Shaq article

[WAITE HOYT 2]

I would say confidence is an appropriate word. Mick has said when he makes a mistake or gets turned over he hangs his head. I think he has confidence in his abitities, but can lack the confidence to use them if that makes sense. Part of that is him deferring to SK (and Cash and Parker last year) and part of it is not wanting to make a mistake. Plus as many have said he doesn't have the strength to get to the rim. His game is suited to getting to the rim, but in a half-court game you have to be strong. When he leaves his feet he will get moved away from rim. That makes it hard to finish. Right now, until he gains strength he needs to just use his pull up jumper to be effective. That or create position off the ball and have someone get him the ball in a position to score (that would require both moving without the ball and a competant pg, so I won't hold my breath). Instead he is trying to shake people with his dribble and keeps getting stripped. And people keep bringing up the Creighton game, I guess if an opponent stands around and watches on defense then that is another way he can score.

I've been harsh on Shaq some this year but like all I want to see him reach his potential. I think for the rest of this year he is what he is. He is not going to get stronger. I am fairly certain Mick ripped into him at some point this week following the Louisville game. He did all he could to not say his name in the post-game. SK and Jackson as well have urged him to be more aggressive. Maybe that will light a fire under him for the last month, but I won't hold my breath. One thing Shaq has done this year is improve his defense. This offseason I think he'll get stronger and work on how to use his body better. I don't think he'll ever be a brute and just run through defenders, but he can get stronger to where he doesn't get knocked out of rythym with the slightest contact. Good players learn to react to the contact and square themselves up after that to get in a position to score. SK is as good as they get at that for a guard. Shaq still tries to avoid contact. That simply is unrealistic in the college half-court game.

dave confidence isn't going to add 20lbs to his skinny frame. He needs to get bigger and stronger. All this confidence talk is masking the obvious. He isn't physically ready to handle the contact. If you read the article and mick's comment you may change your mind. Just my opinion.

 

[david aka the TYZ]

dave confidence isn't going to add 20lbs to his skinny frame. He needs to get bigger and stronger. All this confidence talk is masking the obvious. He isn't physically ready to handle the contact. If you read the article and mick's comment you may change your mind. Just my opinion.

I agree to that and alluded to him needing to get stronger in my comments. I did read the article and agree with what Mick said. I also have heard him say all year that he hangs his head and needs to be more aggressive. Those are confidence issues. He can't be effective at his size when he's trying to get to the rim and avoid contact. He needs to play to his strengths and beating defenders in traffic is not his strength. He can be effective with a mid-range game with his size now and that's what he needs to do.