[ad_1]
The Michigan men’s basketball team’s exhibition game Sunday against Oakland was the first test of Wolverines coach Dusty May’s offense with his new squad. His guard-heavy emphasis was undoubtedly going to be displayed, but junior guard Tre Donaldson’s ability as a lead guard was in question.
Playing at Auburn for his first two seasons, Donaldson was a scoring combo guard, not a true point guard. But his role has changed now. He was the main initiator of Michigan’s offense against Oakland, and he looked very comfortable in that starting spot.
“Our biggest thing is that coach says to us is just ‘have fun,’ ” Donaldson said Sunday. “And we have fun sharing the ball.”
As the main facilitator for the offense, Donaldson certainly looked like he was having fun sharing the ball. He often led the fast break, getting out to run and letting the ball fly around the entire court. This fast-paced playstyle naturally comes with some mistakes along the way, but Donaldson walked away with a sharp 6-to-2 assist-to-turnover ratio on the day.
The security in his passes despite May’s risky playstyle shows exactly why Donaldson got the nod at the point, but his impact went far beyond slinging the rock — his rebounding was arguably his best trait Sunday.
“Personally, as a coach, I’m obsessed with guards rebounding down,” May said. “And for Tre Donaldson to get eight … it’s a matter of going in and helping your teammates.”
Donaldson’s unselfish play extends beyond just when the ball is in his hands. His eight boards — second most on the team — not only helped his bigs down low, but also helped all five players on the court run out on the fast break.
Not needing an outlet or to come back and retrieve the ball from a big, he can focus instead on moving the ball where it needs to go and pouncing on opposing defenses. While his focus shifts from the rebound to pushing the ball up the court, his teammates should be long gone, darting into passing lanes for Donaldson to hit them.
“If you have five guys pursuing the rebound every possession, then that starts our break,” May said Friday. “And that’s another reason we need multiple handlers, because we don’t want to have to outlet it.”
Donaldson has taken May’s philosophies to heart thus far. Whether he’s unselfishly swinging the ball, flying in for a defensive board or sprinting out to start the break, he is playing right into May’s system.
A point guard who will buy in and lead the system is something May desperately needs in his first year. The shooters and bigs will get their buckets as they come, but they won’t be set up as consistently without a guard like Donaldson who can initiate every facet of what May wants to do. It was only one game — an exhibition at that — but his makeup as a point guard put him in place to be the engine to Michigan’s offense.
In stressful moments, a steady point guard might be the difference between a win and a loss for Michigan. Now though, after one exhibition game in the Dusty May era, it appears that he has his guy.
Related articles
[ad_2]
Source link
