Very similar games. All those post moves. Anyone else see it?
Garza is a modern Kevin McHale
- Thread starter JRHawk2003
- Start date
Hats off to Garza...but does anyone realize how bad he plays defense?
Career high for three M backups...Teske 16 in 17 minutes.
Just sayin...Iowa is currently 128th in defensive efficiency ratings.
Career high for three M backups...Teske 16 in 17 minutes.
Just sayin...Iowa is currently 128th in defensive efficiency ratings.
Last edited:
He’s not a great defensive player BUT he actually has improved this year defensively compared to his first couple of years. He is not good against the pick-and-roll.
Defense or not, his offensive game is like no one I've seen down low for Iowa in decades. He's the one guy on the team who could get a strong look from the NBA. He'll be at Iowa again next year, though, unless he keeps putting up 40 per game.
Hours and hours of work on post moves are paying off. The kid and his Dad have put the work in to allow him to excel. It’s refreshing to watch a honed skill outperform raw athleticism. With his work ethic he’ll go far in life.
Now he needs to put hours and hours of work on his lateral quickness and how to defend the pick and roll if he wants to make it in the NBA.
Kevin McHale, NO, not even close! He is a prolific scorer in college; however, he is so slow footed he will never be an NBA player. As an Iowa fan just enjoy him for what he can do in the college game. I know I am.
Luka gives max effort at both ends but his athletic limitations show up on the defensive end. Paired with Nunge earlier in the year who also lacks foot speed /agility was really, really bad.
Thank you, and that is no knock on Garza. Kid is a hell of a player but he's no McHale.
I love Garza's offense on the college level. But man, there's not an NBA center that he'd be capable of guarding at the moment.
A
anon_i8nzeu2gbf0ba
Guest
I actually saw Kevin McHale play as both a Gopher and a Celtic, and I'd say Garza is, in fact, very much like him. And Garza also reminds me of former Hawkeye All-American Don Nelson, who was only 6-6 and had no speed or quickness, but was relentless--same as McHale, who was much taller.
Neither McHale nor Nelson had great speed or quickness, but they were savvy and tough, especially around the basket. IMHO, comparing Garza to McHale is entirely valid.
I, as well, saw him play during his time as a Gopher and his time as a Hall of Fame power forward for the Celtics and McHale had a grace and fluidity that Garza lacks greatly.
Garza certaintly skilled around the basket like no other player in College B-ball. Too bad he doesn't have an 8ft wingspan like McHale.
His offense is phenomenal.
He needs to spend all next off season working on lateral mobility and defensive footwork.
Most nba teams don't even let their centers touch the ball unless it's a lob at the rim.
It's not them he'd have to defend.
Very different game then.
3 pt line has stretched the game out and made it neccessary to be able to cover far more area than before.
NBA teams would pick and roll him to death. I mean, UM did it quite a bit last night, the NBA is 1000x better at it.
Yeah, about 10-15 years ago the nba shifted to almost entirely high screen offense vs the iso ball it used to be. Following mike Dantonis lead.
Now teams have adapted to big men that can switch onto ballhandlers to counter screens. Now its morphing back into iso ball.
Find the worst defender on the court and force him to switch onto your scorer off a screen.
Unfortunately for Luka the nba just isn't going to put a guy with his limitations out there.
They don't care about post scoring. Everyone has to fit around the primary scorer.
Can you imagine Garza trying to guard in the pick and roll or getting caught in a switch. My goodness, talk about getting put in the Steph Curry, Trae Young, Kyrie Irving, etc... blender. Garza would be a regular on Shaqtin a Fool.
Last edited:
Ball pressure from the PG spot would be a massive help for Garza in PnR. In pretty much any team sport, ball pressure is the answer when you can’t guard action off the ball. Don’t give them space to see the open man.
Luka is a much better defender than he showed last night. The truth is that for whatever reason, Luka was resting on defense last night and saving his energy for the offensive end. That has to be frustrating for his coach. On the other hand, Teske exhibited no inclination to guard Garza. But he did do a good impersonation of a stone statue with his arms straight up in the air.
Unfortunately this, although if it could be done with hard work, he's the guy that could pull it off. Never seen a kid at Iowa work harder then him.....
If Frank Kaminski can stick in the NBA, then Garza can (with continuous improvement).
They aren't similar players.
I saw him play for both as well and you're wrong. Arms aren't even close to McHale, no defense, and he cannot jump. McHale could, and did, dunk regularly. And McHale is a top 50 all time NBA player.
Love Luka, and his game has improved by leaps and bounds, but let's not be delusional.
This board is way off. Garza played the pick and roll very well. It was Joe W that got exposed. They put him on the weak side knowing he wouldn’t help and recover. Then on the 2-3 zone they got it to the middle and when Garza came up. They would back door Joe W for a dunk. Then to hear this board brag up Joe’s T defense. He gambles way to much puts teammates in terrible spots. Then people look at Joe T’s rebounding stats as a good thing. But they discredit how many rebounds he gives up. Never even thinks about boxing out. Just runs to the ball. Very undisciplined, especially on offense. Would rather dribble through his legs 5 times then just make a simple on time pass. Always late, I love Joe T but he’s a selfish freshman at this point. Joe W was terrible Friday, almost unusable. But blame Garza cause he’s the last line of defense. Garza handed it to Teske on both ends. Iowa’s strategy was to hedge with Garza. Weak side guy has to have his head in the game. I would love to watch a game with some of you guys. Especially the ones that said Teske was the best defender in the Big Ten. I told you before the game he would get his ass handed to him.
Last edited:
Garza isn't a great defender, but I am sure Fran is telling him to be smart and avoid picking up early fouls. Garza with two early fouls = game over. Iowa doesn't have 1-3 who can keep the ball in front of them. Watch Joe T keep his torso in front of his guy and watch the other defenders be in chase mode the second the ball handler drives. Once they turn the corner, you are done for and somebody has to help. It's just too easy to create help situations against Iowa. There is no benefit to having Garza challenge someone going with a full head of steam at the rim.
No one says he IS McHale. Only that they are similar. Which they are, quite obviously. Not sure why this is even debatable.
Remember when Iowa beat Texas tech with Garza challenging shots at the rim like a dozen times?
Why would Fran now tell him not to protect the basket?
I don't think they're similar either. Luka is nowhere close to as smooth as McHale was at any point in his career.
Not a knock on Luka at all, he's really developed, but you're comparing him to a top 50 all time player and there is no comparison, sorry.
There are a lot of guys that play below average defense. As long as he out scores the guy he is defending, that is all that matters.....which he did.
Ex - former Iowa St's Georges Niang wasnt good at defense, yet he was considered good all accounts.
Garza is fine.
Ex - former Iowa St's Georges Niang wasnt good at defense, yet he was considered good all accounts.
Garza is fine.
Why is it any thread comparing players turns into a thread arguing the comparison as if the only valid comparisons are between absolute equals? Then, you know, thread seems always to have to be about NBA viability.
McHale great footwork and below-the-rim post scorer capable of hitting face up jumpers. In this respect they are similar. McHale more finesse offensively, Garza bulldozes. McHale was great defensively in an era where floor-coverage not nearly as demanding. His post defense really good, of course a 24-foot wingspan helped. Imagine McHale switched regularly onto guards 30 feet from the basket. Like Isaiah Thomas over and over.
Anyways it amuses me that people think comparisons are invalid unless between absolute equals. Hell, not even ever apple is the same.
McHale great footwork and below-the-rim post scorer capable of hitting face up jumpers. In this respect they are similar. McHale more finesse offensively, Garza bulldozes. McHale was great defensively in an era where floor-coverage not nearly as demanding. His post defense really good, of course a 24-foot wingspan helped. Imagine McHale switched regularly onto guards 30 feet from the basket. Like Isaiah Thomas over and over.
Anyways it amuses me that people think comparisons are invalid unless between absolute equals. Hell, not even ever apple is the same.
