In Reply to: The post potential for next season. posted by ej on June 08, 2025 at 10:12:15
It seems like athleticism is the defining trait in today’s version of basketball, at all levels. If you look at last year’s championship game, what stood out most was just how athletic those players were. The teams were fast, versatile, and, most importantly, they could defend.
In my opinion, Duke was the most skilled team among the Final Four, but Houston’s physicality and quickness were simply overwhelming. Watching Florida and Houston was striking. Just the sheer explosiveness and bounce on the floor was something else. You could feel the speed and power in every possession.
That same theme is playing out in the NBA Finals. Both teams are young, full of energy, and extremely athletic.
When I watch OKC, I can’t help but think Mick Cronin must love that team. They’re in every passing lane, taking every ball that's shown, just relentless. They remind me so much of how Jaylen Clark and that UCLA squad.
And honestly, I think that kind of quickness is what cost the Lady Bruins in the matchup against UConn. We just couldn’t stay in front of their players. It wasn’t just one or two; several of them consistently beat us down the court or off the dribble. That speed and agility on both ends of the floor is becoming a huge separator.
Bottom line, adding Booker gives us a real boost in athleticism and overall mobility. But let’s be clear—he’s not Adem Bona. He doesn’t have that same explosive recovery ability, and his side-to-side movement isn’t quite there.
That said, offensively, he brings a lot to the table. Even though he shot just 34% from three, the ball comes off his hand clean. He’s also surprisingly good at putting the ball on the floor for a 6'11" kid. There’s real potential there—just a different kind of presence than what we had with Bona.
This team will have to be different than other successful Cronin teams. I think we’ll be a much better offensive group overall. If he can get them to be at least decent on the defensive end, we’ll be very good. But I do think we have a ceiling. The pieces are interesting, but we’ll need to see how it all comes together on both ends.