616s6e said:
In the 50 years that I have watched Griz hoops, they have never before had depth 1-5, let along 1-13 like they now appear to have. For those of you who don't follow Griz hoops closely, this is an amazing feat of recruiting by Travis and the staff. Now, lets see how the team chemistry works out with the competition for playing time.
I agree completely. Montana has always had a few good players, but never the depth we see now. And seldom two seven-footers. This is what has always separated the major programs from Montana.
It was just excruciating to be in Los Angeles for the USC game last year, seeing how long we were in that game (remember, we outscored USC from the field), but knowing we were without Oguine (hurt), Dorsey and Akoh (redshirted), and Nicholas and Falls (committed, but still in high school.) Now the cavalry has arrived.
Having said that, we all have to understand how, in a generation, the game has changed. A generation ago, Michael Jordon, the Bulls and especially the Detroit Pistons defined the game: Tough inside games, strong rebounding, incredible athleticism thanks to Michael Jordan. In "Zen Hoops," Phil Jackson spends a good deal of time deciding how the more athletic Bulls would deal with "The Bad Boys," especially Bill Laimbeer. Think today of that same old guard, Charles Barkley, and how dismissive he is of today's "jump shooters." Weak. Pansies. Pushovers. That's what Charles thought of the Warriors until...
...the Warriors changed the game. Not only the Splash Brothers (possibly the best two outside shooters the game has seen) but also Durant and Draymond Green, all able to hit the three consistently. Not to mention Curry's handle, and the amazing passing this team displays. I used to be transfixed watching a YouTube of Pistol Pete, but Curry is much better in my estimation, his passing more precise and just as dazzling.
The result is, kids today want to be like Curry and Durant. They've worked on their handles. More than anything else, they've worked on their three-point shots. That shot has been there a long time; it took Curry and Thompson to fully exploit it.
So now the question is, now that we have the depth and the athleticism--do we have the shooters? Will Bevens be the consistent three-point threat that Gfeller wasn't? Will Espee free Rorie of point guard duties, such as to make him a better shooter? Will Dorsey be a reliable outside threat? Can Bobby Moorehead recapture the shooting promise he showed as a freshman but lost last year? Will Falls be a consistent outside threat as a true freshman?
This will be the key to our season. Because this generation of basketball is defined by its outside shooting ability. If we're to be on the side of evolution, we have to adjust. Thank you Steph. Thank you Klay.