K-DOT wrote:thebuzzardman wrote:cgf wrote:I've really liked a lot of what we've seen from Obi. Don't wanna expect him to be as good as Blake, but he really seems to have a lot of old-man-Blake elements to his game while being able to get up like young-Blake. Once things start slowing down for him he's going to look really nice; nevermind when he tightens up his handle & gets comfortable shooting NBA 3s.
Obi seems to have a BIG adjustment to make, in terms of being impactful.
He's clearly used to be the MAN in an offense, where the offense was centered around him...well, being a center. Or PF. Who set all the picks with the PG and got a lot of touches that way.
It's not to say he can't play off the ball SOME, or that he isn't a willing or smart passer - he is.
But his role and path to success, in the bigger, stronger NBA, and also as an initial 3rd/4th option, and where there's a few other guys who should be setting the pick, is going to take a bit.
I think he's going to be far less than "immediately helpful" and in fact is a bit of a project.
He'll be helpful with some excitement and dunks off the bench. Not unlike everyone expected rookie KP to come off the bench and just be a shotblocker, but he surprised. Instead, for Obi, more like it's not surprising, at least to me, that he'll come off the bench and he's a bit raw and will need half the year, at least, to get acclimated.
Leon's son might have oversold his client to his dad, a bit.
I mean, I'll say it
He's probably used to being the biggest, fastest, most athletic guy in the gym
Now that he's in the NBA, he's facing guys who can match him physically every night, and he'll need to get his skills to the point where he can be effective, when he probably hasn't had to fully use them in quite a while.
As long as obi is contributing to winning basketball he'll be fine. His defense has been solid, a HUGE wake up call to some scouts.
Toppin's passing is really really good for a big as he showed while breaking the Zone. He's. a winner, just like the others.
Check this out.
3 Simple Strategies to Attack a Zone Defense
By Jeff Haefner
Want to score more points against zone defense? Here are 3 really simple yet effective strategies that every coach should consider.
These strategies work against all types of zone defenses and will help you score more points...
Like this article? Download it as a free PDF! (Download Now!)
Strategy #1 - Put Your Best Ballhandler in the Middle (Even if They're 4 Foot Nothing)
I picked up this strategy from Danny Miles who is #4 with most wins in college history (900) and the head coach of Oregon Tech.
It's very common for teams to put their big man at the free throw line in the middle of the zone offense. Instead, he urges you to put your best ball-handler and creator there. It's doesn't matter if they're 5'2".
Big players usually aren't as good at catching and handling a ball in traffic. But if you put one of your best ball handlers in the high post area, they will be able to drive around the bigger defensive players. They can score, dish, and cause lots of problems for the defense. This especially causes match up problems for the defense because they always put the biggest clumsier players in the middle of the zone defense. They will not be able stop your quick guards.


























