Gaffney = Good

[mauconnfan]

I also think a big difference is ball handling ability. Gaff has a much higher ceiling due to his size and athleticism but his handle is still shaky against pressure, so much so that he has trouble facilitating the offensive set in a timely manner. When he sees pressure he’s immediately taking a step back and looking to get rid of it with a pass that doesn’t get us closer to a scoring opportunity.

If he can improve his handle that would open up the works for him in a lot of ways.

They made 12 FTs between them yesterday that's something I will take every game. But I agree Gaff is a bit shaky when going against pressure but hopefully yesterday gives him some confidence moving forward. I mean reality is neither is a great "PG' but together can be good enough when Bouk returns I hope.

 

[BigEastCT]

Totally impressed with Gaffney, so much improvement, so happy for the him and his development. Adams needs to hit the bench and Gaff needs adams min.

What is bothersome is many on this board have been stating this, why is it taking DH so much time to do this

 

[mauconnfan]

Totally impressed with Gaffney, so much improvement, so happy for the him and his development. Adams needs to hit the bench and Gaff needs adams min.

What is bothersome is many on this board have been stating this, why is it taking DH so much time to do this

I don't know maybe because this was by far Gaffs best game and Adams can guard multiple positions a lot better than Gaff, and D keeps us in games too? We did give up 80 yesterday and we don't do that all too often.

After seeing Gaffs offense yesterday if he can sustain it he will need to take some of Adams minutes no doubt but not all. Everyone just needs to be better on both ends and consistently no one has shown the ability to do so without Bouk.

 

[SixRings]

Gaff had a very good game. Can he have another one? Polley once had a very good game. Martin once had a very good game. Carlton once had a very good game. Etc. We aren’t able to build on past success. The biggest contributor is the Covid pauses that curtail players progress by killing any momentum. Still Gaff played really well and is shooting and driving better. He is very long and floats to the rim well. Hope he has a very nice game on Wednesday.

 

[RayRay]

I'm not comparing AG to Cole by any means, but I'm worried this could become the AG 2.0 situation where Hurley sticks with Cole for too long before inserting Gaff into the starting lineup. This needs to happen now imo. Nothing against cole, but he would be an excellent excellent guy coming off the bench, instant scoring, confident ball handler.

 

[mauconnfan]

I'm not comparing AG to Cole by any means, but I'm worried this could become the AG 2.0 situation where Hurley sticks with Cole for too long before inserting Gaff into the starting lineup. This needs to happen now imo. Nothing against cole, but he would be an excellent excellent guy coming off the bench, instant scoring, confident ball handler.

What did Cole do wrong yesterday just curious? He's been much more consistent than Gaff has been so if you'd like to ask for Gaff to take Adams minutes then by all means but RJ was also fine yesterday. I mean one game does not make a year so those suddenly jumping all over the bandwagon I hope you're all correct this is the turning of the corner I'm all in but let's wait and see. By no means did he just prove he's better than RJ in one game but he may have proven to be a minute eater of many others including potentially some of Adams/RJs. But more so Brendans which we saw in the 2nd half.

 

[ClifSpliffy]

Cliffy I can imagine (the way he finally played yesterday) he, AJ and Bouk out there on offense. He had 2 assists yesterday so lets leave the symphony of ball movement to the side for now. He did get to the basket very well and most importantly he makes his FTs after getting fouled. Seems like he's feeling better shooting it from range I like all that I see in this game for the offensive end on Gaff. I do realize you made sure you pointed at me also for Gilbert for whatever reason so let me point back at you since you seem to only like offense. Gaff can't hold AG's jock on that end where AG was a difference maker and where Gaff was too, in a bad way. He needs to get much better on that end to make himself the player everyone has been insisting he will be. AJ on the other hand can play on that end and will only get better, more impactful on D as time goes on.

But again, I certainly liked what I saw yesterday on O, let's see it some more they can improve on scoring with that kind of play. Now keep people in the 60's again is next.

'I do realize you made sure you pointed at me also for Gilbert for whatever reason'

ur kidding, right? im quite certain that most here know why, whether they agree or disagree.
i mean, it's not like u haven't been waving the flag for mr. gilbert forever. or have you? j's d issue is mostly over-agressiveness, which will be solved thru film and maturity.

 

[RayRay]

What did Cole do wrong yesterday just curious? He's been much more consistent than Gaff has been so if you'd like to ask for Gaff to take Adams minutes then by all means but RJ was also fine yesterday. I mean one game does not make a year so those suddenly jumping all over the bandwagon I hope you're all correct this is the turning of the corner I'm all in but let's wait and see. By no means did he just prove he's better than RJ in one game but he may have proven to be a minute eater of many others including potentially some of Adams/RJs. But more so Brendans which we saw in the 2nd half.

I'm not calling for RJ's head by any means, he's been decent, but Gaffney is the recruited player and more of the answer. It wasn't just yesterday. If you look back at my posts personally for the entire season, I have been saying that Gaffney kept showing flashes of his potential, so to me he is starting to turn a corner.
The problem here is that once Bouk is back, presumably next game, clearly he takes Brandon's spot, and you would imagine Tyrese stays in the line up, so the only logical spot is for Gaffney to replace Cole. We too often get off to bad starts, so I don't like the argument of playing Gaff 20-25 minutes off the bench. We need a pg who can create and distribute, who can both kick out or go to the hole strong, and I'm sorry, but Gaffney has shown to be much better than Cole in this department.

 

[mauconnfan]

'I do realize you made sure you pointed at me also for Gilbert for whatever reason'

ur kidding, right? im quite certain that most here know why, whether they agree or disagree.
i mean, it's not like u haven't been waving the flag for mr. gilbert forever. or have you? j's d issue is mostly over-agressiveness, which will be solved thru film and maturity.

Over-aggresiveneness LOL, do you even watch a game? Until yesterday he was the king of the east/west perimeter game and little else, starting the offense at the hash mark. And it can't be over-aggressiveness on D because he is a chair. So please leave it at he had a sensational game on the offensive end finally yesterday and let's hope it continues. Other than that we need maturity now not later, on both ends.

 

[mauconnfan]

I'm not calling for RJ's head by any means, he's been decent, but Gaffney is the recruited player and more of the answer. It wasn't just yesterday. If you look back at my posts personally for the entire season, I have been saying that Gaffney kept showing flashes of his potential, so to me he is starting to turn a corner.
The problem here is that once Bouk is back, presumably next game, clearly he takes Brandon's spot, and you would imagine Tyrese stays in the line up, so the only logical spot is for Gaffney to replace Cole. We too often get off to bad starts, so I don't like the argument of playing Gaff 20-25 minutes off the bench. We need a pg who can create and distribute, who can both kick out or go to the hole strong, and I'm sorry, but Gaffney has shown to be much better than Cole in this department.

Yesterday he did but until then no he didn't at all. I think potentially he Cole and Bouk could be the three but there is nothing that tells me Cole should lose his job at this point to anyone. He made some plays yesterday as well and his FTs yesterday and somehow is forgotten, plus he guarded his guy a few times more than gaff. If Gaff can sustain this kind of play on O against PC by all means he should be considered to get in the first 5 vs Adams. Let's see though because it was a first although one we all hope is the turning point. But again let's not forget the other end where he need to be a ton better, if he doesn't get 20 he will be a minus player on the court. Andre was our best passer yesterday anyway.

 

[superjohn]

What did Cole do wrong yesterday just curious? He's been much more consistent than Gaff has been so if you'd like to ask for Gaff to take Adams minutes then by all means but RJ was also fine yesterday. I mean one game does not make a year so those suddenly jumping all over the bandwagon I hope you're all correct this is the turning of the corner I'm all in but let's wait and see. By no means did he just prove he's better than RJ in one game but he may have proven to be a minute eater of many others including potentially some of Adams/RJs. But more so Brendans which we saw in the 2nd half.

Cole did nothing wrong and has been solid, I think it's more that people see Gaffney has more natural talent and abilities than Cole. Gaff hasn't lived up to them but when you see some of the things he's shown the last couple of games you want a whole lot more of that. Cole has been more consistent but his ceiling is just significantly lower because of size and athleticism. It seems like so much of it is confidence with Gaff, hopefully he has turned the corner.

 

[RayRay]

Yesterday he did but until then no he didn't at all. I think potentially he Cole and Bouk could be the three but there is nothing that tells me Cole should lose his job at this point to anyone. He made some plays yesterday as well and his FTs yesterday and somehow is forgotten, plus he guarded his guy a few times more than gaff. If Gaff can sustain this kind of play on O against PC by all means he should be considered to get in the first 5 vs Adams. Let's see though because it was a first although one we all hope is the turning point. But again let's not forget the other end where he need to be a ton better, if he doesn't get 20 he will be a minus player on the court. Andre was our best passer yesterday anyway.

I agree with you that RJ doesn't necessarily deserve to get pulled, which is why I'm not convinced Hurley will do it. Hurley recruited Cole to come here to start and lead the team once AG left, and I think it would hurt Cole's confidence more to pull him and to keep Gaff coming off the bench. But, that's what happens at the highest level of competition, guys perform better and can leapfrog others, even if they weren't in the original plan.
The one thing I do disagree with you on is the lack of potential Gaff has flashed this season in spurts. yesterday was his first complete game, aside from D, but he has certainly shown flashes of his potential in many games this eason, though in short sports or in one off plays, but we all knew it was there. He just needed to put it all together. Now Gaff needs to improve and become consistent on D, where Cole definitely has an edge currently.

 

[tzznandrew]

Cole did nothing wrong and has been solid, I think it's more that people see Gaffney has more natural talent and abilities than Cole. Gaff hasn't lived up to them but when you see some of the things he's shown the last couple of games you want a whole lot more of that. Cole has been more consistent but his ceiling is just significantly lower because of size and athleticism. It seems like so much of it is confidence with Gaff, hopefully he has turned the corner.

Cole will be so much more valuable to us when we ask him to do less. That will come with Bouk coming back and with Gaffney developing.

Cole can and does add things to this team. That's not the same as saying the team will reach it's potential with him as the lead guard.

 

[imno1]

As Mau had stated except for flashes Jalen has been an east / west back to his defender ballhandler. Yesterday he was much more aggressive (except at the end ) and it paid off.

 

[mauconnfan]

I agree with you that RJ doesn't necessarily deserve to get pulled, which is why I'm not convinced Hurley will do it. Hurley recruited Cole to come here to start and lead the team once AG left, and I think it would hurt Cole's confidence more to pull him and to keep Gaff coming off the bench. But, that's what happens at the highest level of competition, guys perform better and can leapfrog others, even if they weren't in the original plan.
The one thing I do disagree with you on is the lack of potential Gaff has flashed this season in spurts. yesterday was his first complete game, aside from D, but he has certainly shown flashes of his potential in many games this eason, though in short sports or in one off plays, but we all knew it was there. He just needed to put it all together. Now Gaff needs to improve and become consistent on D, where Cole definitely has an edge currently.

Ok all good. Can’t help but love what I saw from him yesterday and admit to seeing very little spurts before yesterday but all in if he can make this kind of game consistent. By no means do we need or expect 20 a game but anything similar with better assist totals will prove he needs more minutes. What will hurt him and Polley when Bouk returns is both are liabilities on D so having them both on the court at the same time may be a future issue for the staff to concern themselves with. Have to get stops more than they could yesterday for sure.

 

[rollskies]

Gaff had a very good game. Can he have another one? Polley once had a very good game. Martin once had a very good game. Carlton once had a very good game. Etc. We aren’t able to build on past success. The biggest contributor is the Covid pauses that curtail players progress by killing any momentum. Still Gaff played really well and is shooting and driving better. He is very long and floats to the rim well. Hope he has a very nice game on Wednesday.

I was wondering the same thing. I am hoping that yesterday’s game will be a breakthrough game for him. I think the difference with Gaffney is that he has the talent and potential but his confidence just lacked in the games so he just never looked great. Based on the way he has been playing, i’m hoping he can continue to build on that confidence if he really is as athletic/above the rim as we’ve heard. I don’t think Hurley would talk him up like he has if the skill wasn’t there, so let’s just all hope his in game play continues to improve. Really great game for him yesterday and this team desperately needs more people who can create their own shot and he really showed lots and lots of flashes over the last few games.

 

[ucawn]

Gaff will not be taking Adams minutes since they play different positions. Gaffney would need to improve on his defense, and getting to work earlier in the half-court. Too many stagnant possessions with no ball movement. Especially with Bouk back it’s Cole’s job until he plays his way off the court.

 

[superjohn]

Gaff will not be taking Adams minutes since they play different positions. Gaffney would need to improve on his defense, and getting to work earlier in the half-court. Too many stagnant possessions with no ball movement. Especially with Bouk back it’s Cole’s job until he plays his way off the court.

Jackson and Bouknight will be taking Adams minutes. Gaff will take some minutes from Cole.

 

[rollskies]

Jackson and Bouknight will be taking Adams minutes. Gaff will take some minutes from Cole.

Agree 100%. Hurley said in his presser yesterday that once they are heathy again there is not going to be playing anyone out of necessity anymore, and if you’re not playing well you’re going to be on the bench. Adams has just not been up to par the past few games. I saw a stat mid-way through the game yesterday that he was 5 for his last 25 field goals. As far as who is going to take his minutes, that’s up to the coaching staff, but that’s just not good enough. More people have to start pulling their weight for sure ESPECIALLY with Andre back and Bouk back soon

 

[ClifSpliffy]

Over-aggresiveneness LOL, do you even watch a game? Until yesterday he was the king of the east/west perimeter game and little else, starting the offense at the hash mark. And it can't be over-aggressiveness on D because he is a chair. So please leave it at he had a sensational game on the offensive end finally yesterday and let's hope it continues. Other than that we need maturity now not later, on both ends.

some 'chair.' jmoney is 8th in conference Steal %, 10th in Defensive box +/-, and 18th in Defensive Rating, among other factual evidence for his growing ability on d. mebbe that 'chair' will turn into a throne some day.
Jalen Gaffney College Stats | College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com (sports-reference.com)


what's ur evidence to the contrary? feelings? that dog won't hunt.

 

[mauconnfan]

some 'chair.' jmoney is 8th in conference Steal %, 10th in Defensive box +/-, and 18th in Defensive Rating, among other factual evidence for his growing ability on d. mebbe that 'chair' will turn into a throne some day.
Jalen Gaffney College Stats | College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com (sports-reference.com)


what's ur evidence to the contrary? feelings? that dog won't hunt.

I actually watch the game those stats are worthless. He got beat twice badly in important stop opportunities down the stretch feel free to rewatch. And he’s constantly following his man to the basket it’s simple he’s not a good defender. Cole is better AG was a ton better (I say that because you brought it up).... I hope he gets better he needs to give space when on the perimeter as his feet aren’t quick and he needs to pay attention more and not guess when off the ball as well gets caught a lot not getting back to his man who gets open looks.

 

[jimva]

More Gaffney and Jackson, less Cole and Adam’s. I don’t get Cole. He looks slow and is small. When he is running offense nothing looks smooth

 

[Hoophound]

I think people seem to have a real problem understanding that Gaff and Cole aren’t an either or. We need both of them on the court and playing well. This business of alternating who is better based on one game performance is ridiculous. Cole has been better. Now Gaff is showing signs of life. Good, let’s see both of them out there together getting the job done. That’s what we need. It was just 2 games ago that Cole had 18 points and was very impressive.

 

[bendm]

More Jax= Less Adams.

cole can start but i'd like more of an even split w/Gaff
once bouk comes back adams shouldn't play anymore
aj should take 90% of polley's mins. polley only gets extended PT if he comes off the bench hot.
aj should also push martin to stretch 4 which pushes whaley to backup C
sanogo/whaley should make carlton disappear for good

i only wanna see these 8 guys:

cole- gaff
bouk
aj- polley
martin
sanogo- whaley

this rotation has it all. it's not as good at rebounding without whaley starting, but still solid thanks to the versatility of the forwards. the improved scoring/passing more than makes up for the drop off in rebounding

 

[RayRay]

cole can start but i'd like more of an even split w/Gaff
once bouk comes back adams shouldn't play anymore
aj should take 90% of polley's mins. polley only gets extended PT if he comes off the bench hot.
aj should also push martin to stretch 4 which pushes whaley to backup C
sanogo/whaley should make carlton disappear for good

i only wanna see these 8 guys:

cole- gaff
bouk
aj- polley
martin
sanogo- whaley

this rotation has it all. it's not as good at rebounding without whaley starting, but still solid thanks to the versatility of the forwards. the improved scoring/passing more than makes up for the drop off in rebounding

BOOM. You took the thoughts out of my head exactly. I was sitting here wondering if Whaley should be a lock to start anymore, and bringing him off the bench with this shortened rotation makes a lot of sense.