Our offensive woes - our substitutions/rotations

[ScarletDave]

I started to figure out the puzzle a couple games ago and it’s been true now every one since. Pikiell’s inexplicable substitutions are what I believe causes our offensive funk. We consistently get out to strong starts (even Michigan we were up 11-6 early). But no matter what, after 4 mins the starters go out and then the 2nd team plays for 8 straight minutes (of the first 12). We then go from up a nice amount to down a nice amount. Then, only slowly do the starters roll back in.

Steve keeps Geo on the bench for long stretches not allowing him to get into any type of rhythm. Jacob Young starts making shots, it’s to the bench. Myles Johnson even in no foul trouble sits for 8-10, mins at a time. And then there’s the timeout usage which is absolutely horrible - never uses timeouts to end runs by the other team, or to draw up a play when we need it. In fact uses them often after we make a big play thus killing momentum. The offense cannot get into any rhythm due to the unbelievable rotations we’ve been doing.

 

[blockm2]

the funk is because Rutgers lacks offensive talent. Almost every player on the roster is better on defense than offense. It is what it is. You can’t shuffle the cards into a better deck.

 

[Duff366]

Thanks Michigan fan..

 

[RUBlackout]

We don’t lack offensive talent! I agree with the OP. It’s our lineups. He doesn’t rotate in a single guy..he does a complete 1st team for 2nd team and it hurts us everytime.

even the announcers tonight said on multiple
Occasions with our second team lineup : “where is the offense going to come from”

JY needs to be playing with the starters as he adds a different dimension out there. He should be playing closer to 30mins a game not 23 which is what he has been reduced down to.

 

[wrsu74]

Good points by Dave. I don’t understand why our best player Johnson Only plays 24 minutes and endsThe game with only two fouls. I would rather he play 32 minutes and foul out. Our offense takes too long to get started. Every announcer of our games makes the same comment. Next year we need to find a consistent shooter maybe it’s Jalen
Or maybe we need to find a transfer who can shoot.

 

[blockm2]

Thanks Michigan fan..

I like Rutgers, just pointing out the talent is on defense. There is nothing amongst recruiting profiles of the players on the roster or Pikiell’s career coaching history that would suggest a good offensive team. They need to win with D and rebounding.

 

[Duff366]

There is some offensive talent there, Harper Jr, Geo, Jacob Young, Myles.. Caleb at times

Give Michigan credit. They play great D and always make RU look very ordinary

 

[Greene Rice FIG]

Substitution had zero to do with this.

our point guard play was atrocious. Whoever it was failed miserably to get us in to our offense.

we can’t rely solely on 1 on 1 play or asking for a screen. Ron is not getting out of his slump without the offense running and working on getting him good shots.

 

[brookdale-soda]

Different lineups consistently miss layups. I'm not sure I've seen a team as bad at layups. That said. the second lineup seems worse at getting in position to take ( and miss) easy shots. I'm not sure what Pike can do about this. These guys play hard but need to learn to finish at the rim.

 

[MCKnight]

Biggest head scratcher. Second half HARPER AND BAKER on the bench for too long, from 13 min mark to 6 min mark, all while Michigan does not score a single field goal. The lead went for MICHIGAN went from 17 to 13 because RU couldn’t score. Caleb was taking shot after shot because he was in line up of Mathis, Mulcahy, amd Cliff.

 

[Pancho1939_rivals]

We don’t lack offensive talent! I agree with the OP. It’s our lineups. He doesn’t rotate in a single guy..he does a complete 1st team for 2nd team and it hurts us everytime.

even the announcers tonight said on multiple
Occasions with our second team lineup : “where is the offense going to come from”

JY needs to be playing with the starters as he adds a different dimension out there. He should be playing closer to 30mins a game not 23 which is what he has been reduced down to.

How many layups and 3s do we need to miss for you to think we have an offensive talent problem?

Do you find it odd that against all the good teams we play Iowa, Michigan, Ohio state they all hit back breaking 3s or shots before the half yet we never can do that? Like to night Wagner his the shot at half then hits the three late to close out the game and Jacob misses a wide open 3 down 8?

All the good teams hit those shots except us and all we yell is our offense stinks yet we are missing wide open shots.

I am mot saying our offense could mot improve but the offense was not the problem today outside of that fact that we could make shots.

 

[bethlehemfan]

Substitution had zero to do with this.

our point guard play was atrocious. Whoever it was failed miserably to get us in to our offense.

we can’t rely solely on 1 on 1 play or asking for a screen. Ron is not getting out of his slump without the offense running and working on getting him good shots.

True but Michigan had something to do with that. They smothered us at times. We don’t really have great ball handlers. We have a bunch of slashers.

 

[Proud NJ Sports Fan]

Mish is simply more talented and bigger

 

[Pancho1939_rivals]

Biggest head scratcher. Second half HARPER AND BAKER on the bench for too long, from 13 min mark to 6 min mark, all while Michigan does not score a single field goal. The lead went for MICHIGAN went from 17 to 13 because RU couldn’t score. Caleb was taking shot after shot because he was in line up of Mathis, Mulcahy, amd Cliff.

You mean that 7 minute stretch that we held Michigan to 5 points...

You also realize HARPER and BAKER didn’t have a single field goal the entire second half.... DIDNT HAVE A FIELD GOAL THE ENTIRE SECOND HALF.

Your mad at pikiell for not having guys who are sub par defenders and couldn’t score on the court?

 

[RUsojo]

The four minutes subs changed it ain’t true and for a few recent games in a row he played the starters til the 14 or 13 minute mark.

But he is really bad at rotations usually take him 2/3rds of season to figure it out

 

[Proud NJ Sports Fan]

Mish is very good and well coached but, I can't stand them.

 

[bethlehemfan]

Mish is very good and well coached but, I can't stand them.

I’m very jelly to be perfectly honest. Plus their fans are all so damn smug!!!

 

[Proud NJ Sports Fan]

I’m very jelly to be perfectly honest. Plus their fans are all so damn smug!!!

They appear to have no weak links

 

[dbegleiter]

Waiting to see Cliff and MJ together. Not sure that’s the answer but worth a look. Neither were in foul trouble tonight and with us getting out rebounded it was worth a shot in the 2nd half

 

[PSAL_Hoops]

You mean that 7 minute stretch that we held Michigan to 5 points...

You also realize HARPER and BAKER didn’t have a single field goal the entire second half.... DIDNT HAVE A FIELD GOAL THE ENTIRE SECOND HALF.

Your mad at pikiell for not having guys who are sub par defenders and couldn’t score on the court?

That defensive line up was awesome for RU. Those (Sojo mainly) complaining about Caleb’s playing time should recognize that he also plays 10 or so minutes a game at the 4 which Mathis cannot do. CM actually led all rebounders for RU. The RU defense was lost without him in the game.

 

[Greene Rice FIG]

Biggest head scratcher. Second half HARPER AND BAKER on the bench for too long, from 13 min mark to 6 min mark, all while Michigan does not score a single field goal. The lead went for MICHIGAN went from 17 to 13 because RU couldn’t score. Caleb was taking shot after shot because he was in line up of Mathis, Mulcahy, amd Cliff.

That was when the turnaround happened on D

 

[MCKnight]

You cant Win if you can’t score; don’t think Caleb going one on one for seven min is the answer

 

[PSAL_Hoops]

You cant Win if you can’t score; don’t think Caleb going one on one for seven min is the answer

Clearly not the recipe to win, but it’s not fair to blame that on Caleb. There was nobody open - Michigan’s halfcourt coverage on our post players and shooters was stellar. As someone pointed out our PG ball distribution was also horrible. CM doesn’t play point. How some folks don’t see that Caleb was just bailing out a stagnant offense with his length time and time again yesterday when our PGs had nowhere else to go with the ball is mind boggling to me. CM is not a ball hog. It’s nuts that some folks are implying this. He always looks to find the open cutter or feed the post. Hes an excellent passer. He’s shooting higher volumes than others because of the way he moved without the ball to get open on the help rotations. If you have the ball with the shot clock winding down and there’s nobody open to pass to, you have to shoot the damn ball.

 

[Captain Hogleg]

Honestly, Caleb is playing the most confident and fearless of any of our guys aside from Young. I want him on the court more, even if he's missing some shots. He rebounds and defends and makes his foul shots. Doesn't miss layups and doesn't hesitate to take the open shot. Its the passive play of Harper and Baker at times that is killing us.

 

[DHajekRC84]

I don't understand the concept of being able to either play great O or Great D. When JY is ON he does both. We need more of that. (type of player). I think PM can score more too but he doesn't want to shoot.

 

[kupuna133]

The issue is there is no secondary break. When the primary break does not work it takes 15-20 seconds to set up the next option.