Florida Gators 2020 Point Guard Outlook
With the NBA playoffs just around the corner and one day removed from the Western Conference play-in game that saw the Portland Trail Blazers move on, basketball is at the forefront of many sports fans’ minds.
A player that has caught the attention of many throughout this unprecedented period is none other than the Blazers star point guard, Damian Lillard.
Putting together one spectacular performance after another throughout the bubble, he continued his dominance in a victory against Memphis on Saturday.
Embracing the modern play-style of a point guard, Lillard exemplifies incredible shooting range and versatility in the Blazers backcourt.
Having the ability to score the basketball in a variety of ways, as well as the ability to find and distribute the ball to open shooters on the perimeter, Lillard is regarded as an example of what upcoming point guards should strive to be.
While watching him operate, I began to think about the future of the position at the University of Florida, following Andrew Nembhard’s transfer to Gonzaga.
However, it’s important to take a look at the evolution of the point guard position that occurred just a few years ago, before deciphering what makes Nembhard different from the players ready to step in to fill his vacancy.
Throughout its history, the point guard has arguably been the most crucial player on the court for a team’s success.
Serving as the one who directs the team, playing quarterback in a sense, point guards have been known for being the primary ball-handler and facilitator on the offensive side of the ball.
Often electing to distribute the basketball to their teammates before shooting, the passing ability of a point guard was critical, while their ability to create shots for themselves was not nearly as necessary.
However, due to the always adapting way of basketball, guards like Stephen Curry and James Harden are redefining the position with their uncanny ability to score the basketball. As a result, more is being asked of point guards in today’s game than ever before.
With a growing necessity for guards to be complete ballplayers by way of attacking the basket and knocking down triples from distance—as well as continuing to distribute the ballplayers like Lillard has taken the game by storm.
However, the Gators have seemingly been living in the past, refusing to adopt the new upbeat tempo due to who they had as their floor general.
Averaging 11.2 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 5.6 assists per game last season, Nembhard was a central piece of a highly-talented yet under-performing Gators squad.
Known for being a player that operated very well in the half-court offense, Florida catered to his abilities and slowed down the tempo from previous years to fit his play style.
In that period, Florida looked to create shots through off-ball movement to utilize the play clock to their advantage and slow the pace of the game down offensively before turning around to be impenetrable defensively.
However, the Gators tended to suffer dreaded scoring droughts even with Nembhard attempting to swing the ball around to several different players—including Noah Locke on the three-point line as well as Keyontae Johnson and Kerry Blackshear inside the arc and in the paint.
In the end—despite the evident talents of Nembhard—his soon to be outgrown style of play made an athletic team unable to utilize their most efficient feature, running the floor.
As the former five-star guard from Canada embarks on his new journey, Florida is left with guys that better fit the mold of new-era point guards.
Who’s next for the Gators at PG?
Tyree Appleby
With the loss of Nembhard comes the addition of Cleveland State product Tyree Appleby in at the point guard position.
As a legitimate scoring threat for the Vikings in his final season with the program last year, Appleby led the team in scoring with 17.2 points per game, shooting 42% from the field.
Despite this rather low total against less formidable opponents than the one he’ll be facing in the SEC, Appleby’s 38.9% from behind the arc is a notable change from what the Gators have experienced as of late.
As a guy that can be the total package at times, Appleby presents an impressive skill set for the Gators to utilize. As a serious scoring threat, expect Appleby to be in serious contention for the starting job with Tre Mann when the time comes.
Tre Mann
After a freshman year in which he saw 17.8 minutes per game, Mann tested the early market of what the NBA draft had to offer following the abrupt ending of the 2019-20 season.
However, after weighing his options, Mann has decided to return to Gainesville for an opportunity to prove himself in a year he will see much more action.
With a smooth stroke shooting the basketball from range, Mann didn’t get a true opportunity to showcase his talents in Mike White’s system during his freshman season.
Widely regarded as a knockdown shooter coming out of high school, Mann only shot 27.5% from three in year one.
With that possibly being because of the lack of playing time, he got to create a rhythm—along with the slow-paced offensive style that saw little opportunities to pull up early in the shot clock—this total is without a doubt set to rise as he enters year two.
Ques Glover
As an underrated prospect out of Knoxville, Tennessee, the former three-star guard shined at times in his first season as a Gator.
Despite being undersized—standing at 5-11, 176 lbs.—Glover proves his worth with a quick first step off the dribble and an elite ability to finish at the rim.
Being the most inconsistent shooter in the group, only shooting 24.4% from three, Glover provides a change of pace in the rotation and will penetrate the lane with the best in college basketball.
Final Thoughts
While the point guard position at the University of Florida has been turned on it’s head, the ability to replace someone of Nembhard’s caliber can seem daunting to many.
However, in this case, it also brings fresh air and something much different to the table.
With three athletic and capable players in the rotation this upcoming year, Florida is positioned to listen to the wise words of Coach Carter and “run!”, attempting to score points by way of fast-break chances.
This transition from facilitators to athletic shot-creators at PG is a change in style that the Gators should benefit from as a unit and finally bring some much-needed energy and explosiveness back to a talented roster.
