Ralphs lack of emotion (HIS TWEET ON THIS)

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Parski1

Parski1

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Some of us are questioning Ralph's lack of emotion on the court (myself included)....his thoughts:

@RalphSampson3: Last time I checked, being emotional on the court doesn't mean you are a better player. #timduncan
 


Pounding his just and screaming 20 times a game will not make him a better player.

Some people have different personalities, and Ralph's "lack of emotion" has been WAY overblown by Gopher fans.
 

Just seems like he plays so slow and lazy and without a sense at purpose at times and he really hasn't gotten any better since he was a freshman. That's frustrating as a fan.
 

I don't think there is any point in trying to force a different personality on someone. I think there are a lot of valid criticisms of Ralph's game, but his lack of visible emotion is not among them.
 


You and Ralph need to understand the difference between emotion and intensity. I don't need pounding or screaming, just a glimpse of effort and intensity.
 

z-stein said:
Pounding his just and screaming 20 times a game will not make him a better player.

Some people have different personalities, and Ralph's "lack of emotion" has been WAY overblown by Gopher fans.
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That's true. However his lack of reaction, hustle and the appearance of not being strong or physical certainly is reason to question his desire. I view Ralph as a good athlete. Maybe he's not as good of an athlete as we think. If his reaction times are naturally slow then perhaps that would explain it. It seems that he is very often late on the play and reaction. It looks like softness to the fan. I always look for a guy like him to show his interest in improving by getting ox strong by the time they are seniors. Not as big a deal for guards but it is for the big guys and it can be done with passion for the weight room.
 

bga1 said:
That's true. However his lack of reaction, hustle and the appearance of not being strong or physical certainly is reason to question his desire. I view Ralph as a good athlete. Maybe he's not as good of an athlete as we think. If his reaction times are naturally slow then perhaps that would explain it. It seems that he is very often late on the play and reaction. It looks like softness to the fan. I always look for a guy like him to show his interest in improving by getting ox strong by the time they are seniors. Not as big a deal for guards but it is for the big guys and it can be done with passion for the weight room.
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I think Ralph is quite strong but no body mass/power, and has no quickness in his feet.
 

Does Chuck Norris show emotion before he delivers a fatal round house kick? Only after he laughs as his opponent is dying.
 



If his name were Ralph Johnson and his father had not won 3 Wooden awards, he would be thought of very fondly by all Gopher fans.

I don't know how many people on this board saw his dad play, but he played much the same way; with his emotions in check. He's been playing and watching his father his whole life. Is it really that surprising that he doesn't act like a sideshow out there?

I would be very happy with a steady stream of players just like RSIII playing for the maroon and gold.
 

That's ok, He can sit and watch EE show him how to play the position, then move on to Europe.
 

He is just awful! I can't stand watching him play! He looks like a timid little shy dog running around out there with a tale between his legs! EE has started one game now and has proved more than Ralph has all year. I agree you don't have to show a ton of emotion to be good but act like you care and aren't intimidated by every other center.
 




Unregistered User said:
If his name were Ralph Johnson and his father had not won 3 Wooden awards, he would be thought of very fondly by all Gopher fans.
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I just don't buy this. When he gets the ball, I cringe the same way I did watching Kevin Payton a couple years back. You're just expecting a turnover.
 

station19 said:
I think Ralph is quite strong but no body mass/power, and has no quickness in his feet.
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Ralph's gotten the idea that this is all about his lack of emotion on the court? Talk about selective hearing. It's about his play on the court, and the emotion thing is just an outward sign of what some see as a lack of investment in the games.

This is tangential to something I wrote in another thread, namely the problem with playing people out of position. Because of his height, he's been expected to fill the center position. But based on his skill set and capabilities, I'd scout him as a small forward with limited shooting range and above-average shot blocking ability. His post offense and post defense leave a lot to be desired. He doesn't make hook shots with enough proficiency to make it a reliable scoring means. But they and we keep trying to imagine him eventually becoming this post scorer and defender. It's not going to happen. In one sequence against Dayton, he started with position on the low block, and within seconds he was receiving the ball 15 feet from the basket, having been easily moved out there by his defender. That's typical of his play. In last nights game, by contrast, Rodney was able to beat his man to a spot on the floor, establish position and keep it much more effectively than I've ever seen Sampson do. And needless to say, Eliason, even with all his imperfections at the present time, fits the post mold in what he can do and actually does.

This doesn't even get to the issues of the plays - particularly defensive plays - that Ralph is in position to make and does not. His type of unreliability reminds me of Bryant McKinnie, formerly of the Vikes.

Yes, Ralph has been a good citizen and represented the U well. But so did most of us in our years down there. That's the base minimum expectation.
 

Ralph has never been a post player at heart. When he was recruited it was clear from his videos and interviews that he preferred to play outside. He saw himself as a very big small forward. He never seemed to fully except the roll of college basketball center. He has always wanted to step outside and shoot the ball over smaller players. But, a lack of skills neccessary to be a small forward meant his had to play inside where his body type seemed best suited. He has never been able to remold himself into post player. He will always need more muscle for rebounding and defense, and he still lacks , back to the basket offensive skills.
 

Give it up guys! RS is who he is and his liabilities are what they are.

He will never be a banger and agressive on the boards. His contributions down the road will be needed as EE is still a young pup and Ingram lacks the skills. VT had no BIG center to throw out there which will be a true test for EE once we get into confernce play.

They key is whether RS will step up and provide more than Ingram. We need that.

I hope Tubby can continue to rest RS and hold him back until he is 100%.
 

I don't care what Ralph does with outward manifestations of his emotions. What I want to see out of him is him diving on the floor for a loose ball (which Rodney made an excellent play doing last night, just wanted to give credit where due because I have been critical of Rodney in the past) or go up for rebounds with as much intensity as the players who are half a foot shorter than him but still getting the rebounds over him.
 

“I fear not the man who has practiced 10,000 kicks once, but I fear the man who has practiced one kick 10,000 times.”

Bruce Lee. Worrying about Chuck Norris.
 

bga1 said:
That's true. However his lack of reaction, hustle and the appearance of not being strong or physical certainly is reason to question his desire. I view Ralph as a good athlete. Maybe he's not as good of an athlete as we think. If his reaction times are naturally slow then perhaps that would explain it. It seems that he is very often late on the play and reaction. It looks like softness to the fan. I always look for a guy like him to show his interest in improving by getting ox strong by the time they are seniors. Not as big a deal for guards but it is for the big guys and it can be done with passion for the weight room.
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+1..
 

The Sloth

Ralph has always been a lethargic sloth on the court. I used to think it was excessive marijuana use that was to blame, but now I just think he is lazy.
 

Unregistered User said:
I don't know how many people on this board saw his dad play, but he played much the same way; with his emotions in check. He's been playing and watching his father his whole life. Is it really that surprising that he doesn't act like a sideshow out there?
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When RSIII slams an alley-oop over Ewing, I'll give him a pass on the emotion.
 


Silly thread. Just as KI never blocked a punch, emotion never made a basket.
 


Yeah but his poor effort, lethargic play, turnovers cost his team.
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So the contention is that if RSIII were a more emotional player these problems would solve themselves?
 

I'm all for supporting rather than tearing down players on the team I support, but comparing yourself to Tim Duncan only brings out the critics. I don't mind the lack of primal screaming, I just think that he doesn't do the things you need a big man to do to be a successful team.

On offense, he's a black hole. He has some scoring ability, but he completely disrupts the flow of the offense, making his teammates less effective. His stats come at the expense of the team's rhythm. Did anyone notice how fluid the offense was vs. VT? Coincidence?

Defensively, he is vastly overrated. People tend make the mistake of equating blocked shots with defensive prowess. The truth is, being a good defender is about hustle, positioning and awareness. For every blocked shot Ralph gets, there are five times when he's standing flat-footed 10 feet away from his man as he shoots a wide open jumper. Don't even get me started on his rebounding.

It's nice to have a big man with skills, but that's a bonus. Being a solid defender and rebounder are the baseline for being a solid big man. Tim Duncan is excellent in those categories. Ralph, to this point, has not been. I hope he can turn this around, but it's going to take an attitude adjustment from entitlement to desire.
 

He has his faults, nobody can deny this. But I really don't question his effort MOST games anymore. I definitely used to shake my head sometimes with him, but he's gotten much more consistent over the last year or so. There's no question he's not the most aggressive player out there on the court, but showing emotion isn't gonna be the thing that catapults him into this beast in the post.

Don't get hung up on how he isn't the prototype center you want him to be, that low post banger. If you would just accept his game as it is, as a guy who CAN go down low and hit some shots, but is more comfortable dropping the mid range J, and a guy who will protect the rim decently well on the defensive end, then you will be happier with his production and won't act like he is the worst center in the country, which couldn't be further from the truth.

We have Eliason out there to bring more power to the position and over the years, he'll provide that aspect for us. That's why I liked having Colt around, cause he was more of a banger, it was a good combo. Just like matching him with Trevor was a good combo. Regardless of that, Ralph is a solid player, and we are not a better team without him, which is something else I've heard said here. That's ridiculous, his shooting alone is a plus that we need out there lol.
 

Maroon Shower said:
I'm all for supporting rather than tearing down players on the team I support, but comparing yourself to Tim Duncan only brings out the critics. I don't mind the lack of primal screaming, I just think that he doesn't do the things you need a big man to do to be a successful team.

On offense, he's a black hole. He has some scoring ability, but he completely disrupts the flow of the offense, making his teammates less effective. His stats come at the expense of the team's rhythm. Did anyone notice how fluid the offense was vs. VT? Coincidence?

Defensively, he is vastly overrated. People tend make the mistake of equating blocked shots with defensive prowess. The truth is, being a good defender is about hustle, positioning and awareness. For every blocked shot Ralph gets, there are five times when he's standing flat-footed 10 feet away from his man as he shoots a wide open jumper. Don't even get me started on his rebounding.

It's nice to have a big man with skills, but that's a bonus. Being a solid defender and rebounder are the baseline for being a solid big man. Tim Duncan is excellent in those categories. Ralph, to this point, has not been. I hope he can turn this around, but it's going to take an attitude adjustment from entitlement to desire.
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Agree 99%. How many times does he needed to be stripped of the ball in the post waiting for the double team to come to realize he needs to either pass the ball or make a move right away? And stop holding the ball so low that guards can come and take your candy all the time.
 

glovedgopher said:
Agree 99%. How many times does he needed to be stripped of the ball in the post waiting for the double team to come to realize he needs to either pass the ball or make a move right away? And stop holding the ball so low that guards can come and take your candy all the time.
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You might have heard this, but Coach Smith made sure to praise Elliott in his remarks to the media about him holding the ball high.
 

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