Wolves fan commiserate here!
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https://forum.midwestvolleyball.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?t=32054
If he can become our point guard, YESAussieWolf3 wrote: ↑Tue Mar 31, 2026 12:10 pm Since joining the Wolves, Ayo has a net rating of:
+7.5 (114.6 / 107.1)
As a Bull the numbers stood at:
-3.8 (111.1 / 114.8)
An 11 point swing in 19 games. Depending on how this season finishes out, is this the greatest trade deadline move in franchise history?
I'm not necessarily talking about rolling to the rim tho. I'm talking about possessions where Ant is facing a double or heavy ball pressure on the perimeter and he passes it inside to Rudy around the top of the key. It's become consistent enough of a thing that it's basically a feature of the offense. The problem is that Rudy is so limited as an offensive threat --- it works out sometimes but it just isn't that dynamic.Q-is-here wrote: ↑Tue Mar 31, 2026 12:00 pmRandle and Naz aren't big on rolling to the rim because neither are lob threats, which takes out an option on how to react to the defensive scheme. The ideal roller can both catch a pocket pass AND a lob for the dunk. One of those isn't available in their case.AussieWolf3 wrote: ↑Tue Mar 31, 2026 11:13 amI think you're right about the lack 2 man play in Ant's game, or at least in regard to a big.Q-is-here wrote: ↑Tue Mar 31, 2026 10:49 am
Ant just isn't a great "two-man game" type of player. Jokic and Murray are probably the best ever at it.
I've always felt that Ant is the perfect fit for the Celtics offense over the last few years, which is (mostly) a 5-out offense predicated on hunting mis-matches and breaking down guys one on one, with ball movement coming as a result of breaking down the defense versus causing the breakdown. How much of a two-man game do Tatum and Brown play? Hardly none. But they each take turns breaking down whoever has the advantage and giving each other much-needed breaks. It's not beautiful basketball, but it works because the Celtics can really spread the floor with shooters.
I think the best fit for Ant offensively are guys that have some combination of handles, passing, and shooting. Conley (before this year), DDV, and Ayo all seem to check these boxes to varying degrees. Ayo may ultimately be the best of them all; time will tell.
Obviously it was a bit unfair to compare them to Murray and Jokic hehe.
I will say that Ant seems to find better synergy with other guard's and he's also very adapt at using Rudy's screens. So maybe I'm wish casting but I can't help but wonder if you subbed Rudy with another good screener but with better handle and play making. Like even a Hartenstein type, who can do just a little more in the short roll. Even more so, I really don't understand why a player with Julius's strength and speed can't do this!
Ant often, correctly, answers double teams with a pocket pass to Rudy with seemingly 50/50 results. Why is it that they can't ever do that with Randle or Naz? I'm asking seriously, I'm not enough of a ball guy to know the answer there. Are there good Xs and Os reasons or is it a poor skill match?
That being said, I've often seen Conley run "pick and roll lite" with these guys as a way to initiate the offense, where they set the screen and then Conley gets the ball back to them almost immediately, but still on the perimeter. Ant has done a little of this too when Finch calls for Randle to get the ball. It gives them a bit more space to operate in since their defender is helping on Conley(or Ant) for a second or two. But they almost never roll all the way to the rim. Rudy and Joan are really the only two pure rim-runners on the team.
The reason that pass to Rudy on the short roll is available is because it's Rudy and the defense would rather blitz Ant and force Rudy to make a play (which like you said has uneven results). I doubt they blitz as much if it's Naz or Randle setting that screen. They might hedge and recover a lot more quickly rather than doing a hard blitz. Naz and Randle are much more dangerous from that spot than Rudy is.AussieWolf3 wrote: ↑Tue Mar 31, 2026 2:21 pmI'm not necessarily talking about rolling to the rim tho. I'm talking about possessions where Ant is facing a double or heavy ball pressure on the perimeter and he passes it inside to Rudy around the top of the key. It's become consistent enough of a thing that it's basically a feature of the offense. The problem is that Rudy is so limited as an offensive threat --- it works out sometimes but it just isn't that dynamic.Q-is-here wrote: ↑Tue Mar 31, 2026 12:00 pmRandle and Naz aren't big on rolling to the rim because neither are lob threats, which takes out an option on how to react to the defensive scheme. The ideal roller can both catch a pocket pass AND a lob for the dunk. One of those isn't available in their case.AussieWolf3 wrote: ↑Tue Mar 31, 2026 11:13 am
I think you're right about the lack 2 man play in Ant's game, or at least in regard to a big.
Obviously it was a bit unfair to compare them to Murray and Jokic hehe.
I will say that Ant seems to find better synergy with other guard's and he's also very adapt at using Rudy's screens. So maybe I'm wish casting but I can't help but wonder if you subbed Rudy with another good screener but with better handle and play making. Like even a Hartenstein type, who can do just a little more in the short roll. Even more so, I really don't understand why a player with Julius's strength and speed can't do this!
Ant often, correctly, answers double teams with a pocket pass to Rudy with seemingly 50/50 results. Why is it that they can't ever do that with Randle or Naz? I'm asking seriously, I'm not enough of a ball guy to know the answer there. Are there good Xs and Os reasons or is it a poor skill match?
That being said, I've often seen Conley run "pick and roll lite" with these guys as a way to initiate the offense, where they set the screen and then Conley gets the ball back to them almost immediately, but still on the perimeter. Ant has done a little of this too when Finch calls for Randle to get the ball. It gives them a bit more space to operate in since their defender is helping on Conley(or Ant) for a second or two. But they almost never roll all the way to the rim. Rudy and Joan are really the only two pure rim-runners on the team.
So the question for me is --- why can't you switch Rudy for Randle in that action, especially when Rudy is off the floor? Maybe they've done this more than I realize but in my head it should really bust up the doubles and heavy gap defenses. Am I wrong? To often the ball just moves laterally around the perimeter till someone ends up with a grenade.
Why not get it to Randle with 4 shooters and let him playmake out of that or take advantage of mismatches?
Ok that makes sense to me and is what I was suspecting. I want to pay attention to this in upcoming games, cause in my head --- why not bring Randle up and see if you can force his defender into making a mistake? If they over hedge toward Ant pass it to Randle. Or even if they stay disciplined before that pass, force them to move and react after a pass with Ant re-positioning for catch and shoot opportunities.Q-is-here wrote: ↑Tue Mar 31, 2026 2:30 pmThe reason that pass to Rudy on the short roll is available is because it's Rudy and the defense would rather blitz Ant and force Rudy to make a play (which like you said has uneven results). I doubt they blitz as much if it's Naz or Randle setting that screen. They might hedge and recover a lot more quickly rather than doing a hard blitz. Naz and Randle are much more dangerous from that spot than Rudy is.AussieWolf3 wrote: ↑Tue Mar 31, 2026 2:21 pmI'm not necessarily talking about rolling to the rim tho. I'm talking about possessions where Ant is facing a double or heavy ball pressure on the perimeter and he passes it inside to Rudy around the top of the key. It's become consistent enough of a thing that it's basically a feature of the offense. The problem is that Rudy is so limited as an offensive threat --- it works out sometimes but it just isn't that dynamic.Q-is-here wrote: ↑Tue Mar 31, 2026 12:00 pm
Randle and Naz aren't big on rolling to the rim because neither are lob threats, which takes out an option on how to react to the defensive scheme. The ideal roller can both catch a pocket pass AND a lob for the dunk. One of those isn't available in their case.
That being said, I've often seen Conley run "pick and roll lite" with these guys as a way to initiate the offense, where they set the screen and then Conley gets the ball back to them almost immediately, but still on the perimeter. Ant has done a little of this too when Finch calls for Randle to get the ball. It gives them a bit more space to operate in since their defender is helping on Conley(or Ant) for a second or two. But they almost never roll all the way to the rim. Rudy and Joan are really the only two pure rim-runners on the team.
So the question for me is --- why can't you switch Rudy for Randle in that action, especially when Rudy is off the floor? Maybe they've done this more than I realize but in my head it should really bust up the doubles and heavy gap defenses. Am I wrong? To often the ball just moves laterally around the perimeter till someone ends up with a grenade.
Why not get it to Randle with 4 shooters and let him playmake out of that or take advantage of mismatches?