Thursday, September 20, 2012

Offensive Improvements Necessary for Returners

We all know Butler struggled offensively last year.  Here is one or two things each returner needs to improve on to become a more complete offensive player.


Jackson Aldridge: TURNOVERS: Yes, the all caps was necessary. His assist to turnover ratio last season was 0.58/1.  That is as bad as I have seen in all my years watching basketball, especially for a point guard.  How can you have a point guard that turns it over almost twice as much as he gets an assist?  No wonder his playing time diminished at the end of last season.  He could be the starting point guard in 2013-14, but to do so, he will have to improve his decision making on the court when running the point.

Chase Stigall:  Dribble Penetration: While it may seem like it would be 3 point shooting for Chase, the ability to dribble penetrate will cause defenders to give him more space on the perimeter, which would get him better 3 point looks, hopefully improving upon his percentage of under 30% from last season.  78% of his career field goals made are 3 pointers, so attacking the basket would definitely give him a more complete offensive game.

Andrew Smith: Staying Assertive: Smith scored four points or fewer 7 times last season.  That is quite outrageous considering is combination of skill and size.  Often he would get pushed around in the post, disappearing on the offensive end.  If Smith can play a more physical post game like Matt Howard did, he will at least get to the free throw line more than he did last year, which was 4 attempts per game.  Be a continual presence in the post while still being able to step out to shoot the 3 will enable Smith to improve upon his 11 points per game average.

Khyle Marshall: Mid-Range Jumper: While it did get better in between his Freshman and Sophomore seasons, it needs to take an even bigger step this season.  If defenders are hugging him out on the perimeter concerned about his jump shot, it will allow him to go backdoor for more alley-oops, as he is a very good finisher around the rim.  Also, Marshall would score more if he could improve upon his 55% free throw shooting.

Erik Fromm: Low Post Game: Nearly all of Fromm's baskets came from 15 feet and out last season.  If Erik can develop some post moves, he will become an excellent inside-outside threat.  By doing so, he would get to the free throw line more often.  Fromm only attempted 0.8 charity tosses per game in 11.0 mpg, or 2.3 attempts per 30 minutes.

Kameron Woods: Jump Shots and Interior Strength: I gave Woods two areas to improve on because I think he has a ton of potential to become a complete player.  Woods' jump shot held him back last year, and is the main reason why his shooting percentage was so low.  If he develops a jump shot, like Marshall, he will find more open opportunities in the paint.  Woods also needs to get to the free throw line and be more physical and finish around the rim.  He only shot 2.0 free throws per 30 minutes, which is quite low, even lower than Fromm.

Roosevelt Jones: Jump Shot and Free Throws: Similar to Woods and Marshall, Jones could become a more complete offensive player by improving his jump shot, and giving it more arc.  He is already physical in the paint, so he is truly just a consistent jump shot away from becoming an all-league player.  Since he has good touch on his floaters, I see no reason why he cannot consistently hit a 15 foot jump shot.

Not Listed Here: I wanted to include Andrew Smeathers here, but he did not play enough meaningful minutes last season for me to evaluate his game.  Same goes for the walk-ons, including Alex Barlow and the Kampen brothers.

Newcomers are also not listed here: Rotnei Clarke, Kellen Dunham, Chris Harrison-Docks, Devontae Morgan, because I have not seen enough of their game to give them an analysis.


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