Omari Moore (Photo by Max Bechtoldt)
By Navin Krishnan (@NavinKthespear) – Reporter
A disappointing beginning for the Spartans may lead to a trend in the right direction.
Nothing at the college basketball level is a given, but to garner a reputation as a successful team bodes for playing the game the right way.
While fans may disagree or spout disgust at the Spartans’ start this season, a closer look shows several fundamental flaws to flip the script from struggle to success.
The first issue that needs to be addressed is defense.
This may be a typical excuse for not having a big-time shot blocker, however the 71.8 points allowed per game demonstrates the defensive hole they are in.
The relief for this predicament isn’t necessarily playing lockdown defense, running, or bursting the players’ muscles to a pulp.
Over-exertion and preparation can only do so much to translate to solid defense.
The Spartans need to play hard – with a chip on their shoulders. This would mean throwing ego out the window, forgetting about the score, going after loose balls, having the proper basketball awareness, and relying on fundamentally sound basketball.
Do not rely on star guard Omari Moore to lockdown the offense by himself and kick the habit of jacking up long-distance shots to get back into games.Instead, let defense lead to offense. Go with the game plan and play solid defense, and when shots aren’t falling, force shot-clock violations and turnovers.
Another area that needs to be addressed is the ball handling and movement.
Ball handling is the art of making effective plays, setting screens and passing the ball without committing turnovers. Right now, the assist-to-turnover ratio for the Spartans is 1.1:1. This means that for every turnover the Spartans commit on offense, around 1.1 assists are made.This can be fixed by cutting, moving, setting screens and passing the ball to go from good shots to great shots.
Moore needs help, but that doesn’t mean the Spartans’ scouting and coaching staff need to find studs in recruiting.
The Spartans average a whopping 9.5 3-pointers a game and average a decent 36.2% from behind the 3-point line. So, while shooters are available, it is up to the players to make the right decisions and pass effectively.
The Spartans shoot a great 36.2% from deep yet shoot an even better 43.2% on shots inside the arc.
This means that giving up a contested shot from distance for an easy layup or even moving the ball and without the ball until an easy opportunity opens up can have profound effects in terms of going head-to-head with elite teams within the Mountain West Conference.
Right now, the Spartans only put up around 13.5 assists per game while giving up 14.3 assists per game on the defensive end.
Whenever there seems to be a lid on the basket, San Jose State needs to work on other aspects of the game to win.
Playing defense, crashing the glass, attacking the basket and getting to the free-throw line can pay dividends to developing a winning team.
The Spartans may be criticized for not having a strong winning mentality.
However, with players like Trey Smith, Eduardo Lane and Harminder Dhaliwal as upperclassmen, the Spartans’ malleable youth can be forged into a significantly dominant weapon in the battles to come.