Anonymous B1G Bball Coach Discusses Michigan's Weaknesses
Here is the full link: http://www.si.com/college-basketball/2017/02/20/acc-big-ten-big-12-scou…
The nugget on Michigan is about halfway down. The most brutal parts are highlighted:
"Michigan: “Obviously they’re not great defensively, but they’re confident they can score against you. [Junior forward D.J.] Wilson and [sophomore forward Moritz] Wagner have emerged as premiere players. If [senior guard Duncan] Robinson is in the game you want to attack him defensively. Everybody knows that. Sometimes [senior guard Derrick] Walton just coasts on defense. The point of attack is where your defense has to be at its best. You have to keep Walton out of the paint. He can shoot it, but he does most of his damage when he’s breaking your defense down. If they’re not making shots, I don’t think they can beat good teams. Everybody that starts can make shots for them. [Senior guard] Zak Irvin is having a down year. He’s not shooting the ball as well. People have been keying on him a little more and making him take tough twos. I love Wilson, but he’s not a tough kid. I’ve seen guys punk him and he didn’t fight back. They’re real soft defensively. I just think they have to spend so much time and energy getting that offense to work that they don’t have a lot of time to work on defense. There’s nobody who runs better pick-and-roll offense than John Beilein. They get guys eight or 10 points who don’t deserve to score.”
MOD EDIT - Initially took this down because that's what happens when I mod in the middle of a meeting where I don't have a chance to read, but upon reading the tab, a title change - as suggested in the Sticky - works better. My mistake. - LSA
February 21st, 2017 at 11:05 AM ^
I think that is a pretty fair analysis of our team right now.
February 21st, 2017 at 11:13 AM ^
Fair or not, does this ever happen to other schools? It seems as though there is always some anonymous coward talking shit about a Michigan team. Maybe this happens everywhere and I just never heard about it.
February 21st, 2017 at 11:17 AM ^
February 21st, 2017 at 11:18 AM ^
The article has negative comments towards Duke, Virginia, and Baylor too. Maybe it happens to Michigan more than others because Michigan has a higher profile, but it happens to everyone. We might notice more Michigan comments more because this blog/board posts every nugget about Michigan that is on the internet (not a knock on the blog/board).
February 21st, 2017 at 11:23 AM ^
I was trying to edit but I already had replies.
The coach was almost complementary even though they were all backhanded complements. It's like saying, "for an ugly guy with a little dick, you sure have a lot of hot women."
February 21st, 2017 at 11:52 AM ^
February 21st, 2017 at 4:10 PM ^
The backhanded part is that amidst his compliment to the coach is an insult to the players. That line about not being able to average 8-10 ppg almost directly states that he doesn't think some of the guys on this team are good or talented enough to average what they do. That the Michigan offense gifts them with their production.
Whether or not it is true it is definitely backhanded.
February 22nd, 2017 at 12:35 PM ^
seems almost synonymous with what critics often complain about here or recognize as strengths of this team. We all know what this team can do and can't. I mean what is hard to accept, the fact that this team gets killed inside the paint, that Robinson can be bullied to the basket and fail to stay in front of his guy, or that Miller while a great athlete who has really upped his game this season has a way to go as both an on-ball defender and dynamic shot-blocker, which he clearly has shown signs of being.
My own concern about him is that while emerging as a go-to offensive guy with nice ability to create his own shot, he just doesn't demand the ball enough or assert himself as a primary offensive or defensive player, not the way Wagner does. This is a function of will and role choice rather than pecking order on this team. Wagner suffers from ref targeting for fouls he wouldn't get if he were more respected as a player in the league. And that is a function of experience and avoiding stupid screening contacts. He gets more fouls and violations called on him just because he's aggressive.
Not saying both these guys can't be special but they are interesting passive-aggressive contrasts on a team that favors spreading the ball around and not identifying anyone in particular as a primary scoring threat game to game. Wagner has no compunction about taking over offensively but he never knows when enough is enough. This makes the team harder to defend but also subject to long scoring droughts because they rely so much on three-point scoring instead of going hard to the basket and earning second-chance points.
Rebounding is completely sacrificed to avoid fouling, dropping back to curtail fastbreak points by the opposition. What is interesting to watch is the defense will play very well during a possession, doing a good job switching and hedging, forcing the opposition to swing the ball, and then just when you think the only play left is a long two or three, some guy goes down the lane or to the basket for a layup and if not, they fail to block out or respond quickly enough before allowing an easy putback or second shot from inside the paint. This happens year after year with this team. I don't think anyone is speaking out of school saying these things.
This team competes every game but like most wins more at home than on the road because of greater shooting confidence in the friendly confines and lesser ability to rebound and play defense. So this team is what it is and what the critics say it is makes sense to me.
February 21st, 2017 at 11:23 AM ^
February 21st, 2017 at 11:27 AM ^
I was going to edit because it was an exaggeration. Not as bad as mercilously evicerating a team. I don't agree with that assessment. This was one of the tamer articles like this that I have seen. I was guilty of reading too fast.
February 21st, 2017 at 11:19 AM ^
I think this is a very accurate evaluation. I find no malice in its intent.
Deal with it. Use it to improve. And move on.
February 21st, 2017 at 12:15 PM ^
I think the OP just wanted to use "Mercilessly Eviscerates."
The coach literally said everything we already know. I couldn't argue one point and I'm not going to sit here and act like I'm the only person who's been saying those exact same things for 2 years now.
But maybe the OP learned some new words?
¯\_(ツ)_/¯
The only thing I learned was "There’s nobody who runs better pick-and-roll offense than John Beilein." That's interesting because everyone sees us as a 4-out/1-in motion offense.
February 21st, 2017 at 12:30 PM ^
Speaking of learning new words, you meant "figuratively", not "literally".
[shruggy emoji]
February 21st, 2017 at 3:29 PM ^
literally also does mean figuratively. Thanks to its widespread misuse, the dictionaries just gave up and added to the definition of literally.
shrug emoji
Also this is more of a syntax error. Had the user said "literally everything that was said we already know" would be correct under the literal use of literally.
February 22nd, 2017 at 8:16 AM ^
"Only we can do that to our pledges." He said many things I wish weren't true, but nothing that was obviously false.
February 21st, 2017 at 11:06 AM ^
The last one you bolded is a complement to Beilein's offense.
Also "if they're not making shots I don't think they can beat good teams" is right out of the sports section of Duh (from the Norm Macdonald Weekend Updates).
February 21st, 2017 at 11:07 AM ^
I could totally be wrong, but I took it as a back-handed insult. In other words, he makes his offense so complex and focused on creating scoring everywhere, that everyone gets 8-10 points but they don't know how to play defense. **SHRUG**
February 21st, 2017 at 11:15 AM ^
February 21st, 2017 at 12:02 PM ^
MgoHuffingtonposr
February 21st, 2017 at 3:14 PM ^
it's not wrong though. We aren't good at defense, and it does look like we spend a lot more time on offense than defense and rebounding. As others have said, it's just the tradeoff we've chosen to make.
Just recently, the coaches talked about a simplified package for X, which 1) allowed him to actually play and 2) allowed him to thrive. It does beg the question of whether it's worth having such a complex offense when it hinders your young talented players from contributing and takes away from the time you could spend on defense and rebounding.
We ran a more simplfied offense in 2012 and 2013 (and even in 2014) with a lot of young guys that was more pick and roll heavy and highly effective. Of course we had talented enough players that we could say just run the pick and roll and they could do dominate (Trey and Nick), so don't know how much of a drop our offense would experience if it had been simplified all year, or how much our defense would be better, but them's the tradeoffs our coaches have to think about.
The reason good defenses shut down our offense for long stretches is 1) yes, they have good defensive players but moreso that 2) they spend a lot of time working on defending our offense in the practices leading up to the game against us. When your own offense is so complex that you're still using a lot of time teaching it to the young guys for multiple seasons (and even the older guys), there's a tradeoff.
February 21st, 2017 at 3:39 PM ^
I read it as him saying that our offense is good enough to get anybody 8-10 points.
February 21st, 2017 at 4:51 PM ^
I might be reading too much into the comment, but I think what he means is some teams, even though their shots might not be falling, can beat you with really good to great defense and/or bypbounding the offensive glass (to either get put backs or additional possessions).
February 21st, 2017 at 11:06 AM ^
February 21st, 2017 at 11:08 AM ^
"Eviscerates" by giving an honest, pretty accurate analysis, I guess.
February 21st, 2017 at 11:10 AM ^
Yeah, I just felt like adding some awesome adjectives to the thread title...
February 21st, 2017 at 11:42 AM ^
February 21st, 2017 at 11:08 AM ^
February 21st, 2017 at 11:10 AM ^
If that's not one of the Toms...
February 21st, 2017 at 11:11 AM ^
I don't think that's an Izzo quote. Seems to be Crean.
February 21st, 2017 at 11:20 AM ^
February 21st, 2017 at 11:34 AM ^
February 21st, 2017 at 3:20 PM ^
own defenses aren't good either. They usually suffer from the same all-offense-little-defense affliction that we do, so I doubt it'd be them. I'm guessing it's an MSU assistant.
February 21st, 2017 at 11:12 AM ^
I would have a very simlar analysis, he even pays Wilson and Wagner a compliment. But I do like the fact that people keep calling them out for their defense. For me that would be motivation to keep proving "The World" wrong. Defense starts with effort, continues with effort, sustains itself with effort.
Keep the desire (and effort) there and they will at least be ok.
February 21st, 2017 at 11:12 AM ^
February 21st, 2017 at 11:12 AM ^
I don't really see it that way. Everything this coach is saying matches up with what many of us have been saying and/or seeing on the court.
That being said, I do think the team has gotten mentally/physically tougher over the past month.
Overall, it's a decent but not great team that has improved over the course of the year.
February 21st, 2017 at 11:13 AM ^
Congrats on the sensational title reminiscent of HuffPo/Drudge/Breitbart, et al.
Analysis is pretty spot on.
February 21st, 2017 at 11:13 AM ^
I think that is a bit of an overstatement. Did he take some shots, yeah. Merciless evisceration? I think not.
My guess is Matta based on the other teams that are analyzed and teams that beat us this year by being more physical than us this year.
February 21st, 2017 at 11:13 AM ^
I mean, he's not THAT wrong other than maybe re: Derrick Walton's D (and there it's only been an uptick in the last month or so) and DJ Wilson who I wouldn't characterize as soft, though I guess I haven't been watching for it.
And when he says "they get guys eight or ten points who don't deserve to score" I think he is probably referring to Donnal who from time-to-time will have a good scoring output but isn't normally a key kog in our offensive machine.
If they're not making shots, I personally don't see how they can beat bad teams, let alone good ones. The season has proven that in losses to Illinois, OSU and others I'm forgetting. Having said that, Kentucky has a hard time winning when they aren't shooting well. That's a problem nearly every team in the country has. Not earth shattering.
Overall, Michigan IS a team that can be pushed around on the defensive side of the ball.
February 21st, 2017 at 11:13 AM ^
Thanks for posting OP. I really don't disagree with any of the statements. However, it's not an evisceration or merciless. The message is blunt without being disparaging. It's just the strategy of how to attack Michigan while still being respectful in their opinion.
February 21st, 2017 at 11:15 AM ^
after another typical loss. Hell I thought he was kind. [Senior guard] Zak Irvin is having a down year. He’s not shooting the ball as well. That's an understatement.
February 21st, 2017 at 11:15 AM ^
February 21st, 2017 at 11:15 AM ^
DISRESPEKT
February 21st, 2017 at 11:17 AM ^
I do not think it means what you think it means
February 21st, 2017 at 11:43 AM ^
you keep using that word....
February 21st, 2017 at 11:17 AM ^
I would not be surprised if that is Izzo.
February 21st, 2017 at 2:51 PM ^
February 21st, 2017 at 3:10 PM ^
You may want to re-read your comment before calling out someone for not being articulate.
February 21st, 2017 at 11:18 AM ^
Agree that it is largely accurate. It drives me nuts that we don't attempt to get offensive rebounds. Why can't a super athletic DJ Wilson go to the glass on shots. Right now everyone retreats to defense the moment the shot goes up.
Sunday, you could see missed Michigan shots laying on the court and no Michigan player would go after them. They should be diving and creating energy. I just don't understand it.
February 21st, 2017 at 11:48 AM ^
wants them to get back on defense and not give up a quick 2/3 points in transition. He wants to slow down the game and let his offense take over with shooting.