What Barnes wants from Nkamhoua, Plavsic

[kamoshika]

Olivier Nkamhoua came to Rick Barnes recently with a revelation. “I took minutes for granted,” Barnes recalled Nkamhoua saying. The Tennessee forward vowed not to do it again. “He did what he had to do,” Barnes said. “And we’ll see now if Uros (Plavsic) does what he needs to do.”

...Barnes has given them a clear message: Tennessee has played enough games and both have practiced enough that they must to do their job to earn minutes. "You might have one chance to go into that game and you better show us that you are locked in mentally and doing the things that we see you do in practice,” Barnes said. Nkamhoua has done that of late after going through a five-game stretch with few minutes.

...Nkamhoua’s turn toward more playing time started in practice and Barnes wants the same from Plavsic. Barnes has stressed the Arizona State transfer needs to play with more physicality and less finesse, but his minutes center on the simple things. “He’s going to have to be productive"...Barnes thinks that Plavsic's obstacle is mental, as he has played in only nine games after not playing in a live game for more than a year. But the challenge is the same to both Nkamhoua and Plavsic. “It’s real simple with Uros and Olivier,” Barnes said. “We told them it’s going to be strictly based on production. You go in, you do your job.”
What Tennessee Vols basketball needs from Olivier Nkamhoua and Uros Plavsic

 

[Thunder Good-Oil]

You know, if you consider that they have a lot of upside and will make fewer mistakes as they develop, they're actually a pretty promising pair of freshmen posts. They're getting a lot of minutes which is really good with the loaded perimeter rotation taking the court next year. I still want Banchero on the roster in 2021-22 though. That could be our first FF team.

 

[zjcvols]

You know, if you consider that they have a lot of upside and will make fewer mistakes as they develop, they're actually a pretty promising pair of freshmen posts. They're getting a lot of minutes which is really good with the loaded perimeter rotation taking the court next year. I still want Banchero on the roster in 2021-22 though. That could be our first FF team.

I disagree. I have more hope for ON, but I’d be shocked if Plavsic is anything more than a 10 minute per game guy on a good team. ON could be a starter by his senior year. Maybe junior with large strides. He’s got a long ways to go though.

 

[JohnnyJava]

You know, if you consider that they have a lot of upside and will make fewer mistakes as they develop, they're actually a pretty promising pair of freshmen posts. They're getting a lot of minutes which is really good with the loaded perimeter rotation taking the court next year. I still want Banchero on the roster in 2021-22 though. That could be our first FF team.

Especially considering how much Fulkerson improved from just last year.

 

[Thunder Good-Oil]

He followed up a 16 point game at MSU with 4 fouls in 9 minutes at Bama. That's what freshmen do.

He does not have many rebounds and Barnes is talking about him needing to be tougher. I liked his shove and technical foul (at Bama). Indicates he has a bit of a mean streak that could serve him well. If he stays away from the injury bug I can see him having a really good career at TN.

 

[zjcvols]

He followed up a 16 point game at MSU with 4 fouls in 9 minutes at Bama. That's what freshmen do.

He does not have many rebounds and Barnes is talking about him needing to be tougher. I liked his shove and technical foul (at Bama). Indicates he has a bit of a mean streak that could serve him well. If he stays away from the injury big I can see him having a really good career at TN.

Or he’s a dummy with a temper problem.

If one of your biggest positives from a 21 year old is “he got a technical by cheap shotting a guy in the back that’s a mean streak!” I don’t like your chances to be good at basketball in 2020.

 

[Thunder Good-Oil]

Or he’s a dummy with a temper problem.

If one of your biggest positives from a 21 year old is “he got a technical by cheap shotting a guy in the back that’s a mean streak!” I don’t like your chances to be good at basketball in 2020.

Why do you make up fake quotes and complain that other posters misquote you?

That wasn't a cheap shot. It was an "I'm tired of your **** shot".

 

[zjcvols]

Why do you make up fake quotes and complain that other posters misquote you?

That wasn't a cheap shot. It was an "I'm tired of your **** shot".

You said he has a mean streak because he elbowed a player in the back while the guy wasn’t looking, and you believe that to be a good sign, no?

And yes it was. Throwing an elbow at someone while their back is turned is a cheap shot. He’s lucky he didn’t get thrown out. If somebody did that to a Tennessee player there would have been a 200 post thread talking about how Greg Sankey should suspend said player.

 

[Thunder Good-Oil]

You said he has a mean streak because he elbowed a player in the back while the guy wasn’t looking, and you believe that to be a good sign, no?

And yes it was. Throwing an elbow at someone while their back is turned is a cheap shot. He’s lucky he didn’t get thrown out. If somebody did that to a Tennessee player there would have been a 200 post thread talking about how Greg Sankey should suspend said player.

It was a shove. Not even a very hard shove. Sent a message that he wasn't going to keep getting hacked without fighting back. If he was a "dummy with a temper problem" he would have been tossed by now.

 

[Namorto1]

Plavsic has to dramatically improve his rebounding and defense. Expect he will but for now he is a long term project. Nkamhoua hit a bit of a wall recently but played well against Arkansas. Likewise he will earn his backup time the rest of this season and next year if he hustles, defends, hits the boards and gets garbage baskets. For both, Walker showing up, despite being only 6’7 plays an old man’s game and is versatile. If he is strong enough to play the 4 which is where I think he begins, he may take minutes as Pons backup and Nkamhoua and Plavsic will be competing with each other for backup role behind Fulkerson.

 

[iKrager]

I disagree. I have more hope for ON, but I’d be shocked if Plavsic is anything more than a 10 minute per game guy on a good team. ON could be a starter by his senior year. Maybe junior with large strides. He’s got a long ways to go though.

Do you remember Kyle Alexander his first year?? Talk about deer in headlights

 

[zjcvols]

Do you remember Kyle Alexander his first year?? Talk about deer in headlights

He showed two really good skills though from his first days. Quickness for a big and good shot blocking. Neither two guys we’ve talked about has shown that

 

[Thunder Good-Oil]

He showed two really good skills though from his first days. Quickness for a big and good shot blocking. Neither two guys we’ve talked about has shown that

He also struggled to catch passes and hang on to rebounds over the first half of his career.

 

[zjcvols]

He also struggled to catch passes and hang on to rebounds over the first half of his career.

He was actually a pretty decent rebounder his sophomore year, 15% right in line with his junior and senior years. Also Kyle had only played for three years when he came in (I think ON hasn’t played super long either).

 

[Thunder Good-Oil]

He was actually a pretty decent rebounder his sophomore year, 15% right in line with his junior and senior years. Also Kyle had only played for three years when he came in (I think ON hasn’t played super long either).

He would have been a better rebounder if he didn't fumble so many. He hard a hard time hanging onto the ball until his junior year.

 

[Prayivm3rcy]

Why do you make up fake quotes and complain that other posters misquote you?

That wasn't a cheap shot. It was an "I'm tired of your **** shot".

Didnt seem that way to me at all. It was just a common foul and he overreacted. It was out of line and dumb move considering he was already in foul trouble. It tells me this guys basketball iq is very low at the moment.

 

[Prayivm3rcy]

I'd like to.see ON shoot the ball more. He has a very clean stroke when I watch him at the free throw line.

 

[Thunder Good-Oil]

Didnt seem that way to me at all. It was just a common foul and he overreacted. It was out of line and dumb move considering he was already in foul trouble. It tells me this guys basketball iq is very low at the moment.

There was more than a common foul. He was getting mauled. What the ref finally blew the whistle for was a minor part of the whole sequence.

 

[WhatInVolnation]

I think Plavsic is destined to be a rotation guy and not much more. In fairness to him, he is only a redshirt freshman ad he has only practiced and not played in any games for nearly 1.5 years and so it’s quite early to make any definitive judgments. Still, he looks slow and not very athletic to me. Some of that is he isn’t good at positioning and anticipation and he will improve on that with more practice and game time and so he will certainly be better. Still, he’s kind of an anachronism in today’s game and he’s going to have to improve a great deal for a guy of his size and skill set to make a big impact.

I think ON, on the other hand, is going to be a very good player. Barnes heaped praise on him early on and he doesn’t do that without just cause. ON is just a freshman and hasn’t played basketball all that long (and lost most of an entire season in high school with a leg injury) but he looks like he physically belongs on the floor with his combination of height and athleticism. He is well-suited to modern basketball. Most players make the biggest jump between their freshman and sophomore years and I bet ON looks like an entirely different player in 2020-21 and my money is on him being a major contributor at UT over his career.

 

[ColinS]

ON has been a lot better lately. He looks like he is just playing ball and not thinking too much out there.

 

[Roustabout]

I disagree. I have more hope for ON, but I’d be shocked if Plavsic is anything more than a 10 minute per game guy on a good team. ON could be a starter by his senior year. Maybe junior with large strides. He’s got a long ways to go though.

Agree. You could see the potential with ON from day one. Uros looks completely lost and soft as hell. He’s a guy that should be rebounding and defending like hell and getting to the foul line. That play the other night when he came in while enjoying a 20 point lead was embarrassing. No pressure, just go strong. Nope.

It’s unfortunate guys don’t get more offensive skills training in high school.

 

[Pride85]

You said he has a mean streak because he elbowed a player in the back while the guy wasn’t looking, and you believe that to be a good sign, no?

And yes it was. Throwing an elbow at someone while their back is turned is a cheap shot. He’s lucky he didn’t get thrown out. If somebody did that to a Tennessee player there would have been a 200 post thread talking about how Greg Sankey should suspend said player.

Nice of you to take the absolute negativity stance to keep the debate alive. Must have "point / counterpoint" in these forums.

 

[savannahfan]

Olivier Nkamhoua came to Rick Barnes recently with a revelation. “I took minutes for granted,” Barnes recalled Nkamhoua saying. The Tennessee forward vowed not to do it again. “He did what he had to do,” Barnes said. “And we’ll see now if Uros (Plavsic) does what he needs to do.”

...Barnes has given them a clear message: Tennessee has played enough games and both have practiced enough that they must to do their job to earn minutes. "You might have one chance to go into that game and you better show us that you are locked in mentally and doing the things that we see you do in practice,” Barnes said. Nkamhoua has done that of late after going through a five-game stretch with few minutes.

...Nkamhoua’s turn toward more playing time started in practice and Barnes wants the same from Plavsic. Barnes has stressed the Arizona State transfer needs to play with more physicality and less finesse, but his minutes center on the simple things. “He’s going to have to be productive"...Barnes thinks that Plavsic's obstacle is mental, as he has played in only nine games after not playing in a live game for more than a year. But the challenge is the same to both Nkamhoua and Plavsic. “It’s real simple with Uros and Olivier,” Barnes said. “We told them it’s going to be strictly based on production. You go in, you do your job.”
What Tennessee Vols basketball needs from Olivier Nkamhoua and Uros Plavsic

Sorry, this guy reminds me of a old, slow bull in a china shop. I see no finesse and very little ability. He might be a fair player in a less demanding league than the SEC, but he just isn't on the level with most inside SEC players.

 

[rdk4121]

Both have potential, both need a lot more time. ON needs to get stronger to play center as it seems like he will. If he could at least make mid range jumpers consistently, that would help his scoring. I think he actually does a decent job at times on defense as far a timing his blocks. Too weak right now against bigger centers, but he's a freshman.

Uros doesn't have a refined post game yet, and doesn't have the basketball IQ on defense. Currently he's just big. I think he needs to become a lot stronger like Azubuike is and just overwhelm defenders with his size in the post. Getting stronger will also help him box out in the rebounding game. He's got great size and length, he just needs to use it. Also if he had better guard play (someone that can break down the defense off the dribble), he'd be much more effective in the dunker spot. He's a big target to hit and he's at least athletic enough to catch lobs.

 

[ndubvols]

I think Olivier could develop into a really good player here. He moves well for his size on defense and is one of our better rebounders.
Once he understands the offense a little better and adjusts to the speed of play, I expect him to look a lot better. Right now he just makes his post moves too slow and doesn’t have that go to move established yet.