Ponds This Season

I am known as the president of the Ponds fan club, but I don't like the way he looks this season. His NBA feedback obviously centered around his defense and he has the opportunity to do so now with more talent and depth around him. So why can't he can't stay in front of anyone as a junior?

Having great hands and instincts only gets you so far. He needs to show A LOT more.

I'd like to announce my new favorite player is Heron and Figureroa is coming up quickly behind him since he's the only player who cares about offensive rebkunding.

Heron looks like a much better  NBA prospect than Ponds early in the season.

+1

 I'd have to agree. He has not looked close to a BE POY, and I'd go as far to say both figeuroa and Heron are just as talented players overall. That being said, having three players at that talent level is a huge positive.

That being said, I do think Ponds did a good job sharing the ball even though his shot wasn't falling against Rutgers.

3 games. Not his best work. 16 pts, 4 asts, 3 rebs, 2 stls, only 5 to’s on 50% + 37.5% shooting. Talk about being a victim of your own success.

I'd have to agree. He has not looked close to a BE POY, and I'd go as far to say both figeuroa and Heron are just as talented players overall. That being said, having three players at that talent level is a huge positive.

That being said, I do think Ponds did a good job sharing the ball even though his shot wasn't falling against Rutgers.

Maybe this is splitting hairs but I would say deffinitely LJ and maybe heron (so good) aren’t as talented as ponds but they are more consistent. I think we need to slow down, we’ve seen ponds best and that’s better than anything else we’ve seen.

3 games. Not his best work. 16 pts, 4 asts, 3 rebs, 2 stls, only 5 to’s on 50% + 37.5% shooting. Talk about being a victim of your own success.

Not his best work but nothing to sneeze at. You'd expect his ppg to go down a bit with the added firepower. A big difference this year is that he's not getting to the FT line: last year he shot about 6 a game, this year he has 4 total in 90 minutes. Dixon has five in half those minutes.

Foad bringing it!

3 games. Not his best work. 16 pts, 4 asts, 3 rebs, 2 stls, only 5 to’s on 50% + 37.5% shooting. Talk about being a victim of your own success.

Stats aside, he had the Rutgers big man on him off a switch several times and had his shot blocked badly by him once on a drive and then passed out of it the other times that I saw. If you can't eat a so-so college center alive on an ISO from the top of the key how are you going to score on 6'6-6'8 NBA two guards with the same length as that big man and twice the quickness.

Also, what's up with the defense? You can't keep 6'4 Geo Baker on front of you? We're three games in and he is getting burnt with regularity when the NBA gave him one clear message:  show us you can defend.

Ponds is a good athlete but not freakish in anyway. However he's super crafty and that more than makes up for it. It's still so early. He should develop better chemistry with the new guys as the season goes on.

Stats aside, he had the Rutgers big man on him off a switch several times and had his shot blocked badly by him once on a drive and then passed out of it the other times that I saw. If you can't eat a so-so college center alive on an ISO from the top of the key how are you going to score on 6'6-6'8 NBA two guards with the same length as that big man and twice the quickness.

Also, what's up with the defense? You can't keep 6'4 Geo Baker on front of you? We're three games in and he is getting burnt with regularity when the NBA gave him one clear message:  show us you can defend.

I was disappointed in his decision making and execution particularly in this example you mentioned.

I think Ponds works extremely hard to make his flash become slick but there needs to be better balance in not forcing something that isn't there.

An off balance, back to basket, spin, 1 foot fadeaways aren't exactly high percentage looks from a 6'1 guard. Can he make them? Sure but he makes a lot of other baskets at a higher percentage.

I think he'll figure it out and generally not too concerned.

I am known as the president of the Ponds fan club, but I don't like the way he looks this season. His NBA feedback obviously centered around his defense and he has the opportunity to do so now with more talent and depth around him. So why can't he can't stay in front of anyone as a junior?

Having great hands and instincts only gets you so far. He needs to show A LOT more.

I'd like to announce my new favorite player is Heron and Figureroa is coming up quickly behind him since he's the only player who cares about offensive rebkunding.

Heron looks like a much better  NBA prospect than Ponds early in the season.

Yep. More complete player who seems to be more committed to addressing the gaps noted by NBA.

Ponds is more creative and has similar ceiling but is too caught up be being someone else.

I'd like to announce my new favorite player is Heron and Figureroa is coming up quickly behind him

Loyalty not your strong suit?

Loyalty not your strong suit?

Who has been more loyal to a player than I've been to Ponds since we recruited him?!

I just call it like I see it. As a soph the thinking was his D suffered because he had to carry the offense and was the only ball handler. Now he's got Heron and Figueroa to shoulder the scoring load but he's still not where it should be...and he loses the benefit of the doubt as a junior.

Heron plays better defense. Time for Ponds to step it up on that end.

Please note I am evaluating Ponds with strict scrutiny based on what he has shown in the past and what I expected from him. If Dixon or Trimble did what he's done I'd be ecstatic. Perhaps we see him for his senior season.

Last season, Ponds was the lead scoring guard, the point guard and the shooting guard. He generally wasn’t playing defense because he either needed to conserve energy or because he just didn’t want to.

Offensively, he needs some time to get used to the idea that he’s playing one position this season. I thought he found shooters and was better at playing with a point guard’s mentality in the second half at Rutgers.

His defense has never been very good. Maybe he’ll turn it on for bigger games, but from what I’ve seen, since he arrived on campus, he’s avoided contact on defense. It’s strange, but he backs away from it. On offense, he’s fine getting hammered. Go figure.

Think he's just trying to stay out of foul trouble.

I was disappointed in his decision making and execution particularly in this example you mentioned.

I think Ponds works extremely hard to make his flash become slick but there needs to be better balance in not forcing something that isn't there.

An off balance, back to basket, spin, 1 foot fadeaways aren't exactly high percentage looks from a 6'1 guard. Can he make them? Sure but he makes a lot of other baskets at a higher percentage.

I think he'll figure it out and generally not too concerned.

Re the one foot fadeaway…..it is the type of shot skilled players develop to get their shot off, particularly small guys.  It is not necessarily low percentage if you work on it and Im sure Ponds has been working on it for years.  Was Larry Birds corner fade towards the baseline low percentage?

Ponds lack of focus on defense is glaring. He loses his man constantly and gets caught in no mans land all the time wandering for steals.  When there is a miscommunication on a switch and someone comes open he is usually involved.  Beyond frustrating given his physical gifts.  That being said he is my favorite offensive player since Walter Berry.

AW Marillac having a tiff with his first love.
THREE GAMES!
I actually like the way he has played. Basically won the BG game for us. Against Rutgers he didn't really have it and didn't force it.
Defensively last year his effort wasn't great. Chalked it up to him having to do too much once Lovett quit. Thought his closeouts were a little better so far this year but still not great.
Needs to pick his spots better for three pointers especially the off one foot ones and 35 footers.
But he will be fine. Scores 30 tonight.

Re the one foot fadeaway…..it is the type of shot skilled players develop to get their shot off, particularly small guys.  It is not necessarily low percentage if you work on it and Im sure Ponds has been working on it for years.  Was Larry Birds corner fade towards the baseline low percentage?

Like I said I know he works extremely hard putting in reps into these type of things but college game is different than NBA.

For starters the NBA game is longer which is more forgiving of a bad shot. Everything from spacing, pace, etc is different.

Comparing a HOF player is pretty lofty.

AW Marillac having a tiff with his first love.
THREE GAMES!
I actually like the way he has played. Basically won the BG game for us. Against Rutgers he didn't really have it and didn't force it.
Defensively last year his effort wasn't great. Chalked it up to him having to do too much once Lovett quit. Thought his closeouts were a little better so far this year but still not great.
Needs to pick his spots better for three pointers especially the off one foot ones and 35 footers.
But he will be fine. Scores 30 tonight.

Yea overall we're being hyper critical. He's still our best player and we're really lucky to have someone like him who embraces everything you'd want for the school.