There are mysteries that remain. Such as why Gilbert Brown is literally up-and-down from one game to the next.
There might not be another player in the country that has been as inconsistent as Brown this season. His scoring has fluctuated like the Dow Jones Industrial Average.
Since returning from an academic suspension that had him miss the first 11 games of the season, Brown has been Pitt’s leading scorer five times. He also has been held scoreless three times.
Some players get hot for stretches and then go cold for a period. What makes Brown’s inconsistency so strange is that you can set your watch by him. He plays well every other game.
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It has gone on like that all season. Most recently, Brown was shut out by Providence Thursday night. So, of course, in the regular-season finale against Rutgers, he scored a team-high 19 points.
“I don’t know what it is,” Brown said. “I’ve been trying to figure it out. I swear it’s coincidence, but it’s not. It’s not pressure, me thinking about it, ‘OK I had a good game now I have to put another one together.’ It just happens. We have other players step up and play so well. Like against Providence, Brad [Wanamaker] and Ashton [Gibbs] put the bookbag on and carried the whole team on their backs. [Saturday night against Rutgers] was a different night when everyone got involved.”
With only 5 losses since Brown has come back, it is hard to truly say that how Brown goes, Pitt goes. In two losses (at USF and Georgetown) Brown was the leading scorer. In three losses (at Seton Hall, at WVU, and at Notre Dame) he scored a total of 10 points — including scoreless at WVU.
Don’t jump to the conclusion quite yet about the road being the difference. If you look at Brown’s numbers since he got back — 20 games — it is inconclusive. Using scoring and shooting percentage as the base metrics it is very bland.
I counted 6 good games at home, 4 bad games at home. On the road it was an even split of 4 good and 4 bad games. Two additional games — DePaul and at Syracuse were neither good or bad. Just there.
I wish I had a good answer. Is it simply psychological? I doubt it. It doesn’t appear to be match-up based since he against the three teams Pitt has played twice — WVU, St. John’s and Seton Hall — he has had good and bad games against each.
Anyone with a good theory that could actually be tested, broken down or analyzed?
(Full disclosure – I found the link at ESPN)
Not a pretty picture at all.
If I remember correctly, Pitt was being pushed pretty hard by Sonny Vaccaro to hire Gonzalez after Howland left, and Pitt’s resistance led to a breakdown between the school and Vaccaro. My memory is that Vaccaro was a driving force behind Ben Howland (and by extension, Jamie Dixon) coming to Pitt.
It depends on whether or not he hits his first shot of the game. If he does, he relaxes and plays well. If he doesn’t he tightens up and gets tentative.
Went back and looked at RU replay on ESPN360. He got hacked on his first attempt and swished the FT. Also, recall him hitting 3s at least twice this year as soon as he came in, and then playing well afterward. Mark Adams, the RU game commentator, even mention that if Brown hits early shots he plays well.
It would be purely coincidental that he hits the opening shot every other game, so I still like my original theory.
FWIW, when JD runs the set play for GB where he curls the bigs and receives the pass in the corner…and GB can hit the 3 or pump fake and drive to the hoop for a jam… when GB nails the 3 or jam on this play, he is money the rest of the game. When he clanks the three or gets tied up, he tends to strugle. Very unscientific, I know. To me, that’s confidence.
gil uses his first step and makes up his mind he is going all the way to the hoop. Definitely not a bad thing.. and I wish he would do it more. Also he never works around to beat a defender after his first step jab doesn’t work. Throw in some crossover action.. multiple pump fakes.
If he doesn’t go to the hole, he simply takes a three pointer, usually from the corner.
Earlier he would take shots from the middle of the zone, which he doesn’t do much often., If he keeps the mid range game up… he could be much more dangerous then he already is.
See the point about adding more polish to his game. He’s certainly not Sam yet. I do think the pull up is a part of his repertoire, but he doesn’t use it often enough. However, how does that explain the one-game-on next-game-off trend?
Pauly’s comment is more along the line of one of my two theories – it’s how he starts the game that triggers it. And, he could be right that the lack of playing time has played with his confidence, although within Chas’ post Brown says it’s not that.
Dan 72 is our resident shooting coach – I’d be curious on his take.
G. Brown is easily the most gifted player on Pitt’s team if he realizes it. He has the ability to take over the game sorta like how Sam did his final two years once he realized the only person who could stop him was himself!
I think that not knowing when he going to get in the game may also be a hinderance to his growth.
Some games he get in at the first Tv timeout other times if Nasir is playing well he may not get in the game til the 12:00 min mark…not saying this is an excuse but after being so pumped up before the game and have to sit on the bench for so long may take alot out of him…
There are some skill shortcomings in Gilbert’s offensive game. He has good athletic ability in terms of first step and leaping ability but none of the basketball coordination skills that sometimes come with those athletic gifts…….no dribble drive moves (wiggle, crossover), no ability to adjust in the air and still shoot a soft shot, no ability to fade, no ability to be moving forward and then pull up……….plus his release is unreliable and slower than Byron Leftwich’s. (the release should have been worked over by the coaches a couple yrs back).
He’s an athletic player with some important offensive limitations. Those limitations are especially visible when you see him play pickup or summer games; he’s just not coordinated enough to be a complete offensive player and take over games.
I’m pretty happy with what he gives Pitt now. Points off the bench…….sometimes in bunches and good defense and the ability to run the court.
However, I’ll ask the same question I asked Wilk: How does that explain Brown’s one game on, next-game-off phenomenon this year? That’s the question Chas asked to start this thread.
“What makes Brown’s inconsistency so strange is that you can set your watch by him. He plays well every other game.”
I posted two theories, but both have flaws. Is is simply as Brown states, “coincidence”?
Agree that it’s psychological. My theory is that he only shows up – focused, angry, hungry, whatever – after a bad game. Then he has a good game and relaxes again leading to another bad game. He’s done it so often this year that it’s become a habit or a mental block.
I saw Young live early in his Freshman year and thought “this guy’s going to be something if he stays long enough.” Thought the same about Brown when I saw him his Freshman year. I love his game when he’s on. It kills me when he’s not.