Breakout Game Calls Attention to Offensive Drop-Off
Forward Shaun Green was hardly jumping up and down at the thought of scoring a season-high 20 points for the Utes against Colorado State last night, clearly understanding that his breakout performance came against one of the worst teams in college basketball and was long overdue.
That didn't seem to be lost on coach Jim Boylen, either.
"He had open shots, he's supposed to make those," Boylen said flatly, clearly annoyed that Green has not been a greater factor lately.
The 6-foot-8 junior had not scored even in double-figures in nine straight games, and his errant shooting for much of this season -- he hit the side of the backboard from the corner at Wyoming -- has been a significant reason the Utes aren't higher in the standings.
The leading three-pointer shooter in the Mountain West Conference last season, Green has all but tanked from long range this season, hitting only 37.6 percent before going 4-for-6 against the Rams. His scoring average has taken a dive, too, from 11.1 to 7.4 points per game before last night -- a development that Boylen attributed early on to Green's increased focus on other aspects of his game.
But while Green has become a better defender, he has seen almost every offensive aspect of his game suffer.
Not only is his scoring down, but so is his rebounding, assists, steals and shooting percentage -- both from the field and the line, where he has attempted far fewer foul shots -- even while playing about a minute more per game. His only statistical improvement has come in committing far fewer turnovers -- not an inconsequential stat, at least -- and blocking more shots.
Green has said that he feels as if defenses have focused on him more this season than last, giving him fewer open shots.
But Green has had a maddening tendency to miss too many of the open shots he gets -- he was 15-of-41 in the eight games before last night -- and is going to have to find a way to cope better with increased defensive attention if he's going to be a major factor for the Utes in his senior year next season.
That didn't seem to be lost on coach Jim Boylen, either.
"He had open shots, he's supposed to make those," Boylen said flatly, clearly annoyed that Green has not been a greater factor lately.
The 6-foot-8 junior had not scored even in double-figures in nine straight games, and his errant shooting for much of this season -- he hit the side of the backboard from the corner at Wyoming -- has been a significant reason the Utes aren't higher in the standings.
The leading three-pointer shooter in the Mountain West Conference last season, Green has all but tanked from long range this season, hitting only 37.6 percent before going 4-for-6 against the Rams. His scoring average has taken a dive, too, from 11.1 to 7.4 points per game before last night -- a development that Boylen attributed early on to Green's increased focus on other aspects of his game.
But while Green has become a better defender, he has seen almost every offensive aspect of his game suffer.
Not only is his scoring down, but so is his rebounding, assists, steals and shooting percentage -- both from the field and the line, where he has attempted far fewer foul shots -- even while playing about a minute more per game. His only statistical improvement has come in committing far fewer turnovers -- not an inconsequential stat, at least -- and blocking more shots.
Green has said that he feels as if defenses have focused on him more this season than last, giving him fewer open shots.
But Green has had a maddening tendency to miss too many of the open shots he gets -- he was 15-of-41 in the eight games before last night -- and is going to have to find a way to cope better with increased defensive attention if he's going to be a major factor for the Utes in his senior year next season.
posted by www.sltrib.com @ 4:54 PM |
1 Comments:
Utah needs one more scorer besides Bryant and Nevill this season, and they haven't had it. Kepkay, Borha, Green and Drca have all kind of tried, but they haven't been near-enough consistent. I know Green has been receiving more attention than last season from defenders, but he needs to look to score more. He's got a lot of offensive skills, it just seems like he's thinking too much out there, like he can't get into a rhythm. While his defense, rebounding and passing are appreciated, we need more offense, and I think he needs to apply himself more and look to score more often. Otherwise you've got two guys who average 14-point-something points per game leading the way. And it ain't cuttin' it.
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