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Jhanks98 OP
Jan 14, 2024 at 12:47 AM ET
MJ Collins just isn’t a very good basketball player
The kid does has NBA level athleticism and is a good defender, but something is terribly wrong if someone who is as poor offensive player as him is getting significant minutes. He’s shooting 28% from the field and 23% from 3 which is just so terrible especially for a guard. Couldn’t really find any other that ACC player who get significant minutes with their shooting percentages in that ballpark. Not a great playmaker, ball handler, horrible shooting form and very poor basketball IQ. Probably the worst offensive player getting minutes in the ACC, and somehow is a consistent starter for us. He just straight isn’t close to being developed enough to be playing at the ACC level and shows how bad the roster management is if MY feels he needs to play him.

11 Replies

1980VT 1980VT
Players who are struggling with their shooting help teams other ways
Coaches see it, but fans judge the quality of a basketball player is whether they can shoot. With Collins being 6'4 it is more glaring. If he was 6'9 and playing a different position it would be less noticeable. Fans don't notice the help defense, the close outs, the boxing out - stuff that don't fill out published stat sheets.
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Jhanks98 OP
It’s not just about the box score I agree
But this is a scenario were the game film matches up with the stats perfectly. He is just a great athlete running around out there with poor basketball skills. Yes obviously it would be different if he was 6’9 but he’s not. Bigs have different responsibilities on the floor and he’s not a big, he’s a guard. Teams who win a lot of basketball games don’t play guards who are extremely inept on the offensive end.
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ancient alien 2018
Watch CMY's presser after game and he'll explain why he gets minutes, esp.
with Hunter out. He does play gear D. Offense? Yea, still a liability. He needs off season one on one work on his shooting fundamentals.
V
VT ChemE 1986
He plays good defense and can help with ball handling. Those are valuable
To this team. If he does this and confines his offense to put backs and the occasional open shot, he can help us win.
NC Hoke NC Hoke
I disagree with that take, except for the obvious poor shooting.
He was a decent prospect, IIRC was ranked 2nd or 3rd best prospect in South Carolina coming here and was known to need time to develop, never intended to play significant minutes in his first couple seasons. CMY was forced to play him significant minutes without the time to develop because of player injuries and attrition. He’s athletic, makes athletic plays, has a good handle, has learned to play defense at this level as evidenced by the guarding assignments he has held down. He’s obviously still learning but has done just about everything asked of him other than putting the ball through the basket at a high clip which shouldn’t be his primary role with the other shooters he has around him. He had 7 assists in the Clemson win the other night while limiting Joe Girard who is an elite shooter/scorer.
H
HokiesACC2004
What?
Got to love the boards after a loss. So entertaining.
4
40ozDistrict
Every kid on a P5 bball team is a pretty damn good basketball player
H
Hokie1992
And most of them still won’t play in the NBA
He didn’t get the benefit of a redshirt year. He’s been thrown in the fire. His role will be elevated next year, so he has to learn from these minutes.
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Jhanks98 OP
I mean yes
Obviously this is in the context of D1 Power Conference Basketball, not relative to your average person. He would obviously wipe the floor in any YMCA in the country
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DCL
Was at game. He played his butt off. Pretty simple
Why he plays is we have no one behind him with Catoor out and Rice left the team
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WildTurkE
Thank you. THIS is the reason.
MJ is working very hard in his role that no one else can fulfill. How quickly people forget last year. He’s as tough as nails and gave us valuable minutes with a busted face when we had no bench.