Here is what I liked from last night:
1. A real answer for 3/4ers or so of extended defense shown by Idaho. They extended like ISU did beyond the arc to limit how the offense was played below it.
2. The ability to look and skip the ball to make Idaho move defensively, something that did not exist against ISU in the second half. Less dribbling. More passing.
3. Fighting defensively on/around and through ball and off ball screens.
Here is what I think needs some work:
1. Gotta find an offense initiator that consistently works. I like the high ball screen flip to target teams who are switching/sagging, but I'd love to see some fake high ball screens to challenge the off ball defenders desire to cheat. Within that, it is maddening to me, that we don't have dynamic post entry from the wing. Too static, I'd love to see some post flash hi/low, in/out so that teams don't have the opportunity to set their low post defense as well as their interior help defense. Sawyer LOVES to anchor himself and allows defenders to over play certain angles and we rather predictably try narrow post entry.
2. I never thought this would a problem for TDC teams, but when Idaho got rolling in the second half, it was the Griz took possessions off on the defensive end in regards to help defense. We obviously aren't running help to funnel balls out of the post, but our 1v1 post defense is obviously lacking but we are still struggling with defending post space.
3. there is a bit of an uneven nature to this teams emotive output/focus during the game. This isn't a team that can gear up/down easily (as Idaho State showed) and TDC mentioned this in so many words after the ISU game. In last nights case, they were pretty good for 35 minutes.
Outstanding Concerns:
1. Home game. against Idaho and there are 12 people in the stands. Almost no one in the upper bowl. Yuck. Boy would this team feed off a frenzied home crowd. I don't think we are going to get it. I'd be stunned if we get 5,000 for Cat Griz on Saturday. Should be a scenario where this is an auto sell out and they are forced to pull the North Bleachers out and jettison the alcohol to another place. These guys, even as an incomplete model, are damn fun to watch.
2. Griz are a top tier team in the conference, and have top end skill to beat anyone. They are uneven, inconsistent defensively, and knowing what Travis's preference has been the last few years with limited groups, is to retrench into a hyper-focused defensive look. Team needs to be better defensively, especially after the awful performances we saw against NC and ISU, you know TDC is going amp up the focus to commit more energy to the defensive end. That being said, the DNA of this team might be as a limited skill defensive team and if Travis buttons down his defense, it is hopefully without not doing the same on the offensive end to help the defense. Team is much better when they have flow and energy.
3. The Griz have limited options on the bench...again in the post. Bradtke started to show some stuff last weekend, but is clearly a 4 offensively and is better defensively away from the post. That leaves Sawyer, Davidson, Pridgen and Jedkins. If they can figure out some sort of rotation/mix to be better as a collective unit defensively while helping spread the floor offensively. That is the skill Bradtke provides, though at this moment he's not a interior post defender. If he can provide some sort of post push back, it would be a positive development. I just don't know if he can provide that type of defense at the moment.
1. A real answer for 3/4ers or so of extended defense shown by Idaho. They extended like ISU did beyond the arc to limit how the offense was played below it.
2. The ability to look and skip the ball to make Idaho move defensively, something that did not exist against ISU in the second half. Less dribbling. More passing.
3. Fighting defensively on/around and through ball and off ball screens.
Here is what I think needs some work:
1. Gotta find an offense initiator that consistently works. I like the high ball screen flip to target teams who are switching/sagging, but I'd love to see some fake high ball screens to challenge the off ball defenders desire to cheat. Within that, it is maddening to me, that we don't have dynamic post entry from the wing. Too static, I'd love to see some post flash hi/low, in/out so that teams don't have the opportunity to set their low post defense as well as their interior help defense. Sawyer LOVES to anchor himself and allows defenders to over play certain angles and we rather predictably try narrow post entry.
2. I never thought this would a problem for TDC teams, but when Idaho got rolling in the second half, it was the Griz took possessions off on the defensive end in regards to help defense. We obviously aren't running help to funnel balls out of the post, but our 1v1 post defense is obviously lacking but we are still struggling with defending post space.
3. there is a bit of an uneven nature to this teams emotive output/focus during the game. This isn't a team that can gear up/down easily (as Idaho State showed) and TDC mentioned this in so many words after the ISU game. In last nights case, they were pretty good for 35 minutes.
Outstanding Concerns:
1. Home game. against Idaho and there are 12 people in the stands. Almost no one in the upper bowl. Yuck. Boy would this team feed off a frenzied home crowd. I don't think we are going to get it. I'd be stunned if we get 5,000 for Cat Griz on Saturday. Should be a scenario where this is an auto sell out and they are forced to pull the North Bleachers out and jettison the alcohol to another place. These guys, even as an incomplete model, are damn fun to watch.
2. Griz are a top tier team in the conference, and have top end skill to beat anyone. They are uneven, inconsistent defensively, and knowing what Travis's preference has been the last few years with limited groups, is to retrench into a hyper-focused defensive look. Team needs to be better defensively, especially after the awful performances we saw against NC and ISU, you know TDC is going amp up the focus to commit more energy to the defensive end. That being said, the DNA of this team might be as a limited skill defensive team and if Travis buttons down his defense, it is hopefully without not doing the same on the offensive end to help the defense. Team is much better when they have flow and energy.
3. The Griz have limited options on the bench...again in the post. Bradtke started to show some stuff last weekend, but is clearly a 4 offensively and is better defensively away from the post. That leaves Sawyer, Davidson, Pridgen and Jedkins. If they can figure out some sort of rotation/mix to be better as a collective unit defensively while helping spread the floor offensively. That is the skill Bradtke provides, though at this moment he's not a interior post defender. If he can provide some sort of post push back, it would be a positive development. I just don't know if he can provide that type of defense at the moment.
