Keels
- Thread starter bullettoothtony
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Great to hear that! I have a feeling that, injuries avoided, this is going to be a special year. You know K is going to pull out all the stops…
I wonder if Moore breaking out allows us to start Keels, as Moore and AJ play the same position. Keels is more of a natural 2. AJ will still get plenty of floor time, this just gives us options. And we need shooting.
If this carries over to the regular season, it gives us 7 guys worthy/capable of starting. This is a great situation where our 1st big and our 1st guard off the bench are legitimate and consistent contributors. Also allows for tons of flexibility. Then, Joey and Blakes add specialist contributions and great depth.
Moore is a sg being asked to play sf. If keels is starting over AJ that’s cause for concern on AJ’s part meaning he might be further behind due to injury then most thought.
Moore is 6’5” and Keels is 6’4”. AJ is 6’7” and his natural position is small forward
Or Keels is further along. A top 20 guy starting over a top 10 guy is not unheard of, and AJ has been inconsistent in the early going. Still it's early and a lot can change. AJ has had some injuries to be fair. But that combined with taking a year off means we may want to lower our AJ expectations.
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Or, they both get starter minutes. Keels being starter worthy allows us to go big or small with lots of flexibility. Also allows us to put Moore at the 1 if necessary for extended minutes.
Or it could mean he’s injured already given the newly posted thread. It’s the Duke curse with legs and feet that continues on.
Keels isn’t known for defense but we will see what happens . I don’t mind it . It’s just Moore is built as the typical sg and I was really looking forward to watching him play at his natural position to see how much he has progressed.
Could Wendell or Keels play any at PG? I realize they were just scrimmages, but they both seemed like they could handle light minutes there. Wendell maybe more than light minutes (his handle looked a little more secure).
Not saying that's the best use of them, but just as a way to have both of them on the floor more. Because you want those guys on the floor as much as possible.
Not saying that's the best use of them, but just as a way to have both of them on the floor more. Because you want those guys on the floor as much as possible.
With Paolo and Williams down low, we may be able to go with a 3 guard lineup with Keels and Wendell being two pretty big guys who can hit the boards. I really have high hopes for Griffin but this lineup intrigues me also, especially if Keels is playing well and Wendell is going to make the jump we expect.
Minimal time with Moore at point please. He’s not that guy until we see it in a game setting. Last year there was a big rave about Henry Coleman and we saw how that went
Are you talking about Keels or Moore? I think Moore could spell Roach for a little bit at point I don’t think Keels is a combo at all. Luckily there is Blake’s .
Moore spent a decent amount of time last year bringing the ball up the court and initiating the offense. I'm sure he will again this year.
Against Kentucky Moore is probably back up pg. You can always ease Blakes in during the easier games.
The staff like Blakes.
The surprise player for 3-5 minutes per game is Jones. K likes his D, his shooting and his basketball IQ
The surprise player for 3-5 minutes per game is Jones. K likes his D, his shooting and his basketball IQ
I am high on Jones as well. I think he will get some minutes in the opener. He is a very smart and tough player and knows his role.
Until I see him in an actual game I will with hold any thought of Jones playing meaningful minutes. If he could barely see the court at Davidson the competition is definitely stiffer in the ACC.
I’m talking Moore. Can’t trust nothing about him until I see it against another team when it matters. They had us all hype last year for him only to lay an egg. Primary ball handling shouldn’t be something he is asked to do. We can let Paolo initiate the offense and be perfectly fine.
No . Paolo doesn’t need to initiate the offense at all. He needs to stay down low and out . Moore was fine last year at point when asked. Someone posted his stats and his were just a little higher then Roach’s.
Smaller quicker guards would simply attack Paolo and either create a turn over or get him in foul trouble .
Between Moore and Blake Duke is fine at back up.
Moore has gotten better through each season. I hated seeing him with the ball at the beginning of last season. By the end, he was not the ball stopper he was his freshman season and I expect even better from him this year.
I don't want him to start at point guard but 8 minutes a game he can do it.
I don't want him to start at point guard but 8 minutes a game he can do it.
Ha.
I'm old enough to remember Billy Cunningham sometimes bringing the ball up the court for UNC. Not because they needed him to, but because he could.
Billy Cunningham was a generational talent. Paolo hasn't proven to be anywhere near Billy C. yet. If Paolo is half the player as the Kangaroo Kid, we are in for a treat.
Every year we say "so and so" is a point forward and can play pg and nearly every year ends with us saying we lack a true pg ha. I would say Roach and Moore is enough. Enough for a final four we will see. Looking forward to Friday, but really looking forward to the Kentucky game.
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It will be interesting to see how the 20+ minutes Griffin likely would have gotten get distributed. His absence provides a real opportunity for Joey, Jones, and or Blakes to grab some playing time.
The way it could work is due to the freak that Banchero is at PF. He’s good enough to dominate at either PF or Center with different skill sets that he can use when playing along side Williams in what amounts to a 3 guard offense. Moore has the length to play SF but can also move to SG. Gives you the ability to have lineups like:
Roach/Keels/Moore/Banchero/Williams
Roach/Moore/AJ/Banchero/Williams
Roach/Keels/Moore/AJ/Banchero or Williams
We can play really big or play small ball. Need Roach to be able to handle the PG position for 95% of the minutes and Moore to really step up as a defender. AJ being out for a couple games give Moore and Keels the chance to get comfortable in those roles, and then either AJ is super sixth man or if Keels/Moore struggle then you start AJ. No harm, no foul since AJ was out injured.
Takes the pressure off K to start a top 10 Freshman the first couple games and see if Keels and Moore are the answer in the starting lineup without causing drama to begin with on the team.
Rather not see many lineups with Paolo at the five unless Duke is just running away with the game . Paolo is a pf and Williams a center they should complement each other and hope those two are the regulars next to Roach in the starting line up. Keels is going to have to defend because Moore has a tendency to get into foul trouble while trying to defend multiple positions.
Paolo can definitely play a draymond type initiating role. No team would put a small guard on him when he bring the ball up. I wouldn’t have him bringing it up. But once we cross he can get it at the top of the key and initiate
Every team will put a small guard on him on him around the perimeter. It keeps him from down low and allows the opposing big to get set. Plus he’s still a frosh. One slight dip of his shoulder into a smaller guard and it’s a foul. Paolo does the bulk of his damage with on the paint . You don’t want the other teams bigs being able to get set for the same reason they would send smaller guards on him. Plus Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson aren’t running around the perimeter .
"Plus he's still a frosh" is the key. We all know Banchero is good, but it seems like every year we pick a guy and expect senior Grant Hill playmaking from him, and we always end up disappointed. Let Banchero do what he does best. I suspect with AJ out the key is to find a consistent 3rd playmaker after Moore and Banchero. I'm still a bit wait and see on Roach; I want to see him against the Kentucky and Gonzaga backcourts. I'm wait and see on Keels too, despite the good buzz lately he looked okay in the scrimmages I saw and he's almost guaranteed to be up and down. I think it is important to beat Kentucky. Us beating a #1 Gonzaga team without AJ is a tall order. They are not unbeatable, but we'd need our A plus game.
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I agree with everything Chris said, except I think it's only important to us fans to beat Kentucky. Otherwise it's just a learning experience for our young guys. I'd much rather be ready for the grind of the ACC, which if Duke is as good as we think it is, should be manageable this year with no great teams.
You’re wait and see on Roach but not Moore? How does that even make sense? We know Roach has been a point guard all of his life. You’re sold on Moore because he can play in scrimmage games? Come on now. If anything the jury is still out on all of them. Roach wasn’t handpicked for nothing. We turned down a few other good pgs for him
Moore has looked much better in the scrimmages. And the coaches are raving about him. The game appears to have slowed down for him. It's really not that hot a take. But you're right; he still has to do it in games.
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No team would put a guard on Paolo if he gets the ball at the top of the key after whoever brings the ball up the court. It’s pretty much what happened with Tre and RJ. Tre brought the ball up but he got it to RJ and RJ dictated what happened most of the possessions. We can’t have Paolo just sitting by the paint. He needs to touch the ball A LOT
Banchero handles the ball well, but he and RJ are different type players. RJ was more of a wing. But I think Banchero will get a lot of touches. Him and Moore are probably the two guys coach will want on the floor the most.
He’s a big RJ is a sg/wf who still struggled at times with guards at the top of the key. His best drives where done when a small forward or pf would attempt to guard him at the top. I’m not saying keep him in the paint . Let him do his damage where he’s best at which is 17 feet and in. This is college the guards are a lot bigger and stronger then high school. Just look at Baylor’s guards last season. I don’t want the opposing bigs set against Paolo I want them trying to guard him from 17 foot out to let mark control around the basket.
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