Signs of life on offense, but little else
Smarter shot selection is a big help for the Cards, but things just aren't clicking
We’re through 13 games of the Louisville basketball experience this season, and it’s about the time when we should see some signs of improvement. The team has been healthy and available, and the coaching staff now has enough of a sample that hopefully they could identify some things to fix. This is my favorite time of the season, as teams start to integrate rotation changes or adjustments to offensive or defensive schemes in order to become a little better version of themselves.
It’s going to be tough to focus much on improvement over the rest of the season, because the Cardinals don’t have many spots to eke out wins. KenPom gives them only 1 game remaining with >40% chance to win (41%, Florida State at home on Feb 4) and only 1 other with >30% chance (34%, Georgia Tech at home on Feb 1). Most nights, staying within single digits might be considered a success…KenPom projects margins of 10+ points in 12 of the remaining 18 games.
A few things I’ll be watching are:
Any significant lineup adjustments
Shifts toward better offensive or defensive strategies
General effort level
In the most recent 4 game stretch, there have been some interesting examples of each that show progress in a couple areas, but highlight room for improvement in some others. I’ll explain what I’m seeing and what to watch for over the next few weeks, for my premium subscribers after the break..
A possible offensive identity, improving shot selection, and evaluating defensive effort, in this article ($)
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