Trey Lyles proves our lineup for next year

[hall_fan]

Trey Lyles was one of the things that cost Kentucky the game tonight. He chucked shots from the perimeter and couldn't guard anyone at the 3.

Yes he is 6'10'' but this reminds me of why it is smart Willard doesn't play Desi at the 3. Desi would shoot countless threes, and is slow footed defending on the dribble. Can't have a 3 man that can't shoot or guard. Would rather have an undersized two guard at the 3....Example ( Booker, Whitehead)

It is a stretch of a comparison however that is what came to mind watching Lyles stink it up at the 3. At least he is big enough to play PF, Desi is caught without a position.

That being said I believe in the kid as an undersized 4 and cant wait to see what this new Pirates team can do next year! I STILL BELIEVE IN THIS TEAM

 

[Flnj86]

Looking forward to next year.

 

[Burnsly]

I don't think Desi is slow footed. He does have to work on his shot to get meaningful mins. at the 3 however.

 

[HallBall02]

I couldn't disagree more with hall fans orignal post. Hopefully he is being sarcastic.

 

[hall_fan]

not at all? do you honestly think lyles is a good option at SF over booker? and You don't think that desi playing the 3 will turn him into a Jeff Robinson, chucking threes?

I like him at the four. If you look at his body yes you think a 3 but when you watch him play and you take a detailed scouting report on him, he is more effective at the 4.

Look at Duke and how well they have been playing with Winslow at the 4

 

[HallBall10]

I just don't want to pigeon hole Desi. The team could be more effective with him at the 3 against certain teams and at the 4 against certain teams. Depending on matchups and our roster Desi will need to contribute at both the 3 and 4 for minutes this year.

 

[HallBall02]

Hall fan, your using an example of lyles a 6 10 player shouldn't be a 3 (which I do not necessarily agree with) to show that a 6 foot 5 player on our team shouldn't play the 3 (where he hadn't played the 3 spot all year so there is no evidence it won't work) doesn't mesh well to me.

I think you are stretching this a bit with your example. FYI lyles isn't the reason Kentucky lost it was bc they stopped feeding the post.

Nobody says Desi is a perfect 3 right now but he is too small to play 4 against big teams for sure and that won't ever change (except if he plays next to a legit center like duke does).

kW needs to tell Desi to get lighter, do exercise to amplify his quickness , practice dribbling more, and learn the offensive sets at 3 for next year so he has a shot. Otherwise for most top 100 teams we will be at a disadvantage down low. How many times did Desi get blocked down low last year? Imagine if he took those shots against a 3 instead of a 4. Imagine how much better we would rebound? Think about it.

 

[cernjSHU]

Originally posted by hall_fan:
not at all? do you honestly think lyles is a good option at SF over booker? and You don't think that desi playing the 3 will turn him into a Jeff Robinson, chucking threes?

I like him at the four. If you look at his body yes you think a 3 but when you watch him play and you take a detailed scouting report on him, he is more effective at the 4.

Look at Duke and how well they have been playing with Winslow at the 4

It is up to the coach not to have Desi shooting an inordinate amount of threes. But, you are incorrect about Desi. He would be a great three. I would make him into a Kevin Freeman. But, not much hope with our coach.

 

[Seton75]

Decker takes a bad shot. He sits. Not brain surgery.

 

[HallLine69]

I agree that Desi is a tweener. But it's ridiculous that he was never on the floor at the same time as Mobley. I also disagree with the original post's comment that Willard was smart in this situation....Kevin Willard and the word "smart" in the same sentence about basketball is problematic.

Unless the sentence reads something like: "That was a smart shirt and tie combination Kevin Willard wore with his suit at the game the other night."

 

[JIMSOULS]

Originally posted by Seton75:
Decker takes a bad shot. He sits. Not brain surgery.

Dekker's step-back three should be the takeaway image from that game. Has any player in the tournament helped his draft stock more that Dekker? He's an old-school player in the best sense of the word. I think he'll do well at the next level. If you can shoot, they will find a spot for you, especially when you can put it on the floor as well.