Al Durham---3s

[mushroomgod_1]

Anyone recall what game AD injured his hand?......Would like to know because his 3 pt% has been very poor for a while...

First 16 games......41%
Next 10 games.....39.3%
Last 10 games.......23.8%

Breaking down the last 10 games----last 5(5/24): 21%....previous 5(5/18): 28%

IMO, although I like his attitude, he's a relatively poor defender, rebounder, and ball handler, who has to hit 38-40% on 3s to be productive.

 

[Paterfamilias]

Anyone recall what game AD injured his hand?......Would like to know because his 3 pt% has been very poor for a while...

First 16 games......41%
Next 10 games.....39.3%
Last 10 games.......23.8%

Breaking down the last 10 games----last 5(5/24): 21%....previous 5(5/18): 28%

IMO, although I like his attitude, he's a relatively poor defender, rebounder, and ball handler, who has to hit 38-40% on 3s to be productive.

I think it was at MSU. If so, he is 12 of 47 since dislocating the digits and 25 of 62 prior (40% to 25%).

 

[mushroomgod_1]

I think it was at MSU. If so, he is 12 of 47 since dislocating the digits and 25 of 62 prior (40% to 25%).

Yikes......and of that total 3/7 was against St. Francis.

He was 1/8 against Arkansas, all on wide open shots.

So did he dislocate more than one finger? Also, I haven't noticed.....are his fingers taped before games now?

 

[Paterfamilias]

Yikes......and of that total 3/7 was against St. Francis.

He was 1/8 against Arkansas, all on wide open shots.

So did he dislocate more than one finger? Also, I haven't noticed.....are his fingers taped before games now?

I really have no idea. I just thought I heard someone refer to dislocated fingers in an interview or podcast. I may not have even heard it correctly.

 

[kkott]

Yikes......and of that total 3/7 was against St. Francis.

He was 1/8 against Arkansas, all on wide open shots.

So did he dislocate more than one finger? Also, I haven't noticed.....are his fingers taped before games now?

I thought Durham made more progress than any returning player. He went from someone that had all the attributes you mentioned to someone who was (sadly) one of our best shooters this year and played more controlled and within himself. If he continues to work hard, I think it's possible he gets in to a top 3 guard rotation next year with RP and DG. He definitely needs to keep working and get stronger, but I think he's shown good progress.

 

[SuperHoosierFan]

Anyone recall what game AD injured his hand?......Would like to know because his 3 pt% has been very poor for a while...

First 16 games......41%
Next 10 games.....39.3%
Last 10 games.......23.8%

Breaking down the last 10 games----last 5(5/24): 21%....previous 5(5/18): 28%

IMO, although I like his attitude, he's a relatively poor defender, rebounder, and ball handler, who has to hit 38-40% on 3s to be productive.

Looks like he got into his own head about it

 

[jacksback]

Anyone recall what game AD injured his hand?......Would like to know because his 3 pt% has been very poor for a while...

First 16 games......41%
Next 10 games.....39.3%
Last 10 games.......23.8%

Breaking down the last 10 games----last 5(5/24): 21%....previous 5(5/18): 28%

IMO, although I like his attitude, he's a relatively poor defender, rebounder, and ball handler, who has to hit 38-40% on 3s to be productive.

Looks like he got into his own head about it

Maybe he should shoot from a wee bit closer to the basket

 

[iubud]

I thought Durham made more progress than any returning player. He went from someone that had all the attributes you mentioned to someone who was (sadly) one of our best shooters this year and played more controlled and within himself. If he continues to work hard, I think it's possible he gets in to a top 3 guard rotation next year with RP and DG. He definitely needs to keep working and get stronger, but I think he's shown good progress.

I've heard he spends a lot of time in the gym. If he can improve, I believe he will. He will play a lot of important minutes next year even if he doesn't start.

 

[TR32]

Durham's defensive positioning when he is off ball, in help, etc, is generally good.

His shot mechanics improved from last year and despite the hiccup should improve his shooting going forward.

He has been more physical driving this year, and his scoring has picked up.

Lastly, he played hard through most of the losing streak when his teammates were not.

 

[fpeaugh]

Shooting is confidence. I doubt it has anything to do with his fingers after a game or two.

 

[mushroomgod_1]

Durham's defensive positioning when he is off ball, in help, etc, is generally good.

His shot mechanics improved from last year and despite the hiccup should improve his shooting going forward.

He has been more physical driving this year, and his scoring has picked up.

Lastly, he played hard through most of the losing streak when his teammates were not.

I noticed last year that the ball would sometimes slide off the side of his hand as he shot.....very odd. I haven't noticed that this year.......So I hope he will be a 36-40% shooter in the future. And, perhaps, get to the point where he's comfortable shooting them without having to be so wide open.

As for now, I would hope he'd be straight-up with CAM about whether his hand is bothering him. If it is, he shouldn't take 8 3s as in the Arkansas game, no matter how open he is.............

 

[T.M.P.]

Shooting is confidence. I doubt it has anything to do with his fingers after a game or two.

Seriously man .. STFU.. you're an idiot.

 

[jacksback]

Shooting is confidence. I doubt it has anything to do with his fingers after a game or two.

Smith sure is confident and it doesn't seem to help him. He just keeps firing up bricks.

 

[mushroomgod_1]

Smith sure is confident and it doesn't seem to help him. He just keeps firing up bricks.

You know, I really don't think Smith is confident. I think he is confused and prideful.

I didn't see the 2nd charge in the Arkansas game, but I was just blown away by his first charge. He was wide open at the 3 point line, with a defender planted 15 feet in front of him, and he decided to just try to go right through the guy. Absolutely one of the dumbest plays I've ever seen.

I'm not an Archie hater, but I put some of the blame on him regarding Smith. I think Smith should have been told not to shoot a 3, period, unless time is running out, unless & until he can shoot at the 33% level or above. In that situation above he could have easily dribbled in and shot a 15 footer. Archie should have limited his game to D, rebounding, short jumpers, and short drives to the basket (not all the way from the sideline or the top of the key). And no more flying slam attempts where he misses and the ball bounces 10 feet up in the air. That's the kind of approach RMK used with L. Turner....then he expanded what Turner was allowed to do as he got more confidence.

Now if Smith is hitting 35% of his 3s in practice, there are other issues............

 

[HoosiersChamps]

Shooting is confidence. I doubt it has anything to do with his fingers after a game or two.

And concussions only last a day or two, right? Just FOAD!

 

[5morebanners]

Anyone recall what game AD injured his hand?......Would like to know because his 3 pt% has been very poor for a while...

First 16 games......41%
Next 10 games.....39.3%
Last 10 games.......23.8%

Breaking down the last 10 games----last 5(5/24): 21%....previous 5(5/18): 28%

IMO, although I like his attitude, he's a relatively poor defender, rebounder, and ball handler, who has to hit 38-40% on 3s to be productive.

I don’t necessarily dispute your observations about his rebounding and ball handling, but he is not a poor defender. To even say that either means you rarely watch off the ball, rarely watch at all or simply just don’t understand the game as a whole.

He’s been one of our better perimeter defenders all year. Probably would be our best overall if it weren’t for Rob. He has long, active arms and his close outs are generally under control. He contests open shots better than anyone other than maybe Romeo or RP. He spends major minutes checking the other teams best guard for a reason and it’s not because he’s a poor defender. Perfect, no. But he’s going to be a defensive stud as an upperclassman.

 

[fpeaugh]

Smith sure is confident and it doesn't seem to help him. He just keeps firing up bricks.

He’s just not a good shooter. So either Al isn’t a good shooter or he lost his confidence in his shot.

 

[jimmygoiu]

He’s just not a good shooter. So either Al isn’t a good shooter or he lost his confidence in his shot.

I agree with you that JSmith is not a good shooter. IMO, Al is an average shooter at best, and I am not confident when he shoots beyond 12 feet. Both of these players shots need work. Smith's shot is almost broken.

 

[mushroomgod_1]

I don’t necessarily dispute your observations about his rebounding and ball handling, but he is not a poor defender. To even say that either means you rarely watch off the ball, rarely watch at all or simply just don’t understand the game as a whole.

He’s been one of our better perimeter defenders all year. Probably would be our best overall if it weren’t for Rob. He has long, active arms and his close outs are generally under control. He contests open shots better than anyone other than maybe Romeo or RP. He spends major minutes checking the other teams best guard for a reason and it’s not because he’s a poor defender. Perfect, no. But he’s going to be a defensive stud as an upperclassman.

I think he IS a poor defender.

Not from lack of effort....rather from poor balance and lack of strength.

As for the "poor balance" point, did you see the offensive foul he drew last night near the foul line? He went sprawling when the WSU barely pushed off because he was already off balance. He's constantly losing his assignment when he stumbles up or back.

His lack of balance and lack of strength are easily seen on his drives to the basket. He ends up on his butt nearly every time. I'm pretty sure I've never seen a player that ends up on his ass as much as Al after drives, and I've watched college basketball for 50 years. Also, he can't finish at the rim, even though he is quite athletic. He just doesn't have the strength (or balance). Every shot he makes turns into a circus shot.

If you don't believe me, take a look at the SR CBB website---look at the #s for Al in the table called "Conference Per 100 possessions"...His DRtg # for conference play for this year is 111.3. In contrast, Green's # was 103.9 & RP's was 106.1. DRtg is a measure of a player's defensive efficiency. On the DE #, the lower the # the more efficient the player. If you'll compare AD to other 2 guards in the BT you will see that his # is quite bad.

I can understand why people defend Al. His attitude/approach stands out on a team with terrible attitude/approach overall. The thing is, however, that he is overall a very, very average player, at best.

 

[coachv jr]

I think he IS a poor defender.

Not from lack of effort....rather from poor balance and lack of strength.

As for the "poor balance" point, did you see the offensive foul he drew last night near the foul line? He went sprawling when the WSU barely pushed off because he was already off balance. He's constantly losing his assignment when he stumbles up or back.

His lack of balance and lack of strength are easily seen on his drives to the basket. He ends up on his butt nearly every time. I'm pretty sure I've never seen a player that ends up on his ass as much as Al after drives, and I've watched college basketball for 50 years. Also, he can't finish at the rim, even though he is quite athletic. He just doesn't have the strength (or balance). Every shot he makes turns into a circus shot.

If you don't believe me, take a look at the SR CBB website---look at the #s for Al in the table called "Conference Per 100 possessions"...His DRtg # for conference play for this year is 111.3. In contrast, Green's # was 103.9 & RP's was 106.1. DRtg is a measure of a player's defensive efficiency. On the DE #, the lower the # the more efficient the player. If you'll compare AD to other 2 guards in the BT you will see that his # is quite bad.

I can understand why people defend Al. His attitude/approach stands out on a team with terrible attitude/approach overall. The thing is, however, that he is overall a very, very average player, at best.

very average. lol

 

[jacksback]

Smith sure is confident and it doesn't seem to help him. He just keeps firing up bricks.

He’s just not a good shooter. So either Al isn’t a good shooter or he lost his confidence in his shot.

Unfortunately the words, "He's just not a good shooter" apply to most of our team.

 

[kkott]

I think he IS a poor defender.

Not from lack of effort....rather from poor balance and lack of strength.

As for the "poor balance" point, did you see the offensive foul he drew last night near the foul line? He went sprawling when the WSU barely pushed off because he was already off balance. He's constantly losing his assignment when he stumbles up or back.

His lack of balance and lack of strength are easily seen on his drives to the basket. He ends up on his butt nearly every time. I'm pretty sure I've never seen a player that ends up on his ass as much as Al after drives, and I've watched college basketball for 50 years. Also, he can't finish at the rim, even though he is quite athletic. He just doesn't have the strength (or balance). Every shot he makes turns into a circus shot.

If you don't believe me, take a look at the SR CBB website---look at the #s for Al in the table called "Conference Per 100 possessions"...His DRtg # for conference play for this year is 111.3. In contrast, Green's # was 103.9 & RP's was 106.1. DRtg is a measure of a player's defensive efficiency. On the DE #, the lower the # the more efficient the player. If you'll compare AD to other 2 guards in the BT you will see that his # is quite bad.

I can understand why people defend Al. His attitude/approach stands out on a team with terrible attitude/approach overall. The thing is, however, that he is overall a very, very average player, at best.

I think that's a pretty fair assessment, BUT I would say he's much better than he was last year, which is what gives me hope. Last year, I thought he had all the weaknesses you described without the redeeming qualities of being a decent shooter, decent decision maker, etc.... I think he showed alot of improvement in those areas. Obviously strength can be improved with work, and Dakich raves about his work ethic, which I assume is what caused the improvement. I totally agree with you on the strength/balance thing, he does seem to fall alot and while he gets his hands on the ball often, he also gets it taken away from him alot (comparing him to DG or RP, I think they are better rebounders, even though they don't have his size, because they are both pretty strong and solid when they get their hands on a ball. Both I think are pretty good rebounders for small guards, despite not having AD's length or athleticism... although RP surprised me with his hops).

I think if you can project out another summer of improvement, assuming AD improves on his strength and balance, and his shooting, he can turn in to a pretty solid B10 2 guard, and I think he's valuable in AM's defense because he's long enough to guard some 3s too.

 

[5morebanners]

I don’t necessarily dispute your observations about his rebounding and ball handling, but he is not a poor defender. To even say that either means you rarely watch off the ball, rarely watch at all or simply just don’t understand the game as a whole.

He’s been one of our better perimeter defenders all year. Probably would be our best overall if it weren’t for Rob. He has long, active arms and his close outs are generally under control. He contests open shots better than anyone other than maybe Romeo or RP. He spends major minutes checking the other teams best guard for a reason and it’s not because he’s a poor defender. Perfect, no. But he’s going to be a defensive stud as an upperclassman.

I think he IS a poor defender.

Not from lack of effort....rather from poor balance and lack of strength.

As for the "poor balance" point, did you see the offensive foul he drew last night near the foul line? He went sprawling when the WSU barely pushed off because he was already off balance. He's constantly losing his assignment when he stumbles up or back.

His lack of balance and lack of strength are easily seen on his drives to the basket. He ends up on his butt nearly every time. I'm pretty sure I've never seen a player that ends up on his ass as much as Al after drives, and I've watched college basketball for 50 years. Also, he can't finish at the rim, even though he is quite athletic. He just doesn't have the strength (or balance). Every shot he makes turns into a circus shot.

If you don't believe me, take a look at the SR CBB website---look at the #s for Al in the table called "Conference Per 100 possessions"...His DRtg # for conference play for this year is 111.3. In contrast, Green's # was 103.9 & RP's was 106.1. DRtg is a measure of a player's defensive efficiency. On the DE #, the lower the # the more efficient the player. If you'll compare AD to other 2 guards in the BT you will see that his # is quite bad.

I can understand why people defend Al. His attitude/approach stands out on a team with terrible attitude/approach overall. The thing is, however, that he is overall a very, very average player, at best.

Well, I can appreciate your argument and do indeed value the efficiency stats. I agree his biggest area of weakness is his strength. He needs to bulk up and grow into his body a bit still to become an elite defender. His frame will always be the long, wiry type though.

But I never claimed he was elite, just that he was one of our better perimeter defenders (which he is) I def wouldn’t classify him as poor, as you did. I mentioned his potential to be a stud by his last year here.

As for the defensive rating formula, it’s clear green and rob have been more consistent. But Al has played some fantastic defense this year at times. He’s had some tough assignments too and really bothered them with his length and tenacity. Out of position at times? Sure but I see it mostly with over helping on close outs leading to blow bys etc.