levon1975 wrote:

So it seems that Hima is the "flavor of the day" for fans that are understandably desperate for some shred of positivity to take away from Saturday's game.  I would caution, that kind of optimism on any player based on a few blocked shots in a blowout game may be a bit premature.   Sometimes blocking shots is a substitute for  sound defense.  I'm not trying trying to be hyper-critical of Hima, since I enjoyed the blocked shots as much as anyone in the crowd; but just to caution everyone on the heightened expectations based on just a handful of minutes played.  Should he continue to get time? Absolutely, and hopefully he continues to grow into the position. As Al Maguire use to say, "you can't teach 6' 11"! 

I think another player, Toby Okani, also showed some flashes that he is understanding his role in making the team  successful.  He is not one of our primary options when looking for a 3-pt, shooter, and it seemed that his game on Saturday was more focused on playing closer to the basket, disrupting shots on defense, rebounding, and looking to score close to the rim instead of from 23 feet away.  I felt he was much more active in this role than I have seen him in the past when he often found himself floating around the perimeter on offense.  By all means Toby should continue to work on his perimeter shot; in hopes that in time it will improve to the point that he is a threat both inside and out; but with his length and jumping ability, it is clear that he can impact the game close to the rim.  So he has apparently learned his role, and this year all about players learning their roles in helping the team improve?  Good work Toby! 

You are on a roll. This is another great post.