My primary focus is on the Albany game, since I paid attention to that one. The Rider game, I have watched a little of online. PittScript has a better write-up of just the Rider game. Opening games are hard enough to judge. Wildly different performances from one to the next make it that much harder. Pitt is still 2-0 after the start of the season, and there is plenty of reason for optimism — and some things to be concerned. Really, the best thing to say about the first couple games: no injuries. Just ask Louisville.

From the Albany game, Lamar Patterson played a great game offensively. More importantly, he seems to have embraced the idea of being Brad Wanamaker. Still his own player. Different strengths — better rebounder, better ball control — and weaknesses — free throw shooting, ability to attack the basket. But Patterson is as much the natural facilitator as Wanamaker. He may eventually turn into this team’s de facto point guard. He sees the floor and judges angles where the ball is going on rebounds. He is slimmer and stronger this season. I would say he understood during the offseason that if he wants to get the playing time over J.J. Moore and hold off some of the up-and-coming talent, he has to completely understand the system and become a very well-rounded player. In the first two games he has 15 rebounds and 11 assists.

Travon Woodall will not keep up the hot 3-point shooting. Especially when Pitt plays teams with better defenses and bigger guards to defend him. But his confidence is high and he really wants to be the point guard for this team. The issue for Woodall — and really all the guards — will be getting the ball inside. There’s a lot of talent there, but the experience and knowledge by that talent to get free for a pass is still a work in progress.

Ashton Gibbs is not a point guard. He wants to show those skills. He wants to prove that he is more than a shooter. His ball handling is better. But he is not a point guard. He doesn’t trust the young kids and/or his own passing skills. Have I mentioned that Gibbs is not a point guard?

In the first half and second half, right around the 12 minute of the Albany game, Coach Dixon had a line-up out there that included Khem Birch, Talib Zanna, John Johnson and Cameron Wright. The first half featured Travon Woodall running point with that group. The second half had Gibbs. One game only a few minutes of actual game time total. Very small sample size, but the difference was significant.

Woodall was moving the ball around on the team. Whether it was trusting them more, or seeing things better the ball was shared and everyone touched the ball during that time. Gibbs, however, held the ball too much. He dribbled around with it. He did not look comfortable finding someone to pass it to.

Nasir Robinson is still Nas. He knows where to be. He is positioned well to handle the ball inside for scores and plays harder than anyone else inside. The position he gets on offense is very noticeable, especially when compared to Khem Birch and Talib Zanna. Both of them are definitely still learning. They don’t take the best positions inside to receive passes. If they can’t establish positions and flash open better, then they won’t get fed. Nas simply knows where to be. He’s there for the pass and has a much clearer line to the basket.

Dante Taylor looks a lot stronger. Leaner, but stronger. His defense continues to improve. He puts himself in a better position on the offense to get the ball and get decent looks.

Talib Zanna appears to remain a work in progress. It’s not a knock on the kid. He has talent, he seems to have desire. It is simply that he is not terribly skilled. As long as he keeps working and improving he will see more time and be an important back-up this year, and have chances during the rest of his career.

Khem Birch is very good. Natural and instinctive. And continually out of position on offense.

Ray Fittipaldo pointed this out after the Rider game about the frontcourt.

The most notable: they attempted 34 3-pointers.

More than half of Pitt’s shot were from behind the arc, something that drew the ire of Dixon.

“Way too many 3-pointers,” Dixon said afterward.

Rider was certainly inviting 3-point attempts with its zone defense, but the Panthers have never relied on making 3-pointers to solve a zone. Here’s a history lesson Dixon ought to be teaching today and tomorrow: against the 2-3 zone of Syracuse last season they attempted only 15 3-pointers. And they won the game going away, 74-66.

Ashton Gibbs attempted 14 3-pointers versus Rider and Tray Woodall 10. They combined to make 10 of their 24 attempts, but their teammates did not fare so well. J.J. Moore was 0 for 3 and did not play in the second half, probably because he displayed poor shot selection in the first half along with some questionable defense. Lamar Patterson was 1 for 4., Cameron Wright 0 for 1 and John Johnson 1 for 2.

The answer is attacking the zone from the inside, but Pitt’s post players are so offensively challenged that they might not provide the answers.

Nasir Robinson is great against the zone. He scored 22 against Rider, but he can’t do it alone. Dante Taylor, Talib Zanna and Khem Birch have no confidence right now.

Does anyone remember what Albany coach Will Brown said after the opener? “We were going to let them throw it into their big men all night.”

The volume of three-point shots stood out in the box score. Mainly because Pitt only attempted 62 total field goals. Over half the shots came from outside the arc. It would appear that just as in the Albany game, the frontcourt players were definitely trying to figure out where they should be in the offense. That’s why Nas can thrive, despite being undersized and Zanna can’t get a pass coming his way despite his size. In Pitt’s offense, the frontcourt players have to know where to be and be positioned to receive a pass. The backcourt will not force it inside if they aren’t getting open. They have been coached not to do that. Nas knows the offense and can read what the defense is doing. He moves without the ball and finds his spots.

Pitt is going to be very good this year. They will have another excellent season, there will be more inconsistency this year. A lot more like 2009-10 or 2007-08 than 2008-09 or last year. The obvious area to improve will be on the defense.

Jamie Dixon repeated the same refrain about a half-dozen times during Sunday’s post-game news conference.

The words weren’t identical, but the message was sustained.

“We have a lot of work to do,” the Pitt coach said.

Obviously the defense will be an issue. Forget the absurd numbers with Rider. Albany was able to shoot over 40%