david aka the TYZ
Well-known member
That was supposed to be metaphorical, not literal. Sorry. But, while we might have possessed "skill and athleticism", they had (and McDermott has) finesse, which the dictionary defines as eloquence of execution. The ball rolls off his fingers with lots of backspin, just like Kobe or LeBron would put it up. That's why his shots hit nothing but net. Did he ever hit the rim on 12 of 12 from the FT line? We, too often, just throw the ball in the vicinty of the rim and hope. Thus our low % shooting. McD struggled vs Duke because they sagged on him, but still scored 21 (although only 25%).
We need some finesse players. The epitome of finesse was Oscar. I was fortunate enough to watch him play. Smooth as silk. And that was in the day when they called fouls, traveling, palming, etc., and he still averaged a triple double his senior year (3's weren't invented yet). McD is no Oscar, but he does have finesse.Unfortunately, you can't teach it. Either you have it or you don't.
I agree and that was the point of my original statement. I want guys that put the ball in the hoop, not guys who fit the mold or have potential but can't score. We've brought in high potential guys and athletes, not ballplayers. McDermott is a ballplayer, not an athlete. Some of it is bad luck, but some is the guys Mick brings in. I get he hasn't been able to land the big he wants, but bring in a guy who can at least put the ball in the hoop from three feet as opposed to all these shot-blockers. In the future I want when we have to settle for a pick because our main target doesn't come here to default to a guy that can at least hit a three-foot shot instead of going after the projects.