2010 FIBA World Championships....Zags style
by Max Mandel on Aug 29, 2010 1:34 PM PDT
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While much of the focus on this site has been on a certain decision made last night, three current members of the Gonzaga team have been gaining invaluable experience playing against the best talent in the world. Both Kelly Olynyk and Rob Sacre are representing Team Canada in the FIBA World Championships, while Elias Harris is with the German National team.
Unfortunately, neither Kelly Olynyk or Rob Sacre have been able to any real impact for Canada, who is off to an 0-2 start and appears a longshot to advance out of group play. It's still a huge success for both of these guys to even be playing at this high level of basketball, especially with Kelly not even being a consistent member of the Gonzaga rotation last year. However, I don't expect to see either getting a ton of minutes, as the game is just too fast and too physical at this level for both guys. Of the two, Sacre has seen a little more action, playing 15 minutes combined in the first two games.
With neither Kelly or Rob making much of an impact, much of my attention has been on seeing how Elias has developed over the summer. While it won't be something that jumps out in the stat line when you look at the box score, Harris has been one of the key contributors to a German team that has been one of the big surprises of this entire tournament.
In watching Elias last season, I don't think there is any Gonzaga fan that could question that impact and dominance he displayed on the offensive end. After watching both of his games so far in Turkey, I see no reason that we won't see the exact same kind of production, but perhaps in a more natural way. What I mean by this statement is that often times Elias' production came out of the flow of the offense, with him often forcing the action. I think a lot of that had to do with the fact that he was a freshman who didn't have a great handle on the intricacies of the offense and how to be effective within the flow of it. However, it's clear that this summer with the German National team has given Elias the opportunity to dramatically improve his basketball IQ. It's impressive watching Harris play so comfortably within the flow of the motion offense, and he is being utilized both on the perimeter and in the paint. Instead of forcing the ball to the hoop with reckless abandon, Elias is scoring within the flow of the offense, averaging five points per game in about 19 minutes of action per game.
However, the real reason I decided to put together this story is because of the defensive energy Elias has displayed during his time on the court. While he certainly impressed on the offensive end, I don't think it would be out of line to suggest that there were times that Harris looked lost on the defensive end of the court. If this summer is any indication, that will not be something that the coaching staff will have to worry about this season. On numerous occasions, Elias has been utilized guarding the main ball handler for the opposing team, and often times picking him up on the opponent's half of the court. With his athleticism and quickness, it's been tremendous watching this 6'7 forward contain and control the penetration of an opposing guard. Equally impressive has been the overall hustle that Elias has displayed. His play in the 4th quarter and 2nd OT against Serbia was instrumental in helping Germany to the upset victory.
With the roster that the coaching staff has at its disposal this season, there is absolutely no excuse for this to be one of the best defensive teams in the country. If you assume that we will see a starting lineup of Goodson, Gray, Arop, Harris, and Sacre, which I think is highly-likely, this would present Gonzaga with easily the most athletic and defensively gifted team of the Mark Few era. It's imperative that the coaching staff emphasize the importance of defense this year, as this group is capable of playing a potentially dominant 2-3 zone, as well as a high-energy man-to-man defense. If there is one thing to take from the additions of Keita and Monninghoff, to go along with the play of Harris this summer, it's the fact that lapses and poor defensive execution must be a thing of the past for the Gonzaga program.
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Not sure this team will be better defensively
than a couple seasons ago when we led the country in defensive fg %, but hopefully it’ll be a very solid team defensively. Glad to read that Harris is doing well at FIBA.
Not challenging your statement?
But out of curiosity, could you provide a link for this stat? And I truly don’t think we have ever seen a good, let alone great, defensive team in the past 10 years.
Final 4 or bust
Interesting to see
I remember that being a long team, but not an overly impressive defensive team.The other reason I think this team could be even better defensively is because of the graduation of Bouldin. Matt was a highly-intelligent offensive player, but frankly was a liability on the defensive end. I think the real test is how this team plays defensively against BCS competition, as the WCC will always make the defensive stats look better then the really are.
Final 4 or bust
You are pretty harsh in your analysis
Mark Few often commented on what a great defender Bouldin was.
Where Matt had trouble was with super fast guys like Goodson coming off of screens. He just couldn’t keep up — but . . . unless you have Goodson’s speed, Matt’s smarts, and Q’s attitude and maybe Errol Knight’s athleticism — very few guys are going to match a player like that for the entire game.
Just because you aren’t a lock down defender doesn’t mean you aren’t a good defender.
mjc
I'm going to go ahead and disagree with Coach Few
Matt was not a good defender in anyway…..he couldn’t keep anyone in front of him and was beat off the dribble by the majority of people he guarded. Matt was good at a lot of things….defense was not one of those things
Final 4 or bust
Please!
I’m to take your word instead of GU’s on Matt’s “D”? Get a life Max, at least point out out your disdain for the player first, before you make your “OPINION” only remark. That way, the newbee’s here will understand from whence your comments comes and like me, dismiss it as poor typing at best. He was so far ahead of the others in steals alone, not including one of the most sought after “D” stats by players, especially in Dr. Jerry’s clinics, "TOUCHES and DEFLECTIONS. Why am I even even discussing this? If you want to slam Zag players that don’t meet your qualifications, fine, but don’t expect the knowledgeable hoops world to put your evaluation of a former Zag player over Coach Fews and the good Doctor’s! You dropped your shorts on this one Max. How much lower can you take your attack on Matt? Oh well, I just consider the source. On to the new season and fresh criticisms!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Back from the Doc and feeling frisky.
Mike, Sequim
by mikesequim on Aug 29, 2010 8:19 PM PDT up reply actions 1 recs
I get the sense you disagree with me
You do not at all have to take or agree with my opinion Mike…I think the whole point of this blog is that multiple view points are expressed.
I’m just basing my opinion on Matt from what I saw from four years of watching him play defense. He was a poor defender, and I don’t care what Jerry Krause and his odd statistical system might point out differently. Matt was not good at keeping people in front of him…especially when it came to guarding a BCS type athlete.
However, I understand you disagree. We will clearly never agree on Matt…or Pargo….or Meech…or half the Gonzaga roster.
Final 4 or bust
In the tradition of Spink, Nilson, and Knight
would love it if Keita, with his long frame, has a passion for defense. Manny would have been SO nice in shutting down Syracuse long range attack last year, with him and Steven, and hopefully some German dobermans patrolling the perimeter, maybe we wont see any career performances against us (aka Wesley Johnson, and some dude named Stephen Curry).
Getting Zagged!
Once upon a time, Gonzaga beat teams with great perimeter shooting.
Didn’t see much of that last year.
But we did get Zagged by other teams — generally speaking, if you were going to beat Gonzaga you had to make some 3’s — and indeed more than a couple teams discovered this path to victory.
We should expect to see a lot more of this kind of play from opposing teams in the coming year. It goes without saying that shutting down the perimeter shot will be key to our defensive success
mjc
by quidveritas on Aug 29, 2010 2:40 PM PDT up reply actions 1 recs
Precisely my point
With the length and athleticism on the roster this year, I just think it would be unacceptable to see any player absolutely go off on us and single-handily win a game.
Final 4 or bust
I checked out the link posted by quid
not sure of the credibility of the author, when he calls Bouldin a "great one-on-one defender. I love Bouldin, and hope he catches on in the league. He is underrated in so many ways. Still, I would never call him a great one on one defender
Goodson is a great defender...
But I’m really excited to see what Carter can bring to the table. If he can enter the game and provide an offensive threat without sacrificing defensive coverage, I see a pretty solid starting five. Not having seen a moment of him on the court, I don’t want to speculate about whether that will actually be the case or not. However, once our reserves enter the game our defense becomes suspect. This team has a lot of unknowns that I’d like to have answered…but I guess we’ll have to wait a couple more weeks for those answers.
Zagnificent - GU Class of 2010
I agree
I think i’ve said it before, but I think it would be great if Carter could step into the starting position to bring more offense, which would relieve a lot of the extra pressure from double teams on Harris and Sacre. Meech could come off the bench to bring speed, energy, and defense. Most teams slow down when they bring in the bench, it would be huge to bring someone in that can take the tempo in the opposite direction. Look at meech’s biggest moment…coming off the bench when the other team wasnt ready for his speed! It seems like teams last year did a pretty good job of controlling his speed because he was a starter and they were prepared for it.
Not for nothing but
The Big "E"s arms are looking bigger! Physique of JP, aggressiveness of Ammo, can’t wait.
Not disappointed
he’s showed too many flashes. He put up 13, 9, and a block, and all around looked like a stud against a huge FSU squad. I am confused and bothered by the fouls.
A matter of maturity
He may be big but he’s still got a lot of kid in him. Maybe this year he grows up a bit and takes his role more seriously than in the past. He can be the “man” if he wants to step into those shoes.
I want him to be the team leader! It may take a bit of an attitude adjustment but he’s the guy that can lead next years team to places most would not have thought possible!
mjc
I was thinking about this today...3 players at a FIBA WC has to be a record for a university, right?
Because most schools just have American kids and even when world championships were all amateurs, I doubt 3 from the same school would make the U.S. squad.
Elias' growth from a german perspective
Since I don’t follow the Zags (difficult if you almost never have the chance to watch it online) I can only speak for the games at last year’s European Championship and this year’s World Championship (plus a couple of exhibition games) but his one-on-one defense got outstanding. His feet are lot quicker, no dumb fouls (which is good because some of our bigs do it all the time) and he seems very comfortable with the overall system.
Unfortunately on offense he gets his points mostly due to dunks after he cuts open and gets the ball. As nice as that is I really would like to see him drive more to the hoop because no one really does that for Germany and I know he can do it.
Summing up two things really stood out for me so far of his performance:
1) During a Serbian fastbreak one of their players got the ball completely open on the perimeter. Elias came, fell for pump fake, jumped and stayed in the air … stayed in the air a little bit longer … still stayed in the air….and finally he came down again….I have no idea what the Serbian player wanted to do after the fake but you could really see how he didn’t expect someone to just jump up in front of him and stay there for a while. In the end no more fastbreak for them.
2) In the second overtime (at least I think it was in the second) Serbia inbounded the ball under their own basket and they passed the ball to some guy in the corner. Elias ran towards him to apply pressure but couldn’t get the ball. Somehow he managed to strip the ball from him and bounce it off of him to force the turnover. Since that was like a minute before the end it was a crucial turnover for the outcome of the game.
Thanks for the German perspective
awesome to here Elias developing defensively, had the long quick first step last year, now he’s worked on lateral speed? I havent been able to watch much FIBA. Liked the second point too. Elias is just a playmaker, he makes things happen. You have it like that or you don’t, and he does.
Sacre...
Needs his maturity to catch up to his ability. Here is what I mean…Do you remember that moment last year that Foster became legit (to the degree he could) It was a matter of Pride. It was a matter of I am done being the pushover…making mistakes, missing free throws…and he really contributed to the degree his ability would allow…
Sacre needs to figure out that a 7’ center who avg lil over 5 rebounds a game…is a joke.
He needs to figure out that Harris leaves him hanging on defense…a lot…and get in his face about it. He needs to see that his personality (which is great) is not going to carry him in a game…It is time for his resolve and comittment to winning every possession to now match his talent level.
Also…seriously…Rob… to rebound.. you HAVE to move your feet WHILE the ball is in the air…I know it is a pretty orange ball…but come on!!!!
Last thing on Harris and Sacre...
Just was reading Harris’ NBA draft profile….says exactly what I have been saying about his defense….
From Draft Express-
“On the defensive end, Harris is average at best—like his entire team—despite possessing all the physical tools and the work ethic to be a good defender. He’s undisciplined and overzealous, often jumping on ball fakes or over helping – leaving himself out of position to recover and close out. His awareness is just average on top of that, as he loses his focus and completely exposes his team’s defense at times. "
That is a fair assessment of last year.
Why are you beating this horse to death. The past is the past. Team defense is something I expect to be a lot better this year. I mean its not like none of these guys are incapable of improvement.
mjc
by quidveritas on Aug 31, 2010 11:39 AM PDT up reply actions
I didn't beat anything to death...
I stated what I thought and posted something that shows I was not the only one.
Yes the past is the past that is a certain text. But means something considering the same guys will be on the court.
“Team defense is something I expect to be a lot better this year.” Why?
Way cool
however they perform, having three guys playing FIBA will be great for our team… I mean, sometimes our best pros get beat at this level. I condsider it right between the NBA, and division 1.
No comments about how Kelly Olynyk led Canada in scoring in their game against Spain? 14 points in 22 minutes.
Sacre didn’t do too badly either – no fouls and 8 points on 14 minutes.
When do internet comment makers start demanding that Olynyk starts in place of Sacre?
Hey, I did post about it.
Here.
Given KO’s performance, I’ll be extra excited about seeing him play in the upcoming season. I didn’t realize he was making such big strides so quickly. I don’t think he should replace Sacre in the starting lineup (nor do I think Coach Few would consider such a possibility unless Sacre was just playing terribly). However, if Harris scoots over to the three like some have suggested, KO could start alongside Goodson, Gray, Harris, and Sacre. Then Carter comes off the bench for Goodson, Arop comes on for Gray and Harris, and Dower comes on for KO and Sacre. Yup, definitely a possibility.
KO overlooked
I have underimagined his potential, thinking of Elias, Stephen, Sacre… You watch him, you see little things that show he can just play. Quick hands, good shot, coordination, overall basketball sense, 7ft…. maybe it is good we didn’t get Witljer, let our own talent develop and shine… GO Boise ST. The Gonzaga of college football! Hang on.
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