Rutgers basketball: 5 thoughts from summer practice with ‘refreshing’ vibe (Now With Videos)

[PSAL_Hoops]

I watched 5 or 6 Bosco games and he was, by far, the guy with the ball in his hands the most. If someone else brought it up, it found it's way to his hands relatively quick. Who brings it up across half court really isn't important.

Of course he was - the idea was to feed him. Thats my point. I see J Will having that role and being the guy primarily responsible for handling ball pressure in the backcourt and looking to set up Dylan and Ace.

I just dont see Acuff being able to embrace that role. I think he’s going to want to be the guy scoring when he’s on the court. We’ll see.

 

[RU82]

Dylan was a super star for his high school team but he did not play much point. I’m not following why at the college level he needs to be the main distributor in order to be a star. Why is it not at all in the cards for him to be a better ball handling, more efficient version of his brother on steroids? Again - he didn’t run the offense at Don Bosco.

Dylan has elite PG skills and ability.

I know everyone here marvels at Ace but if I could only have one of them, I’m taking Dylan without hesitation. I personally think he’s underrated as the number 3 prospect in the country. He doesn’t have Ace’s crazy athleticism but he’s better at basically everything else. I think he’s MUCH more likely to have a Carmelo Anthony type freshman year than Ace is, or Cooper Flagg for that matter.

 

[PSAL_Hoops]

Dylan has elite PG skills and ability.

I know everyone here marvels at Ace but if I could only have one of them, I’m taking Dylan without hesitation. I personally think he’s underrated as the number 3 prospect in the country. He doesn’t have Ace’s crazy athleticism but he’s better at basically everything else. I think he’s MUCH more likely to have a Carmelo Anthony type freshman year than Ace is, or Cooper Flagg for that matter.

Okay - but again, just because he’s very talented it still doesn’t mean he won’t be fed the ball often by someone else just as he was in high school. He had elite abilities then but his coach still chose that approach.

 

[lion1983]

I think fans have to stop focusing on who is going to play what traditional roles, especially at the Wing/Guard positions.

J. Davis is a traditional PG, a pass-first PG whose primary role is to "trigger" the offense.

J. Williams and Harper are more properly labelled as what I call "lead" guards: They trigger the offense and use their dribble penetration ot pass to their teammates, and hopefully make their teammates better also, by drawing help defense and doubles, then kicking out to the wings, or making good interior passes. While Bailey is not a "lead" GUARD, as a Wing Forward, he would have similar abilities. The nature of a 4-Out or 5-Out offense is that different players can play that "trigger" role, from beating their man off the dribble, or off high screens (at the 3-point line and/or at the foul line extended). "Lead" Guards are most dangerous with the ball in their hands, as that is how they beat their defender to draw help defense, or either drive off the pick and roll, or if the defender goes under the screen take the open 3 themselves.

I see Williams, Harper and Bailey as ALL playing that role - each in their different ways (because each have different ways to score or pass off the dribble or the screen ... such as Williams is most effective getting to the mid-range and either shooting the mid-range off drop coverage, or if he draws help, passing to the open teammate on the wing or at the rim ... Harper and Bailey are likely better 3-point shooters ... Harper can use his body more than sheer quickness to get "inside" his defender, and either go to the rim, pull up with mid-range or pass if help defense is drawn - or even shot the 3 ... Bailey, more than either Harper or Williams, can simply beat his defender with his ridiculous athleticism - going to the rim, posting up in the mid-range and shooting over his defender, shooting the 3 over his defender even if not why open).

Martini and Hayes are strictly spot-up Wing 3-point shooters - and if can hot around the 40% they generally do, will get a number of open shots this season, we hope, off help defense on the 3 "leads." Acuff is a mix ... Last season he was a 3-level scorer: Made 33% of his 3-pointers (and he took both spot-up 3's, and 3's off dribbling-screens), mid-range off drives and pull-ups, and to the rim. I have seen stats that he is a much better 3-poin shooter off catch and shoot spot-up 3's, but last season, given his team needs and lack of supporting talent, had to take a lot of contested 3's off his own dribbling, something he should not have to do as much for RU. Derkack: Not a great 3-point shooter, though improved from his freshman year to last season ... he also had a 3-point FG higher percentage for catch and hoot spot-ups ... his primary game was using his athleticism to get to the rim, making FG's with contact at the rim - something that will be tougher with the greater size and athleticism in the Big Ten at the Wing position.