JOHNNAVARREISMYHERO

April 20th, 2015 at 11:58 PM ^

The supporting cast was not there to lean on early in the season to help Levert and Walton.  Both tried to do too much themselves because guys like Dawkins and MAAR weren't ready yet.  

You are correct in saying it forced them to step up and accelerate their development.  And they did just that.

But where did we struggle -end of game situations-

Levert and Walton are our closers - both made clutch shots this past season when healthy (Levert against Oregon, Penn State, etc) Walton is a rock on the free throw line and saved us at Rutgers.

This past season can be classified a a short term stumble for a long term gain.

It doesn't matter what their star number was, Spike, Dawkins, and MAAR already have shown they are legit players that have competed with everyone.  

Joined: 02/06/2015

MGoPoints: 4079

WolverineinSB

April 21st, 2015 at 12:11 AM ^

Not really a proper comparison. When Levert went out this team was obviously worse than it was before. You can't compare the end and when he was playing bc that change is based on the development of the other guys and probably partially our decreased expectations. With Levert we are a better defensive team with a go to guy down the stretch. Irvin tried to fill that and played well but wasn't the player that Levert was. The development of everyone else was nice to see that next year without him isn't automatically a lost season but to say Michigan was better without him is an extremely rash statement.



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ak47

April 21st, 2015 at 8:20 AM ^

We only won 15 games this year. People are going from a team that was supposed to get run staying close to the team playing well. Michigan beat one good team without levert. Osu. That's it, that's the list. This team was not better, we just played closer games than people expected.

Joined: 05/05/2011

MGoPoints: 33614

MichiganMAN47

April 21st, 2015 at 10:01 AM ^

Without LeVert. That's a step up from losing to NJIT and EMU, and getting smoked at OSU, Arizona, Purdue, and at home to SMU. This blog was about to meltdown when LeVert was healthy and the team was losing... Bad. They weren't even competitive in almost half the games they played up to the point of losing LeVert. The team was much more enjoyable to watch after he was sitting, despite the close losses. You're overrating LeVert and not giving enough credit to Irvin, Dawkins, and MAAR.

Joined: 02/24/2015

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MichiganMAN47

April 21st, 2015 at 9:51 AM ^

Irvin struggled the first few games after Caris went down, but by the end of the year he was playing at least as good as LeVert. He had some games where he was borderline double double, making great passes, and was consistently putting up 15 plus points. I don't think it's clear who the number one scoring threat will be next year, especially with Dawkins as a dark horse candidate for that role.

Joined: 02/24/2015

MGoPoints: 3216

MichiganMAN47

April 21st, 2015 at 7:19 AM ^

Rutgers game where Dawkins put up 31...

Or the MSU game where MAAR put up 18...

LeVert as a freshman barely played (albeit on a stacked team)

Joined: 02/24/2015

MGoPoints: 3216

jmblue

April 21st, 2015 at 10:08 AM ^

1.  MAAR is much older than LeVert was as a freshman.  In fact, they are only one week apart in age.  LeVert had just turned 18 when his freshman year started; MAAR had turned 20.  He was physically more mature, as you'd expect.

2. LeVert was a freshman on a loaded team that reached the national title game.  MAAR played on a 16-16 team that was seriously short of bodies the second half of the year.  Of course he would receive more minutes.

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umumum

April 21st, 2015 at 12:21 PM ^

As I was at every home game.  I like Dawkins.  He clearly has upside and may become a rounded player.  But right now, 3 point shooting and dunking are his only skills.  Caris a balanced and better player--who can shoot, drive, has a handle, is a better passer, rebounds better and plays better defense.  But if you only take shooting--and even then only a couple of games--then I guess you can draw the conclusion you reached.

Plus Levert is a 1st round draft pick.

Joined: 01/06/2011

MGoPoints: 7876

UMich2016

April 21st, 2015 at 5:21 AM ^

The benefits of staying clearly outweigh leaving.  This team is final four material with him back, giving him more exposure - especially as the star.  He'll get his degree.  Play a full season.  And look at your friend GR3!  Dont leave until your ready, especially with this injury.  And, perhaps most importantly, hes one year away from a degree.    A championship would be nice as well.  

Fingers Crossed.

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MGoPoints: 2589

WorldwideTJRob

April 21st, 2015 at 10:58 AM ^

For instance if Mitch( late 1st rounder) meets all of his qualifications he will make close to $10 mil in his rookie contract that's not bad. Point was that if he wants to get money now he can and still get his degree. We seem to think as fans that these 2 things are mutually exclusive.



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bluesalt

April 21st, 2015 at 8:14 AM ^

I hope that we as a blog/fan base can be supportive of him instead of being derisive. It's embarrassing the amount of hate D-Mo gets on this board.

Joined: 11/02/2011

MGoPoints: 8540

Artie

April 21st, 2015 at 9:14 AM ^

Morris might have been the most clear cut case of needing another year in the program. I would guess there's some sort of correlation between a players' readiness for the league and the amount of animosity they have towards said player. Is it warranted? Absolutely not. But that's sports. No one has ever claimed sports fans are rational. I would guess that Sparty fans have a similar level of disdain for Marcus Taylor.



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bluesalt

April 21st, 2015 at 10:14 AM ^

Who's to say what would have happened to Morris?  The 2012 draft class was much deeper than 2011.  Who's to say his game doesn't stagnate a bit and he goes undrafted?  Morris has made $2.5 million in the NBA since he left, while living out his dream playing in the NBA.  Heck, he was even drafted by and played two years for his childhood favorite team.  The decision absolutely worked for him.  People need to let it go and realize he's having a career as an NBA player, and it's unlikely that an additional year of college would have elevated his game such that he'd get more minutes than he currently does.  His talent level is that of a reserve, which is still extraordinarily talented.  And he's getting paid for his talents.

The confidence on this board with which people think they know what's best for a player, ignoring the fact that said player has made $2.5 million since his decision, is somewhere between idiotic and ridiculously conceited.  He's four years into an NBA career, and is on a playoff team for the third time.  He's not an NBA washout.

The NBA salary cap is very friendly to veterans who make the minimum salary.  Service time is a real big deal, particularly getting to year 3, and leaving early earned him an important extra year.

You compare him to Marcus Taylor, who had all of one season in the NBA.  Apples to oranges.

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