Let's see a heavy dose of Hoffarber & Mbakwe

[SelectionSunday]

Whatever comes out of all this, with or without Devoe, I know this:

This team needs to get Blake more shots, somehow, some way. He's our best shooter, by a long shot. He's our best offensive asset. Run him off screen after screen after screen, whatever it takes. I'm not saying Blake is another Steve Alford or JJ Redick (constantly rubbing off screens), but we need him taking a significant percentage of our shots. The coaching staff (and Blake) needs to find a way -- despite spot-on opposing scouting reports -- to make that happen. Blake is the only guy on this team who -- when he puts up a shot -- I feel like there's a good chance it's going bottom every time.

The other good option is letting Trevor, despite limited post moves, go to work down low. Unlike Ralph, Colton & Rodney, you know he'll play with assertiveness & toughness at all times and will get the other teams' big guys in foul trouble. There's a reason we've taken a liking to calling him "The Beast." Let everyone else work for scraps.

The Gophers have two really valuable assets on offense, one from the perimeter and one in the paint. I think we need to emphasize those two assets.

 

[BarnBurner]

Whatever comes out of all this, with or without Devoe, I know this:

This team needs to get Blake more shots, somehow, some way. He's our best shooter, by a long shot. He's our best offensive asset. Run him off screen after screen after screen, whatever it takes. I'm not saying Blake is another Steve Alford or JJ Redick (constantly rubbing off screens), but we need him taking a significant percentage of our shots. The coaching staff (and Blake) needs to find a way -- despite spot-on opposing scouting reports -- to make that happen. Blake is the only guy on this team who -- when he puts up a shot -- I feel like there's a good chance it's going bottom every time.The other good option is letting Trevor, despite limited post moves, go to work down low. Unlike Ralph, Colton & Rodney, you know he'll play with assertiveness & toughness at all times and will get the other teams' big guys in foul trouble. There's a reason we've taken a liking to calling him "The Beast." Let everyone else work for scraps.

The Gophers have two really valuable assets on offense, one from the perimeter and one in the paint. I think we need to emphasize those two assets.

That is the problem. One guy? Tubby has been here 4 seasons.

Where is the development of RW, CI, RS? Certainly fans could expect significant development and contributions from CI and RS.

Trevor needs to be able to hit a 15' shot. Thus far, he seems reluctant to even take one.

 

[lakesgopher]

Whatever comes out of all this, with or without Devoe, I know this:

This team needs to get Blake more shots, somehow, some way. He's our best shooter, by a long shot. He's our best offensive asset. Run him off screen after screen after screen, whatever it takes. I'm not saying Blake is another Steve Alford or JJ Redick (constantly rubbing off screens), but we need him taking a significant percentage of our shots. The coaching staff (and Blake) needs to find a way -- despite spot-on opposing scouting reports -- to make that happen. Blake is the only guy on this team who -- when he puts up a shot -- I feel like there's a good chance it's going bottom every time.

The other good option is letting Trevor, despite limited post moves, go to work down low. Unlike Ralph, Colton & Rodney, you know he'll play with assertiveness & toughness at all times and will get the other teams' big guys in foul trouble. There's a reason we've taken a liking to calling him "The Beast." Let everyone else work for scraps.

The Gophers have two really valuable assets on offense, one from the perimeter and one in the paint. I think we need to emphasize those two assets.

that would mean blake would have to move on offense, not sure how he would feel about that. I think this team needs to spread the floor and let al attack the rim and dish. blake is only great when he can spot up so let the defense collapse and dish like we did vs carolina or louisville in previous years

 

[SelectionSunday]

Fair enough. It's all about maximizing your best assets. I think the Gophers' best two assets (offensively) wear #24 and #32.

 

[GopherJake]

that would mean blake would have to move on offense, not sure how he would feel about that.

Do you watch the games, Lakes?

 

[ilovethebarn]

Do you watch the games, Lakes?

I was just going to write the same thing. He moves the most out of anyone. No works harder to get their shot off.

 

[ShowinGoldyLove]

that would mean blake would have to move on offense, not sure how he would feel about that.

Do you watch the games, Lakes?

Agreed Jake.

Lakes, turn on the tube tonight, and I think you'll see that Hoffarber probably moves more without the ball than anyone else on the team. Whether it's backscreens, running off of post screens, etc. he's moving nearly the entire possession?

 

[playhosea!]

In my mind, the guy best positioned to provide what Joseph formerly did is Rodney Williams. Guys like Hoffarber and Mbakwe are already very productive. For Blake, it's very difficult for him to create his own shots so I'm not sure how much above 15 ppg he can really go unless the offense changes significantly (which I guess is possible but I wouldn't expect it).

Rodney has length and athleticism that is very rare. He has flashed the ability to take people off the dribble hard to the rim. Now would be a great time for Rodney to light the fire and really become a productive scorer. I'm not saying it will happen, but it would be huge for the team if it could.

Or mabye Iverson could go on another streak of insanely great play for the rest of the season?

 

[goldengophers]

In my mind, the guy best positioned to provide what Joseph formerly did is Rodney Williams. Guys like Hoffarber and Mbakwe are already very productive. For Blake, it's very difficult for him to create his own shots so I'm not sure how much above 15 ppg he can really go unless the offense changes significantly (which I guess is possible but I wouldn't expect it).

Rodney has length and athleticism that is very rare. He has flashed the ability to take people off the dribble hard to the rim. Now would be a great time for Rodney to light the fire and really become a productive scorer. I'm not saying it will happen, but it would be huge for the team if it could.

Or mabye Iverson could go on another streak of insanely great play for the rest of the season?

He needs to learn to shoot the ball, without the ability to shoot the ball he cannot become better than a marginal player.

 

[bga1]

Agreed Jake.

Lakes, turn on the tube tonight, and I think you'll see that Hoffarber probably moves more without the ball than anyone else on the team. Whether it's backscreens, running off of post screens, etc. he's moving nearly the entire possession?

Hoff moves non-stop. He has speed limitations but nobody on the team works harder or smarter than he does.

I agree with SS- on the Hoff - Mkbak deal. Beyond that the RX for this squad is:

-Improve perimeter defense and effort by about 100% - starting tonight

-have Hollins and Armelin become scoring options - getting better as the year goes on

-Nolen has to get in the groove and make defenses pay for leaving him open on the perimeter

 

[lakesgopher]

I was just going to write the same thing. He moves the most out of anyone. No works harder to get their shot off.

yes I watch the games-maybe you should as well! blake tends to stand around outside of the 3 point line-blake is great on in bound plays but during tubby's offense blake and everyone else stand around if we don't get an open look in the first 10 seconds of the shot clock.

I love how many think blake is "all big ten" and a guy like devoe is the devil who shot 8% from the field.

blake is a poor mans john paxson who is a non factor if others aren't creating his shot! watch blake standaround tonight if he doesn't get going right away!

 

[lakesgopher]

Agreed Jake.

Lakes, turn on the tube tonight, and I think you'll see that Hoffarber probably moves more without the ball than anyone else on the team. Whether it's backscreens, running off of post screens, etc. he's moving nearly the entire possession?

I can't wait to see a back screen! haven't seen that all year!

 

[ShowinGoldyLove]

I can't wait to see a back screen! haven't seen that all year!

I mean this in all sincerity; you honestly must not watch our games then.

Part of Tubby's offense is Hoffarber setting a backscreen for a wing and then coming off a double screen at the top of the key. They run it at least 3-4x a game.

Also, you haven't seen any of the dozen or so alley-oops he's thrown this year? The majority of them are coming off of ball-screens where he's coming off the screen and hits the rolling post (usually Mbakwe) for the dunk? If he's dribbling and making a pass, that probably requires some "movement" wouldn't you say?

 

[bga1]

yes I watch the games-maybe you should as well! blake tends to stand around outside of the 3 point line-blake is great on in bound plays but during tubby's offense blake and everyone else stand around if we don't get an open look in the first 10 seconds of the shot clock.

I love how many think blake is "all big ten" and a guy like devoe is the devil who shot 8% from the field.

blake is a poor mans john paxson who is a non factor if others aren't creating his shot! watch blake standaround tonight if he doesn't get going right away!

Isn't standing around one of the staple plays in Tubby's offense? I see it on about a third of the possessions every game and usually not by Hoff. It looks to me that there are a lot of times where guys can't decide what to do next.

 

[SelectionSunday]

Where in this thread did anyone say Devoe was the devil? I don't see that anywhere.

 

[Winnipegopher]

I dunno. I have to think in the last 4 years they have already explored trying to get Blake shots- he just doesn't seem to have the speed to get open. Has he ever tried to pump-fake and drive?

I agree with Mbakwe, but think it would be nice to see Rodney gunning a lot more.

I am not an over-reactor but Devoe could be Tubby's Stan Gaines (the moment you reliaze the program is not going the direction you hoped it was). Good players getting lots of minutes shouldn't be leaving. Easy thing is to blame the player but this is worrisome.

 

[USAFChief]

It's gotta be tough for Hoffarber to get himself open very often when he's always playing one-on-two. His defender defends him, plus whoever the extra guy is, since nobody bothers to even waste a defender on Nolen.

 

[SelectionSunday]

Respectfully, Rodney gunning is not what I want to see.

Rodney going to the basket and/or doing his damage around the rim? That's what I like to see. But if the Gophers are going to have a guy "gunning" it should be one guy, Blake.

 

[lakesgopher]

I mean this in all sincerity; you honestly much not watch our games then.

Part of Tubby's offense is Hoffarber setting a backscreen for a wing and then coming off a double screen at the top of the key. They run it at least 3-4x a game.

Also, you haven't seen any of the dozen or so alley-oops he's thrown this year? The majority of them are coming off of ball-screens where he's coming off the screen and hits the rolling post (usually Mbakwe) for the dunk? If he's dribbling and making a pass, that probably requires some "movement" wouldn't you say?

you are full of sh*t! you obviously aren't watching the offense! they all stand around in this offense. blake stands around a lot of he isn't hitting 3's early. blake is awesome in transition or if al is getting to the rim. when that doesn't happen blake disapears! blake is easy to defend because he can only do 2 things: get open in transition and hit set 3's! blake can't create a shot and blake had the toughest time closing out in help defense!

don't take all my hoff negativity as if I don't think he should play, blake is an asset and a game changer but he isn't moving off screens non stop because we don't screen non stop! iverson and mbakwe are the only 2 posts that set up on the block. samspon thinks he is the 2nd coming of kg! blake is slow and not very good at much other than hitting 3's and trying to be scrappy. many of you hoff fans are negative ass bags to this entire team except blake and I'm sick of it! I will be honest and rip him because I don't care if he is from hopkins or if he gets good grades or if he is white! the kid wouldn't play on of the top big ten teams other than minny

 

[GoAUpher]

you are full of sh*t! you obviously aren't watching the offense! they all stand around in this offense. blake stands around a lot of he isn't hitting 3's early. blake is awesome in transition or if al is getting to the rim. when that doesn't happen blake disapears! blake is easy to defend because he can only do 2 things: get open in transition and hit set 3's! blake can't create a shot and blake had the toughest time closing out in help defense!

So, nothing you've said has anything to do with whether Blake is mobile. You’re correct to note that our offense can get stagnent with guys “standing around”. But that is a larger issue, not a Blake problem. Blake’s inability to create off the dribble also has no relationship to how much he moves. It just means he can’t create space to get his shot off consistently without screens or other movement. Also, you never rebutt the fact that backscreens, ballscreen movement, and movement without the ball are part of Blake’s game. All you’ve done is point out a well known team deficiency (stagnent offense) and expand that to equal Blake never moving in the offense (which is just absurdly false).

don't take all my hoff negativity as if I don't think he should play, blake is an asset and a game changer but he isn't moving off screens non stop because we don't screen non stop! iverson and mbakwe are the only 2 posts that set up on the block. samspon thinks he is the 2nd coming of kg! blake is slow and not very good at much other than hitting 3's and trying to be scrappy. many of you hoff fans are negative ass bags to this entire team except blake and I'm sick of it! I will be honest and rip him because I don't care if he is from hopkins or if he gets good grades or if he is white! the kid wouldn't play on of the top big ten teams other than minny

You might try reading. No one said he moves off screens non-stop. This all started when you insinuated that Blake never moves in the offense. The guys critiquing you have given specific and limited examples of different ways that Blake moves within the offense.

Just own up and be factual with your argument. If you want to say the team is too stagnent on offense too much of the time and Blake is a part of that problem then fine. Don’t try to pretend that its an all the time thing though. Also, way to bring race into this when it has nothing to do with the topic at hand. That’s a big bucket of freakout fail right there.

 

[figi]

Do you watch the games, Lakes?

Exactly. Not sure where the idea that Blake doesn't move, comes from. Perhaps because he needs space to shoot. Otherwise he is moving constantly. I am always worried he will run out of gas. He is just not getting the picks he needs.

Also if what is needed is a heavy dose of Mbakwe, how do you propose to keep him in the game? He always gets an early 2 fouls.

 

[GoAUpher]

Exactly. Not sure where the idea that Blake doesn't move, comes from. Perhaps because he needs space to shoot. Otherwise he is moving constantly. I am always worried he will run out of gas. He is just not getting the picks he needs.

Also if what is needed is a heavy dose of Mbakwe, how do you propose to keep him in the game? He always gets an early 2 fouls.

This isn't exactly true either. He is as susceptible as anyone else on the team to move less when things get stagnant on O. But yea, the no movement nonsense is bogus.

 

[figi]

I was just going to write the same thing. He moves the most out of anyone. No works harder to get their shot off.

I agree. Blake is always moving from side to side, and in and out of the post, trying to get his man picked off so he can shoot. I often think he will be out of gas if he does get open. Some people are frustrated that he has a problem getting open. But, it doesn't mean he isn't trying. Many times he has to come out and get the ball from the point when the point has picked up his dribble.

 

[khoffman43]

Well, I would agree with Lakes but I would get ripped apart, and he is wrong. SOOO...I wont agree with him.

I have been vocal in saying I think Hoff is overrated, and I still think he is but he is far and away our best outside threat, he is our best passer (other than maybe Ralph) and he can bring us back from down 15 or make a close game a blowout in 5 minutes or less but knocking down a few 3's and opening up the inside game. He has been much better at moving WITH the ball and going to the basket, shooting mid-range jumpers and curling off screens, not just fading to the corner or outside the arc when he comes off a pick. His job is to sit outside and stretch the defense, not allow his man to double the bigs and hit open shots. He does all of that. He also creates havoc by running off screens, screening across for the other guards and popping outside which causes the opposing teams bigs to adjust and leaves our bigs open for dunks, which is why there is a lot of uncontested points for Colt, Ralph and Trevor.

He does not move non-stop like Reggie Miller in his prime but thats because the offense isn't focused around him 100% like it was for Reggie (I swear he would get 8 screens a possession). It shouldnt be and it isn't so you cant blame him for that. If he ran around looking for screens the whole time it makes us 1 dimensional and doesnt allow the bigs to fight for position and work for easy or even difficult buckets down low which is essential to have in the Big 10.

The one thing I want to see more of is in transition when Chip, Al or anyone else are running with the ball to drive and kick it back out to Blake. Its almost impossible to defend, he will be in rhythm and he is always trailing the play (as he should be).

 

[Dr.Don]

If you are at the Barn, watch movement by Blake away from the ball, it is constant. If ya only watch on TV, all you see is the ball and no off-ball stuff. Blake is hyper-active off the ball.

 

[sec105]

Hoffarber runs arround a lot but he is rarely if ever open. What this team needs is more outside 3 threats. Let's see of our starting 5 players:

Rodney Williams is No Threat at all
Al Nolen is No Threat at all
Blake Hoofarber is a Huge Threat
Ralph Sampson is No Threat (If I was the other coach I'd let Ralph shoot threes all day long)
Trevor Mbakwe is No Threat at all.


We need to get Hollins or Armelin in the game at the same time as Blake and let them start raining threes. And I dopn't want to hear any talk of them being a ball hogs if they miss three threes in a row. We have to find another threat to free up Hoffarber.

Hoff has proven he can't do it by himself.

 

[Monty519]

Al Nolen can be a major threat, at least he was in Puerto Rico and other times in his career. He is inconsistent offensively though. Trevor can be a threat as well, I think given the ball in positions for him to work in the post, he can do some things. But yes, we definitely need more consistent scoring threats out there. Unfortunately I'm not sure that's on the roster right now. A guy like Andre Hollins sounds real good right now....

It's laughable to surmise that Blake doesn't move without the ball though. He's one of our best guys off the ball, trying to find gaps in the defense. The rest could learn from him.

 

[USAFChief]

Al Nolen can be a major threat, at least he was in Puerto Rico and other times in his career. He is inconsistent offensively though. Trevor can be a threat as well, I think given the ball in positions for him to work in the post, he can do some things. But yes, we definitely need more consistent scoring threats out there. Unfortunately I'm not sure that's on the roster right now. A guy like Andre Hollins sounds real good right now....

It's laughable to surmise that Blake doesn't move without the ball though. He's one of our best guys off the ball, trying to find gaps in the defense. The rest could learn from him.

Al Nolen can be a major threat? At what?

Nolen's career 3 pt percentage is under 31%. His career FG percentage is only 34 %. THIRTY FOUR PERCENT. He's scored in double figures exactly 19 times (including tonight) in his 4 years with the Gophers. His career high is 18. He's done that once.

Major threat? Good lord, the things you read.

 

[lakesgopher]

If you are at the Barn, watch movement by Blake away from the ball, it is constant. If ya only watch on TV, all you see is the ball and no off-ball stuff. Blake is hyper-active off the ball.

you're right I am wrong! blake never stands around. he is such a good off the ball player he will probably get drafted in the top 10. the kid is a beast not only on offense but is a shut down perimeter player. non stop energy he brings not to mention his first step off the dribble is superior to anyone of the 3 poibt specialists in th country! boy, it sure is nice that so many of you d-bags know what your talking about! its like having my own personal espn analysts!

by the way-that was sarcasm! I think most of you are wanna be know it alls that failed at high school athletics. most of you don't have a clue what your talking about!

blake is a statue and I can break down a lot of minutes from last night to prove it! but I'm not going to argue anymore because blake is the great white hope that can do no wrong

 

[march madness]

Last night I saw Blake standing around some, but no more than anyone else. Sometimes he gets fustrated with the offense. But as a general rule I would say he moves the most on the team without the ball as he understands this is the main way he can be valuable to the team. He is the best passer on the team period and the only shooter right now. He is definitely not an athelete, but many teams have this type of player and they appreciate what he brings. Id say to have Blake on the 3pt line, have Al drive that way and if his man helps open 3. Put trevor at the 5 on the weakside to clean up the boards.