free Throws No
Gives us Zero and actually hurts us because of the double teams on Ace and Dylan.
Defense
Horrific in 9 of 11 games
Last 2 avg at best but used as a turnstile far too often.
Avg 0 less then 1 in boards, steals, and blocks
Undersized and bullied.
So negative impact on one end and avg in 2 of 11 games on the other. Would not touch the floor for any other big ten team.
What are we even debating?
2 ends of the floor Offense and Defense
Offense
Playmaker No
Shooter No
Distributor No *2 countries best scorers
Rebounder No
Free Throws No
Gives us Zero and actually hurts us because of the double teams on Ace and Dylan.
Defense
Horrific in 9 of 11 games
Last 2 avg at best but used as a turnstile far too often.
Avg 0 less then 1 in boards, steals, and blocks
Undersized and bullied.
So negative impact on one end and avg in 2 of 11 games on the other. Would not touch the floor for any other big ten team.
What are we even debating?
Please, stop with the Simpson vs Davis debate/discussion. It is completely irrelevant.
Though I do not know whether the staff wanted Simpson to return or not, I am 90% certain Simpson left because HE wanted to leave.
Here is how I think it all played out, and I am certain the staff discussed with each potential returnee what their role on this coming season would likely be - with Bailey, Harper and Sommerville coming in as true frosh:
1) I am certain RU knew before the season was over that Omoruyi was gone - because RU could not afford a $1 million + NIL payment to him in the context of other NIL needs ... and it seems likely there were no hard feelings. Omoruyi = GONE.
2) I am equally certain Mag was history - and the staff knew this long before the season was over. Mag = GONE.
3) We have heard from various sources (not my sources, just on the Boards) that RU wanted to keep Griffiths, but that Griffiths and his "people" (parents?) did not like how Griffiths was used as a freshman - and did not appreciate the very likely discussion that Griffiths would be a reserve - and primary role would be a spot-up shooter (what they brought Hayes in to do eventually). Griffiths = GONE.
4) I am sure the staff made it clear to Williams - and to players like Simpson, Davis and Griffiths, that Williams would be the starter, period ... and my guess is RU had to come up with some NIL money to retain him. Williams = STAYED.
5) i have no idea what the conversations with Woolfolk were, except he was probably NOT going to be the starter. Woolfolk had a chance to be a starter elsewhere, at a lower level. Woolfolk = GONE.
6) Now, Simpson ... I am 100% certain that the staff, at a minimum indicated to Simpson he would have a reduced role versus last season, and probably would not start. Oddly enough, if he was on the team now, and if Pikiell turned to Davis to start, Simpson might well have ended up a starter ... but still only a 18-20 minute per game player. Simpson wanted to start, had a chance to start at St. Josephs and get 30 mpg (and is doing so) ... and for all we know got a decent NIL bundle (have no idea what St. Josephs might offer) - which he was NOT going to get from RU, since RU had to give NIL money to Williams to stay, maybe Sommerville, and knew they wanted a transfer who could score (Acuff?). So ... my guess is it was SIMPSON's choice to leave. Simpson = GONE.
Its a false choice to believe this year's team was either Simpson or Davis ... I think Simpson was never in the cards for this year, and the staff knew it. I cannot prove it, but I believe it, and it makes the most sense.
Not bad idea for first 3-4 mins. Dercack needs to play the bulk of mins though.
After the first 3 mins (would even pull him before 1st media) Jmike's usage should be situational.
I have zero insider info.
Obviously Simpson, but even Davis I wondered if he would return.
Similar to Simpson, Davis was coming off being a Big Ten starter.
However, he was clearly going to be passed by Dylan.
I wonder if Ace wasn't coming here, would Davis have stayed.
They both were in the same boat with a likely reduced role.
We are debating the path for Rutgers to get enough wins to make the NCAA tournament and with this flawed roster the best way to do it.
Since the change to Davis being a starter and playing 50% of the time....
Rutgers gives up 76 pts to PSU in 73 possessions (I call it -3)
Rutgers gives up 63 pts in 65 possessions vs SHU (I call it +2)
Previous 5 games
Osu 80 in 66 (-14)
TX Am 81 in 77 (-4) definitely acceptable
Alabama 95 in 79 (-16)
ND 84 in 73 (-11)
K State 79 in 79 (E) want to do better vs K State
Well SHU is the worst offensive team in college basketball and both games were at home not a neutral site. Ace decided to be an active rebounder and that tends to help. JMike had ZERO to do with it hence my confusion.
Yes your point about SHU is definitely valid.....and analytics aren't impressed one bit with our showing against a rancid offensive team....like rancid worse than us last year offense. Ace deciding to rebound definitely moves the defense needle.....a lot.
I do disagree that JaMike has ZERO to do with it. The past 2 games JaMike had had a LOT to do with the defensive pseudo success. PSU game especially, but definitely SHU in the 2nd half.
With all this being said I think our future success from this point going forward is going to be contingent more on improving on offense more than defense. I think there is an easier path to improve on offense. That might have to come, with this specific roster, with JaMike playing 15-20 minutes.
Davis was awful defensively against Alabama for sure - and maybe A&M also. It mystified me because he was so good as an on-ball defender last season. He has not been good this season, defensively - and he has to be good defensively or there is no rationale for any playing time for him.
To RUDivision: You're simply completely wrong about the Penn State game (well, yes, Bailey was determined to rebound in that game and it was important - I am talking about Davis), and I am pretty sure wrong about the SHU game also.
There is absolutely no question that Davis starting and defending against Ace Baldwin was one of the keys to the game. Davis 100% disrupted Baldwin, PSU's leading scorer, and along with Harper (the other primary defender of Baldwin when Davis was not in the game), was a BIG reason Baldwin was harassed and hurried into 3-14 FG , with 3 turnovers. Davis completely set the tome for RU's entire defensive attitude in that game.
Against SHU he may not have been as visibly good, but he was particularly good defensively in the 2nd half vs SHU, particularly when he defended Jenkins in the 2nd half ... Jenkins was SHU's leading scorer, and was only able to even attempt 4 shots in the game, and just 1 shot in the entire 2nd half - and 4 turnovers, 3 in the 2nd half. Which made an important difference in the game.
