tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6412386431911254107.post1837392691339580948..comments2024-01-22T03:25:10.561-08:00Comments on Bruins 2011 Draft Watch: USHL Sleepers Alert: Brendan Woods, Casey ThrushKirk Luedekehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07079201231943829805noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6412386431911254107.post-38919490367204138452010-09-10T14:29:29.397-07:002010-09-10T14:29:29.397-07:00Appreciate the feedback Kirk. I've been trying...Appreciate the feedback Kirk. I've been trying to learn this for years, and maybe i'll never get it. And that's fine too. <br /><br />I have no issue with anything you said as i've always maintained i have never come accross anyone that articulates it as well as you do. But in Giese's comments he said "He's got to learn to use his teammates more." And IMO that's a perfect assessment. <br /><br />I just dont understand the part of "making everyone around him better" being associated with that. I guess i'm of the opinion that you can have the best player with all the attributes, vision, skating, passing, and if he uses that and his teammates to finish, how can he make them better?<br /><br />Hey, i know i'm probably wrong and it wouldn't be the first time. Just trying to learn as i go.Dominichttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17854437371332018215noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6412386431911254107.post-50674071030511939412010-09-10T14:07:14.783-07:002010-09-10T14:07:14.783-07:00Well, it has more to do with a player who uses his...Well, it has more to do with a player who uses his teammates effectively by hitting them with passes for prime scoring chances and thereby increasing their production and making them "better" as opposed to a guy who tries to do it all himself and either succeeds with making the unassisted highlight reel goal OR-- more often, is negated by the opposition defense.<br /><br />Tyler Seguin told me last year that he helped make his teammates better by trying to put them into the position to be successful and thereby more dangerous-- and he did that by hitting them in stride with passes or finding them for the wide-open farside tap-in. Obviously, one guy isn't going to necessarily make his mates more skilled or talented, but he WILL contribute to their production/success if he makes the right decisions with and without the puck and puts them in situations they can cash in on.<br /><br />Food for thought, Dom-- scouts put a lot of stock in this aspect because hockey is a team game, and the guys who either go it alone because they're more selfish with the puck or because they simply don't have the vision/hockey sense to ferret out the higher percentage options and as a result help their team win can be a cause for concern. Guys who are good at using their teammates are going to naturally get more out of their linemates because they expect that if they find the openings he'll find them, as opposed to the ones who don't distribute the puck or involve the other four guys on the surface as much as they should. It stands to reason that if a player doesn't think he's going to be rewarded for putting out that extra effort to go hard to the net and give his teammate an opening to hit him with the pass, then he's probably not going to accept the risk or put forth the effort.<br /><br />It's human nature.Kirk Luedekehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07079201231943829805noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6412386431911254107.post-46381154834451830902010-09-10T13:42:18.651-07:002010-09-10T13:42:18.651-07:00Well i'm batting 0-for today with the names yo...Well i'm batting 0-for today with the names you are throwing out Kirk, but that's a good thing. I'm here to learn. If i knew something on everyone in the draft i wouldn't have to read haha.<br /><br />I know i'll be in the very small minority with this comment, but, i'm not a big believer in the "make everyone around them better" statement or in this case, not making everyone better.<br /><br />I think sometimes it comes down to the talent that surrounds a player as well. Sometimes, there's no chemestry. To use a professional example, was Savard able to make Ryder better? <br /><br />I'm sure you and I will agree to disagree on that statement. But i'll put more stock into you saying you are watching a kid with talent as opposed to someone saying he doesn't make anyone around him better 8 days a week. It's quite possible that even Bobby Orr couldn't make the talent surrounding the kid better.Dominichttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17854437371332018215noreply@blogger.com