Tennessee's Main Weakness . . .

#76
#76
volfanjustin said:
This teams main weakness is Kyle Alexander
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6 rebounds. 3 blocks. 3-3 fg's. I agree that isn't eye-popping. But, he does need to be better at cleaning up, after clearing out for Grant, the entire game.
Alexander can score, around the basket. Get him the damn ball. Keep him involved. He had to stepout and drain a 3 pointer, to score, yesterday. Grant should drive, opposite of Alex, and let him roll in, and clean up. Instead, he drove to Alexander's side, forcing him to clearout even more, away from the basket. Grant driving to the bucket isn't going to generate long rebounds. LSU understood this, on their end, as their bigs slammed home numerous rebounds around the basket. Clear Bowden to the corner, and Alexander goes mid-range, opposite of Bowden. Grant then challenges the Bowden side. If they shrink, and leave Bowden, kick it out. If not, go strong, and let Alex clean that **** up.
 
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#77
#77
cbrown said:
We don't have a guy in the 6'4" or taller range that can put the ball on the floor and take it to the basket or get into the lane and break the defense down. How many times did Smart do that today (even though I didn't notice us try to force him left at all)? Our guards have specialized skill sets, but none of them can consistently go at the basket. They are either too short (Bone, Turner) or not aggressive enough (Bowden). This team is a lot of fun to watch and could still have a tourney run in them, but teams with size can take away our best player. As much as we play a team game, and it's beautiful to watch when it's clicking, we don't have a guy that can create his own offense when things start to stall. AS can do this at times, but his preference is pulling up for the jumper instead of taking it to the basket. His handle is also very average. JMO.

Hopefully the James kid coming in can give us this facet. GBO!
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Bowden does not like contact. He's a catch and shoot guy. He needs to develop that part of his game. Turner can drive, but his size runs him into trouble. Same with Bone. Maybe Admiral should look to drive and kick, more often. Whether it is passing into the post (Not the head of the key) or the dribble penetration, it needs to happen. Also, spacing wasn't good, all game.
 
#78
#78
IMO, our biggest weakness is our willingness to play physical. We have seemed grossly overmatched physically against KY and LSU. Grant and Admiral have been "injured" numerous times it seems in the last several games just to hop up and continue to play. We don't have a physically scary player on this team. If they don't get a little angry and play with emotion instead of licking their wounds, we'll continue to see more of the same. I love the Vols, but we are physically soft! Flame away!
 
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#79
#79
cbrown said:
I think the potential is there for TN to be better next year if:
  1. Williams returns
  2. James is what we hope he is
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Next year wishes are fine when you are young and have plenty of years ahead. If we are ever going to win a NC it needs to be this year but my hopes are fading fast.
 
#80
#80
A national title would be spectacular, but I’d settle for a Final Four. Even the best team’s odds of winning the tournament aren’t great. One of the great things about college b-ball is that there are multiple barometers for success . . . regular season title, conference title, making the dance, Sweet Sixteen, Final Four. Our hopes of a regular season title took a hit yesterday.
 
#82
#82
VOLED said:
Grant would do well to stay another year and work on his handle and 3 pt shooting. He is being given wide open looks from 17ft and out
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If you go back and look at how many times Grant has passed up a wide open 3, then you would know that he isn't comfortable taking the shot. Its almost like a last resort for him and he is the best player on our team. There were times that I wished Kyle or Pons had taken a couple of threes instead of passing it around the perimeter. If you don't at least square up and face the basket, then the defense knows they can double up on Grant. I don't know if Barnes is telling them not to shoot but its frustrating to see LT going John Starks and nobody telling him to stop jacking shots.
 
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#83
#83
CAVPUT said:
The NBA post players would eat Alexander alive. He's not strong enough nor is he physical enough. The tools might be there, but he's definitely a project.
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I think that Kyle has a good shooting mechanics and could be a stretch 5 in the NBA. I just think that nobody is giving him the confidence to shoot from the outside at the college level. Imagine how good our offense would be if Grant could operate down low without being double-teamed.
 
#84
#84
CAVPUT said:
I think UT fans got a little too hyped over this team and didn't want to see their weaknesses. I guess that's what fans do. The critics are likely right. UT is probably overrated. Doesn't take away from the fine year they've given us...actually it's a GREAT year by UT standards. We just have no big to take the heat off Grant and the bench is pretty much non existent. Got youth and projects but no real contributors this year at least. We're essentially a 6 man team and streaky at that.

I said earlier that we'd lose 2 and maybe 3 more games. I still believe that will be the case and we drop 2 or 3 more. I think we probably go down in our first game of the SECT and end up a 3 or 4 seed. The committee will look at our late season fade and likely punish us for that. Still, that's still a pretty darned good seeding for UT and if we can get rested and Turner/Bowden break out of their funk at the right time, we can still make some noise in the tournament. Might make the sweet 16 if we can avoid this years cinderella and don't draw a team with length or a dominant big man. If someone had told me we'd only lose 6 games this year and be a top 5 seed in the NCAAT, I'd have taken it in a heartbeat. Teams now have a read on us. Our weaknesses have been exposed. From here on out, it's all about matchups. Maybe we get lucky....maybe not. Still the team and staff have given all they could. Right now it's not enough to beat the better teams, but that's basketball.
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We've beaten teams with length in the past; remember Purdue.
 
#85
#85
Length is definitely a problem for us. We have to double team when other teams have length inside. This tends to leave open shooters. If a team has both length and shoots the 3 well, they are very much a threat to us.
 
#86
#86
2 or 3 years in G league or Europe and you may not recognize Kyle. I wish Tennessee would have been able to redshirt him his freshman yr.
 
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#87
#87
vol100 said:
You would trade James for Bone? Think about that for a minute.
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No need to trade, Bone is a junior, should have both.

I think Grant is a 2nd round NBA pick, despite what some draft experts say. I think these experts see a Draymond Green-type of player, but Grant's 3 and handles need another year at UT, imo. Williams is coming back, plus he promised James, he would play with him. Grant is one guy that I actually believe.

Vols just need a big man, next year and they could easily be better a team. Hoping Walker makes that soph-to-junior upswing in development that most of Barnes player's show. If not, step on up, DJ Burns.

Btw, Kent is not a true a big man, stretch 4, imo. Good shooter and passer, below average rebounder and shot blocker for his size. Hope Kent proves me wrong
 
#88
#88
Grant said earlier the plan was always for him to attend 4 yrs and leave with a masters degree.
 
#89
#89
Right now.

- Inconsistent scoring from Turner and Bowden. We re easier to guard right now.
- Controlling the dribble drive without needing a ton of backside help that leads to offensive rebs
- The 5 position in general. It doesnt have to be a strength but it cant be a glaring weakness
 
#90
#90
VOLED said:
Grant would do well to stay another year and work on his handle and 3 pt shooting. He is being given wide open looks from 17ft and out
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I've never quite understood this notion -- to think a guy would improve more by staying in school, with restraints on practice time and scholastic/ non-scholastic distractions alike, than he would in the NBA.

Would it not be easier, If not wholly more beneficial, to work on said skills in the pros?

Better coaches (no offense to Barnes and staff), better facilities (speaking in a general sense), more time to work on said skills, etc, etc...

I don't know -- maybe I'm mistaken, but it's always seemed to me to be one of those things people say and then other people hear and repeat without really thinking about. (No offense intended to OP.)
 
#91
#91
BeecherVol said:
Right now.

- Inconsistent scoring from Turner and Bowden. We re easier to guard right now.
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Not only are they not scoring, but they are hurting the offense by not being able to get open. Grant had a turnover in the LSU game because Bowden didn’t back door the defender who was over playing.
 
#92
#92
FTCvol said:
I've never quite understood this notion -- to think a guy would improve more by staying in school, with restraints on practice time and scholastic/ non-scholastic distractions alike, than he would in the NBA.

Would it not be easier, If not wholly more beneficial, to work on said skills in the pros?

Better coaches (no offense to Barnes and staff), better facilities (speaking in a general sense), more time to work on said skills, etc, etc...

I don't know -- maybe I'm mistaken, but it's always seemed to me to be one of those things people say and then other people hear and repeat without really thinking about. (No offense intended to OP.)
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Not a bad point and certainly some do better by going early. My thoughts are that Grant is a tweener. Not quick enough to play small forward, and is going to be substantially shorter than almost all of the power forwards in the NBA (they will be every bit as strong, also). If he can add another dimension to his game with a better handle and a better 3 pt shot then he greatly increases his chance of having a good career in the NBA. If he goes early without these skills then you have to hope that the team that drafts him will be patient enough to let him develop these skills.

Dale Ellis moved to wing his senior year for this same reason and while he may have struggled some his last year, he is one of the better all time 3 pt shooters in the NBA so it worked for him.
 
#93
#93
What we need are a couple true centers who can hold their own with the other big boys. Williams is strong, but not tall. Alexander is tall, but not strong. The guys we have can drive to the bucket. We just don't a lot here lately.
 
#94
#94
Skullbone said:
What we need are a couple true centers who can hold their own with the other big boys. Williams is strong, but not tall. Alexander is tall, but not strong. The guys we have can drive to the bucket. We just don't a lot here lately.
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23-3 with those guys and people still complaining.
 
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#95
#95
zjcvols said:
I don't know if he will or not. I'm not sure yet. I can see the argument both ways. I'm just not as arrogant to say nobody that matters has a first round grade on him and when proven incorrect double down.
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Do YOU think he’s ready?
 
#96
#96
OWB said:
Do YOU think he’s ready?
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My personal opinion? I don’t quite see him being a rotation player in his first year. He’s gonna have to shoot from the three point line and he will need time to develop that. If he gets a first round grade or promise he should absolutely come out
 
#97
#97
LittleCat said:
23-3 with those guys and people still complaining.
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I'm not complaining. I love those guys. Do you not think having a true center with size to bang with bigger teams would compliment this team even more? I'm not saying the guys we have aren't good. I'm saying they could fare even better with some help in the middle. Off the bench even. I think that's pretty fair.
 
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