AJC > Sports > Tech > Blog > Archives > 2007 > February > 20
Tuesday, February 20, 2007
Tech needs more low-post points
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
As I suggested in today’s story, and will again in greater detail in Wednesday’s paper, for my two cents if Tech’s going to get where it wants to go, the Jackets need more consistent offense from their frontcourt.
Thad Young’s combined for 10 points in the past two games, Ra’Sean Dickey for 11.
At Duke, the starting frontcourt of Young, Dickey and Jeremis Smith combined for 17 points, 12 rebounds and shot 7 of 19. Not good enough.
Yes, it may be easier for opposing defenses to sag on Tech with Lewis Clinch out of the mix, but for Tech to consistently score 70-plus — which is not quite a magic number but darned close if the Jackets are to be in position to win more than they lose — there needs to be more muscle in the middle.
But here’s the kicker: defenses aren’t sagging that much.
When the inside guys get busy, as Dickey did when he scored a season-high 21 against Duke when Tech beat the Blue Devils in January, then defenses have to react for sure. And the 3-pointer is more readily available from kickout passes.
Tech’s not a great 3-point shooting team without Clinch (ranking 10th in the ACC in 3-pointers made and percentage in ACC games), but with a little bit of spacing, they can make enough to hurt opponents. Teams, though, are defending the Jackets straight up, man to man, and rarely doubling down with a perimeter player when Tech does work it inside. Why? The inside guys are not making people pay.
