Zavier’s Mindset
I didn’t watch the tape of the NW game. I saw it live so from memory.... The game was almost lost when Simpson went on a stretch of missed threes and two missed alley oops that almost cost his team the game. He was pulled and Eli brought us over the finish line.
Points:
zavier can make three pointers.
We are a better team when they guard him high so he can dribble drive and create. There is rhyme to his reason to making defenses guard him. He shot, shot early in the clock, missed, and was held accountable. We need to forgive and more importantly forget.
Zavier was valuable enough to the team last season and is valuable enough to the team this season to earn him a LOT of latitude. Not a little but a lot.
He’s the fastest point guard maybe ever to wear the uniform, doesn’t turn it over very often despite an unorthodox style, and plays as good and hard nosed defense at point guard probably since Gary Grant, or maybe beyond.
The other night’s shooting spree was a team moment(s) and a selfish moment(s). He can’t have opposing defenses sluffing off him because the team is better when he can drive and I’ll extrapolate and say he feels the need to prove himself from the outside to play pro basketball. Whether in the G or NBA or Europe. Or even for his own ego. Again he’s earned the latitude.
Whether he was selfish about his future, stubborn, or just wanted to lay the haymaker and be on sportcenter.
Whatever the reason in Evanston, we cannot turn zavier’s threes into charles’s Free throws.
Zavier needs and deserves our SUPPORT. When he hoists, DONT GASP. When he makes cheer. When he misses, encourage.
Last year’s team began to establish itself when Zavier, not Eli or the transfer, was cemented into the starting role. Why? Breaking down defenses. Occasional threes. Incredible athleticism and defense. Please show him support, his psyche likely needs it.
December 7th, 2018 at 11:06 PM ^
Umm. What?
December 7th, 2018 at 11:09 PM ^
Lol. Go to sleep, dude.
December 7th, 2018 at 11:10 PM ^
Given the distance from the game would this be considered a lukewarm take?
December 7th, 2018 at 11:19 PM ^
Welcome to the board Mr. Simpson
December 7th, 2018 at 11:24 PM ^
This post is so confusing.
Bottom line: Northwestern laid out the blueprint on how to defend Michigan when Z is on the floor. Either Z needs to hit some threes to force defenders to guard him on the perimeter or the offense will need to figure out another way to utilize his ball handling and passing skills in a different way.
December 7th, 2018 at 11:30 PM ^
Not sure about this blueprint. Simpson won’t go o’fer very often. Also, a part of the NW run was a couple of bad open floor decisions by Simpson. Stuff happens.
December 8th, 2018 at 1:26 AM ^
0 for 8 in the 1st two B1G games, 5/22 on the year. Maybe a trend, albeit small sample size this year.
I agree that his shooting wasn't why he was not in the game at the end, but it can't be ignored that Northwestern backed off him.
December 7th, 2018 at 11:26 PM ^
X
Do It
December 7th, 2018 at 11:27 PM ^
He’s fine man. MLIVE just posted an article about his and JB’s mindset after the NW game. They are both confident. I think he’ll hit a couple Saturday...no worries.
December 7th, 2018 at 11:29 PM ^
I bet they go out of their way to get him a couple tomorrow.
USCjr is not good.
December 8th, 2018 at 10:38 AM ^
I'm with you. A couple of those shots at Northwestern looked really good and just didn't go in. If he was missing badly, I'd be really concerned but in that game I remember only the last looked poor b/c it was short, perhaps due to some fatigue. Think Beilein may have even mentioned that in post game. If he can get to 30% - 35%, I think we're in business!
December 7th, 2018 at 11:29 PM ^
RT if you cry every time
December 8th, 2018 at 6:20 AM ^
When you get..."spilled"? Eeewwwww!
December 7th, 2018 at 11:41 PM ^
Id rather Z not shoot three pointers or if he does it needs to be one or two. He is never going to be a good shooter.
December 7th, 2018 at 11:47 PM ^
There is a counter to this type of defense. Bring the best shooter to Zavier and as he passes it to him he sets a pick. Zaviers man is near the key and cant recover. Open 3s all day.
Also when your man plays off you just do what you would normally do. Run the plays as normal. A player 10 feet off you shouldnt stop anything you do. Just ignore the trap and play on as usual. Will the defender be in better position to defend a drive? Maybe, but you can still create from 15 feet out.
December 8th, 2018 at 10:16 AM ^
Hard to run pick and roll if nobody is guarding the point.
December 8th, 2018 at 10:32 AM ^
Not if Z set the pick on Iggy's defender while simultaneously dribbling. Easy!
December 8th, 2018 at 10:42 AM ^
That is it. Iggy would be wide open.
December 7th, 2018 at 11:50 PM ^
Does anyone have tickets to the game tomorrow? I want to go to my first game and cheer properly for Zavier, now that I know how
December 7th, 2018 at 11:51 PM ^
This has to be written by the highest paid comedian ever! Plastic Cup, please!
December 7th, 2018 at 11:51 PM ^
This is fantastic.
Now do Iggy's mindset.
December 7th, 2018 at 11:58 PM ^
Get off of my f'in court! Dolla dolla bill yo.
(runs hand through hair)
Also, something-something geopolitics-Putin-Lithuania-CCCP. ;)
December 8th, 2018 at 12:02 AM ^
If Teske has the mandatory green light to shoot from three, so does Z.
But sometimes when it's not your night and you go cold in a close game, you should hold off after a couple of misses in a row. (Note that this is what Teske did after some misses from three.)
Z will be fine.
.
December 8th, 2018 at 12:07 AM ^
Omg these posts lately............Why? Please bring voting back on board posts, even though I still can't vote at all.
December 8th, 2018 at 12:20 AM ^
Z needs to take one step closer to the line. He stands back because he is short and is worried about getting his shot blocked, but that extends him beyond his range.
Imagine if Z was 6’3”. That’s Gary Grant on defense. He and Gary Payton are the two best defensive guards I’ve ever seen.
December 8th, 2018 at 12:22 AM ^
He's faster than Ricky Green?
December 8th, 2018 at 7:08 AM ^
Having seen them both, I would say it depends. Ricky Green was faster in a straight line and could bring the ball down the court faster than anyone else could simply run down the court. But he didn’t have Z’s lateral quickness or ability to put his man in a phone booth.
December 8th, 2018 at 8:59 AM ^
Ricky was faster, I don't think it is that close. Love Z though.
December 8th, 2018 at 10:48 AM ^
Either Ricky Green or Gary Grant were the fastest on the floor. Green for straight ahead speed and grant for overall including the quickest hands ever.
December 9th, 2018 at 10:03 PM ^
Besides Rick The Quick ET was faster too
December 8th, 2018 at 12:23 AM ^
Woof. This is a BAD (and weird) OP.
December 8th, 2018 at 12:26 AM ^
Not a selfish thing at all. The shots were there and not much was developing, me thinks Beilein was just fine with him taking wide open 3 looks. They just didn't fall, but at that juncture and with not other go-to plan, taking wide open looks is what Beilein will take given the circumstances. He happened to miss all of them and that's where Beilein knew we couldn't continue as such (Zavier not making a shot and maybe by that point was in his own head) so the switch was made.
December 8th, 2018 at 12:40 AM ^
Zavier Simpson is tougher than a $2 steak. The dude drinks whole milk by the gallon and puts his Gatorade on his cereal. He doesn’t bother with chicken, preferring to catch Cheetahs and kill them with his bare hands for dinner.
He doesn’t need this post to kick ass, because he doesn’t talk about it, he be about it.
December 8th, 2018 at 7:52 AM ^
December 8th, 2018 at 1:02 AM ^
Your psyche needs support.
December 8th, 2018 at 1:07 AM ^
He had some open looks that the defense gave him. He didn't make them. He clearly needs to work on his shot -- no one would debate that. He's still invaluable to the team -- no one would debate that. Next.
December 8th, 2018 at 9:36 AM ^
I'd like to see him pass up the three if he's open and go straight to the basket, He's great dribbling through traffic and can get to the rim with ease. It makes more sense to play to your strength.
December 8th, 2018 at 1:32 AM ^
This is the most unnecessary defense of a player I've ever seen. When watching Simpson play college point guard, just peel hour eyes open and take in as much as you possibly can. It's not always this good.
December 8th, 2018 at 1:48 AM ^
Fastest ever ? Lol ok.. he's not that fast and he is a horrible shooter and neither of those things will change..
Stick to layups and passing..
December 8th, 2018 at 8:10 AM ^
Tell us about your skills, Mr. Switch.
December 8th, 2018 at 1:49 AM ^
Beilein is working on his shot arc. Expect his 3 to get better as the season progresses.
December 8th, 2018 at 2:15 AM ^
This is an important and good point. If you watch Z shoot this year, his shot is very different. More arc, more central (I.e. not off to one side) set up, higher release point. He is clearly changing his shot. I have to imagine that this started over the offseason. When I have worked with kids that I coach to correct their shot (lower level of competition by a lot), what I have seen almost universally is that in the beginning, the kids can make the shot using the new form in practice drills but it takes a while for the form to become natural at game speed. Too much thinking about the mechanics. Once the new technique becomes natural and replaces the old - and it just takes time - the shot usually improves. The fully thing is that it is almost always non-gradual. Game after game, the shot is stiff and unnatural and then All at once it just clicks. Hope this happens for Z.
December 8th, 2018 at 2:06 AM ^
What. Who has turned on Zavier? Definitely not me. He has some liabilities but clearly our starting PG by a mile. I sure don't want Brooks handling the ball consistently and love him off the bench.
December 8th, 2018 at 2:19 AM ^
There is no doubt that Z is not a great or even good shooter. That said, he brings so much else to the offense that it more than balances. His passing, ability to get to the rim and dish off and his ability to run the offense improves the offensive abilities of every other player o the court. Brooks and others may be better shooters but when Z isn’t in, the offense has trouble playing as a unit and we seem to always end up having to force at the end of the shot clock.
December 8th, 2018 at 2:31 AM ^
“Who said anything about slicing you up? ... I just wanted to carve a little Z on your forehead-- nothing serious.”
December 8th, 2018 at 4:37 AM ^
Sometimes I just cheer for Zavier when I’m not watching a game, just to encourage him. Last night I started clapping and cheering while buying produce at Whole Foods. The weekend before it was when the priest at a baptism reminded me of Zavier burying a wide open shot. Sometimes I cheer in my kitchen while cooking or in the middle of a conference call. You’re right OP, we should always be encouraging, public correctness or mindfulness be damned! Tomorrow I’m going to be clapping and cheering for him for 3 hours before the game at my local coffee shop.
December 8th, 2018 at 6:53 AM ^
would it be okay if i cheered for your cheering? it would be so cheerful.
December 8th, 2018 at 5:36 AM ^
I think you should rename this, "My mindset on Zavier", lol
Perhaps I missed something, were folks hating on him here on the site? That's par for the course; if you aren't perfect someone is going to find something to critique. Zavier is who he is but make no mistake about it; this team is better when he is on the court. Everyone has an off day, and when you combine that with the effort the Wildcats gave it's going to appear more pronounced. I have no doubt Z will bounce back and be fine. The Gamecocks will attest to that later today.
December 8th, 2018 at 6:23 AM ^
I question OP’s mindset.
December 8th, 2018 at 6:26 AM ^
A very odd post this is.