You have to shoot them at about a 65% clip to make them a viable consistent option in your offense. And the type they're taking matters too. Catch and shoot? Guarded? Created off the dribble? Biggest problem with that shot, is it doesn't lead to nearly as many offensive rebounds as the 3 does.
Is Zoom an upgrade from Lowe?
- Thread starter ChocoChicken
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That's just patently false. Aberdeen was the only player on the court that could create HIS shot as well as getting looks for other guys. Oweh could kinda/sorta get his own shot when he didn't dribble off his foot or into a crowd of three defenders, but he couldn't pass. Nobody else on the court could do what Aberdeen could. He took 4 less shots a game than Oweh (who couldn't pass) and 3 more shots a game than Chandler (who couldn't dribble). That's anything BUT a "ball hog".
Totally disagree, the ball movement died when Aberdeen got the ball, he was too slow with the decision making and thus would result to one on one play.
Jaland Lowe was the 15th best point guard in the portal zoom is the 6th
You can disagree on that all you want. The "ball hog" comment is just false. If he wasn't going to create shots, how would we have gotten them? The book was out on Chandler before SEC play even started. Don't help off him and stay up in him when he has the ball, because he can't dribble therefore you don't have to worry about getting beat. Give Oweh space because unless it's a HORSE 3, he's not making it. Help off whoever was at the 4 because none of them could make anything. Front Moreno, while also hard hedging any ball screen or DHO. That was it. That group was super guardable. Aberdeen was legitimately the only dude that could go get his own, which is a huge part of major college basketball offense. And he took 10 shots per game, which again, is anything but a ball hog. It's actually reasonably efficient to get to 13.5 pts/game.
So then I’ll drop the ball hog term and just say he wasn’t a Good point guard , he was slow with the ball and wouldn‘t pass to open 3pt shooters at times. So you actually think Aberdeen was better than Oweh? They we’re both me first players and not team players.
I don't think they were "me first" at all. I think they were the only two players that could actually create a shot. What "open 3 pt shooters" are you talking about? Chandler was the ONLY capable shooter on the team and he didn't get any clean looks against a decent team after Christmas. I explained above, but the book on defending this team was easy. Chandler not getting looks had more to do with his own deficiencies as a player than anything.
I don't think Aberdeen was necessarily better than Oweh, but they were certainly the two best players we had, and it wasn't particularly close.
Aberdeen and Oweh were drive first type of players with I’ve got to score mindset, they missed open 3pt shooters on a regular basis. One of the biggest problems is neither tried reversing the ball instead they’d drive straight in, it was so frustrating to watch. With that said the lack of a big who could stretch the defense was a major issue which just allowed players to collapse on those two when they drove the ball.
Does he have 4 functioning limbs?
If he does, it's an upgrade
If he does, it's an upgrade
I like Jaland Lowe, but he was never going to be an SEC guard. Zoom has the physicality like Lamont Butler. I think he is definitely the better two way player by a mile. If he can improve his shooting from 3 he might be one of the best PGs in the country next year.
That's the point. There weren't "shooters". It was just Chandler, and people weren't leaving/helping off of him. We were super easy to defend. Noah got his 2-3 wide open looks and we can all still hear the clanks from those attempts. Hell, if Chandler wasn't open, other than a dump down to a big from uphill help, Oweh or Aberdeen was all the offense the team had. Did you want Jelavich or MO taking more shots? I'm just not sure where you wanted shots to come from. You've said "open shooters" like three times now. There weren't any worth shooting. Chandler was it my man.
I do agree about it being super frustrating to watch though. But that has more to do with roster construction than anything else. I just struggle to think how awful it would've been either w/o those two dudes or with Mo and Jelavich and Noah hoisting up more shots. There aren't enough hard hats in the state to protect the Rupp crowd if that was happening.
This! Dude is a massive upgrade over Lowe! This isn’t even a debate. He shoots like 60% at the rim. That’s elite for a PG. He is a table setter and gets guys involved. If he can be a solid outside shooter, look out. He’s also a better PG option than Aberdeen. Not even close. Aberdeen isn’t even a PG! Zoom is a pure PG!
This right here! Nailed it! Aberdeen and Owen were ball stoppers, full stop! They never passed to the open man, very rarely anyway. You’re correct, they never tried to reverse the basketball! Was one of the biggest reasons our offense looked like garbage last season.
The Cats need creators on offense to be able to finish and to PASS the ball when appropriate
Diallo was the second best player on a team that featured Hannes, who will likely be a lotto pick in this year’s draft.
That team went 16-17, 8-12.
For both the all-conference media and all-conference coach selections, Diallo was not 1st team, not 2nd, not 3rd, and not one of the ten honorable mentions. (Oweh was 2nd team all-SEC).
Again, I’ve watched Diallo play full games. He is talented and he might develop, but he currently is not as good as Aberdeen or Owen were at UK last year. Compared to Lowe? Diallo is more talented and has the potential to be quite a bit better.
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Diallo strong with the ball,attacks the rim , gets to the foul line and shoots high percentage. He is very good at shooting the two ball but needs to improve his three point shooting.Hopefully assist,rebounding and defense are adequate.
I’m willing to make a bet that Zoom will be better next year than Aberdeen was last year at PG. He’s a better PG because he’s an actual pure point. Zoom is really good at finding the open man. Aberdeen was HORRENDOUS at it.
Are you reasoning again?
Are you REASONING again?
What have we told you about reasoning here? If you keep engaging with the negs, they'll think their arguments are legitimate. If you attempt to reason with them, they will just get worse. I get that you're replying to someone with reason on this post, but if you don't start being irrational and super negative for no reason, people might catch on and ruin "the message board experience" for newcomers.
It would be weird to watch 5 minutes of UK basketball and not scream at the TV that one of our bigs or a guard at the wing is open, while watching someone lower their head and drive into a double team at the rim instead. That's been consistently us since Cal choked on the 2015 FF instead of crushing it into a powder with the platoon system.
Aberdeen is a fine player. He was not a PG and it was a shame he had to play the point. We never really got to see Aberdeen play the position he should have played. If Lowe was 100% healthy and he never was even when he played, he would have been the team's distributor and Oweh and Aberdeen would have been the teams main 2 offensive weapons around the distributor. The problem was that losing Lowe and not having anyone else able to fill that spot forced Aberdeen into a role he was not accustomed to playing and forced a finisher to be the distributor. That is why the team looked off all season long. Had Lowe ran the point and Oweh and Aberdeen been 15 to 20 pt a game scorer for the Cats the team would have been much better. Add to that if JQ would have played and been a double double machine which he could have been this team would have been much much better. It did not happen. Bottomline is the Cats could not rely on Lowe's shoulder in 2026/2027 to be the main distributor and Zoom is a better PG than Aberdeen. As an overall player it is close either way. I do feel that Zoom is an upgrade to Lowe, but they play the point much differently.
From the tape that I’ve watched the last couple of days. Zoom’s floor and ceiling are much higher than Lowe’s. He is an upgrade and definitely could be a point guard on a final four team. If he’s your number one option, you’re probably not going very far. He’s gonna have to have talent around him.
I would sign on to your side of that bet.
I have repeatedly posted that Oweh and Aberdeen were better basketball players than Zoom Diallo last year. Primarily because they turn it over much less and because they are competent outside shooters.
However, neither Aberdeen nor Oweh are natural ball distributors/point guards, and Diallo is better suited than either to play that position.
If he plays through the season it is an upgrade versus another guy sitting on the bench counting his money. But, at least his excuse was legit.
Zoom is great passer. He will need a big dunker center to pass it and shooters in the corners .
if Pope can get an athletic center and couple shooters yes he will better than any PG MP had in his coaching career.
if we expect him to create his own 3 pts shot , that’s not his game.
he can finish around the rim and pulls a high % 2 pts shooting.
so for passing better than Butler or Lowe. 2 pts shooting better than OO.
defensive better than Lowe not as good as OO or Butler.
i like him as PG but we need a big athletic center and shooters for him to be elite.
if Pope can get an athletic center and couple shooters yes he will better than any PG MP had in his coaching career.
if we expect him to create his own 3 pts shot , that’s not his game.
he can finish around the rim and pulls a high % 2 pts shooting.
so for passing better than Butler or Lowe. 2 pts shooting better than OO.
defensive better than Lowe not as good as OO or Butler.
i like him as PG but we need a big athletic center and shooters for him to be elite.