First thing is that the most pathetic thing is calling the effort pathetic.
Blake Griffin averaged 16 points and 9 rebounds per game in his first three games. Tiny has averaged 12 and 12. While he has things to learn on defense, Blake was never that much of a powerhouse on D. Usually was avoiding foul trouble. To say Tiny is not very good is approaching pathetic.
One of the big dropoffs is rebounding other than Tiny. Wright is averaging just under 5 a game. And he is scoring just under 5 points a game. Taylor Griffin had 34 points the first three games two years ago.
Crocker and Davis return from the opening lineup two years ago. The other starters were the Griffins and the much maligned Austin Johnson.
There is somewhere between 10-15 points differential in playing a team away versus at home. The shooting background is different and the officials tend to be infleunced by the home crowd, paticularly one so loud. There is also usually a differential in fouls called in favor of the home team.
And when your star goes 0 for 8 from behind the arc and the best pure shooter perhaps in Sooner history goes 2-10 you are in for a tough night.
This is a young team and Willie probably learned something about leadership yesterday. We are going to take some lumps and we may lose a bunch that many think we should win.
But it will still be a fun team to watch and there seems to be a lot of upside. I liked AJ but how many would prefer to have him than TMG. How much better is Willie than Davis even today.
This is not a bad team. Probably not an elite 8 or maybe not even a sweet 16, but a pretty good team.
