So What's Wrong With Ducks?

Inconsistency is the name of the game, but there is hope for the Ducks.

On Saturday, the Oregon Ducks lost to the top-ranked Baylor Bears 78-70 in a game many Ducks fans likely wrote off as a loss once the season’s schedule was released. However, the game was closer than many expected (at least through the first 30 minutes) and provided a slight glimmer of hope for what's been a maligned season so far for the Ducks.

The Ducks currently sit at 6-6 — the worst start to a season in Dana Altman’s tenure at Oregon. While slow starts are far from uncommon with this team — in fact, it’s been a calling card of sorts for years — it’s undeniable that this year's team is struggling more than most.

So what’s causing it?

Lack of Consistent Scoring

With the exception of the 2012-13 season, where scoring was a widespread effort, there have always been one or two players who would be the driving force for the Oregon offense. Think of your Payton Pritchard, Dillon Brooks, and Joe Young types.

The leading scorer on this year's team is senior Will Richardson, who many had pegged as the next player to poised to be Oregon's leading scorer. So far, he's averaging 12.2 points per game on a pedestrian 43.3% shooting from the field.

This isn’t to say all the issues come down to him, in fact quite the opposite. This is an anomaly of a season so far in which the Ducks have had fewer than two players average double digits on a per-game basis. 

However there have been plenty of performances that show players outside of Richardson are capable of carrying the scoring load when needed. The problem is that no one has shown a consistent ability to score night-to-night.

Senior Eric Williams Jr. was leading the way early in the season, averaging 14.2 points per game over the five-game stretch following the season opener, showing that he can provide points when needed as well. Since his injury caused him to miss the Arizona State game, he's only started one game, and in that time frame he's only mustered a total of five points across three games.

Alongside both of those mentioned above are transfers Quincy Guerrier and De’Vion Harmon, who seem to have finally found their groove in Altman’s system. Both have now had their season high in points scored over the last week and seem to be settling in to provide much-needed assistance to Richardson and a hopefully healthy Williams Jr. down the line.

Jacob Young is also deserving of a mention as someone who's shown the capacity to be a leading scorer in the past. The sixth-year man was Rutgers' second-leading scorer last season, averaging 14.1 points a game.

Add in the pairing of N’Faly Dante and Franck Kepnang who both have had their share of shine as well, and it feels like the Ducks clearly have the capacity to score efficiently and in bunches down the stretch.

Health

All teams deal with injuries. It’s unavoidable and the Ducks have been pretty lucky in that regard this season. No one has been out for significant stretches of time (knock on wood), but the injuries that have popped up have limited on-court chemistry.

As it stands, the Ducks have rolled out five starting lineups over the course of the season, and it’s clear they haven’t gotten used to one another just yet.

Communication

This is by far the most obvious reason, and again it’s not something uncommon for Altman-led teams. They take a while to properly gel with one another and rarely, if ever, hit the ground running as a solidified unit.

Looking at this season specifically, it’s more obvious than ever that lapses in communication are directly costing offensive possessions and points. The Baylor game exemplified this perfectly as multiple times throughout the game Harmon would try to connect with others before sailing a pass out of bounds.

This was even mentioned in the broadcast as it was clear the team just wasn’t on the same page often enough to contend with a Baylor team that will likely finish as a top-four team in the nation.

So what went right against Baylor, and what Does it mean for the future?

While the Baylor game is still a frustrating loss, it was a very winnable game all things considered, it provided enough positives to be discussed. The team played with more energy than they had previously shown, fighting for rebounds, playing harder on the defensive end (although this is still a weak point for the team, as they post a 100.4 defensive rating currently) and showing that they are capable of matching the offensive production of the top-flight teams in the nation. 

The team still faltered in the second half, and their three-point shooting fell off fast as Baylor’s defensive intensity kicked up a notch, continuing the trend of the Ducks' second-half performances not being up to snuff when their first halves go so well.

It all comes back to consistency half-to-half and night-to-night. Altman has proven to be a coach capable of identifying and fixing mistakes within his teams, and while the season has been rocky so far, there’s enough light on the horizon to be optimistic as the season progresses.

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Harmon's Heroics Not Enough as Oregon Lets Baylor Slip Away in 78-70 Loss

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