STrib: Gophers coach Richard Pitino says next team will be most talented

[short ornery norwegian]

Comparing athletes of different eras against each other is tricky. Rules change. Styles of play change.

I tend to believe that a great player in one era would be a great player in any era. Granted, players today tend to be a little bigger, faster and stronger because of advances in training and nutrition.

I think the better comparison is to see how much a player dominated in his era. Take Babe Ruth as an example:

In 1919, when Ruth hit 29 home runs, there were only 447 homers hit in all of the Major Leagues. Ruth's 29 dingers were six percent of the MLB total. In 2012 there were 4934 home runs hit in the Majors; six percent of that total, 296, is more than any one team hit (the Yankees hit 245). The league average in 1921 was 59 home runs per team, the same number Ruth hit all by himself.

Or Wilt Chamberlain:

In his first season, he averaged 37.6 points and an absurd 27 rebounds per game, leading the league in both categories. Wilt’s most impressive performances in his rookie season included a 41-40 game (in just the third game of his career), a 44-45 game, a 43-rebound game, a 44-42 game against Bill Russell and a 58-42 game, as well as numerous other high-scoring games.

 

[cjbfbp]

I don't think "fact" means what you think it does.

My guess is that at least half the population at large doesn't really grasp the meaning of that word.

 

[sal]

My guess is that at least half the population at large doesn't really grasp the meaning of that word.

And that’s a fact...


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[60's Guy]

MLB lowered the mound in 1968 to put more offense into the game.

Lowered the mound, juiced the ball, juiced the players, no longer travel by train, and on and on...like SON said...pretty tough to compare...
I know this...I watch a Twins game in 2015-18 and I see very few hard hit balls. (often by both teams sadly) In 1961 you'd go to watch batting practice...you could see both teams...there were rockets every where when the Yankees came to town.
Mantle and Maris had a pretty nice season.

How many guys got a curve ball like Pascual and Blyleven. Nolan Ryan overpowered everybody. Randy Johnson made left handed batters call in sick. Viola's circle change made guys look foolish. Etc etc

Babe Ruth like SON said dominated. Trout is really good, contributes in lots of ways to his team winning, but he's gotta do it a lot longer to be in Willie Mays, Ted Williams, Mickey Mantle etc conversations.

Swinging back to Gopher basketball...the current guys might be more athletic but they don't hold a candle to Lou Hudson, Archie Clark, Ray Williams, Trent Tucker, Willie Burton, Melvin Newbern ...now we have three point baskets so you can't just compare numbers....there is absolutely no way Nate Mason and Hollins come close to comparing to those guys imo NBA careers would likely validate that argument some.

LeBron is good. He should be MVP every year. Best ever? Maybe...100 straight games, 8 straight Finals, 48 minutes, dominate the game to close out the win on and on... one guy on a basketball team does have limitations in a team game but LeBron has defied them through three playoff series wins in 2018.

Since my post is even more random than the thread...I might as well add this link on Willie's NBA 50 point night...interesting read https://sports.vice.com/en_us/article/kbdep3/throwback-thursday-willie-burtons-53-point-nba-game-and-the-likeliness-of-unlikely-greatness

Doubling down on random: IW was the third leading scorer last year in total points. He avg a surprising 8.7 ppg. He shot a higher percentage than Dupree and was only 2.7 percentage points worse than Nate. I think he's going to flourish with more bigs to dish to and just be more comfortable. Pitino's most talented team.

 

[XMan]

Comparing athletes of different eras against each other is tricky. Rules change. Styles of play change.

I tend to believe that a great player in one era would be a great player in any era. Granted, players today tend to be a little bigger, faster and stronger because of advances in training and nutrition.

I think the better comparison is to see how much a player dominated in his era. Take Babe Ruth as an example:

In 1919, when Ruth hit 29 home runs, there were only 447 homers hit in all of the Major Leagues. Ruth's 29 dingers were six percent of the MLB total. In 2012 there were 4934 home runs hit in the Majors; six percent of that total, 296, is more than any one team hit (the Yankees hit 245). The league average in 1921 was 59 home runs per team, the same number Ruth hit all by himself.

Or Wilt Chamberlain:

In his first season, he averaged 37.6 points and an absurd 27 rebounds per game, leading the league in both categories. Wilt’s most impressive performances in his rookie season included a 41-40 game (in just the third game of his career), a 44-45 game, a 43-rebound game, a 44-42 game against Bill Russell and a 58-42 game, as well as numerous other high-scoring games.

Well said son

 

[XMan]

This should be a fun year. Murphy should dominate. Coffey should be another of the top 15-20 big ten players in the league. If Washington grows and plays like we all expect - Dupree is healthy - curry comes back strong from injury and two of the new guys contribute we will be very good. A lot of “ifs” though

 

[Roland Brooks]

Curry will help create more space on the block for Murphy. Curry has a nice stroke and will be able to knock down some 18-20 footers harder to double Murph. Murph needs to keep improving his passing out of the double team. Curry has good hoop instincts and is a good passer.

 

[MennoSota]

Curry will help create more space on the block for Murphy. Curry has a nice stroke and will be able to knock down some 18-20 footers harder to double Murph. Murph needs to keep improving his passing out of the double team. Curry has good hoop instincts and is a good passer.

Murphy should be working on his 3 point shooting as it will be the difference in whether he plays in the NBA or over seas.

 

[Roland Brooks]

Murphy has a lot to work on if he wants to be in the NBA mainly outside shooting and ball handling. I can see him playing in the D-League or overseas fine tuning his skill set than getting a shot in the NBA.. Love Murphy he is a very good college player. I look at Reid Travis who is a bigger version of Murphy he is projecting to be a second round pick. With all the foreign players it gets tougher for college kids to make it.

 

[HOOP DREAMS]

Murphy has a lot to work on if he wants to be in the NBA mainly outside shooting and ball handling. I can see him playing in the D-League or overseas fine tuning his skill set than getting a shot in the NBA.. Love Murphy he is a very good college player. I look at Reid Travis who is a bigger version of Murphy he is projecting to be a second round pick. With all the foreign players it gets tougher for college kids to make it.

Murphy is a great college player, how his game projects (or not) to the NBA makes no difference.

 

[Roland Brooks]

Great? Used way to loosely. Great?? Ok bud.

 

[Roland Brooks]

Brunson was a great college player last year.

 

[HOOP DREAMS]

Great? Used way to loosely. Great?? Ok bud.

Would you prefer great gopher basketball player?

He's better than good, pal.

 

[Roland Brooks]

Will agree if his jersey ends up hanging in the barn rafters. I will be cheering for him and hope that happens. I am with you on that.

 

[Otis]

Murphy has to be working his way up the records for points and rebounds.

 

[Gopher Teeth]

Murphy has to be working his way up the records for points and rebounds.

Yes, if you project last year’s numbers he will be #2 all time career scorer and #1 in rebounding.

 

[Former Goofer]

Anything less then making the tournament has to be seen as a massive failure of epic proportions then.

 

[WanderingGopher]

By far his best roster. There are not 3 better rosters top to bottom in the conference.

I agree, but there are a lot of closely matched teams. Injuries, coaching, and luck could be the difference between finishing 2nd and 9th.

 

[bleedsmaroonandgold]

Anything less then making the tournament has to be seen as a massive failure of epic proportions then.

We won't miss the tournament, next year's team is too good for that. If we somehow do miss it, we will be shopping for a new coach.

 

[JimmyJamesMD]

We won't miss the tournament, next year's team is too good for that. If we somehow do miss it, we will be shopping for a new coach.

This. I love Pitino, but unless the injury bug hits hard again, things won't be looking good if they miss the tourney. I'd hate to see him go

 

[jovs]

We won't miss the tournament, next year's team is too good for that. If we somehow do miss it, we will be shopping for a new coach.

You could have said the same thing about last years team, without injuries that team would have been very good.

 

[RickDornsby]

I’ve said a version of this on several threads: we need something unexpected (but not out of the ordinary) to be above a bubble team.

Starting point:
-We were probably a shade overrated as a 5-seed 2 years ago. This is a factor when some try to project what a team with some of those players and a similar makeup this year might do. “We were really good without the injuries last year.” I think some people are overrating what could have been. It was a tournament team but not a top 10 team.
-Lynch was one of the best defensive players in the nation. His loss was massive. Without him, our defense was bad or average at best.

This year, we need:
-Oturu or I guess Curry or Stockman to become a great rim protector
-Stull to be the good 3P shooter we need and/or Gabe to do it now or Washington to step his up
-A big step from Washington or Coffey to All BIG type status

Without one or two of those things, we’re an average defense that is OK but not great at hitting the 3 with some good individual players. That sounds like a bubble team to me.

If two or all three of the things I listed happen then we could be a well-seeded tournament team.

 

[bleedsmaroonandgold]

You could have said the same thing about last years team, without injuries that team would have been very good.

Injuries wouldn't change my analysis. If we miss the tournament, I don't think the administration or fan base will be interested in hearing about how good we think we could have been if everything had gone our way.

 

[bga1]

Injuries wouldn't change my analysis. If we miss the tournament, I don't think the administration or fan base will be interested in hearing about how good we think we could have been if everything had gone our way.

I don't think it is that cut and dried. It is apparent to me that the AD has expressed a lot of confidence in Pitino otherwise Pitino would not have recruited 2 guys that have to sit out this year. I think the tournament certainly sews up his staying for a good while, but I am not so sure that missing the tournament ousts him unless the year is a train wreck. That said- I think we finish in the upper half and make the tournament. This has the potential to be a really good team.

 

[MennoSota]

I don't think it is that cut and dried. It is apparent to me that the AD has expressed a lot of confidence in Pitino otherwise Pitino would not have recruited 2 guys that have to sit out this year. I think the tournament certainly sews up his staying for a good while, but I am not so sure that missing the tournament ousts him unless the year is a train wreck. That said- I think we finish in the upper half and make the tournament. This has the potential to be a really good team.

Potential, as you know, does not always meet reality. At present we are projecting a lot of hope upon many unknowns. At this point we have the potential to be very good as well as very bad.

 

[sal]

Potential, as you know, does not always meet reality. At present we are projecting a lot of hope upon many unknowns. At this point we have the potential to be very good as well as very bad.

You have articulated many points that are obvious to most GH regulars.


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[MennoSota]

You have articulated many points that are obvious to most GH regulars.


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So that's one for me and none for you? [emoji57]

 

[Golden Deuce]

One factor not being addressed, how will the rest of the Big Ten look next year?

No Miles Bridges, Jaren Jackson, Big guy from Purdue is gone,

Moritz is leaving Michigan,

I'm sure some will re-load effectively, but who's the best player left in the conference?

is it Jordan Murphy?

 

[alchemy2u]

I don't think it is that cut and dried. It is apparent to me that the AD has expressed a lot of confidence in Pitino otherwise Pitino would not have recruited 2 guys that have to sit out this year. I think the tournament certainly sews up his staying for a good while, but I am not so sure that missing the tournament ousts him unless the year is a train wreck. That said- I think we finish in the upper half and make the tournament. This has the potential to be a really good team.

I agree. Pitino hasn’t shown signs of incompetence, just some growing pains on roster mismanagement and over estimates on some players potential. It feels like he has gotten over those issues and will be a good coach.


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[Gopherbbdude]

I believe this team will live and die on Washington's play. Loosing Nate was HUGE...replacing him will be tough Road.


I do believe IW can do it and this team will be fun to watch!!