THOUGHTS TO START THE WEEKEND

The man said buckle up didn't he?

  Avery Johnson is getting praise from the national media for the job he's doing with the Crimson Tide. He deserves every positive word I've heard. The Tide doesn't have as much talent as they need. You have to wonder just how good the Tide is going to be when he gets a few prime time players on the floor. Right now he has a conglomeration of kids who play the game with genuine passion and effort. When you look down the roster of the Tide, you quickly realize the team is greater than the sum of their individual parts. You have to believe that Johnson may just be the best coach in the SEC. I wonder what opposing coaches say when preparing for the Crimson Tide? Except for Retin Obasahan, the team doesn't have a star. What is it they have exactly? 

Here's what I think ...

1. The team is a decent shooting group but they aren't the red hot chili peppers.

2. The rebounding is suspect. No, most nights the rebounding is poor. I think the more that Don'ta Hall plays, the better the glass work will become.

3. The Tide is an almost non-existent scoring threat from the inside. When you look at the stats, it seems that often as not the Crimson Time splits even inside. Credit Taylor and Riley Norris for hanging tough inside despite not having size or numbers. Obasahan scores a lot of layups down the lane.

4. For too many turnovers hurt the Tide. The numbers are just too high not to lose a few games they might win. When the Tide keeps that number respectable, the Tide almost always wins.

5. Free throw shooting is average at best. If the Tide could finish the season shooting 75% it would have won at least three more games this season. 

So how does the team win? 

       That is a fun question to try to answer. There are certain areas of the game the Tide executes better than other SEC teams.

1. Keeping within their assigned roles in dead solid perfect. When you put five high school stars on the floor, keeping them under control is not always easy. Ask Bruce Pearl about Bowers and Canty.

2. They are confident shooters. No one on the team is afraid to shoot the ball. It's almost as if they are afraid the coach might get upset if they don't shoot. That type coaching instills confidence and relaxation when you have the ball. Some coaches bench players who miss shots. Johnson might bench you for not shooting. "Shoot, Arthur, shoot" as Edwards likes to talk about is coach.

3. The have the best offensive spacing of any basketball team in the SEC. If you play at Alabama, you are going to understand where everyone is one the floor. Have you ever seen a team that has much as success with one extra pass? You can only do that when you know, someone is where he is supposed to be. 

5. Johnson can evaluate talent. That is evident when you look at Anthony Edwards. At his last stop, he essentially had no role. Johnson watched the grad transfer shoot the ball and said, have I got something in mind for you. What kind of coach wouldn't let that kid play? He can rebound and doesn't make a lot of mistakes. 

6. Coach Johnson isn't afraid to go after top players. Example? Terrance Ferguson. And from what I've been told by a couple of Texas coaches that Bama fans can expect another couple of prospects to roll with the Tide soon.
7. Avery Johnson is a great defensive coach. That is one thing that Johnson and Grant both did and are doing with the players on the team. Knock Grant for whatever reason, but the man could teach defense. Now we see Johnson coaching the offense. He doesn't have the talent for a high paced offense. He doesn't have the depth as well. But you can see the fast breaks run perception, and the sets the run. He is the best dead ball coach for setting up a play I've seen. 

       Those are just a few observations of a team that is overachieving. The Tide needs four more wins to get to the NIT. Is the NCAA possible? It isn't probable due to the remaining season opponents. If Bama beats Florida on Saturday, we might start the conversation about dancing in March. Right now, I'm so happy with where we are and excited about where we are going. Roll Tide Roll. 

Final Note: I spoke on the phone to an ex-SEC assistant coach who has been a scout and an NBA assistant. He said that Avery Johnson is one of kind. He quoted a line from the cinema Tomorrowland. "...it sudden, envitable, and it's going to happen". He was talking about Anthony Johnson's chances of success in the SEC.