By Adam Butler
It’s December 9th and I’ve been watching Colorado basketball from afar. I’m not deep in it like you guys. My emotions don’t run with the Buffalo. But I watch and I wonder and I’ve struggled to grasp this team. There’s a certain je ne sais quoi. I can’t finger it and it’s been bugging me and this weekend I came to the conclusion that it’s ok.
Because it is December 9th and the season is wildly young. Just seven games have been played and we’ve seen good bad and ugly from the Buffaloes. They stand at 5-2, seven contests of more than thirty in total, and are trying to find themselves, their identity. Which is a funny word – identity. It gets tossed around as a part of growing up or as a part of sports seasons. I’m thirty and I’m looking for my identity. I’m pretty sure of myself. I have confident moments and clarity of purpose on an occasional weekday afternoon. But sometimes I’m clueless. We all have those the hell am I doing moments. Our identities will never explicitly be found.Which is why I think it’s been unfair for us to have said that Colorado had a “jump-start” into this year’s season. Every season is it’s own unique journey. It’s not like last year and it won’t be like next year. It’s part of the joy of college sports. Every year brings something completely new. Continuity is precious and rare. Colorado had some of it (80% returning minutes) but ultimately they need to be a brand new Buffs. The 2014-15 Colorado Buffaloes. We still don’t really know who they are. Or what they’ll be. That’s what I’ve struggled with. Because I thought we were supposed to.
I thought that the jump-start was a window into what to expect. In some regards it was. It gave a narrative and some predictive numbers to crunch. They weren’t that optimistic. But this is a new team. Has to be. As James broke it down, it would seem that this is indeed a brand new team playing a brand new style. Or at least a different version of the kind of basketball previously played.
And maybe that’s OK. Because it is December 9th and this is a team that – it would seem – has a steeper task than initially thought in finding its identity. We essentially have unknowns because it’s a brand new identity that must be found. This team is not about to become a version of something they once were. They will become who they’re supposed to be. What we do know is that a basketball game is generally decided by four factors, right?
1. Effective field goal percentage
2. Turnover percentage
3. Offensive rebounding percentage
4. Free throw rate
Perform effectively in these areas – however you identify – and a team will give itself an improved chance to win. So when looking at how Colorado is fairing in their identity hunt, Josh Scott is giving them their best opportunities to win. He’s putting up his highest career numbers in each of the four factors and is showing few signs of slowing down. So what of his running mates?
Well, Xavier Johnson is putting up career lows in each of the factors, Askia Booker is pacing right about at his career numbers, and quite frankly, no one has really moved into an increased role. This team is looking for its identity. Wesley Gordon has been doing his part on the glass, but again, there has yet to be someone to grab the proverbial bull’s horns. It’s December 8th. Getting mileage on this season will help. No one – not even Tad Boyle – can give this team their identity. He can help shape it, but who this team chooses to become will be galvanized on the court.
Or maybe it’s just as simple as getting a little love:
[tweet]542040765040295936[/tweet]
It’s December 9th and I’ve been watching Colorado basketball from afar. I’m not deep in it like you guys. My emotions don’t run with the Buffalo. But I watch and I wonder and I’ve struggled to grasp this team. There’s a certain je ne sais quoi. I can’t finger it and it’s been bugging me and this weekend I came to the conclusion that it’s ok.
Because it is December 9th and the season is wildly young. Just seven games have been played and we’ve seen good bad and ugly from the Buffaloes. They stand at 5-2, seven contests of more than thirty in total, and are trying to find themselves, their identity. Which is a funny word – identity. It gets tossed around as a part of growing up or as a part of sports seasons. I’m thirty and I’m looking for my identity. I’m pretty sure of myself. I have confident moments and clarity of purpose on an occasional weekday afternoon. But sometimes I’m clueless. We all have those the hell am I doing moments. Our identities will never explicitly be found.Which is why I think it’s been unfair for us to have said that Colorado had a “jump-start” into this year’s season. Every season is it’s own unique journey. It’s not like last year and it won’t be like next year. It’s part of the joy of college sports. Every year brings something completely new. Continuity is precious and rare. Colorado had some of it (80% returning minutes) but ultimately they need to be a brand new Buffs. The 2014-15 Colorado Buffaloes. We still don’t really know who they are. Or what they’ll be. That’s what I’ve struggled with. Because I thought we were supposed to.
I thought that the jump-start was a window into what to expect. In some regards it was. It gave a narrative and some predictive numbers to crunch. They weren’t that optimistic. But this is a new team. Has to be. As James broke it down, it would seem that this is indeed a brand new team playing a brand new style. Or at least a different version of the kind of basketball previously played.
And maybe that’s OK. Because it is December 9th and this is a team that – it would seem – has a steeper task than initially thought in finding its identity. We essentially have unknowns because it’s a brand new identity that must be found. This team is not about to become a version of something they once were. They will become who they’re supposed to be. What we do know is that a basketball game is generally decided by four factors, right?
1. Effective field goal percentage
2. Turnover percentage
3. Offensive rebounding percentage
4. Free throw rate
Perform effectively in these areas – however you identify – and a team will give itself an improved chance to win. So when looking at how Colorado is fairing in their identity hunt, Josh Scott is giving them their best opportunities to win. He’s putting up his highest career numbers in each of the four factors and is showing few signs of slowing down. So what of his running mates?
Well, Xavier Johnson is putting up career lows in each of the factors, Askia Booker is pacing right about at his career numbers, and quite frankly, no one has really moved into an increased role. This team is looking for its identity. Wesley Gordon has been doing his part on the glass, but again, there has yet to be someone to grab the proverbial bull’s horns. It’s December 8th. Getting mileage on this season will help. No one – not even Tad Boyle – can give this team their identity. He can help shape it, but who this team chooses to become will be galvanized on the court.
Or maybe it’s just as simple as getting a little love:
[tweet]542040765040295936[/tweet]
