Will Pons ever carve out an offensive role?

[VFLCodyGBO]

He plays good on ball D, though he does occasionally allow open shots from bad switches.

But overall he is a solid D player and I believe that will continue to mature and by next season he could easily be a lockdown player.

But he is abhorrent on offense. No jumper, doesn’t have the handles to be a slasher, and can’t seem to get in position to get hit on breaks to the basket in the pick and roll game.

CRB did wonders for Kevin Punter, though he would probably say that Punter did that himself. Can we get the same kind of progression from Pons with an off season? He has the physical tools to be a good one, he just needs to find his game offensively. 10 minutes with 0 rebounds, assists, and points should never happen with a guy as athletic as him.

 

[chuckb1448]

I've said this before, all he needs is a ballet class.... learn some "finesse"

did I spell that right

 

[vol-un-tear]

If he develops an offensive game he will be dangerous.

 

[VolZen]

We need him to develop into a slasher and a reliable 8-10 foot pull up when he can't get to the rim.

 

[bleedingTNorange]

He’s a gym rat, so I think we will see him continue to develop...we quickly forget that he didn’t even appear to look like a basketball player last year, so he has taken a step forward this year. I’m not predicting he’s going to be a star or anything next year but I would expect more improvement from him.

 

[Caculator]

He can score the 3 ball and should improve in the off season, especially if he can add a ball fake and drive to the basket as well. Becoming a threat from the outside opens up many more possibilities for him moving to the basket.

Another area he needs to develop and take advantage of is a post up game on mismatches. I often see him with a height advantage on defensive switches. That is a fertile area for him to add scoring to his repertoire. GW and CRB can help him come up with a couple of solid moves.

Walker should add him to the 500 a day free throw workout too. Both should practice until they can't miss.

 

[LibertyVol]

He needs to be Admiral's best friend. He needs to develop a similar type game.

 

[Thunder Good-Oil]

I wonder if Yves could be more effective subbing for Alexander at the low post. Other than the occasional back door slam, he's not been doing much offensively from the wing spot.

 

[1Big_Orange_Fan]

He should join the football team, add 20 lbs, and become an instant All American TE. I know we say this about every other big man on the bball team, but this guy is a football player and we can all see it. He has a NFL body.

 

[livefaith]

With the way Bowden, Bone, Turner, Alexander, Schofield, and Williams have turned out, I wouldn't bet against the Rick Barnes pixie dust sprinkled on Pons over the next 2 years.

 

[livefaith]

I wonder if Yves could be more effective subbing for Alexander at the low post. Other than the occasional back door slam, he's not been doing much offensively from the wing spot.

Doesn't rebound in the paint well. Can leap. Doesn't eat space and get boards like a post player.

 

[Vols All Day]

Someone mentioned that he hits most of his threes in warmups. The issue is he has no confidence. Rather than just naturally shooting the ball like anyone that is open, he pauses and thinks about it putting more pressure on himself.

 

[Caculator]

First game he started he drained his first attempt from 3 and hit another as well. He disrupted their guard bringing the ball up and made getting into their offense difficult. He had several rebounds and if I remember correctly, he had a steal. Might have had a turnover mixed in too.

He will find his place and make a huge difference when he does.

 

[Thunder Good-Oil]

Doesn't rebound in the paint well. Can leap. Doesn't eat space and get boards like a post player.

Is Fulk better than Pons at all of those things? Also they don't sound like offensive skills.

 

[wmcovol]

I dont believe either Fulkerson or Pons will ever be consistent low double digits scorers. Both are practically one-arm guys, Fulkerson isnt strong enough to post up anyone other than a weaker version of him. Pons doesnt have good soft hands and has a terrible shot. I dont think even the shot doctor Rick Barnes can fix that shot.

Walker could be a decent scorer.

 

[VolsSportsFan]

Someone mentioned that he hits most of his threes in warmups. The issue is he has no confidence. Rather than just naturally shooting the ball like anyone that is open, he pauses and thinks about it putting more pressure on himself.

He does look like he’s thinking too much when shooting, like he’s trying to guide the ball in instead of a natural shooting motion.

 

[Crazy Ivan]

In Frank Martin's post-game interview last night (on Youtube) he said that after SC beat UT at SC 2 seasons ago, he and CRB were talking in the tunnel and Rick told him he had to go out and recruit some new guards because Bone and Turner were not the guards he needed to be successful. 2 seasons ago I also never thought Admiral would develop a shooting touch.

Fast forward 2 years.

I think Pons can be a good offensive player if he dedicates himself to getting better, accepts the hard coaching, and puts in the work that CRB will require.

 

[whodatvol]

His last made 3 was back in 2018 probably. He shouldn’t be guarding anyone past the first block. Horrible passer, gets beaten off the dribble every time, lateral foot speed is awful. He needs to get better @ fouling without the and 1. I’d take Fulkerson any day over Pons.

 

[i2amavol]

His last made 3 was back in 2018 probably. He shouldn’t be guarding anyone past the first block. Horrible passer, gets beaten off the dribble every time, lateral foot speed is awful. He needs to get better @ fouling without the and 1. I’d take Fulkerson any day over Pons.

I am as big of a Fulkerson proponent as anyone, but it is easy to see that both he and Pons have a lot to work on. I think Fulkerson needs to work on his strength in the off-season. He also needs to gain confidence in his shot, beyond 3 feet. Pons needs to stay in the gym. He just needs to keep working on his basketball skills and comfort level overall.

 

[sechamp2012]

He can score the 3 ball and should improve in the off season, especially if he can add a ball fake and drive to the basket as well. Becoming a threat from the outside opens up many more possibilities for him moving to the basket.

Another area he needs to develop and take advantage of is a post up game on mismatches. I often see him with a height advantage on defensive switches. That is a fertile area for him to add scoring to his repertoire. GW and CRB can help him come up with a couple of solid moves.

Walker should add him to the 500 a day free throw workout too. Both should practice until they can't miss.

Pons has shot 23 (3's) and hit (6) for 26% shooting clip this year. Defenses are backing off on him now which takes the drive away and makes passing inside harder. Yves minutes may go down if things don't trend better. I fully expect Barnes to help Pons develop into a solid starter & SEC player by next year. His athleticism has always been there its just harnessing it in the right direction moving forward.

 

[Stoked]

I dont believe either Fulkerson or Pons will ever be consistent low double digits scorers. Both are practically one-arm guys, Fulkerson isnt strong enough to post up anyone other than a weaker version of him. Pons doesnt have good soft hands and has a terrible shot. I dont think even the shot doctor Rick Barnes can fix that shot.

Walker could be a decent scorer.

I feel like this is going to make for a nice "bump" post in 2 years.

 

[Thunder Good-Oil]

I feel like this is going to make for a nice "bump" post in 2 years.

I'd like to see the list of posters that were calling LT "Lamonte Turnover" 2 years ago.

 

[Chris4Vols22]

I'd like to see the list of posters that were calling LT "Lamonte Turnover" 2 years ago.

I think the LT appreciation thread is one of my greatest VN accomplishments.

 

[Volle]

Pons should dribble a basketball to class everyday, develop a handle, learn a running hook and pull-up jumper, and take advantage of his hops.

 

[tmack50]

Someone mentioned that he hits most of his threes in warmups. The issue is he has no confidence. Rather than just naturally shooting the ball like anyone that is open, he pauses and thinks about it putting more pressure on himself.

This makes a lot of sense. He plays almost like a robot at times. When he catches the ball in rhythm and pulls the trigger, more times than not it goes in. Best example, look at the shot he took at the end of the Missouri game.