[joshbalt]

Originally Posted by jyamada

I hope you and Josh are right but I just don't think Monty likes Max enough as a real basketball player to play him that much. My impression is Monty sees Max as more of a novelty than someone who can help the team on a consistent basis.

Max will have to improve to warrant the minutes and not compel Montgomery to go with a small lineup. Hopefully he shows up in the fall weighing 260lb and with improved confidence. The best case scenario for the 4 and 5 is that Max is improved enough to warrant 25-30 minutes per game, MSF loses weight and can stay on the court for 25-30 minutes himself, and that Kamp is healthy enough to fill in the remaining 20-30 minutes at the 4 or 5.

[calumnus]

Originally Posted by joshbalt

Max will have to improve to warrant the minutes and not compel Montgomery to go with a small lineup. Hopefully he shows up in the fall weighing 260lb and with improved confidence. The best case scenario for the 4 and 5 is that Max is improved enough to warrant 25-30 minutes per game, MSF loses weight and can stay on the court for 25-30 minutes himself, and that Kamp is healthy enough to fill in the remaining 20-30 minutes at the 4 or 5.

Best case? What about Bak adds 40 lbs, Max develops a killer drop step and an unstoppable sky hook.....

[jyamada]

Originally Posted by joshbalt

Max will have to improve to warrant the minutes and not compel Montgomery to go with a small lineup. Hopefully he shows up in the fall weighing 260lb and with improved confidence. The best case scenario for the 4 and 5 is that Max is improved enough to warrant 25-30 minutes per game, MSF loses weight and can stay on the court for 25-30 minutes himself, and that Kamp is healthy enough to fill in the remaining 20-30 minutes at the 4 or 5.

Whose job is it to improve Max?

Max should have played more this year which would have made him even better for next year. Since he didn't, my impression is Monty isn't too high on Max. I hope I'm wrong but we'll see how Max is handled next year.

[joshbalt]

Originally Posted by jyamada

Whose job is it to improve Max?

Max should have played more this year which would have made him even better for next year. Since he didn't, my impression is Monty isn't too high on Max. I hope I'm wrong but we'll see how Max is handled next year.

It is the job of both Max and the coaching staff and in the opinion of most it was done well given his improvement. I expect that Max will again improve though it will be in the context of a very different team.

I agree that Max could have played more last season but one has to acknowledge that he had certain shortcomings that made him either vulnerable or just less useful in certain games.

[boredom]

Originally Posted by jyamada

Whose job is it to improve Max?

Max should have played more this year which would have made him even better for next year. Since he didn't, my impression is Monty isn't too high on Max. I hope I'm wrong but we'll see how Max is handled next year.

Monty's job is to win. If winning means developing Max via playing time, then he needs to do that. If winning means riding the seniors and a few role players not named Max, then he needs to do that. Considering that we won the conference last year, I have no problem with the playing time he gave anyone.

[Blueblood]

Wow....very well said!

[Shocky1]

Silver lining in Amoke's departure...
Students won't have to lock their dorm rooms as much?

Go Bears!

[socalBear23]

Originally Posted by operbear

Sorry to have to bring this up, but, as Cal grads we all need to keep in mind:
a quantum leap is the distance traveled by an electron from one energy shell around an atom to one another. With this traversal, energy is released in the form of a single photon - light, or other parts of the electro-magnetic spectrum. As such, in atomic science, it is one of the smallest distances that can be traveled. So a "quantum leap" here would be the least possible improvement that could be discernable. How about just a "leap".

OMG that is the best post I have seen in a while.

[FiatSlug]

Originally Posted by Shocky1

Silver lining in Amoke's departure...
Students won't have to lock their dorm rooms as much?

Go Bears!

[puget sound cal fan]

Doesn't Jay John coach the "bigs"? Drills and practice--mostly on fundamentals--is the only way Max is going to develop a sufficient skill level, and the basketball IQ, to make a meaningful contribution. How quickly Monty and John can hasten that learning curve will be a key for this season.