Watching Dexter Pittman’s draft status plummet is like watching my portfolio the last two years, depressing.
Here is a guy with all the physical tools to make it rich and he can’t control himself for 40 minutes 2 or 3 times a week.
The first problem here is that someone told Dex he is a shot blocker. Just because you can block 2 or 3 shots a game does not mean you are a shot blocker. Shot blockers understand when to hold their ground and when to jump. Dex just jumps at everything even if it takes him away from getting a rebound or leaves his man unguarded.
I argue at 6’10” 285 pounds and a 7 foot plus wingspan you are more of threat by sliding your feet and making guys shoot over you or run through you. The only time you should be looking to block shots is if you have a much smaller guy challenging you and you don’t have to jump out of your vertical line.
Dex is averaging a lowly 6 points and 5 rebounds per game in conference play and while there are many reasons for the collapse of this team, as a Senior leader he bears the brunt of the blame.
I want someone to head over to the Athletic dorm and pull this article up for Dex. I am going to give him a million dollar solution to his offensive woes. It is as simple as this. The basketball is not a football and it is not a baseball. Just because you can palm the ball does not mean you should be squeezing the life out of it every time you touch it. This causes the very problems he has had in every game I have been watching.
If he can’t dunk he travels. If he tries to shoot the ball slips out of his hands because he is squeezing it instead of relaxing his shooting wrist, letting the ball sit in his hands correctly, and allowing him to actually make a 5 to 7 foot turnaround. If you can’t shoot you can’t score.
Take it from me on this one. Like David Duval searching for his golf swing I have spent many of post college days working on my shooting. I can’t go back but maybe I can help the big fella make his payday so please get this tip to him.
We have seen recently with no pure point guard and Gary Johnson playing too many minutes that this Texas team is undersized and outmatched without our center. We don’t need a shot blocker we need a dominant force on the inside who can finish and stay in the game. I put half the blame on Dex for his foul play and half on the coaching. At what point do you get it through his head to stop gambling on D, box out without eye gauging someone and stop acting like a complete moron with no basketball IQ.
Film study and punishment can cure this problem quickly Rick. I would say this would be a lost cause but watching Jordan Hamilton actually play some team ball the last few games gives me some hope that if Rick keeps listening to the blogs he can get this turned around.
Thoughts?