Gatens

[Sirhouseman]

Why does he continually dribble drive down into the paint with all the trees and get blocked? I know that Fran wants him to be more assertive, and I agree. But he needs to stay on the perimeter. I get that other teams blanket him and he has no choice but to put in on the floor, but he needs to pull up for a mid-range shot instead of getting swatted 24/7.

I wonder if he works on this in practice? With our lack of depth and talent with big men, he can probably get to rack with success against his own guys in practice thinking that it would translate to game situations. But other teams' bigs are too athletic and strong for this to work in reality.

I'm not ragging on the kid. I love the effort and when he's on he is as good as anyone, I just wish he'd stick to his strengths and develop the intermediate game.

 

[tm3308]

I've wondered the same thing. It follows the same ****** every time, and it's been that way for 2 1/2 years now. Part of the problem is that he's 6'5", but when he puts up those shots, it's like he's 5'10". It's like he tries to curl up and lean away from the rim, and he keeps the ball by his ear. If he'd go up STRONG, he'd maybe make a few, and he'd also get a few foul calls. But it's too easy for him to be blocked with his form on those shots.

 

[blizzardpoker]

I've been thinking the same thing myself. I've seen a lot of cases this year were different players have an open 7-8 footer, and then they take 2 dribbles into the tree's? Understand the need to attack the basket, but I have to figure getting the ball handed back to you again and again would get old. We just can't elevate like some of the athletes in this league.

 

[Sirhouseman]

I've wondered the same thing. It follows the same ****** every time, and it's been that way for 2 1/2 years now. Part of the problem is that he's 6'5", but when he puts up those shots, it's like he's 5'10". It's like he tries to curl up and lean away from the rim, and he keeps the ball by his ear. If he'd go up STRONG, he'd maybe make a few, and he'd also get a few foul calls. But it's too easy for him to be blocked with his form on those shots.

Agreed. He tries to get creative. And most of the time the ball ends up out of bounds.

 

[ICHAWK]

Agreed. He tries to get creative. And most of the time the ball ends up out of bounds.

He has to be creative, it's not like he has Eric May's explosive athletic ability. Matt is still Iowa's best scorer despite not being a great dribble drive threat or a guy who is going to ever really finish around the rim that well.

The more I watch Matt the more I respect his feel for the game. My god I wish he was more athletic relative to other Big 10 guards but he is truly Iowa's best scoring option in my opinion. Basabe is starting to try to gain ground on Matt though.

 

[TheNebraskaHawk]

All he needs to do is drive and kick to an open May or another Hawk, instead he has been intent on going all of the way to the hoop and against Minnesota that is a recipe for disaster.

 

[PatrickAdamovicz]

I've wondered the same thing. It follows the same ****** every time, and it's been that way for 2 1/2 years now. Part of the problem is that he's 6'5", but when he puts up those shots, it's like he's 5'10". It's like he tries to curl up and lean away from the rim, and he keeps the ball by his ear. If he'd go up STRONG, he'd maybe make a few, and he'd also get a few foul calls. But it's too easy for him to be blocked with his form on those shots.

This assessment is 100% on.

 

[tm3308]

He has to be creative, it's not like he has Eric May's explosive athletic ability. Matt is still Iowa's best scorer despite not being a great dribble drive threat or a guy who is going to ever really finish around the rim that well.

The more I watch Matt the more I respect his feel for the game. My god I wish he was more athletic relative to other Big 10 guards but he is truly Iowa's best scoring option in my opinion. Basabe is starting to try to gain ground on Matt though.

It's one thing to need to be a little creative with those shots. It's entirely different to play much smaller than you are on those plays, which is what Matt has done consistently on his finishes. Go up stronger. He still might not make the bucket, but he'll draw the foul on a fairly regular basis. That has RARELY happened on his drives throughout his career. They way he plays small down there makes his shot way to easy to block cleanly.

He's not a "scorer", so to speak. He scores plenty of points. But he's a pure shooter (one of the best we've had in some time), not a scorer. Cartwright is a "scorer", May flashes that ability, Marble has too. Guys who can create off the dribble and finish at the rack. Matt can create a shot with a shot fake and a quick side step. Like I said, he's a shooter.

 

[dwh5er]

Does anybody else feel like Matt may be the least respected player by the refs on the court? I don't think he has ever gotten a foul called when he takes it to the hoop. I'm not saying one is deserved every time, but he has certainly been fouled on many occasions (even knocked to the floor) without ever getting a call.

 

[tm3308]

Does anybody else feel like Matt may be the least respected player by the refs on the court? I don't think he has ever gotten a foul called when he takes it to the hoop. I'm not saying one is deserved every time, but he has certainly been fouled on many occasions (even knocked to the floor) without ever getting a call.

Most of the time when he's knocked to the floor it's because the defender put his palm on the ball and just pushed him back down. Matt ends up on the floor, and it's 100% clean.

 

[ICHAWK]

It's one thing to need to be a little creative with those shots. It's entirely different to play much smaller than you are on those plays, which is what Matt has done consistently on his finishes. Go up stronger. He still might not make the bucket, but he'll draw the foul on a fairly regular basis. That has RARELY happened on his drives throughout his career. They way he plays small down there makes his shot way to easy to block cleanly.

He's not a "scorer", so to speak. He scores plenty of points. But he's a pure shooter (one of the best we've had in some time), not a scorer. Cartwright is a "scorer", May flashes that ability, Marble has too. Guys who can create off the dribble and finish at the rack. Matt can create a shot with a shot fake and a quick side step. Like I said, he's a shooter.

Agree Matt might need to stop expecting to get blocked, be the aggressor and get fouled. He will never dunk on someone but he can at least create contact and draw fouls. He will need to be going into the defendor rather than falling away and creating space between him and the defendor. He will have to force the ref to blow the whistle.

Iowa doesn't have pure scorer which is one reason they really, really struggle at times.

Eric May doesn't handle the ball well enough to be a scorer. Marble is just lost out there at times and doesn't handle the ball well enough to be a pure scorer. Cartwright is a pretty good scorer as he is more scoring guard than PG as shown by some of the decisions he makes while passing the ball. I don't consider him a consistent scorer because he can't shoot a jump shot well enough to be real dangerous.

I hear what you are saying but I don't think Iowa has a "scorer"..... Gaten's is the most consistent scorer points wise because he can shoot better than anyone else. I don't think he is a great scorer but on this Iowa team he is a guy who seems to be able to at least put some points up. The thing is someone has to score in a basketball game and Iowa doesn't have a guy who you just know is going to get his each night.

 

[sportstalent]

Matt is a scorer, maybe not in the sense of what some may think, but wasn't JJ Redick a scorer in his time? There is one difference between the two, Redick rarely went to the basket unless it was wide open and forced his mid-range game. Gatens must do the same thing and when or if he does, he will average over 20 ppg. I am not saying he is as good as Redick because Redick played on much better teams, but they are very similar type players. It took Redick time to develop his mid-range game even though it was always there, it was three years before he started using the shot fake with effectiveness. One other difference between the two is that Redick rarely ever watched, he always moved to get open.
Cartwright isn't a scorer to me although he can score, he forces more than he should and doesn't make the best choices, too inconsistent player he needs to be on the wing. When Payne comes back next season I would like to see Matt slide to the 3 and Cartwright and Payne be the backcourt. Basabe will be the player that looks to create next season more like he has against some of the better teams bigs.
May showed me last night that he is healthier and I wish he would not force trying to get to the bucket and force his mid-range game as well.
What has just hurt Iowa just as much as turnovers is the shot selection and trying to force things that aren't there. Iowa has one pure 3-pt shooter in Gatens and really work in the mid-range game with May, Marble, and McCabe. Jarryd Cole takes the most mid-range shots because he understands when and when not to attack and he knows his own limitations, I wish some others did as well. Better shot selection would give Iowa more chances to win, look at when they go into droughts, chucking up a 3-pt shot that isn't there when the middle of the floor is wide open, trying to force a drive to the hoop and turning it over.

 

[sioux34]

TM, I need a little clarification on what you mean by "going up stronger". What exactly do you mean by that? You make it sound like it is simply a matter of desire that gets you to the rim, or allows you to draw a foul. Please elaborate on this if you would.

 

[tm3308]

TM, I need a little clarification on what you mean by "going up stronger". What exactly do you mean by that? You make it sound like it is simply a matter of desire that gets you to the rim, or allows you to draw a foul. Please elaborate on this if you would.

I've tried to describe what Gatens does when he makes those drives, but it's a little tough to do. He just makes himself into a 5'10" player because of the way he leans away from the defender, and kind of scrunches himself up.

If he would go up a little more straight-up (stop "scrunching up"), and even initiate some contact (like Cartwright did on one of his 12' jumpers the other night), he still may not make the basket, but he'd draw a foul more often than not. And with Gatens, getting to the line often would be huge for the team.

 

[sioux34]

Sorry, I have to disagree with you. If Gatens went in with the posture you suggest, it would only result in him getting the ball blocked sooner. What I generally see him trying to do is outlast the shot blocker. He holds onto the ball until he is well on the way back to the floor and then tries to get the shot over the blocker. It isn't working, but I don't think your approach will either. He needs to shoot the mid range jumper over the guard instead of taking it all the way into the paint and contending with the forwards and center.

 

[mbchawk]

I agree that he needs to take the mid-range jump shot instead of going all the way to the basket. Defenders block his drives to the basket without even jumping...he has no hops. Can he even dunk the ball at 6"5"?

 

[HawkI101]

Matt is a scorer, maybe not in the sense of what some may think, but wasn't JJ Redick a scorer in his time? There is one difference between the two, Redick rarely went to the basket unless it was wide open and forced his mid-range game. Gatens must do the same thing and when or if he does, he will average over 20 ppg. I am not saying he is as good as Redick because Redick played on much better teams, but they are very similar type players. It took Redick time to develop his mid-range game even though it was always there, it was three years before he started using the shot fake with effectiveness. One other difference between the two is that Redick rarely ever watched, he always moved to get open.
Cartwright isn't a scorer to me although he can score, he forces more than he should and doesn't make the best choices, too inconsistent player he needs to be on the wing. When Payne comes back next season I would like to see Matt slide to the 3 and Cartwright and Payne be the backcourt. Basabe will be the player that looks to create next season more like he has against some of the better teams bigs.
May showed me last night that he is healthier and I wish he would not force trying to get to the bucket and force his mid-range game as well.
What has just hurt Iowa just as much as turnovers is the shot selection and trying to force things that aren't there. Iowa has one pure 3-pt shooter in Gatens and really work in the mid-range game with May, Marble, and McCabe. Jarryd Cole takes the most mid-range shots because he understands when and when not to attack and he knows his own limitations, I wish some others did as well. Better shot selection would give Iowa more chances to win, look at when they go into droughts, chucking up a 3-pt shot that isn't there when the middle of the floor is wide open, trying to force a drive to the hoop and turning it over.

JJ Redick was not a scorer in the sense of what 99% of analysts think of as a scorer. Redick just had the best shot of anyone in college basketball and didn't miss. He was a great shooter. Gatens is not even a good scorer he is a good shooter, not great. Gatens, IMO, is in no sense of the the word a scorer. Scorers can shoot, take you off the dribble, and get to the FT line. Gatens can do one of those things and he is only average at that.

 

[Cydkar]

Can he even dunk the ball at 6"5"?

Yes. Find me a 6'5" tall high major player that can't and I'll give you $100. Uninjured, of course.

 

[tm3308]

Sorry, I have to disagree with you. If Gatens went in with the posture you suggest, it would only result in him getting the ball blocked sooner. What I generally see him trying to do is outlast the shot blocker. He holds onto the ball until he is well on the way back to the floor and then tries to get the shot over the blocker. It isn't working, but I don't think your approach will either. He needs to shoot the mid range jumper over the guard instead of taking it all the way into the paint and contending with the forwards and center.

Like I said, he probably wouldn't make many more of the shots, but he would at least get to the line some of the time. Which never happens the way he does it right now. If he's going to insist on driving to the rim, I'll take the occassional automatic 2 points from the line of the 0 points he gets everytime right now.

But I agree that he should just stop driving like that and take the mid-range jumper.

 

[smhawk]

Developing a floater that defenders down low have to know he can make will help him put down more mid range jumpers. Or being able to drive and at least go stronge enough to catch a foul will help too.