The game could have gone completely different. The refs could have looked past Caleb Martin running into a UVA player after a basket and not called a flagrant 1. Trevor Lacey could have hit a near uncontested layup in the closing minute to tie the game. Ralston Turner could have hit just one of his six 3 point attempts. Those things didn’t happen, and the Pack once again fought hard but squandered a chance at solidifying their tournament resume, losing 51-47 on Wednesday night.
This was their latest best chance. UVA’s leading scorer and best defender, Justin Anderson, was out with a broken finger and UVA only shot 37% from the floor, but State couldn’t capitalize.
Really, that’s been the story all season. State plays hard, but lacks the mental toughness to kick it into that final gear and push over the top. That final gear is where winners live. That is that realm where focus, hunger and talent merge. There is no mercy to be found there. It’s a place of unwavering confidence where an unquenchable thirst to watch your opponent suffer exists. When you’re there they can see the obsession in your eyes and the lengths you’ll go to get what you want. It’s a place for takers.
Sound crazy? sick? psychopathic?
It is, but that is what champions are. They’re a little crazy in the length they’ll go to get what they want. They have a sickness that only winning can cure. They have a narrow, laser-guided focus and won’t let up until the buzzer sounds. They are finishers.
NC State isn’t there yet. Maybe they are too young. Maybe they haven’t been taught or they haven’t bought into this level of insanity. It’s hard to say, but it’s just obvious that this is not a championship caliber team right now and as the season winds down you have to wonder if they are ever going to get there. If that switch is ever going to flip.
Virginia has the NCAA’s best defense, but without Anderson they are certainly not as dangerous. They were not able to make the type of offensive runs that they usually do with Anderson leading the way. They simply played smart, position defense and took NC State’s most dangerous weapons out of the game. It was a good gameplan, but NC State were the ones who allowed them to execute it. The Pack played Virginia basketball last night, and have been allowing opponents to dictate their style of play far too often this season. The Wolfpack needs a change if they are going to come back to life this season. Here is where we hope/expect to see it…
LACEY MUST BECOME EVEN MORE TO THIS TEAM
As we have stated lately and pointed out in our pregame article, Lacey has trouble being an elite level scorer when he can’t pull-up at will. Lacey, who leads the NCAA in isolation scoring is best off the dribble with the ball in his hands. He likes to shake, create space and pull up. His elevation and high release allow him to shoot over smaller guards, even with a hand in his face. However, when you get a bigger, equally as strong guard on him, he really struggles to get going. Lacey still had a productive game (14pts on 6-13 shooting) but right now State needs Lacey to be getting off nearly 20-25 shots per game. I know that sounds like a lot, but if they continue to play this one on one style of basketball and their offense is not going to create any open looks near the bucket, it’s going to have to be Lacey doing some serious volume scoring.
TURNER’S STRUGGLES AREN’T ENDING…TIME TO GO BIG
Gottfried needs that off the ball moving, high energy, spot up shooter in his offense. So many of his plays revolve around getting Turner open on the baseline or on the wing. The problem is that Turner has become way too easy to guard. He’s shooting 21% from 3 over his last four games and he’s taken 28 of them. That is absolutely killing the Pack right now. If Turner isn’t going to knock down the 3, then he’s too one dimensional on offense to be out there. Now look, I know that’s harsh and very ‘what have you done for me lately’ because he’s a senior that has done so much for this team, but this is crunch time.
So what is the alternative? Well, you’d like to have a guy like Caleb Martin in there who can shoot, drive and defend, but that’s not really working out perfectly. Martin did provide 9 boards and made a lot of great hustle plays, but he too is not providing the Pack with everything they need…mainly offense. So what do you do when you have no one to turn to on the bench to fill that gaping hole?
You get creative and solve problems a little differently.
What State could do, and really should do is go big. A lineup of Barber, Lacey, Washington, Abu and Anya. Sure this would slow State down and limit driving lanes, but they’re not exactly killing it in transition and outside of Barber, who even drives? You could also argue that Abu and Washington run the floor as well as Turner.
This lineup would cure a lot of ills. It would help tremendously on the boards, but more importantly it would free up Lacey. Having 3 bigs in the game would mean that you couldn’t switch as easily on ball screens against Lacey. They would also be forced to guard bigs with bigs. They couldn’t interchange Lacey and Turner’s men, going bigger on Lacey to stop the pull up and smaller on Turner to aggravate him and deny him the ball. While opponents might try to take their quickness advantage at the 3, good luck driving into that forest of Washington, Abu and Anya. All that is nice and fine, but the real advantage to this in the end is making them guard Lacey with a normal 2 guard, in most cases this would give Lacey his advantage back.
This would switch State into much more of a attack-first basketball team. It would get them more offensive rebounds which lead to easy put backs, it would get them to the line more and allow them to protect leads better. Look, as a team shooting 36% from 3 (5th best in the ACC) I don’t think you want to live and die from beyond the arc. This team needs to attack, and by playing 3 guards (2 of which don’t like to attack the basket), you are really putting your team in a box.
Adapt or die.
NOW OR NEVER
At 14-11 NC State is on the outside looking in as far as the NCAA Tournament goes. They have 6 regular season games left, 4 of which are on the road and 2 of those are against top 15 ranked teams. To say that things need to change drastically and quickly is not an understatement. Expecting this team to simply start clicking at a level that could run off 6 straight wins and two huge upsets isn’t very smart. They can still improve, and they certainly have the talent to do it, but Gottfried needs to start tinkering more, he needs to get a little gimmicky and start changing things up.
Virginia did not have more talent on the floor than NC State last night (especially with Justin Anderson out), but they were more organized, more focused and just a lot more mentally tough than the Wolfpack. Some of that falls on the players, but at this point, some of that is going to have to be shouldered by Gottfried. State has today and tomorrow to figure out what needs to change as they head to #9 Louisville, but just hoping Ralston Turner starts hitting 3s again is not going to be the correct answer.
wtaylor082671 Wolfer96 You’re more generous than I am. I don’t need 5 seasons to know that Gott is not the guy. Not to say that he’s horrible but definitely not above average considering the level of talent he has had the last 4 seasons.
I do agree that the team is NOT young. 2 fifth year seniors, 1 fourth year junior, and 4 sophomores is not young in the age of 1 and dones and frequent transfers. So no more of that excuse.
wtaylor082671
8 years ago
Wolfer96 wtaylor082671 We have made some good runs trying to catch up this year using the press so not sure I buy in there. What I will say is we are not where we should be, and I think it will be Gott’s last year next year if this team doesn’t show a lot more maturity and improvement. Having everyone back with all the 4/5 star players (whether deserved or not) and not having a great year will be pretty evident that the wrong person is at the helm. I will say I have not liked him stating publicly how young… Read more »
Wolfer96
8 years ago
wtaylor082671 Wolfer96 I get what you are trying to achieve but you don’t implement a full court pressing style defense this late in the season. Especially with a bunch of guys that are undisciplined. That kind of defense requires a lot of practice and buy-in from the players to do so for a full 40 minutes. I just don’t see any changes to the system or rotation helping much after watching all the games this season. We are missing a true PG. We have athletes but not skilled bigs. We have talent at the wings but not enough to overcome a… Read more »
wtaylor082671
8 years ago
Wolfer96 wtaylor082671 The point of the exercise is “What would we do different”… Wishing for a different point guard or a thinner center is counter productive to the realities of the roster at hand. The point of my response was not so much more minutes for Anya, but rather creating a more active portion of the roster that can come in and press and change tempo- a’la Kentucky or the Arkansas days under Nolan Richardson. Anya fits the traditional starting 5 mold where the latter 5- Lenard, Martins, Dez, and Abu can come in and give the team a big burst of… Read more »
Wolfer96
8 years ago
wtaylor082671 I’m not sure if you’ve been watching the same games as me but Anya is not the solution. On offense he is only effective at the rim and we don’t have a PG that can provide that. And extended minutes for Anya has caused him to pick up 3 fouls before the half. Until he drops another 40 lbs and works on his strength, Anya is not deserving of more than 10 minutes a game. At this late stage in the season, I just don’t see any changes in the lineup that will give the results that we want.… Read more »
THEOKEEP
8 years ago
@wtaylor082671 you make a great point. If you aren’t a great scoring team even though they could be, then you would need to play your best defensive players and generate offense from your defense…the team State has could be a top 15 team if he used his depth.
wtaylor082671
8 years ago
We have depth but don’t use it. Why not start Anya over Abu- a more traditional starting five. Then, say once or twice a half, come in with an athletiv and pressing five rotation of Martin twins, Abu, Dez, and Lenard. This change of pace could give the team a boost. The lack of a true point and scorer should be offset by the quick spurts and the expected turnover leading fast breaks.
THEOKEEP
8 years ago
DESMOND LEE BRINGS GREAT DEFENSIVE INTENSITY TO THE COURT AND KNOWS HOW TO GET TO THE RIM HE NEEDS MORE PLAYING TIME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
THEOKEEP
8 years ago
They have exhausted every option except for giving Desmond Lee a chance. He guarded the number one scorer on every team last averaged double figures with very limited shots until the coach put him on the bench for what. He’s a senior give him a chance to play like he’s supposed to, what do you have to lose? To me the three guards Cat, Lacey, and Lee should have been the starters. With Turner being the 6th man then the twins.
THEOKEEP
8 years ago
They have exhausted every option besides giving Desmond Lee a chance…He is a senior and deserves a chance. Why would you recruit a scorer but not let him even attempt to score. With limited shots last year he averaged almost double figures and those pts came from off the dribble penetration to the lane and shooting free throws some of what they’re saying would help the team along with his defense. Last year he checked the number 1 scorer every game to me it makes no sense! What can you lose in playing him now?
Wolfer96
8 years ago
I would agree with the bigger lineup with the exception of Anya. I mean that guy is a walking turnover if he receives the ball anywhere not 2 feet from the basket. Sure Anya has his blocks and everyone likes to talk about that but for every block he has he also matches with a stupid head-scratcher of a turnover or missed assignment on defense. I’ve never seen anyone get the ball knocked out of his hands so many times and not learn from it. I think we need to be realistic here. The season is beyond saving. So what… Read more »
Real_Pack_Man
8 years ago
PackInsider Staff Completely agree. Your point about Turner is a little concerning. Don’t get me wrong… I agree with you. My concern is that Turner has taken a few ill-advised shots when the pressure ramps up (completely understandable considering the circumstances) and I’m not sure if he’s ready to be “that guy”. He NEEDS to be “that guy”, but is he ready? Can he be transformed into “that guy” in a matter of weeks? I certainly hope so…
Real_Pack_Man Its certainly not a long term fix, but if you’ve watched the past 6 games, you’ll know this team is running out of options.
Real_Pack_Man
8 years ago
The thing I like the most about going big is that it gives us a way to mask our inexperience/youth. The beauty of having a Ralston is that he is a bit more experienced and, in theory, can keep a shooting game clicking even when things start going south. If Ralston isn’t getting it done, then we can’t expect the rest of the team to mentally grow-up over the course of a month to compensate. Go big, let the youngin’s bang it out with our opponents, and just try to defend against the 3 as much as humanly possible.
UNC Guard/Forward Transfer Dontrez Styles (6’6″/210) is expected to be visiting NC State soon. According to a source, he was expected to take an unofficial visit tomorrow, but it has been rescheduled to Monday.
Styles entered the Transfer Portal on March 17th.
Over the past two seasons, Styles has seen limited action for the Tar Heels, averaging 5.9 minutes in 45 total games (15 this season).
Styles is no stranger to NC State. He played high school for Kinston (Kinston, NC), and was offered by Kevin Keatts. Styles was a consensus 4-Star prospect coming out of High School. 247Sports ranked him as the #62 overall player nationally in the 2021 recruiting class, and the #2 player in the state of North Carolina.
ON3 ranks Styles as the #21 player currently in the Transfer Portal.
Dunn averaged 15.3 points per game this season, earning 3rd Team All-AAC honors. He shot 41.1% from the field this season, and 34.8% from three-point land.
In 2021-22, he led the Owls in scoring (14.9), and earned 2nd Team All-AAC honors.
Dunn originally is from Kinston, North Carolina, but played his Senior season of High School for Meadowcreek in Georgia, finishing his high school career as a 3-star prospect.
With the almost guaranteed loss of Terquavion Smith, NC State will be in need for a dynamic scorer, and Dunn has proven that he can do just that at the collegiate level.
Currently, Dunn is the 16th ranked player in the Transfer Portal according to ON3.
Dunn is a Redshirt Sophomore this season, with 2 years of eligibility remaining.
I heard from a source that it was close to 50/50 whether Clark would return to NC State next year for his final year of eligibility.
Clark started in 17 of the 23 games that he played in for the Wolfpack this season, averaging 9.0 points and 6.9 rebounds per game. Clark led the Wolfpack on rebounding in 22-23.
When it’s all said and done, I wouldn’t be shocked to see NC State pull in 6 players from the Transfer Portal when all the dust settles.
As stated yesterday, NC State lost Ebe Dowuona and might lose a couple more guys to the portal eventually. They also are very likely to keep their core guys aside from Terquavion Smith who is almost surely headed to the NBA.
The Pack has a few glaring needs for next season. They need a starting PG, they need a starting SG and they need a 4/5 guy that can be the bruiser option at the 4 against bigger, stronger teams, and also a guy who can slot in as a backup behind Burns if Mahorcic’s knee doesn’t get back to full strength. Those are the direct needs at this moment, however, based on what guys on the current roster do, there might end up being other needs. That said, we’d going to focus on the needs of today.
There is always the case that transfers can via the portal with no prior connection to the team. That means they aren’t local kids and they don’t have a prior relationship with the coaching staff. While that is possible, it’s not usually how this plays out. What usually happens is a kid wants to come closer to home, or they have some prior relationship with the staff (sometimes both).
So right now we’re going to limit our focus to a few guys that are in the portal and either local or have a prior relationship with the staff. We’re also going to limit the discussion in this piece to just Point Guards.
What is a ‘Keatts’ Point Guard?
NC State runs their offense off of an initial high pick and roll, like many college teams today. That means they need a playmaking PG. Now, a playmaking PG doesn’t mean a guy who just puts up a ton of points (although that is what Joiner was for the Pack last season), but it could also mean a guy who can score but also get his team involved.
Remember, the high pick and roll is not designed to get a PG open shots. Sure, that is one option, but if you have a good PG coming off that high screen, they have 3 real options. Shoot it, pass to the roll guy/pop guy, or draw help and kick out to the corners. If you have a guy who can do all of these things well, then the high pick and roll is nearly unguardable. However, if you have a guy who only does one of those things, the high pick-and-roll looks pretty stagnant and one-dimensional.
Right now, Keatts is constantly criticized for his offensive system, and based on his personnel and how the offense ran last season, I get it. But with a pass-first PG (who can also score), this offense could be really efficient. I think for the sake of the team and the sake of his job, Keatts would be smart to prioritize a PG who is a little more pass-oriented and creates a little more havoc off that screen (meaning he keeps his dribble alive on the drive and probes, not to score necessarily, but to bait the defense to get out of position.) So, what would you say Keatts’ ideal PG looks like?
Well, we don’t really know. His first two recruited were Lavar Batts and Braxton Beverly, both taken in his first year and both kind of out of desperation. Then he landed Jalen Lecque, who was a 6’4 elite athlete PG, who opted to skip college and go to the NBA. Then he brought on Cam Hayes and Shakeel Moore. Moore was a late addition, who I believe was taken to entice teammate Josh Hall to come to NC State (Hall also skipped college to go to the NBA after committing to State). Hayes, however, was a Keatts guy and Hayes was a 6’2, 185lb combo guard who was known as a shooter and good defender (he ended up being not much of either at NC State unfortunately). Then he brought on Breon Pass, a 6-foot guard who has given State some good minutes the past couple of years, but doesn’t look quite ready to take over as a starter. Pass was known as a good scorer at a smaller NC school, and a very good defender. So far his defense has panned out but not as much scoring as we expected. Next there was LJ Thomas last year. He’s a bigger 6’2 190lb PG. Not quite as quick but more physical. Not as much of a playmaker, but more of a scorer. Then Keatts brought in Joiner this year, a 6’1 scoring threat who never averaged more than 2.3 assists per game before coming to Raleigh.
So, to us, this is Keatts biggest flaw during his NC State tenure. He has an offense built around having an elite PG, and he really hasn’t decided what an elite PG in his system looks like. The best he’s brought in was Joiner, but the offense ended up being a lot of isolation and one on one play. To really reach the next level, Keatts needs to find a PG who is a playmaker and passer, one who can defend and then pair him with an elite scoring guard.
Who is out there right now that we should keep an eye on?
Jalen Cone Northern Arizona | 5’11, 175lbs | 18ppg, 2.5 assists, 40% from 3pt range | From Walkerton, NC
Cone started his career off at Virginia Tech. He was a 3 star kid who was super quick, and more of a scorer than a playmaker. He had offers from VT, Tennessee and Baylor, but that was really it. NC State was involved a little bit here but never given an offer.
He had decent stats at VT, but really came into his own when he transferred to Northern Arizona. Obviously, this is weaker conference, but he had 20pts, 10 rebounds, and 4 assists against Michigan State, 17 points and 6 boards against Arizona State. He did get shut down against Texas, scoring just 6 points and turning the ball over 5 times, but this is a guy who had games of 45pts, 38 pts, and 29pts. He’s super quick and really a good shooter. He’s a less physical version of Jarkell Joiner if you ask me. So maybe Keatts sees this as a decent fit, but in my opinion, you need to target a guy who is more interested in getting his teammates involved (but I guess that depends on your ability to lock down an elite scoring 2 guard). I’m also concerned about his 1:1 assist-to-turnover ratio. You want your lead guard to be better than that.
Bobby Pettiford Kansas | 6’1, 190lbs | 2 ppg, 1.3 assists, 30% from 3pt range | From Durham, NC Pettiford is a stout, physical guard who can defend, but really hasn’t shown much on the offensive end. That said, he’s had a case of the injury bug during his two years at Kansas. He started with an ankle injury and then had an abdominal injury, both really slowed him down. When he committed to Kansas (after decommitting from Louisville) Bill Self really thought Pettiford was going to be a major contibutor to his team saying “We were very fortunate when Bobby opened up his recruitment last month. He became a priority immediately. We feel Bobby has a tremendous future, great upside and will make an immediate impact for us. His work ethic and drive are something I think every program hopes every player has.”
Pettiford is interesting to me. He’s a very physical guard, a good defender, and a good finisher around the rim, but he’s not super athletic, nor is he a great long-range shooter. He also isn’t someone who is explosive in transition. Those seem to be all things Keatts is looking for in a PG, so you’d think Pettiford isn’t going to be a major target for State, but you never know. He has a lot of talent, but I’m not sure he fits great with the pieces NC State currently has in place. However, in HS he was a really good shooter and showed a real scoring ability, so who knows.
Javon Small ECU | 6’2, 180lbs | 15.8 ppg, 5.6 assists, 33% from 3pt range | From South Bend, IN
Small isn’t a North Carolina prep kid, but his connection to the state is that he’s transferring from ECU. This is a kid who was a 3-star recruit and only had mid-major offers, but has erupted for the Pirates this season. He’s a big, strong PG who shot nearly 40% from the floor and 33.3% from long range. This year Jarkel Joiner shot 42.8% from the field and 35.4% from long range. So he’s not quite the shooter that Joiner was, but he’s not that far off. He also is more of a playmaker than Joiner. He averaged 5.6 assists per game and 3.4 turnovers per game. He was ranked 18th nationally in assist rate when he went down with a knee injury in mid-January. This is a guy that I think Keatts should try to bring in, and it looks like he’s already reached out.
ECU transfer Javon Small has heard from the following schools since entering the transfer portal, he tells @On3sports:
LSU
Mississippi State
Penn State
Clemson
Oklahoma
Arkansas
Maryland
NC State https://t.co/oY8D4CDfHM
Dayvion McKnight WKU | 6’1, 195lbs | 16.5 ppg, 5 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 34% from 3pt range | From Shelbyville, KY McKnight is being listed here because NC State has reached out to him. I’m not aware of any connection with the staff, but he definitely fits the Keatts mold. He’s a little bit of a bigger, stronger guard, and honestly is like an undersized James Harden with the way he creates space and attacks the basket (He’s also a lefty). McKnight is going to be a really unique player no matter where he ends up. He’s got a knack for creating space, great footwork, a nice jumper and he really loves drawing contact on his drives to the hoop. I can definitely see why NC State reached out, and if he really does pattern his game after James Harden, then the NC State high screen and roll offense is the perfect system for him. Don’t look at his frame and think he’s slow, either. The kid has speed and while he’s not going to play above the rim, he’ll be a scoring threat no matter where he lands.
Western Kentucky transfer Dayvion McKnight has heard from the following schools since entering the portal, source tells @On3sports:
Kansas
Memphis
Iowa State
Purdue
NC State
Xavier
LSU
Oklahoma
Dusquene
Mississippi State https://t.co/rPam5GZvdb
wtaylor082671 Wolfer96 You’re more generous than I am. I don’t need 5 seasons to know that Gott is not the guy. Not to say that he’s horrible but definitely not above average considering the level of talent he has had the last 4 seasons.
I do agree that the team is NOT young. 2 fifth year seniors, 1 fourth year junior, and 4 sophomores is not young in the age of 1 and dones and frequent transfers. So no more of that excuse.
Wolfer96 wtaylor082671 We have made some good runs trying to catch up this year using the press so not sure I buy in there. What I will say is we are not where we should be, and I think it will be Gott’s last year next year if this team doesn’t show a lot more maturity and improvement. Having everyone back with all the 4/5 star players (whether deserved or not) and not having a great year will be pretty evident that the wrong person is at the helm. I will say I have not liked him stating publicly how young… Read more »
wtaylor082671 Wolfer96 I get what you are trying to achieve but you don’t implement a full court pressing style defense this late in the season. Especially with a bunch of guys that are undisciplined. That kind of defense requires a lot of practice and buy-in from the players to do so for a full 40 minutes. I just don’t see any changes to the system or rotation helping much after watching all the games this season. We are missing a true PG. We have athletes but not skilled bigs. We have talent at the wings but not enough to overcome a… Read more »
Wolfer96 wtaylor082671 The point of the exercise is “What would we do different”… Wishing for a different point guard or a thinner center is counter productive to the realities of the roster at hand. The point of my response was not so much more minutes for Anya, but rather creating a more active portion of the roster that can come in and press and change tempo- a’la Kentucky or the Arkansas days under Nolan Richardson. Anya fits the traditional starting 5 mold where the latter 5- Lenard, Martins, Dez, and Abu can come in and give the team a big burst of… Read more »
wtaylor082671 I’m not sure if you’ve been watching the same games as me but Anya is not the solution. On offense he is only effective at the rim and we don’t have a PG that can provide that. And extended minutes for Anya has caused him to pick up 3 fouls before the half. Until he drops another 40 lbs and works on his strength, Anya is not deserving of more than 10 minutes a game. At this late stage in the season, I just don’t see any changes in the lineup that will give the results that we want.… Read more »
@wtaylor082671 you make a great point. If you aren’t a great scoring team even though they could be, then you would need to play your best defensive players and generate offense from your defense…the team State has could be a top 15 team if he used his depth.
We have depth but don’t use it. Why not start Anya over Abu- a more traditional starting five. Then, say once or twice a half, come in with an athletiv and pressing five rotation of Martin twins, Abu, Dez, and Lenard. This change of pace could give the team a boost. The lack of a true point and scorer should be offset by the quick spurts and the expected turnover leading fast breaks.
DESMOND LEE BRINGS GREAT DEFENSIVE INTENSITY TO THE COURT AND KNOWS HOW TO GET TO THE RIM HE NEEDS MORE PLAYING TIME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
They have exhausted every option except for giving Desmond Lee a chance. He guarded the number one scorer on every team last averaged double figures with very limited shots until the coach put him on the bench for what. He’s a senior give him a chance to play like he’s supposed to, what do you have to lose? To me the three guards Cat, Lacey, and Lee should have been the starters. With Turner being the 6th man then the twins.
They have exhausted every option besides giving Desmond Lee a chance…He is a senior and deserves a chance. Why would you recruit a scorer but not let him even attempt to score. With limited shots last year he averaged almost double figures and those pts came from off the dribble penetration to the lane and shooting free throws some of what they’re saying would help the team along with his defense. Last year he checked the number 1 scorer every game to me it makes no sense! What can you lose in playing him now?
I would agree with the bigger lineup with the exception of Anya. I mean that guy is a walking turnover if he receives the ball anywhere not 2 feet from the basket. Sure Anya has his blocks and everyone likes to talk about that but for every block he has he also matches with a stupid head-scratcher of a turnover or missed assignment on defense. I’ve never seen anyone get the ball knocked out of his hands so many times and not learn from it. I think we need to be realistic here. The season is beyond saving. So what… Read more »
PackInsider Staff Completely agree. Your point about Turner is a little concerning. Don’t get me wrong… I agree with you. My concern is that Turner has taken a few ill-advised shots when the pressure ramps up (completely understandable considering the circumstances) and I’m not sure if he’s ready to be “that guy”. He NEEDS to be “that guy”, but is he ready? Can he be transformed into “that guy” in a matter of weeks? I certainly hope so…
Real_Pack_Man Its certainly not a long term fix, but if you’ve watched the past 6 games, you’ll know this team is running out of options.
The thing I like the most about going big is that it gives us a way to mask our inexperience/youth. The beauty of having a Ralston is that he is a bit more experienced and, in theory, can keep a shooting game clicking even when things start going south. If Ralston isn’t getting it done, then we can’t expect the rest of the team to mentally grow-up over the course of a month to compensate. Go big, let the youngin’s bang it out with our opponents, and just try to defend against the 3 as much as humanly possible.