He had good shot selection as well. If he got a good, open look, squared with the basket, he took it. He didn't force them. Smartest player we've had in quite a while.
I have a very good shooting form and I hit a solid 19.2% of my jumpers. Goes down to 6.8% if someone plays defense on me.
I was kidding. I’m not a bad shooter. Not consistent enough, though. I’m streaky. I do take it to the rack a lot, though lately I find myself shooting the floater more often. Once I blow past the defender it’s easier to get up the floater than to challenge a big on help defense. I don’t have quite the hope and hang time that I used to have. I have a 7’6” standing reach and I can get fingertips over the rim so that’s roughly a 31” max vert. Not bad for late 40’s, but I used to be just around 40” up until my late 30’s.
Don't you have a midrange jump shot off the dribble? It was one of my best shots either going left or right once I got a step on my defender. But I would keep my eyes open for a pass to a wide open shooter or cutter. But usually it was an open 17 foot shot at the elbow and for me that was money. Now if my defender wasn't fooled I had passing options usually to the corner on the side I dribbled to.
Yep, I have a decent midrange shot. I don’t think I use it enough. When I do remember to use it I usually have a moment where I think man this is so much easier than a three pointer. One thing I do very often is pump fake. People don’t play fundamental defense anymore. They all go for the fake.
It is a lost art with most of today's kids. It is something that can be drilled by yourself but not nearly as fun as fancy dunks or deep threes. Almost like doing solo free throw practice with nobody making you do it other than your own will to get better. But I think that an open three is much easier. If I had a good closeout coming at me I would go left or right for an open 17 foot shot unless I was sure that I was going to be fouled but not too badly and then a few times I got the Kenny Boyton 4 point play. Those are even better than slam dunks for firing up teammates.
We need to get Walter set up in the AV room with hours of Scottie Wilbekin footage. For defense, of course, but also to see how the former SECPOY attacked the lane as a point guard, getting to the hoop and drawing the foul. That will be the model for WC3 at the point. He's got the physical strength to do it and is a better 3-point and free-thrower than Scottie was.
Man..., I don’t know about that one. For sure Scottie is a great player to emulate. He’s my favorite Gator basketball player of all time. I just don’t think WC is a Scottie type player. He is more of a Stephen Curry type player. Walt plays good and pesky defense… much like Curry. Scottie was a lockdown defender, though. If in the offseason Walt worked on his handles becoming elite (they are already very good) and being a cardio beast, he will be a force. The biggest weapon curry has that gets ignored is his huge cardiovascular advantage over his opponents. He never stops moving and wears down defenders. You can’t relax for one second. He is a master at using screens… even if his teammate isn’t screening, he turns them into a screener the way he snakes around and through them. His finishing at the rim is elite, as well. He’s not going to dunk on you, but his layup package is not spectacular visually but it's outstanding… and he doesn’t miss many of them. He can get to the basket pretty much whenever he wants, which is nuts considering that he’s known mostly for his jumper. It’s a shame that NBA fans didn’t get a chance to see what Scottie Wilbekin can do, though. Such a rare and unique talent. I’d say he’s at least Jamal Murray level talent.
I realize this is surface-level analysis but...perhaps Walter's past as a Power 5 level defensive back could make a return to his basketball arsenal. (It did feel like teams put him in iso last year, and for a good reason. But that's anecdata.)
I don’t think his defense was as bad as people say. I seem to remember him blocking a lot of shots that surprised people. He rarely just gave up because his man got past him. Pursued his man around screens and gave good effort. I thought he was fine. Not elite but above average. He had some tough matchups against guys who are going to score no matter what you do. Walt does that to opposing defenders as well.
I couldn't figure it out. When I watched him specifically for defense, he looked okay. Same with Pullin. Same with Richard and Kugel. But then speedy guards kept always getting to the hoop against these guys. Sometimes we absolutely could not get a stop.
Walter was awful last season at staying in front of a guard. Physicality and hops don't help you much when you're constantly chasing your assignment.
@GatorPlanet I’m going to have to revise what I said here after watching some of Scottie’s recent highlights from 2023-2024. Scottie Wilbekin at UF was a certain type of player, and Scottie the pro is another. I’m not exaggerating when I say he is almost a carbon copy of Stephen Curry now… albeit Steph is clearly the better player. Scottie and Steph’s games are very similar, though. It’s almost eerie. Scottie really needs to be separated into young Scottie and veteran Scottie, because he’s morphed quite a bit. You can’t leave him open for a fraction of a second or the shot is going up.
Bingo. The fans wearing orange and blue glasses simply won't admit this. How do you score 100 points and still lose in the first round? That said. The man is MONEY on the wing. But he is not nor will morph into a point guard. Period. Very few players change their game in college. Martin included. The longer the charade goes on, the more difficult the season will become. We must win some early matchups to build cred. I want to crush the Tar Holes and will be there. Without seeing the newcomers, Aberdeen should start as the point guard. He played well last season. He plays tough defense, sees the court well and shoots well. That was as a backup, but he gets first crack as the starting PG. Unfortunately, at times, entitlement instead of merit forces a coach into an unjustifiable position. Saw this with Roberson. In football, saw this with Treon Harris versus Driskel and Franks versus Trask. Aberdeen has earned it.
You are saying Aberdeen earned the starting spot, but you aren’t saying who he would replace in the lineup. Aberdeen earned a prominent role, but I think it’s a huge stretch to say he earned a starting spot over Martin or Richard. Even bigger stretch for you to accuse TFG of playing favorites or comparing this to Trask/Franks situation. Denzel might prove to be worthy of the starting spot during the season, but I just don’t think he has yet. Also, blaming the loss to Colorado on Walter is wild. He had 33 points and almost single-handedly won us that game. We lost in large part due to Micah’s injury making us play small. I don’t remember Walt’s defense being a huge reason we lost. You might be getting hung up on this “true point guard” narrative. We don’t need a Magic Johnson type PG to win. Golden State didn’t have one. Chicago Bulls didn’t have one. Kobe Lakers, Wade/Bron Miami Heat, etc…
Whoa. Back up. Did I say Clayton was responsible for the Colorado loss? Of course I didn't. The team played crappy defense. Aberdeen should start ahead of Martin. Coaches playing favorites? Of course they do. I would bet real money that Golden had a starting point guard conversation with Clayton. I was at the Wake Forest game. Clayton couldn't stay in front of either guard. Your NBA example doesn't work in college. I can't name a single champion who lacked a viable point guard. Relax Murph. I enjoy your posts but others have opinions too.
