2Ball Posted January 14, 2014 Report Share Posted January 14, 2014 Game on CBS Sports Network TWC ch 1322 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave in Green Posted January 14, 2014 Report Share Posted January 14, 2014 Zeke just had his best quarter as a pro in the fist quarter of this game -- 2-2 field goals, 3-5 free throws, 2 rebounds, 1 steal. Zeke was tied for second leading scorer in the first quarter with 7 points. He was on the floor for 8:36 of the 12-minute quarter -- third most of any player on his team. He's slowly working his way into a prominent position in the rotation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
akzipper Posted January 14, 2014 Report Share Posted January 14, 2014 Starting watching in the second quarter. Unfortunately Zeke looked a bit lost out there. He had a wide open dunk, but other than that has been pretty nonexistent. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave in Green Posted January 14, 2014 Report Share Posted January 14, 2014 Maine's starting center, Ty Walker, left the game at 4:48 of the first quarter and hasn't returned. Zeke ended up playing 18:45 in the first half, scoring 10 points and grabbing 7 rebounds as the Red Claws ran up a 70-56 halftime lead. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pdt1420 Posted January 14, 2014 Report Share Posted January 14, 2014 I caught the 2nd quarter and dvr'd the rest, but Zeke looked frustrated out there. Despite the good first half stat line, I came away thinking that maybe this isn't the best future for him. At the end of the day, as appreciation for what he did for the program, all I want is for him to be happy in whatever he's doing. I'm no psychology major, but here are some factors that I think come into play. First, the d-league, at least this game, was not about defense which is obviously his strong suit. Many times he'd make a switch which would result in a dunk from the person he just left. You could see him look at his teammates and throw up his hands. Maybe I have blue/gold tinted glasses, but coming from Akron with our style of defense and teammates working together, this has got to be frustrating. Also, I'm sure that part of his renewed love for basketball during his time at Akron was related not only to what he was doing, but who he was doing it with. You grow more comfortable with your teammates... is the same happening in Maine? I also noticed in the offensive gameplan (if you can call it that) the game was mostly about dunks, or guards bringing the ball up, coming off of one screen and hoisting it. I watched the entire second quarter and saw maybe 4 entry passes to Zeke. Consequently, his rebounding attempts, which have never been spectacular, were pretty rough. Many times he would just lean into the guy who was boxing him out, and not make any move to get around him. I know he's no Varejao, but the effort just wasn't there and I think that was at least in part to the lack of team play/frustration/guards hoisting shots. Again, if he came out tomorrow and said he was quitting basketball because his heart wasn't into it and he wanted to do something with his degree, I'd wish him all the best. He doesn't owe us anything else on the court. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave in Green Posted January 14, 2014 Report Share Posted January 14, 2014 @pdt1420, good description of how D-League ball is played and how Zeke's style of play fits into that. As a D-League freshman, at times Zeke looks like he did as a freshman at UA adjusting to a higher level of play. To succeed in the D-League, he needs to look more like he did as a senior at UA, but he doesn't have 3 years to get there. He did end up scoring his first double-double with 12 points and 11 rebounds, leading his team in rebounding. But his team absolutely collapsed in the 2nd half, shooting less than 30% from the field in the second half and going from a 70-56 halftime lead to a 120-107 loss. The Red Claws' record fell to 8-12, so they're not exactly burning up the D-League. Zeke ended up playing a full 35 minutes, by far his longest minutes of the season. Hopefully Zeke will also get long minutes when the Red Claws play in Canton next Monday and we can get a chance to evaluate his performance live instead of on a computer monitor. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Hip Zip Posted January 14, 2014 Report Share Posted January 14, 2014 I'm no expert when it comes to the D league but from my limited viewing I can appreciate the above assessments of D league play. The league seems very guard oriented to me. It's often one pass or no passes at all then throw something up there in an attempt pad those stats. I suppose it makes some sense in that the vast majority big guys with legit skills are already on a roster in the association and learning at the highest level. All in all, I'll gladly take in a good MAC or Horizon league affair before watching any professional game at any level. Back in the day as a player I couldn't guard a kids piggy bank, but I now have an appreciation for good defense and the coaching strategies found in the college game that you don't see at the professional level. When you add in the rivalries and spirit of the college game, to me no other level basketball is as enjoyable. I agree with the guy that said he just wants to see Zeke be happy be it in basketball or any other profession. He's a good kid from a good family and I wish nothing but the best for him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zipmeister Posted January 14, 2014 Report Share Posted January 14, 2014 I'm no expert when it comes to the D league but from my limited viewing I can appreciate the above assessments of D league play. The league seems very guard oriented to me. It's often one pass or no passes at all then throw something up there in an attempt pad those stats. I suppose it makes some sense in that the vast majority big guys with legit skills are already on a roster in the association and learning at the highest level. All in all, I'll gladly take in a good MAC or Horizon league affair before watching any professional game at any level. Back in the day as a player I couldn't guard a kids piggy bank, but I now have an appreciation for good defense and the coaching strategies found in the college game that you don't see at the professional level. When you add in the rivalries and spirit of the college game, to me no other level basketball is as enjoyable. I agree with the guy that said he just wants to see Zeke be happy be it in basketball or any other profession. He's a good kid from a good family and I wish nothing but the best for him. It's not just guards. Forward, Chris Wright, the Red Claws #1 prospect doesn't waste any energy playing defense. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave in Green Posted January 14, 2014 Report Share Posted January 14, 2014 In the typical D-League offense, centers are expected to create their own shots off of rebounds. So the most important offensive play for Zeke to excel in is offensive rebounding. Last night, Zeke had 6 offensive rebounds -- twice as many as any other player on the floor. Those 6 offensive rebounds led to most of Zeke's field goal attempts, and he made 4-7. He added 5 defensive rebounds for a total of 11, most for his team and tied with a player on the opposing team. This is noteworthy for a guy who was not considered a great rebounder in college. If Zeke keeps steadily progressing in his rebounding and putbacks, he may catch the attention of an NBA team. He needs to learn to love rebounding at the pro level with the same intensity that he loved blocking shots in HS and college. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phil Posted January 14, 2014 Report Share Posted January 14, 2014 I watched the 2nd half of the game. What surprised me was how few people were in the stands. You can hear the ball bounding on the court and the coaches yelling at the ref. It looked like a high school gym but with the Lakers banners I assumed it was their practice gym. Except for the TV, it looks like a step down from college ball. Zeke has to be frustrated. His teammates are not feeding him the ball. He has to more aggressive on the boards. I saw the same thing as everyone else. He is getting boxed out and does little but lean on the defender. I hope he succeeds and would love to see a Zip in the NBA Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Hip Zip Posted January 14, 2014 Report Share Posted January 14, 2014 It's not just guards. Forward, Chris Wright, the Red Claws #1 prospect doesn't waste any energy playing defense. I'm guessing that that this is the Dayton grad ?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr Z Posted January 16, 2014 Report Share Posted January 16, 2014 Zeke and number one pick overall playing in same league? In a season that many would grade an "F," Anthony Bennett could soon earn a "D." Even before he didn't play a minute in a 120-118 victory over the Lakers on Tuesday night, [bennett] was being asked whether he'd be interested in going down to play with the Cavaliers' owned-and-operated NBA Development League franchise in Canton. "It's something I'd think about, for sure," Bennett said before Tuesday's game. "It's not a bad thing, especially going down there, hopefully playing a lot, going out there, building my confidence." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valpo Zip Posted January 16, 2014 Report Share Posted January 16, 2014 Zeke and number one pick overall playing in same league? In a season that many would grade an "F," Anthony Bennett could soon earn a "D." Even before he didn't play a minute in a 120-118 victory over the Lakers on Tuesday night, [bennett] was being asked whether he'd be interested in going down to play with the Cavaliers' owned-and-operated NBA Development League franchise in Canton. "It's something I'd think about, for sure," Bennett said before Tuesday's game. "It's not a bad thing, especially going down there, hopefully playing a lot, going out there, building my confidence." Even better, I saw that Rajon Rondo was assigned to the very same team that Zeke is playing for: Maine Red Claws. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave in Green Posted January 16, 2014 Report Share Posted January 16, 2014 Not so fast: How Rajon Rondo spent his two hours as a Maine Red Claw Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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