This Trae Young thing is great, but.......

[steverocks35]

This is pretty ridiculous. How many times does Trae Young find a teammate with an on-time pass right in their wheelhouse and they either a) fumble the ball out of bounds. b) get it stripped (looking at you Lattin) or c) miss a wide open shot? It happens over and over and he still leads the nation or is a close 2nd in assists. Trae Young is not the problem.

 

[coolm]

This is pretty ridiculous. How many times does Trae Young find a teammate with an on-time pass right in their wheelhouse and they either a) fumble the ball out of bounds. b) get it stripped (looking at you Lattin) or c) miss a wide open shot? It happens over and over and he still leads the nation or is a close 2nd in assists. Trae Young is not the problem.

exactly

 

[oudna]

This is pretty ridiculous. How many times does Trae Young find a teammate with an on-time pass right in their wheelhouse and they either a) fumble the ball out of bounds. b) get it stripped (looking at you Lattin) or c) miss a wide open shot? It happens over and over and he still leads the nation or is a close 2nd in assists. Trae Young is not the problem.

I agree Lattin and McNeace have horrible hands

 

[Soonerinkc]

this is all true. not to mention the bunnies we miss, and the pump fake shots under the rim that always get blocked because we don’t go straight back up with it. the only thing that really kills me about trae’s game today was the steal by solomon. that just can’t happen, at any point in the game, ever...

one time Lattin got the ball on the low block, lane was open for a quick drop step with Solomon on his back...instead he passed it back out. Didn't even try a drop step hook 2 ft away from the rim in the lane.:facepalm

 

[WichitaSooner]

one time Lattin got the ball on the low block, lane was open for a quick drop step with Solomon on his back...instead he passed it back out. Didn't even try a drop step hook 2 ft away from the rim in the lane.:facepalm

So true, and it wasn't the only time it's happened over the past several games. When he does manage to catch a pass cleanly under the basket, it's like he can't wait to get it out of his hands. The one dunk he had yesterday seems like his first in ages. Hard to say how much of it is confidence and how much is lack of strength, but it's definitely a problem. KU's big is a completely different body type, and he shoots almost 80% because he can catch and dunk. Polla might be needed some if Muni can't go.

 

[kansasooner]

Bad post, abd.

 

[uberjamb]

Lots of overreaction in this thread, but I do agree that this team would greatly benefit from trying to get James, McGusty, and Doolittle more involved.

 

[sdcloud9]

Lots of overreaction in this thread, but I do agree that this team would greatly benefit from trying to get James, McGusty, and Doolittle more involved.

True...OU is a better team when Trae gets over 10 assists rather than 35 points. That shows the other players are involved.

 

[152219]

True...OU is a better team when Trae gets over 10 assists rather than 35 points. That shows the other players are involved.

Well, if his teammates would catch the ball when he passes to them in the lane, especially the bigs, and if the wings would hit the WIDE open 3 pointers he sets up for them he would average about 15 assists/game.

 

[152219]

This is pretty ridiculous. How many times does Trae Young find a teammate with an on-time pass right in their wheelhouse and they either a) fumble the ball out of bounds. b) get it stripped (looking at you Lattin) or c) miss a wide open shot? It happens over and over and he still leads the nation or is a close 2nd in assists. Trae Young is not the problem.

Agree completely.

Does Young take too many ill advised deep 3s? Probably
Does Young miss too often in the lane? I would argue yes.

But, ultimately he isn't the problem because he sets up so much for this team on the offensive end. The threat of his deep 3s changes the geometry of the game for the Sooners. Anyone who doesn't recognize that is stuck in the past.

 

[DSMok1]

True...OU is a better team when Trae gets over 10 assists rather than 35 points. That shows the other players are involved.

I think it more just shows that the other players are making more of their shots...

Against Oklahoma State, Trae Young had the second-best True Shooting Percentage, behind only Khadeem Lattin and his 3 shots. He was easily the most efficient offensive player when including turnovers.

From a statistics perspective, this indicates that the usage level for Young was still BELOW optimum--I'm talking mathematically. And we know his marginal shots (adding the next shot) would be more efficient than anyone else on the team.

That said, the psychological side for the other players is also very important, and should not be ignored. When Golden State is rolling, Stephen Curry isn't scoring 50, even though he could. Improving the overall confidence of the other players can help them produce more efficiently.

 

[thebigabd]

This is pretty ridiculous. How many times does Trae Young find a teammate with an on-time pass right in their wheelhouse and they either a) fumble the ball out of bounds. b) get it stripped (looking at you Lattin) or c) miss a wide open shot? It happens over and over and he still leads the nation or is a close 2nd in assists. Trae Young is not the problem.

This kinda reminds me of that scene in Celtic Pride when Louis Scott, played by Damon Wayans, finally listens to the guys in the crowd and starts passing the ball. His teammates have no idea what's going on, they are getting hit in the face/head by his passes because they aren't expecting it.

"oh, well when he does pass they fumble the ball"..... "they aren't ready to shoot"... etc.. Well, when you are used to standing around watching this guy that may happen. When you are in the huddle for an entire season and coach never calls a play for you and 100% of your effort is to do something for Trae Young, that may happen.

 

[TINY]

This kinda reminds me of that scene in Celtic Pride when Louis Scott, played by Damon Wayans, finally listens to the guys in the crowd and starts passing the ball. His teammates have no idea what's going on, they are getting hit in the face/head by his passes because they aren't expecting it.

"oh, well when he does pass they fumble the ball"..... "they aren't ready to shoot"... etc.. Well, when you are used to standing around watching this guy that may happen. When you are in the huddle for an entire season and coach never calls a play for you and 100% of your effort is to do something for Trae Young, that may happen.

Dude these are D1 players not some B list movie. Lattin has bricks for hands lately. Jamuni has pretty good hands but he has been in a bad funk, too. Catching the ball is something I can go out and do at a high level, so I have very little patience for D1 guys who can’t.

Trae’s game against kstate was horrific and that’s on Trae, but every other game that we have lost was because of very poor play by the rest of the team.

 

[152219]

This kinda reminds me of that scene in Celtic Pride when Louis Scott, played by Damon Wayans, finally listens to the guys in the crowd and starts passing the ball. His teammates have no idea what's going on, they are getting hit in the face/head by his passes because they aren't expecting it.

"oh, well when he does pass they fumble the ball"..... "they aren't ready to shoot"... etc.. Well, when you are used to standing around watching this guy that may happen. When you are in the huddle for an entire season and coach never calls a play for you and 100% of your effort is to do something for Trae Young, that may happen.

:facepalm:facepalm

 

[coolm]

This kinda reminds me of that scene in Celtic Pride when Louis Scott, played by Damon Wayans, finally listens to the guys in the crowd and starts passing the ball. His teammates have no idea what's going on, they are getting hit in the face/head by his passes because they aren't expecting it.

"oh, well when he does pass they fumble the ball"..... "they aren't ready to shoot"... etc.. Well, when you are used to standing around watching this guy that may happen. When you are in the huddle for an entire season and coach never calls a play for you and 100% of your effort is to do something for Trae Young, that may happen.

whatever.

 

[thebigabd]

whatever.

Ok, ok..... I get it.

Based on all the comments here in defense, I think a new thread is in order. It should be called, "Trae Young is great, but the other guys are ruining his season".

 

[SoonerWarVet]

thebigabd,

Possibly a little bit of both? Teammates are not hitting shots, but Trae is trying to do too much as well?

The answer usually lies in the middle.

 

[opsooner]

Season is still very good. Valid points all around. Trae is the best player on the team but still needs to improve and so does everyone else including the coaches.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[chuckb]

I don't understand why no one here, seemingly, is willing or able to consider the possibility that there's a little bit of truth in both. James was 0-6 shooting 3's Saturday. Make 1 of those and it's game over. On the other hand, maybe he's a little bit worse as a shooter if he never touches the ball. Trae's offensive efficiency was the highest on the team Saturday and he'd have had more assists if James and Manek would make shots but he was also 6-19 shooting 2 pointers.

People get so entrenched on 1 side or another they're absolutely unwilling to concede that anyone on the other side makes a good point.

 

[152219]

I don't understand why no one here, seemingly, is willing or able to consider the possibility that there's a little bit of truth in both. James was 0-6 shooting 3's Saturday. Make 1 of those and it's game over. On the other hand, maybe he's a little bit worse as a shooter if he never touches the ball. Trae's offensive efficiency was the highest on the team Saturday and he'd have had more assists if James and Manek would make shots but he was also 6-19 shooting 2 pointers.

People get so entrenched on 1 side or another they're absolutely unwilling to concede that anyone on the other side makes a good point.

OU's offense is predicated on having the floor spread with spot up 3 point shooters on the wings. People complain about our wings "standing there", but that is their role. Young's outside shooting from way deep and his ability to get into the lane creates a wealth of space for the offense. When Young drives one of two things happens. The wing defenders stay on their men and Young gets to the rim (where he needs to finish better, mind you) or the wing defender(s) collapse, which frees OU's wings at the 3 point line. Young continues to make the smart play roughly 80% of the time IMO. Time and time again he passes to the wings when they are open and the bottom line is that they need to hit those shots as that is their role in the offense. And to be honest, that is the role that James is best at. Manek also has the game for this offense. Also, when Young drives if the post defenders come off their men Young dishes to Lattin/McNeace, who also need to finish at a higher clip.

Now, if you want to say this offense hurts McGusty because he has to create via isolation, that is fine. But, this essential conspiracy that the rest of the team dislikes this offense is just conjecture.