Our Team

[Sawyer]

No, it's not a reason.

Reasons are things like poor coaching, little talent or no depth. Not "our team with no freshmen and two sophomores is young and inexperienced." And not when the team you lose to gets 84 minutes from freshmen/sophomores.

It's an excuse, and a poor one.

 

[SoonerBounce13]

No, it's not a reason.

Reasons are things like poor coaching, little talent or no depth. Not "our team with no freshmen and two sophomores is young and inexperienced." And not when the team you lose to gets 84 minutes from freshmen/sophomores.

It's an excuse, and a poor one.

saying a team is inexperienced is the same as saying a team is poorly coached. Call it an excuse if you like. Whatever. You can disagree all you want about whether our team is inexperienced. You are simply looking at it in black and white. Just b/c we don't have a freshman doesn't mean THIS team is experienced. Its about gelling, and going through road tests,etc.

 

[SoonerBounce13]

and I just want to add that damn mizzou fans are annoying.

 

[Sawyer]

and I just want to add that damn mizzou fans are annoying.

Burn?

You played a team relying heavily on young players and without one of their best players. Youth and inexperience, which would be weak excuses in any game, are especially ridiculous for this one.

Inexperienced and poorly coached aren't even remotely the same thing.

 

[SoonerBounce13]

Inexperienced and poorly coached aren't even remotely the same thing.

in the context that we were discussing them (excuses vs reasons for losing), yes they are.

Is anybody on the Mavs or Lakers inexperienced? Why are they struggling early this year?

 

[Sawyer]

in the context that we were discussing them (excuses vs reasons for losing), yes they are.

Is anybody on the Mavs or Lakers inexperienced? Why are they struggling early this year?

Not following you... What do the Lakers or Mav have to do with anything?

Inexperience could be a reason if you actually had a team that lacked it. But again... you don't.

 

[SoonerBounce13]

Not following you... What do the Lakers or Mav have to do with anything?

Inexperience could be a reason if you actually had a team that lacked it. But again... you don't.

The media keeps saying the reason that the mavs have struggled is b/c they have new faces and the players haven't gotten used to playing together yet. Same w/ the lakers plus a new coach.

I find it odd that you don't think learning a new system is a valid "excuse" for a team losing

 

[SoonerBounce13]

oh well. I'm done arguing with you.

 

[p230]

Not following you... What do the Lakers or Mav have to do with anything?

Inexperience could be a reason if you actually had a team that lacked it. But again... you don't.

Sawyer...perhaps a better word would be integrated. I agree with you that have several experienced players playing together but they have not fully integrated with each other yet. Do I sound like a nerd??

 

[SoonerBounce13]

Sawyer...perhaps a better word would be integrated. I agree with you that have several experienced players playing together but they have not fully integrated with each other yet. Do I sound like a nerd??

Thats pretty much what I was trying to get at. Have have experienced parts and inexperienced parts. One being the most important position. Add in that we have a new system and new coaches.

 

[campbest]

The media keeps saying the reason that the mavs have struggled is b/c they have new faces and the players haven't gotten used to playing together yet. Same w/ the lakers plus a new coach.

I find it odd that you don't think learning a new system is a valid "excuse" for a team losing

They've also been playing together for what, a week with a week of training camp?

Apples to oranges comparison.

 

[SoonerBounce13]

They've also been playing together for what, a week with a week of training camp?

Apples to oranges comparison.

but according to Sawyer, it shouldn't be used as an excuse...ever

 

[SoonerBounce13]

New coach and system means nothing. This is basketball, not rocket science.

Kruger being in his first year at OU should not be an excuse for anything.

He may not have meant it the way I took it but to me it means that having a new coach isn't an excuse for losing.

 

[DenverSooner]

OU also lacks experience at winning close games. If you look at the football team, the first year under Stoops OU was in every game and actually held a lead in every single game but the guys were used to losing under John Blake and they lacked the experience, instinct, conditioning, depth or whatever you want to call it to win those games. The next season OU managed to win them all. Now the coaches, fans and players expect the football team to win every game. Obviously it doesn't happen but as fans we expect and I think the palyers expect it too.

This years team is going to learn to compete in virtually all games and close out games. Next year they are going to be a really good basketball team.

 

[SoonerBounce13]

OU also lacks experience at winning close games. If you look at the football team, the first year under Stoops OU was in every game and actually held a lead in every single game but the guys were used to losing under John Blake and they lacked the experience, instinct, conditioning, depth or whatever you want to call it to win those games. The next season OU managed to win them all. Now the coaches, fans and players expect the football team to win every game. Obviously it doesn't happen but as fans we expect and I think the palyers expect it too.

This years team is going to learn to compete in virtually all games and close out games. Next year they are going to be a really good basketball team.

Does this mean we will win the whole thing next year!

 

[DenverSooner]

Does this mean we will win the whole thing next year!

I doubt it but I think OU will be a very legitimate top 25 team. If M'Baye is the best or even a top 3 player on the team, OU will be much better next year.

I think OU will see significant improvement from Grooms, Osby, Neal and Clark next season. This is Grooms first year in D-1 ball. Jucos almost always show improvement. This is Osby's first year to start. Clark will have two years of experience and should be very solid. Neal is going to be way more experienced and have significantly more confidence. I also think Fitzgerald and Pledger will improve some but they are playing pretty well. Most importantly, I thnk these guys will improve as a team. M'Baye can't play in games but he is practicing with these guys. 8 of the top 10 guys are working together every day.

Losing Honore and Washington but replacing them with Hield, Hornbeak and Henry is a big advantage on the bench. M'Baye is going to take all the minutes that are going to Honore and Washington. Hield and Hornbeak give OU some options in the backcourt that simply don't exist right now.

The biggest thing with OU is that they are going to have three legitimate forwards that can all knock down a 15 foot shot. Not many teams have that.

 

[Sawyer]

The media keeps saying the reason that the mavs have struggled is b/c they have new faces and the players haven't gotten used to playing together yet. Same w/ the lakers plus a new coach.

I find it odd that you don't think learning a new system is a valid "excuse" for a team losing

I don't pay much attention to sports media. Their word should hardly be taken as gospel. Even "analysts" who used to play at a high level aren't people I'd necessarily trust (their frequent disagreements being proof that they don't possess some special knowledge the common man lacks).

That said, professional sports are different. When you talk about a team that's been together for hundreds of games and spent countless hours working on their game suddenly losing key parts, that can be a big deal. In college, just about everyone is inexperienced. It's an obstacle all teams face.

I can buy a lack of chemistry as a reason for a team losing, but I don't agree that that's something which comes naturally with time. IMO you either have it or you don't. Sometimes the fix can be simple (a single addition or subtraction from the roster sometimes). Others require a complete overhaul. But whatever the solution may be, time isn't it.