Monday, November 30, 2009

Bluejays without an identity

Creighton is six games into the season and to this point they have no offensive identity. The problem was created by an influx of capable athletes that the Jays added in the offseason. You now have about ten guys who have the talent or athleticism to be on the court, but not everyone knows their place.

If you ask me, the optimal starting lineup this point would be as follows:
5 - Kenny Lawson
4 - Wayne Runnels
3 - Justin Carter
2 - Daryl Ashford
1 - Antoine Young

It's likely you don't agree with this for two reasons. One is that there are plenty of other combinations that one could argue and the other is that P'Allen Stinnet is not on the list.

Let me start by saying that I would replace Ashford with Stinnet if he deserved it, or once he deserved it. But up until now, Stinnet has too often dropped easy passes and taken poor shots while leading in minutes per game. He contributes by getting steals, rebounds and driving, but until this becomes a focus, I wouldn't start him. In fact, I think Altman feels obligated to play him to deter a tantrum. I know he'll improve as the season progresses, but he should not be sitting behind the arc taking more three's than anyone else when the team needs someone to get to the line and score inside. He needs to stay away from the perimeter and let the majority of shots from there come from better shooters. Once that happens, I think he should replace Ashford, who I think is impressive offensively.

Antoine Young struggled in the Iona game, but I still feel he's the best overall PG. With so many scoring options this year, it's important to have someone on the floor to manage the ball. This is why I think Korver gets so much playing time. He especially needs to play when Witter is at the point because he has such a scorers mentality. Korver had a few rare turnovers in the tournament, but he moves the ball as well as anyone on the team.

Agree/disagree? What's your ideal lineup for the NU game?

1 comment:

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