I've been isolating Kuany watching the last couple games. He is often out of position or does not get to his defensive spot quick enough. I think coaching him as a stretch-4, where he can use his length to react quickly, was not the right choice. He's got the foot speed to play more pressure on the ball, almost like a 2 or 3. See how he …
I've been isolating Kuany watching the last couple games. He is often out of position or does not get to his defensive spot quick enough. I think coaching him as a stretch-4, where he can use his length to react quickly, was not the right choice. He's got the foot speed to play more pressure on the ball, almost like a 2 or 3. See how he drew a couple charges last night where he moved laterally fast enough so the ballhandler could not get around him and instead ran into him.
I also have kept an eye on Kuany, and his moments of brilliance can be spectacular, but I often see him standing still in bad positions watching shots go up ('ball watching' as my son's coach says) rather than crashing the boards or sprinting back on defense. He kind of tunes out at inopportune moments. I love his movement when he draws the charge, but conversely he flops too often (which doesn't get called enough). If he were a freshman instead of a senior, I'd say he has a great future at the D-1 level.
Teams have picked on Kuany because of his tentative nature on defense. He does not commit on defensive action on screens and picks, and stays too far back. I compare how we defend to how Colorado was instantly trapping the ball handler on the high screens. Worlds of difference.
Oh no doubt, BP…and he’s clearly a nice, sweet dude…you can tell just by watching him on the court.
But you can’t teach his combination of height, length, athleticism, foot speed and outside shooting…just seems a real waste of what could’ve been…a total whiff by the coaching staff.
He started playing basketball too late. He absolutely has the tools.
First thing I would’ve done as a HC is get him in the weight room and send him to the equivalent of the Pete Newell Big Man’s Camp to learn big man fundamentals.
I've been isolating Kuany watching the last couple games. He is often out of position or does not get to his defensive spot quick enough. I think coaching him as a stretch-4, where he can use his length to react quickly, was not the right choice. He's got the foot speed to play more pressure on the ball, almost like a 2 or 3. See how he drew a couple charges last night where he moved laterally fast enough so the ballhandler could not get around him and instead ran into him.
But he’s absolutely not a stretch 4, BP. He does nothing in the low post or down on the block…because he clearly hadn’t been coached to do so.
He’s a 6’10” 2-guard, and the entire team is out of position on D, unfortunately.
I also have kept an eye on Kuany, and his moments of brilliance can be spectacular, but I often see him standing still in bad positions watching shots go up ('ball watching' as my son's coach says) rather than crashing the boards or sprinting back on defense. He kind of tunes out at inopportune moments. I love his movement when he draws the charge, but conversely he flops too often (which doesn't get called enough). If he were a freshman instead of a senior, I'd say he has a great future at the D-1 level.
Teams have picked on Kuany because of his tentative nature on defense. He does not commit on defensive action on screens and picks, and stays too far back. I compare how we defend to how Colorado was instantly trapping the ball handler on the high screens. Worlds of difference.
Oh no doubt, BP…and he’s clearly a nice, sweet dude…you can tell just by watching him on the court.
But you can’t teach his combination of height, length, athleticism, foot speed and outside shooting…just seems a real waste of what could’ve been…a total whiff by the coaching staff.
He started playing basketball too late. He absolutely has the tools.
First thing I would’ve done as a HC is get him in the weight room and send him to the equivalent of the Pete Newell Big Man’s Camp to learn big man fundamentals.
In other words, he was a project, like most of our roster.
Exactly…tho one that a better coaching staff would absolutely have done so much more with.
He was wasted by THIS stubborn and unimaginative staff tho.