I really don't understand the game of basketball

by **Vlad** 2015-12-29, 23:03

In fact, my understanding is so poor that I don't even know how to formulate my questions about tonight's game.

Let me sleep on it.

by **Cameron** 2015-12-29, 23:04

Great thoughts, thanks for sharing. Definitely thread-worthy, no doubt about it.

by **InTenSity** 2015-12-29, 23:06

Is this your first visit since the Nebraska loss?

by **NigelUno** 2015-12-29, 23:06

Did we lose?

by **GRR Spartan** 2015-12-29, 23:17

MSU loses and Vlad shows up like clockwork.

by **Turtleneck** 2015-12-29, 23:18

I really don't understand the game of basketball

I really don't understand the game of basketball Surprised-picard-you-dont-say

by **Vlad** 2015-12-29, 23:25

OK let me try.

Why didn't...(no, that's not what I'm trying to ask).

Why did...(no, that's not it either).

Why didn't Davis...(too obvious to ask).

Well shit! My game is as off as this team was tonight! I really thought this team had enough talent (even w/o DV) to just turn it on whenever it wanted to. Apparently it's not quite that simple.

Oh well, It happens. No problem. We march on!

by **Travis of the Cosmos** 2015-12-29, 23:32

I'm pretty sure that if vlad doesn't start a thread after a loss then a unicorn will show up in the middle of the night and horn him in the junk.

Since he didn't know what else to say, this is what we're stuck with.

by **Watch Out Pylon!** 2015-12-29, 23:38

Look who showed up after a loss. Shocking.

by **DWags** 2015-12-29, 23:56

Watch Out Pylon! wrote:Look who showed up after a loss. Shocking.

Waiting for the Dude and we're good.

by **WhiteBoyHatcher** 2015-12-29, 23:58

I don't know about understanding basketball but I definitely understand road basketball in the big ten.

by **Blanch32** 2015-12-30, 10:35

First, Iowa played great d. Hit a few tough shots, and were not called for any fouls until the halftime make up, and we were whistled for everything and every loose ball went to iowa.

That didn't lose the game. Instead, we had a shit gameplan to force everything inside and ignore floor spacing. This coupled with all the first half turnovers, and like only 3 3 pointers.

by **Rocinante** 2015-12-30, 10:58

I wan't somebody to horn me in the junk.

You guys have really dropped the ball (no pun intended) on the taint kicking lately, btw. I'm lonely.

by **DWags** 2015-12-30, 12:28

Izzo didn't have the team ready. You need to win at home and steal a couple of those games in the road. Iowa is not that much better than us they played like it though.

by **InTenSity** 2015-12-30, 12:34

DWags wrote:Izzo didn't have the team ready. You need to win at home and steal a couple of those games in the road. Iowa is not that much better than us they played like it though.

Iowa shut down Forbes, plus got him into foul trouble. They had a fucking walkon play the best game of his life, which will never be repeated and every single ball that was contested for went to Iowa. I've never seen a game in which one team only touched the ball as it went out of bounds.
It was so bad, that even when it looks like MSU might get a steal on an inbounds play, the ball goes in the basket for them.
It happens, whatever. What is puzzling though is that Wollenman is getting time over Davis. That shouldn't be happening. I'm not sure what Davis did, but lets say he lost his man or read the Offense wrong, he made up for it by blocking the guys shot.
McQuaid is so scared to shoot the ball now, he's a liability, but at the same time, he's not a PG and he's being asked to play PG as a true freshman.
It also shouldn't have taken until the last 10 minutes of the game to figure out how to break the 3-2 or 2-3 they were playing.

by **steveschneider** 2015-12-30, 12:37

InTenSity wrote:
DWags wrote:Izzo didn't have the team ready. You need to win at home and steal a couple of those games in the road. Iowa is not that much better than us they played like it though.
Iowa shut down Forbes, plus got him into foul trouble. They had a fucking walkon play the best game of his life, which will never be repeated and every single ball that was contested for went to Iowa. I've never seen a game in which one team only touched the ball as it went out of bounds.
It was so bad, that even when it looks like MSU might get a steal on an inbounds play, the ball goes in the basket for them.
It happens, whatever. What is puzzling though is that Wollenman is getting time over Davis. That shouldn't be happening. I'm not sure what Davis did, but lets say he lost his man or read the Offense wrong, he made up for it by blocking the guys shot.
McQuaid is so scared to shoot the ball now, he's a liability, but at the same time, he's not a PG and he's being asked to play PG as a true freshman.
It also shouldn't have taken until the last 10 minutes of the game to figure out how to break the 3-2 or 2-3 they were playing.

The whole Davis thing was a question mark for me. Thought he looked like a difference maker out there and he's obviously pro talent. Seems like that's the type of player you want out on the floor in games like that. Whatever, this team wasn't going to go 40-0 and even bad teams have great nights against really good teams.

by **DWags** 2015-12-30, 12:41

InTenSity wrote:
DWags wrote:Izzo didn't have the team ready. You need to win at home and steal a couple of those games in the road. Iowa is not that much better than us they played like it though.
Iowa shut down Forbes, plus got him into foul trouble. They had a fucking walkon play the best game of his life, which will never be repeated and every single ball that was contested for went to Iowa. I've never seen a game in which one team only touched the ball as it went out of bounds.
It was so bad, that even when it looks like MSU might get a steal on an inbounds play, the ball goes in the basket for them.
It happens, whatever. What is puzzling though is that Wollenman is getting time over Davis. That shouldn't be happening. I'm not sure what Davis did, but lets say he lost his man or read the Offense wrong, he made up for it by blocking the guys shot.
McQuaid is so scared to shoot the ball now, he's a liability, but at the same time, he's not a PG and he's being asked to play PG as a true freshman.
It also shouldn't have taken until the last 10 minutes of the game to figure out how to break the 3-2 or 2-3 they were playing.

Izzo just referenced freshman making mistakes but didn't say what pissed him off. Who knows. Tom Izzo is a perfectionist.

by **InTenSity** 2015-12-30, 12:46

DWags wrote:
Izzo just referenced freshman making mistakes but didn't say what pissed him off. Who knows. Tom Izzo is a perfectionist.

McQuaid is making mistakes protecting the ball and being too lazy with it at times. Then again so is Forbes. I guess I can see those mistakes because McQuaid is getting a lot of playing time (although I think that goes down once DV is back). I still never understand how our guys can be under the basket, get rebounds, get hacked and there is rarely a call when we get the offensive rebound and score on a putback. Yet MSU seems to get called anytime a guy enters the paint against them.
Davis was in warmups in the second half. Something happened, and he was taken out, right after he had 3 blocks and 2 points, probably a rebound in roughly 90 seconds of play, and he looked pissed. I don't know if he has an attitude, or if he isn't jelling with the team, or what the issue is, but he's too good not to play.

by **steveschneider** 2015-12-30, 12:58

InTenSity wrote:
DWags wrote:
Izzo just referenced freshman making mistakes but didn't say what pissed him off. Who knows. Tom Izzo is a perfectionist.
McQuaid is making mistakes protecting the ball and being too lazy with it at times. Then again so is Forbes. I guess I can see those mistakes because McQuaid is getting a lot of playing time (although I think that goes down once DV is back). I still never understand how our guys can be under the basket, get rebounds, get hacked and there is rarely a call when we get the offensive rebound and score on a putback. Yet MSU seems to get called anytime a guy enters the paint against them.
Davis was in warmups in the second half. Something happened, and he was taken out, right after he had 3 blocks and 2 points, probably a rebound in roughly 90 seconds of play, and he looked pissed. I don't know if he has an attitude, or if he isn't jelling with the team, or what the issue is, but he's too good not to play.

I saw no issues with his play other than he was rising up and taking control. Maybe Izzo just tests these guys, and was waiting for him to say put me back in coach I want it.

Regarding McQaid I don't understand why they don't find spots for him to shoot. He's clearly a lights out three point shooter and would be great if we could run at least one play that is designed to give him an open look. MSU has had some amazing 3pt shooters, but it seems like everytime a recruit is touted as a lights out shooter from high school or another program it rarely works out.

At the end of the day, I'm not too worried. Very difficult to argue against Izzo at this point and I expect him to get some results with this squad.

by **Blanch32** 2015-12-30, 13:00

InTenSity wrote:
DWags wrote:
Izzo just referenced freshman making mistakes but didn't say what pissed him off. Who knows. Tom Izzo is a perfectionist.
McQuaid is making mistakes protecting the ball and being too lazy with it at times. Then again so is Forbes. I guess I can see those mistakes because McQuaid is getting a lot of playing time (although I think that goes down once DV is back). I still never understand how our guys can be under the basket, get rebounds, get hacked and there is rarely a call when we get the offensive rebound and score on a putback. Yet MSU seems to get called anytime a guy enters the paint against them.
Davis was in warmups in the second half. Something happened, and he was taken out, right after he had 3 blocks and 2 points, probably a rebound in roughly 90 seconds of play, and he looked pissed. I don't know if he has an attitude, or if he isn't jelling with the team, or what the issue is, but he's too good not to play.

This. Didn't make no sense

by **Vlad** 2015-12-30, 13:54

Well whatever it was, I'm not gonna question Izzo, cuz that gets the natives very angry.

by **InTenSity** 2015-12-30, 14:03

Vlad wrote:Well whatever it was, I'm not gonna question Izzo, cuz that gets the natives very angry.

I think its your delivery, but whatevs.

by **Vlad** 2015-12-30, 14:19

InTenSity wrote:
Vlad wrote:Well whatever it was, I'm not gonna question Izzo, cuz that gets the natives very angry.
I think its your delivery, but whatevs.

Too direct? Ok, The next time I want to question something Izzo does, I'm gonna direct it at Dane Fife instead.

by **Rocinante** 2015-12-30, 14:21

Vlad wrote:
InTenSity wrote:
I think its your delivery, but whatevs.

Too direct?

Is direct another word for ignorant?

by **Turtleneck** 2015-12-30, 14:33

Vlad wrote:
InTenSity wrote:
I think its your delivery, but whatevs.

Too direct? Ok, The next time I want to question something Izzo does, I'm gonna direct it at Dane Fife instead.

How can you question what a basketball coach does if you do not understand basketball? How can you identify what to question? How do you go about questioning what you identify? You're posting from beyond your range, Vlad.

by AnomanderRake 2015-12-30, 14:56

Davis got pulled because he wasn't running the offense. Re-watch the first half and watch him stand around on the block for 25 seconds each offensive set.

by **Vlad** 2015-12-30, 15:17

Turtleneck wrote:
Vlad wrote:

Too direct? Ok, The next time I want to question something Izzo does, I'm gonna direct it at Dane Fife instead.

How can you question what a basketball coach does if you do not understand basketball? How can you identify what to question? How do you go about questioning what you identify? You're posting from beyond your range, Vlad.

That's exactly what I've been trying to say! And this shits been goin' on for 20 years!

by **InTenSity** 2015-12-30, 15:17

AnomanderRake wrote:Davis got pulled because he wasn't running the offense. Re-watch the first half and watch him stand around on the block for 25 seconds each offensive set.

I probably won't have time to watch the game, but if that is the issue, holy shit, I can see why he got pulled. No way Izzo is going to let only 4 people run the offense. Nice catch, BTW and thank you for the answer. It sucks, but Davis is going to have to learn the offense.

by AnomanderRake 2015-12-30, 16:46

InTenSity wrote:
AnomanderRake wrote:Davis got pulled because he wasn't running the offense. Re-watch the first half and watch him stand around on the block for 25 seconds each offensive set.
I probably won't have time to watch the game, but if that is the issue, holy shit, I can see why he got pulled. No way Izzo is going to let only 4 people run the offense. Nice catch, BTW and thank you for the answer. It sucks, but Davis is going to have to learn the offense.

It was very odd. Surely he must know the offense but for whatever reason was extremely slow to react and move through the sets last night.

People see a couple blocks and a put back dunk and think DD is a stud and should never leave the floor. Izzo sees through the surface and makes coaching decisions. I do think DD should have been given an opportunity for redemption earlier in the 2nd half but Izzo is very unforgiving of lack of effort on either end of the court. He'll throw you in the dog house for an entire game or more to make a point. Hell he benched Denzel earlier this season for lack of effort for 10-15 minutes of game time.

I guarantee we see more hustle from Davis in the next game.

by Guest 2015-12-30, 18:39

AnomanderRake wrote:
InTenSity wrote:
I probably won't have time to watch the game, but if that is the issue, holy shit, I can see why he got pulled. No way Izzo is going to let only 4 people run the offense. Nice catch, BTW and thank you for the answer. It sucks, but Davis is going to have to learn the offense.

It was very odd. Surely he must know the offense but for whatever reason was extremely slow to react and move through the sets last night.

People see a couple blocks and a put back dunk and think DD is a stud and should never leave the floor. Izzo sees through the surface and makes coaching decisions. I do think DD should have been given an opportunity for redemption earlier in the 2nd half but Izzo is very unforgiving of lack of effort on either end of the court. He'll throw you in the dog house for an entire game or more to make a point. Hell he benched Denzel earlier this season for lack of effort for 10-15 minutes of game time.

I guarantee we see more hustle from Davis in the next game.

I think you're right, Davis seems to have that essential desire to be great.

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