I admit, I was surprised to see us bring in a guard instead of a big when Olsen retired. Now having had a moment to think it over, here are my thoughts:
-I am sure the staff is aware they don't have proven depth at Center. Mawien has a lot of talent and friend told me the Krystkowiak said he has grown to around 6'10" now at a luncheon. Having said that he is raw and that is a lot to put on him.
-My guess is that the staff evaluated the bigs left for 2015 (ones they thought they could get) and came to the conclusion that they weren't what they wanted. I can't imagine that many of the unsigned bigs would want to play behind Poeltl, who would be getting the lion's share of the minutes. I wouldn't be surprised if Van Vliet was told Jakob was coming back and that is why took us of the visit list.
-The staff probably concluded that they would rather bring in a guard, whom they liked, to contribute than a big body that doesn't meet their standards. I don't think this was the perfect pickup, but it was probably the best one out of what was available.
-To steal from a post in another thread, this tells me that they will adapt the style of play to match the personnel. This means a second unit that is going to attack more in transition. I think this is somewhat in line with what Golden State does when Bogut is off the floor.
-With it being likely that the NCAA is moving to a 30 second shot clock, bringing in guards that excel in transition (Bealer and Bonam) does make sense.
-I do agree that rebounding could be an issue. However, we got out rebounded by teams that were smaller than us (eg SFA and Oregon). Some of our rebounding issues came from the guard/wing spot too. Bonam is averaging 5.8 rebounds a game, which is very impressive for a guard. I think he will help us in this area a bit.
-While rebounding was area we struggled with at times, one on one defense against physical perimeter guys was another issue. I am guessing that Bonam (who is very well built) and Bealer are supposed to help us in this area.
-Remember, we still have length. Chapman, Kuzma, and Mawien are quite long and can fill in. I think the key with them is that they add muscle. If they don't get stronger, then I do think we will have issues, because height wasn't their issue on the boards. Technique and strength were.
-I honestly don't think the staff is making any more moves. I could be wrong, but every media outlet says that the staff is not planning on anything and I am going to believe them.
-I am sure the staff is aware they don't have proven depth at Center. Mawien has a lot of talent and friend told me the Krystkowiak said he has grown to around 6'10" now at a luncheon. Having said that he is raw and that is a lot to put on him.
-My guess is that the staff evaluated the bigs left for 2015 (ones they thought they could get) and came to the conclusion that they weren't what they wanted. I can't imagine that many of the unsigned bigs would want to play behind Poeltl, who would be getting the lion's share of the minutes. I wouldn't be surprised if Van Vliet was told Jakob was coming back and that is why took us of the visit list.
-The staff probably concluded that they would rather bring in a guard, whom they liked, to contribute than a big body that doesn't meet their standards. I don't think this was the perfect pickup, but it was probably the best one out of what was available.
-To steal from a post in another thread, this tells me that they will adapt the style of play to match the personnel. This means a second unit that is going to attack more in transition. I think this is somewhat in line with what Golden State does when Bogut is off the floor.
-With it being likely that the NCAA is moving to a 30 second shot clock, bringing in guards that excel in transition (Bealer and Bonam) does make sense.
-I do agree that rebounding could be an issue. However, we got out rebounded by teams that were smaller than us (eg SFA and Oregon). Some of our rebounding issues came from the guard/wing spot too. Bonam is averaging 5.8 rebounds a game, which is very impressive for a guard. I think he will help us in this area a bit.
-While rebounding was area we struggled with at times, one on one defense against physical perimeter guys was another issue. I am guessing that Bonam (who is very well built) and Bealer are supposed to help us in this area.
-Remember, we still have length. Chapman, Kuzma, and Mawien are quite long and can fill in. I think the key with them is that they add muscle. If they don't get stronger, then I do think we will have issues, because height wasn't their issue on the boards. Technique and strength were.
-I honestly don't think the staff is making any more moves. I could be wrong, but every media outlet says that the staff is not planning on anything and I am going to believe them.
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