WTKA Roundtable 1/23/2019: Five for Twenty-Eight
Things discussed:
- Shots not falling, perimeter defense? Could Livers have saved this?
- Michigan gets a lead and then five turnovers in the next 2 minutes
- Sam: Maybe run the offense through Teske? Cutters?
- PSU did a good job of funneling usage to X. Michigan has three guys who aren't a threat against good defenses, which is two too many.
- Michigan's 25% from three in renewed conference play. He makes a few of them and has gravity.
- Lost Poole, Iggy, and Jalen Wilson from the list of guys who should be on the wing on this team. Franz's issues are ???
- Why not give Cole Bajema a few minutes?
- The fact that X can't shoot is a problem, but he's not the team's problem.
- Terrifying observation: The Big Ten might have addressed the home/road officiating—nice of that to happen after Michigan's played 67% of their games so far on the road, right?
- Free throw whistle is now 69-11. Most is style of play: X doesn't force contact. Most of the guys are jump-shooters.
New assistants things discussed:
- Fine with Jean-Mary, Brian has a problem with a one-year rental on Shoop.
- Sam: Michigan prioritized Campanile instead of going for the Kentucky guy Brian wanted
[Player after THE JUMP]
You can catch the entire episode on Michigan Insider's podcast stream.
Segment two is here.
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If you've got a mod sticker on Bucknuts you're like the Buck-I-Guy.
January 24th, 2020 at 7:52 AM ^
The excuses and rationalizations that continue to roll in for Simpson are pathological...profoundly so. Y'all don't know the game and you don't know talent-it's that simple. Luckily, in the larger picture it matters little-it's simply a game.
January 24th, 2020 at 8:22 AM ^
You and I have agreed for some time that Michigan is way to dependent on Simpson and that he dominates the ball far too much for his scoring limitations, but at this point, it really isn't his fault that Howard plays him as much as he does. Simpson has some leverage I'm sure, he is a senior and a three year starter, but he really can't do anything about his usage and he isn't the one creating the rotation. Howard is playing him and really no other player is creating offense. If DDJ, Brooks or Wagner think they can create, nobody is stopping them, I have never seen any player on the team even get a "talking to" from Howard. If they think they can to do their thing it is right there for the taking.
I think part of the issue, unfortunately, is that Howard has never really had to develop talent and Simpson has become his security blanket to not have to really try. I agree with you that it is preposterous that our only real offense right now is the Simpson/Teske pick and roll when neither one of them can do a damn thing with it, but literally where else do they go? Any player is welcome to try to become the man, there are almost no limitations being put on them, but nobody is doing it.
Simpson is having some issues this year, for sure. It seems looking cool to fans and winning games are about 50/50 in his mind right now, he certainly is not living and dying with every possession. The "James Harden Step" is a GD outrage and his defense has not been up to past performance. At the same time, nothing else is being offered up as offense. Simpson isn't the coach. Somebody has to do something with the ball.
January 24th, 2020 at 11:00 AM ^
"Howard has never really had to develop talent and Simpson has become his security blanket to not have to really try. "
Lol what? He was known in the NBA as a great developer and has only been coaching college for half a season -- what the hell is he supposed to have developed?
January 24th, 2020 at 11:24 AM ^
“What the hell is supposedly to have developed”. I’d say the guys currently in his program. There hasn’t been a ton noticeable development from last year to this. There’s been some improvement from a few but regression as well
January 24th, 2020 at 11:34 AM ^
He's been the coach of this team for less than a year. And like you noted there have been some improvements and some regressions. People looking to blame Howard just feel like they're looking to blame someone.
January 24th, 2020 at 11:51 AM ^
Id agree if people are solely looking to blame Howard that’s absurd. But I also see a lot of people trying absolve Howard of any blame at all for the poor defensive performance in B1G play, and at time struggling offense which is equally absurd. There are plenty of issues on the coaching staffs end that need to get cleaned up / figured out, he’s the head man and he needs to figure it out quick or this team could lose all the momentum from November and be on the outside looking in come March.
January 24th, 2020 at 12:38 PM ^
Sure, but I thought the game plan against PSU and Iowa were solid. The defense forced tough shots (Iowa was bailed out by a ton of questionable fouls, and PSU just hit them) and the offensive playcalling, at times, looked good. They had decent looks against PSU, and had they hit even an average number of them they probably win somewhat comfortably.
This isn't a particularly talented team; my guess is Beilein would have struggled with them as well.
January 24th, 2020 at 11:45 AM ^
Howard not developing players feels a bit reactionary at this point; he was known for developing post guys in the pros and has been in his current gig for half a season. some guys have gotten better, some worse. It's hard to know what caused that.
As for the "Simpson wants to be cool" stuff, he's the PG and nobody else on the team seems capable of creating a shot. I don't know what he can do when the offense bogs down, and it's on his teammates to get there as well. His defense has underwhelmed a bit but the whole team's defense has struggled so I'm not sure who is to blame.
January 24th, 2020 at 12:11 PM ^
My post was in defense of Simpson.
But I guess now it seems that to criticize either Howard OR Simpson is off limits.
I guess we should just blame Wagner. That seems to be the path of least resistance.
January 24th, 2020 at 12:45 PM ^
Your post said
Simpson is having some issues this year, for sure. It seems looking cool to fans and winning games are about 50/50 in his mind right now, he certainly is not living and dying with every possession.
That's the part of the take I'm having issue with. If you meant that to be taken in some other context fine, but it certainly wasn't clear.
It's fine to criticize Howard and Simpson, but your initial post stated Howard never had to develop players and is using Simpson as his security blanket, which seems to be out of left field. Howard has only be a coach here for half a season and Simpson's usage rate has ticked up somewhat but isn't out of line with the starting PG for a team. There's an offense where Simpson is asked to break guys off the dribble and dominate the ball, and that doesn't seem to be what Howard is trying to run. Simpson's biggest issue is that other guys aren't working offensively and so he's forced at the end to take a shot or make an ill-advised play. Nor is there some backup they could put out there who would be better unless Howard just decided to forego the year and see what he has with Nunez, DDJ, Bajema, etc. Which doesn't seem particularly logical.
I would be interested in knowing how you'd improve the offense and defense if you could.
January 24th, 2020 at 1:12 PM ^
"Simpson's biggest issue is that other guys aren't working offensively and so he's forced at the end to take a shot or make an ill-advised play."
I'm confused. I really am not sure what you have an issue with. That is like literally paraphrasing my first post in defense of Simpson. And if guys are not working offensively, why aren't they? Is that not coaching? I really am not sure how many different ways you want to have it.
I'm seriously kind of confused about this. I was defending Simpson from what I thought was too broad of an attack by another poster. But yes, I do think that Simpson should go ahead and decide on his hair accessory of choice before the games start and ditch the obvious travel-side step that all the cool people are doing.
January 24th, 2020 at 8:28 AM ^
Need to look for a hot hand. Bajema should get a look as a shooter.
January 24th, 2020 at 8:42 AM ^
Freep reports this morning the 2-year contract terms for new assistants:
Shoop will make $450,000 in the first year of his deal and $550,000 in the second year. Jean-Mary will make $415,000 in his first season and $450,000 in the second. Both coaches will owe Michigan a buyout if they leave for another job before the contract expires, at a rate of 100% of their annual base salary.
Looks like both committed two years given the expensive buyouts, specially Shoop's $550k.
January 24th, 2020 at 10:17 AM ^
Yes. A real shooting guard is a must. So the team implodes because 1 guy is hurt? Obviously the depth needs to be cleansed next year.
January 24th, 2020 at 10:35 AM ^
Wagner looks like he's about to bust out sobbing in that pic.
January 24th, 2020 at 11:07 AM ^
He should the way he's shooting. The hoop must be bigger in Europe....
January 24th, 2020 at 11:06 AM ^
So did Michigan lose Kentucky guy over $100k, as Brian has repeated claimed?
January 24th, 2020 at 11:32 AM ^
I swear, it hasn't been reported anywhere else and yet it keeps being repeated. it really does feel like someone Brian wanted because of some recruiting successes.
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