Who earned a second look?

[e_blazer]

End of season: Get rid of him. Rice told him, with several games left, that to qualify for minimum shots on the list of best 3FG%, he needed to make something like 3 more, was it? He tried and tried over the last few games and completely flopped and was embarrassed. If he can't put out when motivated because everything's on the line, is starting and playing a lot of minutes, and has no excuse about confidence because the coach isn't pulling him out after every little mistake, then we cannot count on his shooting in the playoffs. This takes away his selling point, great shooting potential, and makes him no better than any 2nd round pick who has unreliable shooting. Dante Cunningham, reliable from 15 feet in, was a better forward.

I think you have to factor in that at the end of the year his teammates were the young guys who were all looking to make an impression on the coaching staff rather than playing optimum basketball. There were multiple times where Babbitt was wide open and he was totally frozen out of the offense. The few times when he did finally get the ball, he was in a position where he had to rush his shot. Get a new coach, or have Coach K in a real season, design an offense that incorporates Luke and his perimeter shooting into the flow of the game plan and I think you'll see a much better result than what he showed at the end of this season.

 

[Sinobas]

Hickson obviously. We've found just what we need off the bench (and possibly as a starter if we don't get a decent center), hopefully Hickson's presense will mean LA won't need so many minutes.

I like Flynn as a backup PG. I thought I'd see more offense and penetration from Flynn, but I thought he did a good job at running the offense and he's a good passer.

 

[jlprk]

I think you have to factor in that at the end of the year his teammates were the young guys who were all looking to make an impression on the coaching staff rather than playing optimum basketball. There were multiple times where Babbitt was wide open and he was totally frozen out of the offense. The few times when he did finally get the ball, he was in a position where he had to rush his shot. Get a new coach, or have Coach K in a real season, design an offense that incorporates Luke and his perimeter shooting into the flow of the game plan and I think you'll see a much better result than what he showed at the end of this season.

You can't blame one situation because he had many situations in several games. He tried in several set plays, ad hoc plays, games, matchups, and lineups.

You can't blame losing for lack of motive to set the record. His motivation was 100%. The record was on the line. Everyone including the coach knew that he would break plays a few times to make 3s. Tanking gave him a license to do so. He failed and humiliated himself.

Frank Sinatra might end this song

If I can't, make them there
I'll miss them, everywhere
Imagine me, in, the
Playyyyyoffffffffs
Playyyyyoffffffffs!