Postgame Thoughts

[Robert]

I agree it is a major problem (but it's not on SK's shoulders). If nobody else is willing or capable of getting a decent shot off then SK is who we need doing it. It was the main concern coming into the season along with our bigs. Who, other than SK, was going to score? We will be fine against man to man but when we play zone we are going to have to get that figured out. Our coach has to get this figured out. Last year we had shooters but no inside presence. This year I think we have a better inside presence but only one reliable outside shooter. In either case it lets the D either guard the perimeter or sag low. Not good. We need balance or a better offensive scheme against zone or packed in D's.

We need players to step up and beat their man to knock down mid range or be capable of making long range shots with a better %...or to break the zone down off the dribble. Who is this going to be? As of right now I would like to give TC a shot at doing that. I don't care if he gets 20 minutes at PG and stealing 10 more minutes from the wing position. Thomas and Sanders have had long enough to make something happen. Lawrence and KJ probably aren't going to be consistent enough. Who knows what will happen with Davis.

TC has been pretty efficient. His FG% is 40% but this doesn't tell the whole story. He has been to the line for 30 FT attempts which is 3rd on the team right now (7 more than JJ and 13 more than GG). He's knocking those down at 87%. So missed shots resulting in fouls need to be considered in a player's effectiveness.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't believe missed shots that result in a trip to the free throw line count as field goal attempts. So if Caupain goes to the bucket, misses a layup, but gets fouled, it doesn't count against his FG%. I agree with your assessment of TC, just clarifying.

 

[L-T]

When you have a team who has never been known for having a good half court offense (in the history of the coach's career), has only one player who is a threat from the outside, and is playing against a team that is much bigger (and SLOWER), don't you think that pushing the tempo should be part of the strategy?

That is all we hear year in year out to start the season yet whenever UC plays a decent opponent they completely scrap it from their game plan. If there was ever a time to push the tempo and run up and down the court, it would have been against NM. They had a big height/weight advantage and UC could have used JJ and Rubles' athleticism as an advantage but they didn't. This is an issue IMO.

....not to mention that the announcers repeatedly talked about New Mexico's thin bench and lack of depth. This should have been a no-brainer (i.e. pressing the whole game). Makes about as much sense as never recruiting anyone who can shoot, nor any centers who can function on a basketball court.

 

[CaptDale]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't believe missed shots that result in a trip to the free throw line count as field goal attempts. So if Caupain goes to the bucket, misses a layup, but gets fouled, it doesn't count against his FG%. I agree with your assessment of TC, just clarifying.

From the manual:
SECTION 1—FIELD GOALS
Article 1. A field-goal attempt (FGA) is charged to a player
any time the player shoots, throws or taps a live ball at his or her
own basket, when, in the opinion of the statistician, the player
is attempting to score a goal, with these exceptions:
(a) A FGA is not charged if the player is fouled in the act of
shooting before the ball is in flight and the goal is not
made.

 

[TheLongHaul]

From the manual:
SECTION 1—FIELD GOALS
Article 1. A field-goal attempt (FGA) is charged to a player
any time the player shoots, throws or taps a live ball at his or her
own basket, when, in the opinion of the statistician, the player
is attempting to score a goal, with these exceptions:
(a) A FGA is not charged if the player is fouled in the act of
shooting before the ball is in flight and the goal is not
made.

I don't know what the rest of the article states, but I know that if a player has released the ball and is fouled it still does not count as a FGA if he was in the act of shooting. Fouls are called all the time on a shooter's follow through and those do not count as FGA's.

 

[CaptDale]

I don't know what the rest of the article states, but I know that if a player has released the ball and is fouled it still does not count as a FGA if he was in the act of shooting. Fouls are called all the time on a shooter's follow through and those do not count as FGA's.

Here's the entire description from the Statistician's Manual 2013-2014:
SECTION 1—FIELD GOALS
Article 1. A field-goal attempt (FGA) is charged to a player
any time the player shoots, throws or taps a live ball at his or her
own basket, when, in the opinion of the statistician, the player
is attempting to score a goal, with these exceptions:
(a) A FGA is not charged if the player is fouled in the act of
shooting before the ball is in flight and the goal is not
made.
(b) A FGA is not charged if there is offensive goaltending or
offensive basket interference on that shot.
(c) A FGA is not charged if an unsuccessful shot is taken near
the expiration of time for a period or for the shot clock,
and it is the statistician’s opinion that the shot was a desperation
shot and not a reasonable attempt to make a
field goal. One or more of the following factors should
exist in order to classify a shot as a desperation shot. The
shooter:
(1) Is outside the normal shooting range. A shot from
just beyond the three-point line would usually be
considered in normal shooting range while a shot at
or beyond the division line would be outside normal
shooting range.
(2) Uses an abnormal shooting motion, such as an overhand
baseball toss.
(3) Rushes or hurries the shot to beat the expiration of
time. A shot could be considered rushed or hurried if
the shooter tries to control and shoot the ball in the
same motion with not enough time to get into a normal
shooting position (squared up to the basket).

Interpret it however you like.

 

[TheLongHaul]

Not my interpretation, but the way it is recorded by statisticians. When a player goes for a layup the ball is often out of his hands before he is fouled and it doesn't count as a FGA.

 

[CaptDale]

Not my interpretation, but the way it is recorded by statisticians. When a player goes for a layup the ball is often out of his hands before he is fouled and it doesn't count as a FGA.

If that's the case, the statisticians are not adhering to the handbook definitions.