Short answer: yeah, kinda but don’t
worry about it.
I trekked
out to Hofstra last week to see the Colonials take on the Pride. Though GW
pulled away eventually, a common groan that resounded throughout the G-dub
dominated section stemmed from a few possessions where no one seemed to rebound
the ball. Moreover, these concerns have been voiced before. However, when you
do things right, people won’t be sure you’ve done anything at all (YES I JUST
QUOTED FUTURAMA NO I’M NOT ASHAMED IN THE SLIGHTEST). From a fan’s perspective
the act of rebounding the ball, specifically defensive rebounding, tends to go
under the radar since it’s expected to just happen. A fan seemingly has two
mindsets: “Congratulations, you forced them into a terrible shot. Go score the
ball now” or “How did they miss that wide-open shot? Go back on offense and try
not to mess that up (aka Knicks fans).” Regardless, the defensive rebound is
sort of forgotten until your team fails and gives the opponents another
possession. On the other end, offensive boards are constantly used as a
barometer for measuring a team’s energy and hustle.
Rebounding
starts in the frontcourt but it certainly does not end there. Tall guys who
play close to the basket tend to get more rebounds because they are tall and
play closer to the basket. At the conclusion of non-conference play, Isaiah
Armwood is averaging 7.4 rebounds per game, down from 8.8 last year. Kevin
Larsen’s minutes have seen a sharp increase this season but his rebounding
numbers have not increased in proportion. There’s more to rebounding than being
freakishly tall. Understanding where the ball tends to go based on the shot and
who’s shooting, gaining inside position, and having the hand strength and sense
of timing to corral the ball separate the best rebounders from the rest of the
field.
Where have
all the boards gone? First, there are simply fewer misses to actually rebound.
The Colonials are shooting 49.6% from the field and 38.5% from three, blowing
away last season’s poor efficiency. Opponents are also shooting 45.7% from the
field, slightly up from last year, though they are generally shooting worse
from behind the arc. The total rebound percentage, an estimate of the percentage
of available rebounds a player grabbed while he was on the floor, of Larsen has
decreased a negligible amount, while Armwood’s percentage has only decreased by
less than three percent. The team has seen better rebounding on a whole.
The real
problem, though it may be remiss to call it problem, lies in the better
rebounding numbers of Joe McDonald and Kethan Savage. These guys are superior
rebounders for their position. Savage is averaging nearly three more rebounds
per game. Though he has seen a significant increase in minutes, his per 40
minutes rebounding numbers have gone up as well. McDonald is averaging 5 boards
a game, up slightly from 3.7 per game last season. Both players have seen their
respective total rebound percentages increase significantly as well. Rebounding
does start with the tall guys, but overall it is a team effort. Look at the
Oklahoma City Thunder. OKC is second in rebounding, yet no one player averages
double-digit rebounds.
Going
forward, the GW backcourt should continue to rebound well so long as those
numbers come within the flow of the game. On one hand, crashing the offensive
glass can lead to more second chance opportunities, but on the other hand, the
lack of players hurrying back on defense can lead to more opportunities in
transition for the other team. Conversely, guards grabbing defensive boards
often contribute to ending an opponent’s possession while forsaking transition
baskets. Finding a good balance is important for the team as it heads into
conference play.
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