Position Preview: SFs will thrive in Keatts’ offense

Position: Stretch Forward

Players: Torin Dorn, Shaun Kirk

Kevin Keatts described his offense in the exhibition game as having 4 guards, but for the sake of trying to break down the different roles that this team is going to have, we’re going to call the third guard spot, a stretch forward.

That being said, These guys are going to be more of your slasher/athlete types. You’ve seen both Dorn and Kirk play, but what can you expect from them in a Keatts offense?

Strengths
Both Dorn and Kirk are long, strong, athletic types who thrive in space. This offense is going to serve them well as it’s built around freeing up the paint and keeping the driving lanes open.

Obviously, Dorn is going to see more minutes since he’s the more polished of the two. Last year, before the NC State offense got stagnant and started clogging up the lane, he was putting up monster stats. Dorn’s ability to shoot it from the outside with some consistency needs to be proven, but his ability to take it to the hoop and his movement without the basketball are probably the best on the team at this point.

As long as the floor spacing is good, Torin Dorn will be a factor for NC State.

As for Kirk, he is going to see a little more floor time this season. With his length, his athleticism and his ability to be a big-time finisher on the break, Kirk should find himself a role in Keatts rotation.

A real strength at this position will be the ability to create mismatches. Most ACC teams play with two bigs. NC State will have one big and Stretch Forward who will cause problems for the less mobile 4s that other teams put out there. The good news for Keatts is that both Dorn and Kirk have the size and length to guard bigger opposing 4s.

Dorn and Kirk’s versatility is what is going to pay big dividends for the Wolfpack this season.

Weaknesses
Neither Dorn nor Kirk really have much of an outside shot. The idea of the stretch forward is that it ‘stretches’ the defense. If these guys show they are unwilling to shoot from the outside, or if they can’t knock down open shots, defenses are going to sag down, taking away their ability to attack off the dribble.

Depth may also end up being an issue. State has 4 guys (Johnson, Batts, Freeman and Hunt) who will be competing for 2 guard slots most of the time, and 3 bigs who will rotate in one or two slots. Dorn is really going to be leaned on to play major minutes since he’s got size, speed, and athleticism and they’ll need him to guard opposing 3s and 4s. He’s the only one who has that versatility. Kirk can do this as well, but Kirk still gets a little lost on defense and needs to earn Keatts trust.