re: 1989-1990 LSU Basketball: What do you remember the problem being?

quote:

---

YEAR G/GS FG/FGA PCT FT/FTA PCT PTS AVG REB AVG PF/D AST TO BLK STL
1988-89 32/32 359/739 .486 163/200 .815 965 30.2 108 3.4 70/2 130 113 6 55
1989-90 32/32 305/662 .461 191/210 .910 889 27.8 81 .2.5 66/3 102 117 1 52
TOTALS
Games/GS 64/64
FG/FGA 664/1,401
FG% .474

FT/FTA
354/410
FT %.863

Points 1,854
PPG 29.0
Rebounds 189
RPG 3.0

PF 136/5
AST 232
TO 230
Blocks 7
Steals 107

---

the problems in 1989-1990 stemmed from having two undersized SGs playing together in the back court. When they played open court basketball it was fine, when they played in the half court it often didn't work. Neither CJ nor MW were adept at making others better and setting up team mates. Certainly neither one was suited to run an offense.

CJ had a 102:117 AST: TO ratio as a Soph in 89-90 which is 3.65 TO/G. That is pretty terrible for a college PG and especially terrible for a guy averaging 27.8 PPG surrounded by so much talent. The year before with very little talent around him he averaged 30.2 PPG and 130 AST:107 TO (3.34 TO/G)

CJ had an amazing freshman season in 88-89 but he had a green light to shoot whenever he wanted. When the talent around him came up, he had a tough time going from ball dominant to complementary. MW being a ball hog only made it worse. Unfortunately I dont see MW's stats

The pieces of individual talent were astonishing in 89-90 but it wasnt a very cohesive basketball team.

The shooting and play making balance that a player like Steph Curry shows is exceedingly rare. CJ never quite mastered it and that stunted his NBA career (with the injuries)