June 16, 2014

Small eyes may explain passing vision.

Judge's foul rates are ridiculously high, especially for a fifth year senior. If it wasn't for the presence of Richard Amardi on the upcoming power forwards list, they would be almost unrivalled by an otherwise capable upper classman. It is, unfortunately, the backbone of his game. And it makes him somewhat unreliable.

The fouls Judge picks up are frustrating. They are just not frustrating because they affect his ability to stay on the court, but they are also frustrating in their nature. You can excuse the ones that come from the strong and physical Judge trying his best to be assertive in the paint, but the touch fouls, the reach-ins, the fouling jumpshooters, the moving screens and the shoves in the back persist. He is careless and ill-disciplined, traits that also manifest themselves in other facets of his game.

Judge's athleticism and length make him a good weak side shotblocker and rebounder by default. He competes consistently, hustles, and can catch and finish on the interior, albeit scoring more through athleticism and physical tools than his skill. Despite being a dreadful free throw shooter, Judge can take and make the occasional foul line jumpshot, and Rutgers ran some plays that called for him to hit cutters from the foul line, at which he was reasonably capable. Judge moves off the ball enough to get open, and can drop a short righty hook in the paint given the opportunity.

But what he doesn't do is play smart. And it is not just the fouls - the aforementioned carelessness and lack of discipline come to the fore in all facets. Judge still to this day sometimes looks lost on the court. His instincts are poor, his reads poorer. He has the physical tools and the frame for the game, and his skill level has developed a bit, yet everything he does is riddled with the potential for disaster because he just doesn't make the best reads. And this part has not gone the way of the skills.

Ultimately, despite five years and two schools, Judge never really developed. He does things which cannot be taught, yet did not seem to learn those that can, and he continues to make the same mistakes he always did. No one ever questioned his commitment - I think - yet nothing seems to come naturally to him. Nevertheless, in a low responsibility, low usage, low minutes role where his foul problems are not so important, Judge has something to contribute on the interior. But the recipient team will need patience.

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