Scottie had 16 points last night, not 26. The coach had him play the point. It was fun to watch. He did have the 6 turnovers, but he made a lot of really nice passes in addition to some great baskets and the 3 blocked shots. He has improved more in 2 summer league games than he did in 2 years at UF. He also owned up to the terrible pass at the end of the prior game. He said that when he took the ball out of bounds, he looked to see where his teammate was ( right in front of him) and then looked at the ref for the signal to start playing. He never looked back to see that his teammate had moved. He fessed up to having made a terrible play. Scottie clearly is heading to the G League to start his career. However, his upside is through the roof, and the announcers were talking about him throughout the night.
So, are you suggesting that he practiced and improved his game over a 3-4 day span? Well, if it was that easy, why didn't he do that before? Why doesn't every player? The answer is simple. What you are suggesting is nearly impossible. What is more likely is that he is playing more confidently and understands how important these games are for him to showcase himself as opposed to trying to be a piece of a team that is trying to win games.
I am not suggesting that he improved through practice.He improved because the coach gave him a chance to succeed by putting the ball in his hands in the open court. That rarely, if ever, happened to him at Florida.
Why would Scottie have played point or been a primary ball handler in the open court on the Gator teams he was on? While I liked watching him play point in Summer League, let's not forget that he had 6 turnovers and had some shaky moments as the primary ball handler. He did show flashes of brilliance, though. I feel that if he practices and gets better, he'd make a very solid point guard. Maybe that is a better position for him. But... he wasn't going to handle the ball over Nembhard or Mann at UF, and it was the right call.
Maybe, just maybe he knows his potential basketball career is in limbo and he is putting in the individual work to improve his game and focusing on basketball 24/7..... kind of like Tre Mann did last summer.
Scottie was playing his best basketball as a Gator at the end of his stint with us. He was still shaky at times, but he was making shots. That has carried over to his current output. That should be the discussion without making it an agenda talking point.
Why do Top programs play their true freshman 5 star basketball players? Why do they put the ball in their hands? How do they get them ready so quickly to play? Why is their playbook easier to learn?
Not every 5 star player is as good as advertised. Look at BJ Boston at Kentucky just last year. Some of them are 5 star based on potential. Brad Beal didn’t start under Billy D, either, if I recall correctly. BTW, Scottie did start but lost his spot due to lack of performance. Tre was not that great as a freshman but obviously put in the work in the summer to improve.
You’re knowledgeable in basketball, and we watched the same games. I don’t care whether Scottie played point guard or another position. He needed the ball with room to make plays. Yes, he had 6 turnovers in the one game since high school in which he has gotten the ball in open space and with time to make plays. He did that against a higher level of competition than he had at UF. I don’t know why Mike White does what he does. I think it was you who said that Scottie plays scared. I think that Mike White coaches scared. Scottie might have made some mistakes early on if he had the ball in his hands a lot in open space, but he would have improved. UF did not take advantage of his abilities. Slightly changing the subject, I was just reading an article about the Russell Westbrook trade and whether would make the Wizards a better team. It was pointed out that Washington’s second options last season weren’t very threatening, and that part of the reason for that was the Westbrook effect - he soaks up so many possessions that it can be hard for the other guys to find breathing room. That’s what I saw at Florida last season with the Appleby/Mann/Castleton effect. Try to find breathing room for your other guys with that trio in the floor. That is why Scottie said that his performance last season was situational. I agree.
The game has evolved to where teams like Tennessee, Alabama, and FSU consistently recruit players like Scottie Barnes who is long, can defend, dribble, rebound, and score inside and out. Florida has not had a player like that since Keyontae Johnson. And even when they did have him, they did not allow him to take over games like he demonstrated he could in games that he did. Mike has employed sharpshooting backcourt personnel, and if they are off or take several minutes to get it going, we lose or have to come back from deficits. Castleton provides a LEGITIMATE frontcourt option, but he can't do it in the frontcourt by himself. If there is no heart malfunction or disease for Johnson, then he should be cleared to play. He can make millions just from NIL alone. His comeback story will generate mega revenues for him, his family, and the school. If he dominates again, then the sky is the limit. It is a win-win situation.
He is not a point guard period. He can bring the ball up the court occasionally to provide some relief at the position, but he is a 2-3 player.
You know... I would have thought that as well, but the looks he got at PG during Summer League have me wondering. He looked very natural at the position. A few too many turnovers, but if he cleaned that up, I think he has flashes of Russell Westbrook style to his game when he runs the point. He looked comfortable out there and seemed to be having fun. Personally, I think that they accidentally found something that should be pursued. As a 2-3, he has average height. At the 1, he has outstanding height and is a matchup challenge. Plus, let’s be honest, Summer League has everyone playing tough defense because they are fighting for their basketball lives. He wouldn’t see anywhere near that ball pressure in the real NBA.
Tampa jack is spot on about our guys playing scared. I like White and think it maybe hope he will become an elite coach. But it does seem like our kids always play scared. Think back to when you played, if you played. When you're a young non starter and you get some playing time, you're mostly trying to not screw up. When you're a starter and one of the better players, you don't even think about screwing up. At least that was my experience; tentative vs loose and aggressive. That, I think, is a flaw in the way our kids are coached.
Well, actually was referencing that I said Scottie played scared. I’ve said it many times in this forum. Tampa believes that it is because of coaching that he played scared. I mostly disagree with that. While there may be an element of coaching that contributed to it, confident players will not be affected by it.
I think it is merely a bunch of NBA rookie types playing against real college players. They just out-athletic them. Team ball is merely the icing.
