Shields coming off the bench?

[lanigan123]

Anyone think he could be moved to a back up role but get 20+ min a game? It may help him get on track. With the loss of Biggs on second team, we really have limited scoring. Bring him in slide Terran to the 2 and Hawkins or Benny at the 1. He just seems to be on the milk carton. Ur second team would be Benny hawk shavon and smith. He just isn't a 4.

[Hooper]

Shields has been the biggest disappointment for me this year, and I'm at a loss to explain the fact that he seems to have taken a step back offensively this year. The most frustrating issue with his game right now is his shooting, which has been abysmal inside the 3-point line. His struggles, both from 2-point range and at the free throw line, are mystifying. I feel a lot of the time that he's hurting the team more than he's helping this year, and I don't know what's wrong with him. Injury issues just don't seem to explain what's going on. His struggles seem more mental than anything else.

 

After the FGCU game, I really believed he'd picked up where he left off last year and was poised to have a monster season. It sure hasn't played out that way. I'm still optimistic that he can get back into form, but he's taken a step back this year in my view, and he's hurting this team with his poor shooting.

[PimpMario]

I originally thought benching him might help a little but with the loss of Biggs I am not so sure.

 

Shields just may never end up being a an all B1G player.  We might have to accept that he is just a really good role player.

[Concrete]

He hasn't lived up to the hype we placed on him, but he's not hurting us at all IMO.  His shooting % needs to be higher (FG and FT), but he's still effective, efficient, and 2nd on the team in PPG/RPG/APG/SPG (granted he's also leading the team in MPG).

 

Who do we start in his place?  Rivers?

[HB]

Anyone think he could be moved to a back up role?

 

No.

 

On this team, Shavon is decidedly not a backup, and is not a 20 minute a game guy.  If his knee allows him to play, he will be on the court 30 + every game.

 

Of a bigger concern is how we can get Leslee back to giving us some decent minutes.  He has been scuffling something fierce the past several games.

[lanigan123]

Just an idea, it brings more scoring to the second team and cod help Tai get on track. I would slide Terran to the 2, ray at point shields at the 3 and them have rivers and Walt or leslee. I think an adjustment needs to be made. Shields has he disappointed with his lack of consistency. Nebraska doesn't need fgcu every night but 12 or so a game would be perfect.

[HB]

Just an idea, it brings more scoring to the second team and cod help Tai get on track. I would slide Terran to the 2, ray at point shields at the 3 and them have rivers and Walt or leslee. I think an adjustment needs to be made. Shields has he disappointed with his lack of consistency. Nebraska doesn't need fgcu every night but 12 or so a game would be perfect.

Nothing wrong with hashing around ideas, that's for sure.  But....you are just looking at one stat; Shavon does a lot more than score.  Also, Ray is not even close to being a point guard.

[throwback]

 

Anyone think he could be moved to a back up role?

 

No.

 

On this team, Shavon is decidedly not a backup, and is not a 20 minute a game guy.  If his knee allows him to play, he will be on the court 30 + every game.

 

Of a bigger concern is how we can get Leslee back to giving us some decent minutes.  He has been scuffling something fierce the past several games.

 

This - Shields does much more for this team than just shoot, and he needs to play as much as he is able. 

 

His knee is obviously still bothering him a bit, I saw him grimace on more than one occasion at NW. Even with a sub-100% knee he's still easily our best option out there.

 

And you're exactly right on Smith's sudden struggles. That's of a much bigger concern than anything Shields is doing/not doing. Smith now is battling a thumb injury the past few games along with his chronic knee, and it's shown up the past few games.

[bball23]

Shavon is one of the most valuable players on the NU roster and needs to play a TON of minutes if capable.  As pointed out, he does so much more than just score for us.  My guess is Shields is going to be that player by the time his senior year rolls around will be special.  And a guy we will all go "Man I wish we had one more year of Shields"  Kind of like Ubel (but I think Shields when all said and done will be better). They do so many of the "little things" that go unnoticed. 

[PimpMario]

Hopefully next year we bring in a great Point guard and big man and Shields can come off the bench.  Or hopefully, in the offseason Shields improves a whole bunch.

 

We all wanted him to be the savior of the program and that was probably unfair to the kid.

 

It is hard for me to imagine him not being a starter next year.  And as we have discussed if he could move to the 3 than I think he would do better.

 

Good PG

Petteway

Shields

Pitchford

New Big Man

[royalfan]

No, he shouldn't me moved out of lineup.

[hskr4life]

I see a lot of offensive talk again... Sometimes I wonder just how much emphasis is places on D in people's minds. Sometimes ya are better off with a struggling scorer who plays good D

[lanigan123]

The first half of the Indiana game is the worst game I've seen him have. When he can't be effective out of the high post, we struggle. His FgCu game was amazing but the lack of consistency scares me. Defensively, still a priority but the new rules puts a lot more pressure on teams to score. We have a log jam at the 2 position. Is shields better than Terran? Is shields a better 4 than Rivers? Just throwing out ideas, we won't win any more games without more offensive production.

[Red Rum]

 Is shields a better 4 than Rivers?

 Yes

[Hooper]

Just for comparison's sake, here are Shavon's shooting numbers from this year and last. I believe he'll work his way back into form, but it's odd to me that he's struggling so badly with shooting and free throws. The free throw struggles seem to be more of a recent phenomenon, though. His cumulative FT% is still better than last year.

 

FG%

 

2012: .471

2013: .415

 

3-PT%

 

2012: .359

2013: .325

 

FT%

 

2012: .661

2013: .695

[Silverbacked1]

not a great FT shooter to begin with I guess.

[Shuttlesworth]

Another classic case where perception trumps reality. In reality, other than the dip in FG%, Shavon's Per 40 numbers are better across the board. Also, in our last six games, Shavon is shooting a very serviceable 44%. Again, perception trumps reality.

You have to remember, Shavon is really a wing learning how to be a big on the fly (In the Big Ten no less). Despite this, we are one of the best in the conference in defensive rebounding %. But of course Shavon finding bodies so that we can secure defensive rebounds doesn't show up in the box score.

In other words, sending Shavon to the bench and reducing his minutes is not a good idea.

[Silverbacked1]

Well if we sit him he might start sleeping in and then missing film ...

[lanigan123]

We have to find a way for him to get in the groove, when he is on, they play better. His FGCU game was something of beauty

[tcp]

his knee is probably a big part of the culprit. he's missing a lot of shots short--the sign of tired legs or, voila, a lower body injury. every season that concludes you finally get the scoop on what happened to player A or B and it invariably turns out to be an injury worse than reported (no one reports injuries fully anymore). I suspect the same is true with Les. This conference is a terrible grind, and at this point of the season, lots of players playing hurt.

I'm sure if Miles could sit him for a week or so to help the knee out, he would. I think he's doing that as it is with Les. But while we're deeper than last year, we're not deep enough to not play Shavon big minutes. He still does too much for us.

[Concrete]

I think the shooting struggles are a combination of the nagging injury and the coaches (allegedly) tinkering with his shot this offseason.  Changing someone's shooting mechanics can result in a long adjustment period, especially when the missed shots pile up and confidence begins to dip.  Long term, he'll be fine.

[bkamler]

Just for comparison's sake, here are Shavon's shooting numbers from this year and last. I believe he'll work his way back into form, but it's odd to me that he's struggling so badly with shooting and free throws. The free throw struggles seem to be more of a recent phenomenon, though. His cumulative FT% is still better than last year.

FG%

2012: .471

2013: .415

3-PT%

2012: .359

2013: .325

FT%

2012: .661

2013: .695

[bkamler]

Your shooting percentage will go down when you miss fifteen or more point blank shots and you have another ten to fifteen shoots blocked neither of which happened at this rate last year.

The good news is Shields is recently doing more pump faking and going on the other side of the rim thereby making more of these bunnies then he was making.

He's a smart kid that deserves to be playing because of things he does other than scoring and he will continue to improve with some ups and downs.

[Huskerpapa]

He will be fine.  He continues to refine his game.  He needs to play as many minutes as his body (and Coach Miles) allows. 

[royalfan]

We can pry just leave him in there.