Leader

Quote from: Dave on December 24, 2012, 11:32:22 AM

There is a difference between being a leader and a go-to guy on the court.

Any call for Branch as the leader of this team is difficult to comprehend. He's played 1 game.

  While I agree with you that he isn't the team leader yet, isn't it possible for him to be a leader considering he has been practicing with the team all this time?

There is a difference between being a leader and a go-to guy on the court.

Any call for Branch as the leader of this team is difficult to comprehend. He's played 1 game.

Quote from: Dave on December 24, 2012, 11:32:22 AM

There is a difference between being a leader and a go-to guy on the court.

Any call for Branch as the leader of this team is difficult to comprehend. He's played 1 game.

When the chips are down they all look to DLo to save the day and Karr delivers too. If that's leadership so be it. There is nobody else willing to take the responsibility and that's OK with me. Amir can't hit a shot and sometimes collapses at the FT line.  Dom can't hit anything but a layup and sometimes misses those.  Greene defers to DLo and hides and Obekpa avoids all bodily contact. By the time he tries to block the offensive player already has position and the odds are against us.  I really hope Branch can make some sense out of all this but it's a lot to ask at this stage.

If Branch can protect the ball, control the flow, and get it to Harrison at the right time, DLo will respond with support and appreciation. We saw what happened when Harrison tried to do everything himself at the end of the UNC-A game.

These two (sans Sanchez) along with Jakarr are our keys to winning games in the BE.

Both DLo and Branch (yes - on the basis of one game) have the skill, presence and intensity of purpose in their game to command the respect of their teammates. Those elements are the stuff that leadership is made of and they are the logical leaders. Hopefully they will work hand in glove and Branch will help to provide the rudder's guidance and the curb's restraint for DLo.

Jakarr has potential in this respect but his focus now (rightfully so) seems to be on improving his own skill set and becoming more consistently aggressive in his overall game.

Dom Pointer

He calls out most of plays, first one to the huddle, always pointing out to guys where they should be. He's going to be one hell of a senior someday.

Quote from: Dave on December 23, 2012, 01:37:05 AM

Dom Pointer

He calls out most of plays, first one to the huddle, always pointing out to guys where they should be. He's going to be one hell of a senior someday.

You all thought I was crazy

Quote from: Dave on December 23, 2012, 01:37:05 AM

Dom Pointer

He calls out most of plays, first one to the huddle, always pointing out to guys where they should be. He's going to be one hell of a senior someday.

Dom is starting to come into his own. He's working hard all over the court, and that more than anything, defines the leader we need.

You all thought I was crazy

Quote from: Dave on January 24, 2013, 12:30:46 AM

Quote from: Dave on December 23, 2012, 01:37:05 AM

Dom Pointer

He calls out most of plays, first one to the huddle, always pointing out to guys where they should be. He's going to be one hell of a senior someday.

You all thought I was crazy

He has stepped up big time. Still want some leadership from a ball handler. Not seeing it yet from Branch. Need a guy who is cool calm and collective with ball in hands at crunch time

Quote from: Moose on January 24, 2013, 01:01:05 AM

Quote from: Dave on January 24, 2013, 12:30:46 AM

Quote from: Dave on December 23, 2012, 01:37:05 AM

Dom Pointer

He calls out most of plays, first one to the huddle, always pointing out to guys where they should be. He's going to be one hell of a senior someday.

You all thought I was crazy

He has stepped up big time. Still want some leadership from a ball handler. Not seeing it yet from Branch. Need a guy who is cool calm and collective with ball in hands at crunch time

Agree that we need some end of game, crunch time leadership. Much as i love DLo's newfound maturity, his end of game decision making has been awful. I dont remember Branch doing anything particularly shaky down the stretch, but he certainly hasnt emerged as the unquestioned go to guy. Yet. Seeing the leaps and bounds these kids are making from one game to the next, I could see that happening pretty quickly.

That said, there are other kinds of leadership and Dom seems to be providing all the other kinds. Whether its off the court, taking Jones under his wing and helping him through a tough time, or on the court by busting his ass every second he's on the court and being the one to keep DLo from blowing a gasket (which he does about 5 times a game), thats major leadership. His skills havent improved in the last two weeks, his handle and jumper are still suspect. But he's elevated his game by sheer force of will and effort.

btw...coaching isnt all X's and O's and what offense we're running. A big part of it is managing people, especially since those people are largely 19 year old kids. Kudos to Lavin for rewarding Dom's effort with more PT and a starting spot. Wouldnt be a bit surprised if Dom's emergence was partly as a result of coach encouraging him to take his leadership and effort from off the court and practice into games.

There is a difference between who is the best player or who should take the final shot versus who is the leader?

In recent article in the Post about Christian Jones overcoming grief of the deaths of two close friends, he mentioned Gift and Sir Dom as the guys who stood out in talking to him and holding his hand through the grief process. And Dom never appears to lose his emotions during the game. A leader's attributes don't always show up on the court. A leader is a leader during practice, in the lockerrom, in the dorm and in the classroom.

That being said, 3'Lo would not be the leader, JaKar being a freshman couldn't be the leader, I go for Sir'Dom.

Quote from: braintrust on January 24, 2013, 01:42:35 PM

There is a difference between who is the best player or who should take the final shot versus who is the leader?

In recent article in the Post about Christian Jones overcoming grief of the deaths of two close friends, he mentioned Gift and Sir Dom as the guys who stood out in talking to him and holding his hand through the grief process. And Dom never appears to lose his emotions during the game. A leader's attributes don't always show up on the court. A leader is a leader during practice, in the lockerrom, in the dorm and in the classroom.

That being said, 3'Lo would not be the leader, JaKar being a freshman couldn't be the leader, I go for Sir'Dom.

Still need a leader on the court. I'm all for intangibles.  They are great and often overlooked.  But you need a presence between the lines who leads and you can know the ball is in the right hands.  Sorry to beat a dead horse but I feel strongly about it.