If one only looked at the score, you would assume that Dontaie Allen had a second consecutive performance for Kentucky, and that the assumption would be correct. When I finished with 14 points on 4-10 shooting, 2-5 from three and 4-4 off the line with five rebounds and one block in 32 minutes, there were a lot of good things that went along with the red-colored rookie game.
But it was not all positive, especially at the defensive point of the floor. And British head coach John Calipari remarked.
“Dontaie broke down a ton defensively,” Calipari said. “He made baskets and free throws when we needed them, but he may have given up as many baskets as he recorded.”
The thing is, his offense is too valuable to take off the floor.
“I said to him, ‘Look, if this is the case and it’s even, I’m probably fine with you. ‘But (he must) get where … they planned things. “He went through a screen, they did some good,” Calipari said. ‘But I’m telling you, he deserves to be in court. You know what he’s doing to the defense, he’s spreading the defense. I held a play for him, hit a try. Right up there, boom. It was maybe out of a timeout. ‘
Fortunately for the Wildcats, Calipari believes Allen’s defensive errors can and will be repaired, giving some examples of the situations in play.
“No, no, no (it’s not hard to fix),” Calipari said. ‘And he hit the ball back and hit it back a few times. I will give you an example. If your husband is selected and does not have the ball, we chase it. He went inside and his husband made a try. If your husband gets a dribble act, we’re not about it, we’re going under it. He went over it. If your husband is going through the track to the weak side, stop with both feet in the track on the other side of the basket to where you are leaving. He went out there twice off the track and was not ready to switch to a man he had to switch to because he was not where he needed to be. We spent two days on it. But he is not the only one. Isaiah did it, Davion did it a few times. ‘
At present, the total breakdown points are from seven to nine. If he can get the number on just a handful, the UK is in good shape.
“He had some crashes,” Calipari said. “You know what? Like I said to him afterwards, ‘You had seven or eight breaks, nine (maybe)? Let’s make it to four and then keep making shots. Keep making shots, child. “Look, you’re going to give up something sometimes, and he’s trying.
“What he does for us we cannot replace. I just need to figure out how I can get him better on defense or more comfortable. ”
Senior center Olivier Sarr added that Allen changed the game for Kentucky at the offensive point of the floor.
“Obviously he’s a shot putter, he showed the last game and this game again,” Sarr said. “It simply came to our notice then. It goes without saying. He opens the court to everyone. It changes the game, makes it easier for us to manage and play our game, to get to the game. He opens the court a lot. ”
There are still defensive issues to work through, but this team is at its best when Allen shoots the ball and takes shots.
“Dontaie wants to do what’s best for the team, and what’s best for us is for him to score tries,” Sarr said. “It opens up for us. He still has to find a way to get these tries because he’s such a shooter. ‘