Murphy's Pub: Adaptation is good for the soul

As Gene Hackman would say, "My team is on the floor!" Today's Illinois team is the same team we, as Illini fans, are going to have to deal for the next year and a half (Michael Orris, a lightly recruited point guard, is next year's sole addition). Yes, they are going to compete and play hard, and we will love them for that. But they are going to have days like today where they just cannot buy a basket (contrast today to the Gonzaga game).

When you are a fan of a basketball team, there are things you can forgive (a team that competes hard and just misses shots - much of today's issues) and there are things you cannot get over. Today, there were several instances where the Illini made mistakes a 7th grade team wouldn't have made.

Case in point. Illinois cut UNLV's lead today to 8 late in the second half. They had the ball. Sam Maniscalco (a fine point guard, but one who is already horribly overrated by the Illini fan base - the people who say that Maniscalco is better than McCamey was are insane) pounded the ball at the top of the key for 25 seconds and the Illini turned the ball over. Now, if you have played basketball, you know that the fault on this particular play isn't on Maniscalco. The point guard brings the ball down, the big men set screens, and you have two guys popping out to the wing, the point guard makes the entry pass and the offense is moving. When no one popped out on that particular play, Bruce Weber needed to take a timeout and just berate his team. This is basic basketball. You can't play winning basketball when your point guard is wearing out the ball at the top of the key without any outlet.

The problem for the Illini is that they only really have three solid offensive options. Brandon Paul and DJ Richardson are solid Big 10 guards. When they have it going (and DJ did today with 17 points and 5 threes), you can run offense through either of them (see Brandon Paul late against St. Bonaventure). But Illinois needs to run offense through Myers Leonard to maximize their potential.

Leonard is a lottery pick in waiting. He's a 7'1" freak athlete. He has soft touch offensively (1-6 from the line today notwithstanding) and he's a surprisingly good passer for a guy his size. Not to go all Gene Hackman on the readers (reader), but any time Leonard is on the floor, he absolutely must get a touch in the post. This is simple. Guard pops out to the wing, Leonard posts and gets the ball. Double team comes, Leonard finds the open man. Double team doesn't come, Leonard scores. Bruce Weber MUST run the offense through his best player and if he doesn't, then he is over coaching and needs to go.

And here is the problem with coaches like Weber. They put the system ahead of the pieces on the floor. Weber's offense was perfect for the '05 team. Absolutely spot on perfect. But the '05 team isn't walking through the Assembly Hall tunnel. Other than Leonard, there isn't an NBA player on the roster. So simplify your offense. Play to your team's strengths. This Illinois team has plenty of strengths. They are very strong defensively they compete like mad, but other than DJ and maybe Maniscalco, they aren't going to shoot anyone out of the gym. And other than Brandon Paul, they don't have a guard that can create their own offense.

So let this be an informal plea to Bruce Weber. Simplify your system, run offense through Leonard, play to your team's strengths, and get the most out of a likeable, hard working Illini squad.

Cheers from Murphy's Pub.