I have said this many times before, but Bridges is the X factor to our season. We need to find a way to get him the ball more and feature him on offense. That would go a long way to solving our offensive woes. Very few players in the nation present the kind of matchup nightmare he does. He is our most efficient offensive player and when he asserts himself no one at the college level can guard him....big are too slow on the perimeter, guards are too small in the paint to contain him. Last night he had a 7 point run all to himself, featuring a step back 3 and a left-handed hesitation dribble and left handed finish high off the glass. Both jaw-dropping NBA moves showing the NBA potential I have always felt he has. But then we went away from him and lost the lead. The skill-set is there and shows up in flashes, but for whatever reason he gets passive offensively for long stretches or for entire games. That hurts our team. That is partly his personality but also partly the fault of the coaches. They need to run sets to consistently feature him. He tends to show flashes of greatness then fades into the background, becoming overly deferential to others. John Stockton once said sometimes you have to be selfish for the good of the team. For this team to reach its goals, our coaches need to feature him and demand he gets his touches. Iso Bridges the way we iso Love. Let Love stay in his 6th man role, stagger his minutes with Bridges, give Bridges the offensive usage needed to cook with the first unit.
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the solution to our struggling offense = Bridges
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Last: 8 mo ago by BearlyBeloved
Unfortunately, Bridges isn't that guy ... and he never has been.
He's got a solid offensive skill set, but he doesn't have the skills or mindset needed to be an alpha scorer.
I love Jalen and all he brings to the team, but he's a streak shooter and putback guy who will occasionally surprise you with a nice take to the basket.
If we're asking him to be more on the offensive end, we're going to be disappointed. He's just not a consistent enough scorer to be relied on for more than about 10 points a game on average.
He's got a solid offensive skill set, but he doesn't have the skills or mindset needed to be an alpha scorer.
I love Jalen and all he brings to the team, but he's a streak shooter and putback guy who will occasionally surprise you with a nice take to the basket.
If we're asking him to be more on the offensive end, we're going to be disappointed. He's just not a consistent enough scorer to be relied on for more than about 10 points a game on average.
I disagree. Bridges hasn't been an alpha scorer, but not due to lack of skill. He is extremely skilled but tends to disappear for long stretches. He is much more skilled than Love who is featured and iso'ed. Bridges' alpha mindset is lacking but that's where coaching and game- planning needs to come in.bear2be2 said:
Unfortunately, Bridges isn't that guy ... and he never has been.
He's got a solid offensive skill set, but he doesn't have the skills or mindset needed to be an alpha scorer.
I love Jalen and all he brings to the team, but he's a steak shooter and putback guy who will occasionally surprise you with a nice take to the basket.
If we're asking him to be more on the offensive end, we're going to be disappointed. He's just not a consistent enough scorer to be relied on for more than about 10 points a game on average.
EDIT -- ignore the emoji. That was an accident.Crawfoso1973 said:disagree. Bridges hasn't been an alpha scorer, but not due to lack of skill. He is extremely skilled but tends to disappear for long stretches. He is much more skilled than Love who is featured and iso'ed. Bridges' alpha mindset is lacking but that's where coaching and game- planning needs to come in.bear2be2 said:
Unfortunately, Bridges isn't that guy ... and he never has been.
He's got a solid offensive skill set, but he doesn't have the skills or mindset needed to be an alpha scorer.
I love Jalen and all he brings to the team, but he's a steak shooter and putback guy who will occasionally surprise you with a nice take to the basket.
If we're asking him to be more on the offensive end, we're going to be disappointed. He's just not a consistent enough scorer to be relied on for more than about 10 points a game on average.
I think you overrate Bridges' skill level. He's a jack of many trades, master of none who lacks the motor on offense to be more than he is.
That's not to downplay his value because he does a ton of good things. But I think we've likely seen the extent of what he's going to provide offensively. After as many Big 12 games as he's played, I think we can likely conclude that he's a solid but limited offensive contributor at this point.
Bridges is important, but I would emphasize Walter even more. He is playing passively right now, and he isn't involved in the offense.
Walter is super streaky as a perimeter shooter. One thing I do like is he attacks the paint when his shot isn't falling. He needs to do that more, because he is good at drawing fouls and getting to the line.
We can agree to disagree on Bridges, and that is okay. I think he is super skilled offensively, just needs to be more assertive (for the good of our team).
I still like this team, but I think it's safe to say that this isn't the elite shooting team that the numbers were indicating early in the season. At this point, I'd only feel comfortable w/ LL and RayJ having a green light from beyond the arc, and maybe Bridges.
But to your point, I think Ja'Kobe's and Bridge's game should be to attack the paint at all times. Both have the necessary arsenal of moves to score efficiently there. And both are capable rebounders.
My key? I think it's Missi. His game hasn't been fully realized yet, but you can see it's there. Dude just doesn't have enough experience playing organized basketball...and maybe he won't be able to figure it out as fast as this team needs...but geeesh the potential is sky high there!
But to your point, I think Ja'Kobe's and Bridge's game should be to attack the paint at all times. Both have the necessary arsenal of moves to score efficiently there. And both are capable rebounders.
My key? I think it's Missi. His game hasn't been fully realized yet, but you can see it's there. Dude just doesn't have enough experience playing organized basketball...and maybe he won't be able to figure it out as fast as this team needs...but geeesh the potential is sky high there!
I would start Miro Little for Nunn. And tell him to feed the Post. Find those two big guys easy baskets. Have Ray J Play off the ball more often.
I agree. Miro would be another ball handler and distributor and wouldn't be much drop off defensively from Nunn. I think Miro is talented and will get better in time with more experience. Leave Love in his 6th man role where he is thriving. Bench Nunn and bring him in only as a change of pace energy guy like Bonner was used last year when the team needs a spark.BUCANDOIT82 said:
I would start Miro Little for Nunn. And tell him to feed the Post. Find those two big guys easy baskets. Have Ray J Play off the ball more often.
Career-high 32 points for Baylor's Jalen Bridges last night, netting 6/7 3PAs. The 6-foot-7 wing is shooting 42.3% from 3 on 5.0 attempts per game. With a 6-foot-10 wingspan, Bridges embodies the mix of shooting, size, and defensive versatility highly valued at the next level. pic.twitter.com/zvi8Xdxvfr
— League Him (@League_Him) March 5, 2024
I agree with the OP that Bridges is the glue that holds this team together.
Naturally, that's not to minimize the great things done by other players. Plus I believe Missi's progress has been an all-important factor.
Keep on sic'ing 'em!
Naturally, that's not to minimize the great things done by other players. Plus I believe Missi's progress has been an all-important factor.
Keep on sic'ing 'em!
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