I think we all get it and aren't writing EJ off over a scrimmage, but when we see Nick score 20 and play above the rim and well, block EJ, etc. it is going to let some doubt creep in. I think a lot of us saw EJ leading this team and I just don't know if I see the confidence which is the big thing for me. It seems like he is ok with taking a backseat where is I thought he would be so hungry and scrappy this year. Again I to get it's just one scrimmage. I just hope we aren't having this discussion in Dec. As far as Nick goes I hope so badly he gets it this year, but he has fooled us in meaningless games before. (the Bahamas last year.)
I get what you’re saying, I think I’ve just had different expectations than most. I never felt like EJ would be even our 2nd or 3rd best player this year. Certainly starter quality, but I’ve put a lot of my expectations on the guards. I just think our guards determine our ceiling and where we go this year, not the bigs. They’re important, but I feel like our floor as a team is more determined by the bigs.
I’m not saying you specifically think this but I’ve seen a lot of posters here act like our season dramatically shifts dependent on how EJ/Nick play. I just don’t think that. They need to be better sure, but I think Hagans/Maxey/Quickley and how they play night in night out will determine how the game goes.
FWIW, I think our guard play will be much better this season than most years, so that in in of itself should lead to a lot more opportunities for the bigs to play well. We saw that with Sestina’s shooting last night. The guards were fantastic getting him the ball in open space. It just didn’t quite translate to easy opportunities for Nick/EJ but it will.