After contemplating transfer, Charles Buggs finds his role

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jaymil said:
Buggs will be a PF IMO. Pitino wants him to add 20 pounds yet and Richard likes "stretch" 4's who are effective in the press. That describes Buggs perfectly. Adding weight should help him in the rebounding department. I think Pitino wants someone who can handle the ball more effectively at the 3. I haven't seen any evidence of Buggs being able to put the ball on the floor and make something happen.
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Yes, and I was wondering if the next few teams will try to make him put the ball on the floor if he plays a lot more during the next three guaranteed games. Iowa didn't make him do that the other night.

For the time being, if he can do a passable imitation of a 4 on defense and play and shoot more like a 3 on offense, that might be good enough. At this point, whatever works is probably the best policy. It's not like there's a bounty of reliable scoring options on this team and they sure needed his points the other night.
 

One benefit to Buggs perimeter skills and lack of post up skills is that he hangs on the perimeter more which clears the lane for Mo to post up. When King is in with Mo, they at times get stuck down low together which pretty much causes neither to be open. I think our offense would be best suited with Mo down low and Mathieu, Dre, Austin, and Buggs on the perimeter.
 


Winasota Gopher said:
Look at Syracuse roster for a minute and tell me why you can't have a 6'8" and a 6'9" 210 and 240 3 and 4 playing in a 2-3 zone.

I'm not saying it's ideal, or where Pitino may want him. But its not like he's a lumbering giant out there, he seems to be quite nimble and would be a huge advantage on the wing of a 2-3 zone and the front of a 1-3-1 press if we chose to employ one.
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I'm not saying he can't play the 3. I think he would be great at those spots in the zone. I'm just saying he is a better fit at the 4 in our system. Think about how many more turnovers we would force with him guarding the inbounder and trapping guys on the sideline. I'm willing to bet it would be way more than with Oto or Joey there. The way Pitino describes how he wants his 4s to play is basically a perfect description of Buggs. He just needs to get a little stronger.
 

as a refresher, here is his HS highlight film. notice how his offensive game is primarily face up, and what a nice passer he can be - when he doesnt force it. even in the post game video Pitino says "no more no look passes" - ha. I just think he is a natural shooter.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZGJ3wVAY92E
 


PP; Gophers basketball: Minnesota’s freshman double-figure scoring drought finally ends
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But Minnesota’s incoming freshmen next season will be expected to make a much bigger immediate impact. Point guard Nate Mason and forward Josh Martin should play right away for the Gophers in 2014-15. Neither of them will likely start but I would be shocked if both Mason and Martin have not scored in double figures at least once by this time next season. Pitino also has two more scholarships to use potentially on freshmen as well.
"
<><><> I think Morris gets more court time.... <><><>
http://blogs.twincities.com/gophers...n-double-figure-scoring-drought-finally-ends/
 



I'd love it if we could get him to a point where he could effectively play the 3 or the 4. I think versatility in sports is an underrated quality. When you have players that can fill multiple spots, it gives the coach significantly more options, especially if the team runs into problems with foul trouble/injuries/suspensions. What I'd really like is 13 Toni Kukoc's who could play all five positions for us.
 





Just to be clear, I think Buggs can play the 3. I just think he's a better fit at the 4 in THIS system (especially if he puts on some weight). We need a 4 who is long and athletic enough to force turnovers in the press and Pitino likes 4s who can shoot. It's also nice to have wing players who can create more off the dribble than Buggs can.
 




GophersOnTheRise said:
Just to be clear, I think Buggs can play the 3. I just think he's a better fit at the 4 in THIS system (especially if he puts on some weight). We need a 4 who is long and athletic enough to force turnovers in the press and Pitino likes 4s who can shoot. It's also nice to have wing players who can create more off the dribble than Buggs can.
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It would be great if Buggs could handle the 4 right now, but he can't. That is why he isn't playing there. He just isn't that guy.
 

joshvanklomp said:
This isn't the NBA, you don't need 6'9" SFs.
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Yeah- but it would be cool to have one and that's the intrigue on Buggs. A couple from now we could have Buggs and Martin at the 3-4 positions which gives the defense a totally different look. Then your guards aren't sagging, giving up open 3s. And offense if you have a 3 that long that can shoot- that's a big threat. Buggs is a ways away but he's got talent you can't teach and that is tough to recruit.
 


GophersOnTheRise said:
Huh?
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Not sure what you mean?

People want Buggs to be a classic power forward, but he isn't. He's primarily a jump shooter who doesn't do the things a 4 does. That isn't going to change anytime soon. I don't see a problem with that. Some here look at his size and assume he needs to be a 4.
 

tikited said:
Not sure what you mean? .
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You realize he's been playing the 4, right?

tikited said:
People want Buggs to be a classic power forward, but he isn't. He's primarily a jump shooter who doesn't do the things a 4 does. That isn't going to change anytime soon. I don't see a problem with that.
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You seem confused. Every system is different. Pitino wants 4s who can shoot and have the length and athleticism to be disruptive in the press. That perfectly describes Buggs. He needs to get stronger, but even as skinny as he is now he still fits Pitino's description of what he wants at the 4 better than any player on this roster.

tikited said:
Some here look at his size and assume he needs to be a 4.
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And some here look at him shooting jumpers and assume he needs to be a 3. Being able to shoot doesn't automatically make you a 2 or a 3.
 

Kevin Durant played mostly PF and C at Texas. Would it be "cool" to have a 6'9" SF? Sure. But "cool" doesn't win many basketball games.
 

joshvanklomp said:
Kevin Durant played mostly PF and C at Texas. Would it be "cool" to have a 6'9" SF? Sure. But "cool" doesn't win many basketball games.
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I recall watching Durant run the baseline as a wing quite regularly at Texas
 



Winasota Gopher said:
Eh, sorry wasn't clear... Meant to say I don't think he was a center at all.
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OK, he was at PF more than C, wasn't 100% sure on that. Maybe he wasn't wasn't a PF in the traditional NBA sense like a Karl Malone or Tim Duncan, but thats my point. While he may end up projecting as an NBA SF, that doesn't mean he should necessarily play there in college. Its all about the system you run, and the other guys on your team.
 

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