Paul - Return or Leave
- Thread starter RepeatedCrown6
- Start date
IDK but Jamichael Davis looks pretty good to me. If Paul doesn't come back and the staff doesn't bring in a transfer, the staff is probably high on him as well. Looks great on YouTube but highlights are highlights.
One major change happened with the Indiana game. Check these numbers below. Does not include the 2 early conference games in early December.
Fouls per game on Mulcahy in the first 9 B1G conference games: 3, 0, 1, 2, 1, 2, 2, 3, 0, 1
Fouls per game on Mulcahy in the last 11 B1G conference/Tourney starting with Indiana: 4, 5, 5, 0, 2, 5, 3, 3, 4, 4, 3.
Did opposing guards start taking it right at him to force him defend more, which led to more fouls because he is not a very good 1 on 1 defender?
Did the refs get tired of all of his complaining and just start targeting him for more fouls?
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No Mag got hurt and Paul was forced to guard bigger players and help more down low. That is a big cause to the increase in fouls
I'm stunned by the number of people who don't want back a Big Ten All-Conference Honorable Mention guard as voted by the coaches and media: https://bigten.org/news/2023/3/7/ge...s-basketball-postseason-honors-announced.aspx
They think he makes the team better. Paul can only fairly be evaluated given the talent on the team. As bad as Rutgers was offensively this year, the coaches and the media clearly think we would have been worse without Paul. I agree.
They think he makes the team better. Paul can only fairly be evaluated given the talent on the team. As bad as Rutgers was offensively this year, the coaches and the media clearly think we would have been worse without Paul. I agree.
Like with Myles Johnson, the question is role. Sure, the team would be better with Paul on it, but not as a starter. As talent improves, Paul’s value decreases. He’s limited offensively and can’t defend at all.
I’d like to see a 10-12 ppg portal 4 to start with Cliff, Mag, Derek and Cam. Then Griffiths, Davis, Woolfolk, Hyatt and Paul as bench players, in that order. Plus maybe Oscar. Paul’s talent is ‘quality depth’, not more.
I like Davis too but if Paul leaves we definitely need guard help. Can't go into the season with Simpson Davis and Cam as the only guards. That won't happen
Correct. Pike is not going into the season with Simpson and Davis as the only PGs.
It is not a binary choice of stay vs. go. To me, it's really 4 options: (1) Paul returns as primary PG; (2) Paul returns as 6th man and/or switches to 3/4 position; (3) Paul leaves and we get no one new in the portal; and (4) Paul leaves and we get an impact guard in the portal.
I definitely want him back…but without the preferential treatment….and we know that won’t happen. He should have been on the bench way more than he was after the MSU game at the garden.
You just split each stay or go choice into 2 more sub choices that everybody else rounding up to the main 2 choices.
Why stop at 4? Paul could stay as a volunteer coach or stay but ask to never play any minutes or….. or leave and we get 2 impact guards in the portal or leave and so do 2 other guys, etc etc etc.
I agree - Simpson, Davis, Cam, and Griffiths would be the only guards on the roster after Paul leaves and Griffiths will play a lot as the third guard - as Caleb did last season.
I wonder how long Paul will wait until announcing his decision. I'm guessing the coaching staff already knows.
Your: "Paul isn't athletic enough and can't shoot well enough/refuses to shoot enough to be an effective B1G 2 or 3 over the course of an entire season" is a fair evaluation. But he could be effective in relief of starters according to who the opponent RU is facing.
As for why he would accept a 6th man roll, wanting to play and help the team might be a good reason, but I can't say if he'd feel that way.
Just like I can't say if the teams talent next year is good enough to have him hit the portal to look for a program that will give him minutes.
I'll just say I think there are some on this thread that might be undervaluing what he brings to the team and how he can help RU win next season.
As for being too slow and a bad shot, Pike just has to pick and chose the times ( based on the opponent) he has Paul on the floor that won't hurt as much as Paul's game helps.
Over the course of his RU career , Paul has helped the team more than hurt it with his play.
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You see Paul as a 10th man. Big Ten coaches see him as an honorable mention all-league. Yes, experts are sometimes wrong, but this is not one expert; it's a poll of some of the highest-paid and best coaches in the country. The odds are that they are right, and you and many on this board are misjudging talent by expecting perfection.
For the past few years, Rutgers can beat any team in the league on any given day. This has been, in part, because of Paul and not despite of Paul.
Agreed the 2nd half of Purdue and MSU were his lone brite spots
Not disagreeing with you totally but the honorable mention thing is sort of a joke. First 3 top teams so 10-15 guards selected. Then they pick honorable mentions made up of almost all upperclassmen mostly seniors traditionally. This year I think 21 or 22 kids. It’s more a thank you and acknowledgment of the hard work put in . So what is he 30-45 best guard in conference?
We want him back to play in some role but not the on the ball pg anymore.
100% want him back but id like to see him reinvent his game a bit. The comparison I'd use is Anthony Mason. Really work on strength and remake his body then play more of a physical post up game vs a primary ball handler.
4 years and he has no discernable muscle tone and in year 5 he's Anthony Mason - awesome! He should shave his head too.
Paul has no discernible muscle tone? Compared to whom?4 years and he has no discernable muscle tone and in year 5 he's Anthony Mason - awesome! He should shave his head too.
And you are more than "sort of a joke"
If you watched Paul over the past few years, it was clear that NO ONE wanted to win more than Paul.
When there was a loose ball on the floor, Paul was the guy giving up his body more than anyone else to get it. The guys on the team noticed this, and they upped their game to match his intensity.
Fortunately there was far more to his game than just this desire, but it is clear everyone on our team recognized his will to win far exceeded that of most players.
Paul has limitations, but our coach quickly realized his leadership was needed for a team that relies on effort to win games.
There was a reason opposing coaches frequently reminded their players after losses to RU that they lost because they could not match our intensity. Listen to the PSU coach after their first loss to us. How many times did we hear the same lament after our wins?
Unfortunately for Paul his exceptional efforts also led to chronic injuries which limited his ability to perform at the same level he had originally.
I suspect those injuries are now weighing heavily on his decision whether or not to return.
For those with a long, long memory, he just might be the Pete Reiser of Rutgers basketball, though he is not as talented as Pete was.
I will remember for quite a long time that iconic photo at the end of this year of Paul sprawled out on the court crying his eyes out for what might have been. I wish him nothing but the best.
Rutgers can also lose to any team in the B1G TEN as seen with four straight losses at home.
The Late Anthony Mason4 years and he has no discernable muscle tone and in year 5 he's Anthony Mason - awesome! He should shave his head too.
Sort of a joke? Because I want him back just not at point guard?
When I ask people why they want him back it’s his toughness, effort, and leadership . I will give you the first two but leadership?
How many Ru players thrown out of a game the last two years? Or threw a punch? Or tried to kick/trip someone? Or just lose their cool on the court time after time? His desire to win is his best and worst quality.
You know what I don’t here when I ask why Paul? Great shooter, great handle, great defender, great leaper and finisher, great free throw shooter, great getting to the basket .He is not those things and I love him for everything he is done. Welcome him back in another role. Time to move on!!!
I don’t know why you continue to hate on the guy. Team captain who played his ass off and was injured all year.4 years and he has no discernable muscle tone and in year 5 he's Anthony Mason - awesome! He should shave his head too.
This is old school style preference thing at best where certain players get over valued bc some fans feel they connect with it more.
right, honorable mention is a 'thanks for playing' award for the upperclassmen. further, 10th in terms of talent but not necessarily 5th off the bench. the order of that depends on the rotations.
can't be sure of that if you factor in G-League or a Euro League lower division team.
There are more prose out there than just NBA players
But as for the NBA , you're probably right.
But I feel Paul, if he returns, won't be a starter but a 6th man that is put in when the type of talent he possesses will be best put in play.
People who don’t want him back are going to look foolish when next year were missing leadership and a glue guy. never hurts to have experience on the roster, just look at how old the winning teams are in the tournament
This !!!
Paul has his warts , but he’s a heck of a player and program ambassador . I will take coaches like Izzo and painter’s word for it over many of the people in this thread.
What a ridiculous thread.
Fans can say whatever they want, they have nothing to do with his decision.
Not by what they say on a message board I don’t think
I hope he transfers to northwestern where a coach puts him in in the right spot and makes him play to score too and we can revisit thread.
