Jericho Sims

[Goo Punch 4,275]

Jericho Sims has an opportunity to be the x factor for our team this upcoming season. Guys like Jones, Roach, Coleman, and DO might seem like more obvious candidates, but Sims has an opportunity to be that guy. The one thing that Shaka's teams have actually been pretty good at is defending, and the catalyst behind that has been our superior rim protection. Think about this- of the four centers Shaka has featured at Texas, his worst one was named the Big XII's defensive player of the year. I've been on record as saying that i think that this will be our worst defensive team under Shaka (at least in terms of FG% D), and that's because anything less than what we've gotten from Ridley, Ibeh, Allen, and Bamba would be a drop off. That's a lot to ask of a very raw sophomore who's never been asked to play a large role before.

This is where the opportunity comes in. Sims is yet another physical freak, and just wait until you see him this year- his body has been transformed, I mean he looks like a villain in a Jean Claude Vn Damme movie. The guy is a physical monster. 

For most of last year Sims was a seldom used bench player who inexplicably wasn't seeing any time on a team that desperately needed some post variance and depth. I think most fans just assumed that he was still too raw to have any sort of impact, but then Bamba went down and in five starts Sims did this:

10.0 pts, 9.2 reb, 1.0 blk, 1.0 stl 

Thats when it became clear that he had been criminally underutilized on a team that really could have used more post production. And while it'll be a different story this year as the main guy, those performances would seem to portend well for Sims going forward. 

If Sims can be that rim protector that we've always had, that anchor in the paint, then we should be in better shape defensively than you might imagine having lost Mo Bamba. Of course that defensive presence will be somewhat mitigated if he continues to be extremely limited offensively, and this is where he has the biggest opportunity to turn the tide for Texas. If Sims can reliably score around the rim- drop steps, baby hooks, offensive rebounds and put backs, etc, then that will go a long way. Anything at all in the way of a face up game from even 8 feet and in would be a game changer.

I think that this team has enough perimeter talent and experience for us to be able to count on our guards on both ends of the floor, even if the shooting isn't lights out. We don't have much in the way of wings, but that isn't anything new. That's why i think it's down low where the difference could be made. DO is only nominally a power forward, so the brunt of the burden falls on Sims. He might be the one player who could most impact the team in an unexpectedly big way, because his potential performance range is so large. We pretty much know what we're going to get from most of our players. Sims is the one guy who has so much room to realistically improve his game that a big step forward from him could mean a big step forward for our team. 

 

[Machinator 32,103]

 

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[Pato del Muerto 53,473]

He could take a dollar bill off the top of the backboard. 

[Machinator 32,103]

 

[Braff Zacklin 13,676]

Translation: get to the rim and throw it down,  young man.

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Tim Preston on Sims' shooting form:

Quote

I'm not saying I agree with it, but the thought process behind the switch is not to make it work with his off hand.

Instead, it is working with the idea that Jericho's form is so poor that he needs time away from shooting free throws with his correct hand so he can relearn the fundamentals, from scratch, as if he were brand new to the game. Then, after he's broken away from the muscle memory of shooting with his correct hand, you switch back and build that shot from the awful thing it was before.

 

[Goo Punch 4,275]

there's no reason to not be teaching him to shoot rick barry style. 

[jimmyjazz 47,155]

On 9/24/2018 at 11:19 PM, Pato del Muerto said:

He could take a dollar bill off the top of the backboard. 

and make change.  Jesus.

[Goo Punch 4,275]

 

[ChickenSandwich 9,958]

Got a Lando vibe. 

Dig it

[GotThatFire 166]

I wonder if he'll ever come out of his shell.

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