Question for the knowledgeable posters on this board
- Thread starter Scarlet Engineer
- Start date
We will never know.
such a complicated question...needs to be looked at from so so many angles.
A healthy Eugene that is not worried about stats there is ZERO debate.....
Originally this year I thought yes. But, I do not think so now because the offensive ball movement is showing signs of really coming together.
Eugene, while talented and was the heart of our team, was kind of a "black hole" while on offense. Kind of like Carmelo Anthony(obviously nowhere as talented) on the Knicks. Many would just stand around watching while they did their thing. Sometimes scoring, but many times not.
Watching the teams that get to the Final 4 in recent years(Virginia, Auburn, Texas Tech, etc) have real good ball movement. Rutgers needs to keep playing great defense while adding better offensive pieces(Think Virginia as they got better the last few years) with ball movement each year and we will be on our way.........
Best of Luck,
Groz
Eugene, while talented and was the heart of our team, was kind of a "black hole" while on offense. Kind of like Carmelo Anthony(obviously nowhere as talented) on the Knicks. Many would just stand around watching while they did their thing. Sometimes scoring, but many times not.
Watching the teams that get to the Final 4 in recent years(Virginia, Auburn, Texas Tech, etc) have real good ball movement. Rutgers needs to keep playing great defense while adding better offensive pieces(Think Virginia as they got better the last few years) with ball movement each year and we will be on our way.........
Best of Luck,
Groz
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I agree, we were too focused on getting the ball inside to Gene and watching him force and miss layups.
Basketball (especially in college) is about players fitting together within a system AND does the player removed from the equation, provide a unique talent/skill set that isn't replaceable.
You 100%, do not see the growth of Myles Johnson with Eugene on the court, absorbing those touches and minutes.
There is no possible way Myles Johnson is THIS version of Myles Johnson with Eugene here.
The only argument is whether Eugene is a better option than Shaq Carter for 14 to 18 minutes a game. I can argue that Shaq is not as good of a player as Eugene, but cannot argue Eugene would have the impact Myles Johnson has on the roster and team growth.
So, if Eugene is your 8th of 9 players in a rotation ahead of Shaq Carter and Doucoure, those minutes, I would rather have Eugene, even if it meant no one on the court being taller than 6'6".
But player development requires expanded roles.....team development sometimes requires a reduction in roles in spots.
You 100%, do not see the growth of Myles Johnson with Eugene on the court, absorbing those touches and minutes.
There is no possible way Myles Johnson is THIS version of Myles Johnson with Eugene here.
The only argument is whether Eugene is a better option than Shaq Carter for 14 to 18 minutes a game. I can argue that Shaq is not as good of a player as Eugene, but cannot argue Eugene would have the impact Myles Johnson has on the roster and team growth.
So, if Eugene is your 8th of 9 players in a rotation ahead of Shaq Carter and Doucoure, those minutes, I would rather have Eugene, even if it meant no one on the court being taller than 6'6".
But player development requires expanded roles.....team development sometimes requires a reduction in roles in spots.
Yes...We are better off without the Eugene From 2018-2019
We WOULD be better with the Eugene of 2017-2018 that was a willing, hungry role player that played defense and rebound, did the dirty work, and doesnt demand the ball where the half court stopped when he got his touches
We WOULD be better with the Eugene of 2017-2018 that was a willing, hungry role player that played defense and rebound, did the dirty work, and doesnt demand the ball where the half court stopped when he got his touches
A selfless EO that is the first big off the bench, ahead of Carter, would have been ideal.
No, not the way he was playing lately. Selfish ball, we have too much depth for that it would have hurt the development of the other players we have
The team heart is this sophomore group of players that have stepped up.
Perhaps Eugene saw this and was a contributing reason for leaving RU.
Perhaps Eugene saw this and was a contributing reason for leaving RU.
Definitely miss his toughness and the depth he would have given us upfront. On the other hand, I’m really liking this almost 4-out, 1-in offense that’s happening with Yeboah instead of him. The lanes are more open. Bottom line, we will never know but I’m liking they way we are playing of late.
We are better in spite of the fact Eugene left (and added Mulcahy, Young and Yeboah) not because of it. Testament to these kids and this staff. Let’s keep it going.
Pretty much nailed it with the Yeboah predictions and took heat for it. We are better. Yeboah is really good and spaces the floor which makes everyone else better. EO clogged the lane and was a complete ball stopper. He would be great as a role player off the bench but he didn't want to take a step back
I still have concerns about enough players in various lineups stepping up and taking shots. This gets tougher without Geo.
Absolute shocker to me that it appears he hasn’t been missed all that much on defense and the “toughness quotient”.
Myles Johnson has taken a Eugene like leap. Unlike Eugene he has physical attributes that gives him a higher ceiling.
Jury is still out with a Yeboah. We still need to see us play more games against the better athletic and long B1G teams.
The team will need Yeboah in Geo absence. Caleb and Yeboah need to get up shots and make their fair share.
I hope we make the tournament and then Oregon gets a post season ban next year for recruiting violations. We all know they aren't clean.
It’s sour grapes to say we are better off without EO. I will say he doesn’t fit the pace of the game we are playing this year (looking to push/transition). BUT he would be a factor on offense in the paint, tough on D (played bigger than his size), hit his FTs, very good rebounder, he got in opponents heads (he drew charges ... but that might be less of a factor with the new flop rule).
He was pretty well rounded and worked hard. I saw him as a less talented version of Draymond Green. So yeah he would have been an asset to this team. With that said Yeboah was a good addition and Myles is growing before our eyes.
He was pretty well rounded and worked hard. I saw him as a less talented version of Draymond Green. So yeah he would have been an asset to this team. With that said Yeboah was a good addition and Myles is growing before our eyes.
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To make the analysis easier, assume he is healthy. If so, the answer is “of course.” No real expertise is needed for this analysis. In fact, for the Trust in Pike people, the answer is a clear yes because Pike tried to get him to stay.