2023-24 Starters and Rotation

[pearl31]

my LORD I cannot wait for the season to get here. more excited for it than I have been for any season in ?? years - and that's not necessarily a "we're final-4 good" excitement, but "holy sh we're going to be an exciting, dangerous team" excitement

 

[OttoinGrotto]

I think the most fascinating position battles are the 5 and 3. I think we could see any of 3 guys at each position IMO. Mintz/Starling and Benny are locked into their roles IMO.

I think this is right.

 

[pearl31]

I don't see how Westry doesn't start.

People are way too hung up on 1) traditional positions and 2) shooting from distance.

Chris Bell sporadically rebounded. He can't dribble that well. I am guessing that Red wants as many guys that can dribble, pass and attack as possible on the floor at once.

Chris Bell has some work to do to become a well-rounded player.

I've had plenty of issues with JB, but he wasn't lying about Bell in a number of his comments.

If he's on a heater when he comes in off the bench getting catch and shoot threes, absolutely let him cook. If not, we got a lot of options on this team.

yup yup

 

[Orangezoo]

I am not in any way trying to put Westry down please look at his stats game by game. If he had played for SU last year half the board would try and run him off. I am afraid some people have backup qb syndrome going ion here.
I think he will be a good player but he will need time. Bell played a lot more minutes than Chance last year.

Chance Westry Game by Game Stats and Performance | ESPN

Latest on Auburn Tigers guard Chance Westry including complete game-by-game stats on ESPN

www.espn.com

And you need to know the history. He played after being cleared post surgery on his knee and was never fully healthy and eventually shut down for the year to recover.

Check the Westry thread as several of us posted articles about his progress on their summer tour in Israel before the surgery.

 

[Dmcnabbrules]

And you need to know the history. He played after being cleared post surgery on his knee and was never fully healthy and eventually shut down for the year to recover.

I am well aware of the history. Tell me I am wrong. If he had played for SU last year with the same injury and same stats do you think people would consider him someone who should start this year.
Again I truly expect Chance to be a contributor but I don’t want to see expectations get too high is all I mean. He is coming off a kost season basically.

 

[Jasoncuse]

Have to believe the main guys will be:
Judah
Starling
Chance
Benny
McLeod
Bell
Brown

After that, it's anybody's guess how much we'll see:
Taylor
Cuffe
Copeland
Hima

Taylor probably gets the most time because he can shoot. Cuffe is the wild card, but if his athleticism is back, he needs some minutes. I don't see where Copeland fits or why he'd play over any of the guys listed above him. We have better PG options, long guards that can defend, 3 guys that can drive and score better and Cope can't shoot. Maybe he plays 5-8 minutes in a press or something, but I'd consider him the 10th/11th man.

 

[Orangezoo]

I am well aware of the history. Tell me I am wrong. If he had played for SU last year with the same injury and same stats do you think people would consider him someone who should start this year.
Again I truly expect Chance to be a contributor but I don’t want to see expectations get to high is all I mean.

Absolutely because you know what kind of talent you had before injury. Would a few say no chance and over rely on the games he played at 60 pct? Sure.

I don't think we are setting expectations too high until we see something that looks like he isn't healthy. It's all carryover from what both his former coach and some analysts spoke to back then. For now it's all just talk.

Mind you - the argument works both ways. We saw Bell play poorly, sometimes very poorly while seeing the same from Taylor. Potential being there but expecting they are ready to start on a fast paced aggressive mtm team... I mean there is doubt to have there just as well

 

[Jasoncuse]

I am well aware of the history. Tell me I am wrong. If he had played for SU last year with the same injury and same stats do you think people would consider him someone who should start this year.
Again I truly expect Chance to be a contributor but I don’t want to see expectations get too high is all I mean. He is coming off a kost season basically.

You're wrong

Chance is a dog that'll bring toughness, defense and passing. He's far more talented and versatile than Bell and Taylor. His total minute allocation will depend on how well he can score for us.

 

[Chip]

40 minutes of hell type defense, we're athletic and deep. Tell the tall centers to try to block everything, and give up no easy buckets. They have 20 fouls to give.

 

[CbusCuse]

And you need to know the history. He played after being cleared post surgery on his knee and was never fully healthy and eventually shut down for the year to recover.

Check the Westry thread as several of us posted articles about his progress on their summer tour in Israel before the surgery.

Yup. He had arthroscopic surgery on his knee in early October. Wasn't right after that but now says he is back to his old self. DMcnabbrules See below article.

Freshman Chance Westry opens up about recovery, his future at Auburn

Lots of info in this article. I like this comment about his play pre injury.

"During the team’s trip to Israel in August, Westry showed glimpses of that ceiling and was arguably the Tigers’ top guard during their three-game exhibition tour."

 

[rrlbees]

 

[FRANKIEFAN]

I think Benny is maybe going to fall out of the rotation completely. Bell/Brown outplay him and we just go with more guards in general. Happy to be wrong and for it to click and him be a high end ACC player.

 

[Orangezoo]

I think Benny is maybe going to fall out of the rotation completely. Bell/Brown outplay him and we just go with more guards in general. Happy to be wrong and for it to click and him be a high end ACC player.

Yeah... he has to prove it but I highly doubt this ...

 

[Dmcnabbrules]

I think Benny is maybe going to fall out of the rotation completely. Bell/Brown outplay him and we just go with more guards in general. Happy to be wrong and for it to click and him be a high end ACC player.

Now that’s a hot take.

 

[Orangezoo]

Now that’s a hot take.

Lay some pipe for that one to cool through

 

[Cusefan0307]

View attachment 228253

He looks like he's lost quite a bit of body fat.

 

[Orangezoo]

He looks like he's lost quite a bit of body fat.

Yeah looks in better shape. In some of the videos he shared his release looked a bit faster too.

 

[Wrinkle]

Mintz
Starling
Bell
Brown
McLeod

Westry top guard off the bench. Not at all confident this will be the lineup and no idea how the frontcourt rotation sorts out.

 

[kingtidge]

Slightly off-topic, but what is this game all about on our schedule??

12/17/2023 - Syracuse v. Oregon in Sioux Falls, SD at Sanford Pentagon (NBA Skyforce Team G-League Arena, seats 3,250)

Seems totally rando and odd (other than a neutral court P6 win oppo...)

 

[qdawgg]

40 minutes of hell type defense, we're athletic and deep. Tell the tall centers to try to block everything, and give up no easy buckets. They have 20 fouls to give.

Maybe 21, the refs will call every tick tacky foul but are bound to miss 1 they could have blown a whistle on.

 

[jsshap]

I

Yeah looks in better shape. In some of the videos he shared his release looked a bit faster too.

He is my pick to surprise and earn significant minutes. Whole different story next year with multiple guys that can penetrate and dish.

 

[Orangezoo]

I


He is my pick to surprise and earn significant minutes. Whole different story next year with multiple guys that can penetrate and dish.

If he can have a quicker release it will help him a ton. Just needs to defend and rebound well too.

 

[SUFan44]

Judah
JJ
Chris
Benny
McLoud

Westry didn't come here to come off the bench.

 

[Dmcnabbrules]

Westry didn't come here to come off the bench.

Eh, either did Dion Waiters. I think he comes of the bench but gets the 4th most minutes.

 

[Scotch]

Have to believe the main guys will be:
Judah
Starling
Chance
Benny
McLeod
Bell
Brown

After that, it's anybody's guess how much we'll see:
Taylor
Cuffe
Copeland
Hima

Taylor probably gets the most time because he can shoot. Cuffe is the wild card, but if his athleticism is back, he needs some minutes. I don't see where Copeland fits or why he'd play over any of the guys listed above him. We have better PG options, long guards that can defend, 3 guys that can drive and score better and Cope can't shoot. Maybe he plays 5-8 minutes in a press or something, but I'd consider him the 10th/11th man.

I agree on Taylor. He brings a skill we lack in our top 5-6, so he’ll be needed and complementary. I also have heard the staff likes Q and he’ll get time in 3 guard sets. The ability to mix and match depending on opponent and who’s hot will be a breath of fresh air.