Spartans Struggle in Early Season
Oh Spartan fans. We were fooled. We all bought into it. Four returning starters from last years final four team, Maurice Ager and Shannon Brown as the “two best wings since Kentucky Fried Chicken”, Paul Davis as a vocal leader and the emergence of Marquise Gray as a strong power forward.
On paper it looks good. But as we all know, games aren’t played on paper; they are played inside TV sets.
I have been accused (mostly by Emily) of being way too negative about Spartan basketball. Perhaps at times she’s right, but let me explain why the Spartans will be lucky to win the Big 10 Championship this season.
Reason Number 1: No defense. What? A Tom Izzo team that doesn’t play defense? Yes it’s true. Ager is a poor defender. Power forwards Drew Naymick and Goran Suton are weak in the post. Drew Neitzel is a solid defender but lacks some lateral quickness and Delco Rowley is too slow (both mentally and physically). Brown is the only good defender on this team.
Reason Number 2: No rebounding. What? An Izzo team that doesn’t rebound? Yes it’s true. Davis is solid on the block and boxing out. However, the wings, unlike wings in the past, i.e. Charlie Bell, Kelvin Torbert and Morris Peterson, are pathetic rebounders. Ager is constantly out of position. Brown lacks some height, but that didn’t hinder Bell. Brown can be solid, but is certainly not consistent. Naymick is too weak and poor at boxing out. Suton has shown a knack for finding offensive boards, but defensively he is less than effective.
Reason Number 3: No movement on offense. Ager stands at the wing too much. Brown moves around, but does not have great separation coming off of screens. The post players, especially Naymick, are too stationary. The exception to stationary post-players is Davis. He roles out for the pick and roll. He can post up against anyone and is active in passing out of the post. Neitzel dribbles too much and floats around the top of the key. There is no dribble-drive penetration, no separation off of screens and hardly any movement on the block.
Reason Number 4: Turnovers. Ager travels at least two to three times a game. Naymick can’t handle the ball and often loses control either dribbling or with poor passes. Gray shuffles his feet while on the block. This may improve with time, but right now it hurts the Spartans. Finally, Ager (and sometimes Brown) makes poor decisions while running the fast break. Neither player is a great ball handler and often over-dribbles or makes a poor pass.
Reason Number 5: Other teams in the Big Ten are better. Indiana is playing very well. Iowa has been very impressive, especially in their wins over NC Sate and Kentucky and even in their loss to Texas they were dominating at times. Illinois is surpassing pre-season expectations and has a quality victory at North Carolina. As much as it pains me to say this, U of M is playing better than State right now. U of M plays tenacious defense, especially with pressuring the ball, and their starters are all averaging double figures in points per game. U of M will be the surprise team this year in the Big 10. The Ohio State University is improving. Finally, Wisconsin is always strong. MSU will be hard pressed to win against these teams on the road and may even have trouble at the Bres because this Izzone is not what it used to be.
Here’s how the Spartans can be beat:
1. Play a zone. MSU is not great at ball reversal and they stand around on offense. Moreover, their perimeter shooting is inconsistent.
2. Ball pressure. Neitzel dribbles way too much and if a team can pressure him at half-court they can really disrupt the Spartans offense. Brown and Ager are not outstanding ball-handlers and Naymick has trouble anytime the ball is near him.
3. Get Davis in foul trouble early. The rest of MSU’s post players cannot compensate for this one player. If the Spartans don’t have a post-presence, number one and two become that much easier.
4. Ball control on offense. By doing this, it limits the Spartan’s fast break ability and takes them out of rhythm.
5. Perimeter shooting. Izzo teams have been notoriously poor at his over the past two or three years. Smaller teams will have to rely on this and if number four is done, there is nothing more devastating than a three-pointer with only two or three seconds left on the shot clock.
The Spartans always improve throughout the season and play their best basketball in March and April. However, this team is not as strong or deep as previous MSU teams and it has a long way to go if they want to make it to the Final Four and compete for a National Championship. Can they do it? Yes. Will they do it? Not playing the way they have thus far this season.
On paper it looks good. But as we all know, games aren’t played on paper; they are played inside TV sets.
I have been accused (mostly by Emily) of being way too negative about Spartan basketball. Perhaps at times she’s right, but let me explain why the Spartans will be lucky to win the Big 10 Championship this season.
Reason Number 1: No defense. What? A Tom Izzo team that doesn’t play defense? Yes it’s true. Ager is a poor defender. Power forwards Drew Naymick and Goran Suton are weak in the post. Drew Neitzel is a solid defender but lacks some lateral quickness and Delco Rowley is too slow (both mentally and physically). Brown is the only good defender on this team.
Reason Number 2: No rebounding. What? An Izzo team that doesn’t rebound? Yes it’s true. Davis is solid on the block and boxing out. However, the wings, unlike wings in the past, i.e. Charlie Bell, Kelvin Torbert and Morris Peterson, are pathetic rebounders. Ager is constantly out of position. Brown lacks some height, but that didn’t hinder Bell. Brown can be solid, but is certainly not consistent. Naymick is too weak and poor at boxing out. Suton has shown a knack for finding offensive boards, but defensively he is less than effective.
Reason Number 3: No movement on offense. Ager stands at the wing too much. Brown moves around, but does not have great separation coming off of screens. The post players, especially Naymick, are too stationary. The exception to stationary post-players is Davis. He roles out for the pick and roll. He can post up against anyone and is active in passing out of the post. Neitzel dribbles too much and floats around the top of the key. There is no dribble-drive penetration, no separation off of screens and hardly any movement on the block.
Reason Number 4: Turnovers. Ager travels at least two to three times a game. Naymick can’t handle the ball and often loses control either dribbling or with poor passes. Gray shuffles his feet while on the block. This may improve with time, but right now it hurts the Spartans. Finally, Ager (and sometimes Brown) makes poor decisions while running the fast break. Neither player is a great ball handler and often over-dribbles or makes a poor pass.
Reason Number 5: Other teams in the Big Ten are better. Indiana is playing very well. Iowa has been very impressive, especially in their wins over NC Sate and Kentucky and even in their loss to Texas they were dominating at times. Illinois is surpassing pre-season expectations and has a quality victory at North Carolina. As much as it pains me to say this, U of M is playing better than State right now. U of M plays tenacious defense, especially with pressuring the ball, and their starters are all averaging double figures in points per game. U of M will be the surprise team this year in the Big 10. The Ohio State University is improving. Finally, Wisconsin is always strong. MSU will be hard pressed to win against these teams on the road and may even have trouble at the Bres because this Izzone is not what it used to be.
Here’s how the Spartans can be beat:
1. Play a zone. MSU is not great at ball reversal and they stand around on offense. Moreover, their perimeter shooting is inconsistent.
2. Ball pressure. Neitzel dribbles way too much and if a team can pressure him at half-court they can really disrupt the Spartans offense. Brown and Ager are not outstanding ball-handlers and Naymick has trouble anytime the ball is near him.
3. Get Davis in foul trouble early. The rest of MSU’s post players cannot compensate for this one player. If the Spartans don’t have a post-presence, number one and two become that much easier.
4. Ball control on offense. By doing this, it limits the Spartan’s fast break ability and takes them out of rhythm.
5. Perimeter shooting. Izzo teams have been notoriously poor at his over the past two or three years. Smaller teams will have to rely on this and if number four is done, there is nothing more devastating than a three-pointer with only two or three seconds left on the shot clock.
The Spartans always improve throughout the season and play their best basketball in March and April. However, this team is not as strong or deep as previous MSU teams and it has a long way to go if they want to make it to the Final Four and compete for a National Championship. Can they do it? Yes. Will they do it? Not playing the way they have thus far this season.
posted by az at 10:25 AM
5 Comments:
Thank you, thank you, thank you.
Thank you for criticizing the MSU basketball team so I don't have to. When you say it, you are smart. When I say it, I am just an ass hole.
I agree 1000%, especially about perimeter defense over the past four years, the turnovers, lack of rebounding, and toughness.
They can do it, but need to gel. They need to bulk up a little too. I guess it is too late for that, but that is what they should have done. I think they are pretty weak physically.
Thanks again for being smart and being able to lay down the criticism with intelligence. I would have turned it into a big fiasco.
i'm not smart. i just don't like watching stupid basketball. your assessment would have been good i'm sure. and you can still complain about it, b/c there is enough to go around.
they need to shape up or they'll get shipped out this week against bc and witchita state
Isn't it funny how easy it is to go along with the "we lose we still booze" mantra when it is football season? When it comes to basketball, I would never udder such a phrase. (Enen if the actions coincide).
I just hate having high expectations, only to be disappointed.
Next time you're playing hide and seek with a member of the Spartan basketball team, look for a perimeter. They can't seem to see anyone if they are standing in the perimeter.
That was a basketball related joke, I rule.
very funny dj. i wish i had a comment about playing hide and seek in the bcs and not finding the osu, but alas they got in.
screw notre dame!
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