Self says this KU frosh needs more playing time. Here’s one way he impressed vs. TCU
This Kansas play has worked for more than a decade, with coach Bill Self making it a staple after current Los Angeles Clippers President of Basketball Operations Lawrence Frank introduced it at a KU practice long ago.
There’s motion side to side, followed by a scripted passing pattern.
And when it gets to the end, it flows to the most important part: KU’s point guard getting a side ball screen from the Jayhawks’ big man, while working to drive to the rim or find his teammate on the roll.
This has been successful with all sorts of duos. Sherron Collins and Cole Aldrich. Tyshawn Taylor and Thomas Robinson. Frank Mason and Landen Lucas.
KU ran this set twice in Thursday’s 59-51 home win over TCU, with those instances reflecting quite a bit about where this Jayhawks team is currently.
And also why Self might correctly feel the need to get Dajuan Harris more minutes ahead.
In the first half, this didn’t work. Marcus Garrett was the point guard at the time, and though he didn’t execute the actions incorrectly ... he also didn’t do anything with a sense of urgency.
Mitch Lightfoot sets a decent screen to start, giving KU a potential two-on-one opportunity if Garrett attacks. Harris’ defender also is cheating a bit to help on the perimeter, so there’s an opening for a quick swing pass to make the defense move there as well.
Garrett, in the moment, just isn’t decisive. He doesn’t put pressure on the lane by driving, then when he does decide to pass to Harris, he doesn’t put much zip on that either, easily allowing TCU’s defense to recover.
The offense stalls, and a few seconds later, KU turns it over when forcing a drive late in the shot clock.
We see the Jayhawks get a better result on the same play in the second half, this time with Harris running the point during a tie game with nine minutes left.
TCU actually defends better than it did the time before. Harris doesn’t have much of a driving opening to get to the rim, and Lightfoot gets cut off on his sprint to the basket.
But Harris still does two important things: He makes a snap decision and executes it well. Christian Braun’s defender is helping just a bit, so Harris decides to make the perimeter pass — and does so with a one-handed laser throw.
This sets up everything that comes next. Braun, because he receives the ball quickly and perfectly in his shooting pocket, squares to take a shot before his defender can recover. After a pump fake, Braun has no one around him, taking one dribble before shooting through a wide-open three.
The subtle play Harris made here — with his on-time, on-target fastball — is just an example of why Self spoke on a pregame television interview about needing to get the redshirt freshman guard more playing time. Harris not only bolsters KU’s passing skills, but he also gives Garrett a break from primary ball-handling, which especially helps the latter preserve his energy for the end of games.
Self provided some necessary caveats afterward; putting Garrett and Harris on the floor together can cause offensive issues, as when defenses don’t have to worry much about perimeter shooting from two players, the result is often additional crowding in the lane.
“But you can make up for it by really guarding and moving the ball offensively and playing the way that we think we need to play to give us the best chance to win,” Self said. “I think ‘Juan being out there offensively does do that for us.”
This was just one example. Harris had three assists in his 22 minutes while often sparking KU’s defense with three steals.
It wasn’t perfect — Self was frustrated with Harris allowing a couple threes early in the second half — but Harris along with teammate Tyon Grant-Foster lifted KU on Thursday by providing something the team desperately needs: activity.
Grant-Foster showed flashes of being the fastest player on the court with multiple quick bursts to the rim on drives. And while there were plenty of mistakes — a charge in the final minute by Grant-Foster made KU unnecessarily sweat a couple more possessions defensively — this is exactly the type of lower-floor-but-higher-ceiling tradeoff that Self should be seeking out with future lineups.
At this point, KU needs to find an “A” game. It needs to discover a style it can play that would allow it to overperform in March Madness against a Sweet 16 or Elite Eight opponent that might be better or more talented.
Self didn’t get all the answers he wanted in a sloppy offensive game Thursday, but he had to still like what he saw from Harris in an increased role.
The point guard won’t be his team’s best finisher at the rim, and his lack of shooting ability also could put additional pressure on teammates.
For another game, though, Harris made his fair share of the small plays.
While giving some hope KU’s best is ahead.
This story was originally published January 29, 2021 at 12:52 AM.
