re: What’s The Ceiling For Our Men’s Basketball Team?

Fear tPear

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So you think Darius days can be the best player on a final four team ?

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Why not?

He was #1 in the SEC in offensive rating last season...after finishing #2 the year before. He's been in the top 5 of the league two years in a row in total rebounding %. He shot 52% overall last season and 40% from 3. The only reason his numbers were overlooked is because he had 3 guys ahead of him taking (at least) 4 more shots per game than him. He's been one of the most efficient offensive players in the SEC for the last two seasons.

Can he carry LSU to a Final Four? Probably not. But can he be the "best player" surrounded by other good players on a Final Four team? Sure.

That said, I have NO EXPECTATIONS that this is a potential Final Four team. That was the case even before Miller was lost for the season. The issue with LSU has never been that they are devoid of talent. It's that they flat out refuse to play well on one side of the ball. Until that happens they won't be a real Final Four contender under Wade (and I like Wade). No different than what we all knew was the case with Miles and the football team. There was a ceiling on their level of success due to the fact he refused to change his offensive approach.

It’s not 3-paragraphs-complicated

-can’t create his own shot
-doesn’t make his teammates better
-doesn’t command a defense
-can’t play extended minutes because of fouling


He’s pretty much the exact definition of a complimentary player, which is absolutely fine. Expecting any more than that is unfair to him.

Complimentary player is not a good label for him at all especially when he will be more of the offensive focus focus. A limited borderline star player seems bette to me. Dude is an all conference level player at a power 5 school but is not all American level. If 2-3 other players step up and have good seasons he can definitely be the leader of a good team.

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can’t create his own shot

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He's never been asked to. That said, "creating your own shot" isn't just giving someone the ball and getting out of the way. He can (and does) create shots for himself by good off the ball movement. LSU is one of the best pick-and-roll teams in the country. Days's ability to pop out for a 3 and/or dive hard to the basket off the screen can create plenty of shots for him. Hell, the 2nd leading scorer in the history of the NBA wasn't great at "creating his own shot". He lived off the pick and roll.

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-doesn’t make his teammates better

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So he's not a big assist guy. Who cares? No one is asking him to be that guy. But he unquestionably makes the TEAM better.

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doesn’t command a defense

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In his 1st season LSU had Waters, Mays, Reid. Defenses couldn't dobule every one. In year two LSU had Mays, Smart, and Watford. Again, other guys who were the focus of the defense. In year 3 it was Thomas, Smart and Watford. The defensive attention hasn't focused on Days because Days hasn't been the primary option. But just because he hasn't had to be the primary option doesn't mean he can't be one of those guys. And hey, maybe he can't. But I'm not willing to unequivocally say he can't without having actually seen him in that role simply so I can win a message board argument.

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-can’t play extended minutes because of fouling

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No question that has been an issue.

That said, your question was:

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So you think Darius days can be the best player on a final four team ?

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And my answer was while I don't think Days can "carry" an inferior team by scoring 23 ppg or anything like that, I think he can be the "best player" among other good players on a Final Four team (Again, not that I think this LSU team is a Final Four team)

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Then don’t talk about his offensive rating & efficiency, because it is about to drop tremendously

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You ever get tired about being so incredibly wrong about basketball?

He's played almost 100 games and he's improved every single year and is a double double machine. You're arguing just to argue.

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His game hasn’t changed at all in 3 seasons. He’s just been presented with more opportunities.

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I have similar opinion.
Hope he proves us wrong. He will need someone to step up, like a Thomas, in order for him to continue to have another good season. IMO

His game has changed since he got to LSU. When he first got here he was 215lbs and was mainly an offensive rebounder/trash bucket guy who shot under 2 threes per game. He then gained about 25-30lbs, got stronger and developed incredible touch with his back to the basket game to go along with his spot up shooting and second chance point capability. He’s also become a better defender, his freshman season he couldn’t move laterally at all and was fouling all the time but now moves much better and doesn’t foul out very much at all. He had 94 fouls in 510 minutes his freshman year, he reduced that to 89 fouls in 755 minutes last season.

If people are expecting him to be like Cam Thomas or even Trendon Watford, that's just not his game. He's not a guy you just give the ball to and clear out. However, he can be a VERY tough cover on the pick and roll (which LSU runs a TON of). If you are lazy getting out to him on the pick and pop he can bury a three in your face. If you over-play him off the screen he's strong enough to dive to the basket or slip the screen for a layup at the rim. And while he hasn't done it often because LSU's offense hasn't asked him to, he's shown the ability to finish tough shots around the rim. He uses his size to bully taller, but thinner big men and short men alike. He shot over 66% from 2 last season. That means he's finishing close to the bucket. Frankly, he's been overshadowed and largely underrated his entire career at LSU. That, despite the fact he was the most reliable barometer of LSU's success last season. If he scored in double-figures LSU won. If he didn't, they lost.

But it is not just LSU fans recognizing him. Most national writers have him as a top 100 player entering the season. Any many of those list were compiled BEFORE Miller got hurt.

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CBS Sports

The Tigers have to fill a lot of needs, and Days -- after three years of dues paying -- will be the stat compiler supreme for Will Wade's program. Days averaged 11.6 ppg and 7.8 rpg last season while shooting 66.4% from 2-point range and 40% from beyond the arc on 130 attempts. If you make a list like this it's hard to argue you're underrated, but generally speaking, Days is probably the most underrated guy in the SEC heading into November. --MN

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Andy Katz - best player for each jersey number (Number 4)

I chose Days, who averaged 11.6 points, 7.8 rebounds and 1.1 steals per game while posting the 24th-best offensive rating in the country (128.0), per kenpom.com.

Days, a 6-7 forward, shot 40 percent from three on 130 attempts and he made two-thirds of his 2-point attempts. As LSU looks to replace the production of Cameron Thomas, Trendon Watford and Javonte Smart — and they'll also be without Illinois transfer Adam Miller due to injury — Days' raw scoring numbers could jump this season, even if it comes at the cost of his elite efficiency.

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