Maliq Brown to Duke

[OttoinGrotto]

This whole Maliq vs Freeman conversation is stupid. Just tell the players what they want to hear. It’s about doing a good sales job. “Sure, you’ll start at PF and play 35mpg and be a centerpiece of what we’re doing on offense and defense.” then when the season starts, you do what the team needs to win, depending on how they’re playing and how they’ve developed. Once the team is winning, it’s irrelevant and everyone is happy as long as they’re playing the majority of minutes in the game. Clingan, who’s better than all these guys we’re talking about, only played 13 mpg as a freshman. He accepted his role on a championship team behind a veteran in Sanogo, and now he’s the man as a sophomore and about to be a top 5 pick in the draft.

So, lie, basically.

 

[AZOrange]

So, lie, basically.

Clingan is a unique kid that’s basically playing in his backyard.

 

[Scotch]

I’m not sure you guys understand what you are getting here and what you are giving up. It’s almost laughable…just take the heaviest guy!

We're all about beef!

Seriously though, the defense is concerning.

 

[zilo]

Losing Maliq is a big loss. He's awesome. Was my favorite player this year and really the only guy on the team I was consistently happy with...had a love hate relationship with just about everybody else on the team. I wish him the best, but I wish his best was with us for 2 more years. I think he will have a lot of teams to choose from to pick the situation that he's looking for. My guess is he wants to start at the 4. If he goes to a top 10 team, he will not start. He'd be a solid 6th or 7th man off the bench and would do what he did for us and the fans would love him. Will be interesting to see where he ends up. Hope it's not an ACC team because it will pain me to see him play against cuse.

 

[AZOrange]

We're all about beef!

Seriously though, the defense is concerning.

He doesn’t rebound either…and turns it over alot…

 

[Fly Rodder]

Edit: My relatively hot take: I think Maliq is a good defensive PF. I don't think he's a good defensive C, particularly given the weaknesses of our other defensive players. Not long enough or athletic enough to block shots at the rim as the help defender, too short to contest centers' shots, and too weak to hold his ground.

Not a hot take at all. Completely agree. I’m more disappointed that the staff couldn’t figure out a way to have Maliq, Freeman and a quality portal C divide up 80 minutes. Instead we’re stuck in this “we can only get decent players if we promise starts and the bulk of minutes”. I think Middlebrooks is 1 of 3 quality Bigs for NC State and he didn’t transfer to them only if he could start. Diarra, another key transfer carrying them, didn’t get a starting promise.

 

[Melancer46]

This whole Maliq vs Freeman conversation is stupid. Just tell the players what they want to hear. It’s about doing a good sales job and convincing them of your vision. “Sure, you’ll start at PF and play 30-35mpg and be a centerpiece of what we’re doing on offense and defense.” then when the season starts, you do what the team needs to win, depending on how individual players are performing and how they’ve developed. Once the team is winning, it’s irrelevant and everyone is happy as long as they’re playing the majority of minutes in the game. Clingan, who’s better than all these guys we’re talking about, only played 13 mpg as a freshman. He accepted his role on a championship team behind a veteran in Sanogo, and now he’s the man as a sophomore and about to be a top 5 pick in the draft.

Clingan wasn't nearly as highly regarded as Freeman is coming out of high school, and as you said, he went to UConn to play for a championship contender. We're barely a tournament contender right now. We are unfortunately nowhere near the likes of UConn in 2024.

 

[Scotch]

He doesn’t rebound either…and turns it over alot…

Go on...

Wait, don't.

 

[Fly Rodder]

You’re the same guy who wants Judah back smh.

And he’s salty that Carey, and his great hair, is leaving.

 

[Bayside44]

So Brown for Lampkin? Ugh

Freeman somehow gets lost in this.

 

[pearl31]

the staff couldn’t figure out a way to have Maliq, Freeman and a quality portal C divide up 80 minutes.

But what if they did? What if they had a vision for that and Maliq/camp said nope? What would you have Red do?

 

[IthacaBarrel]

I’m not sure you guys understand what you are getting here and what you are giving up. It’s almost laughable…just take the heaviest guy!

No I understand, I just disagree. Have seen both play. If I needed a center I would go find a center. Not an undersized power forward which is what will get you in trouble, playing guys out of position. I would prefer to have both, Brown stayed and came off the bench at the 4 and possibly some small ball 5. I don't think either player is all that great. Bown isn't a 5, talking apples and oranges.

We aren't trading. giving up etc, this is the way it goes. They come and they go.

 

[Sherman20]

And what if Brown told Red I am not looking to play Center again? It takes two to tango. People keep talking as if Red told Brown to walk. As another said maybe Brown saw GMAC (his recruiter) leave, his guy JT leave, got some bag offers to not play center and said "time for me to go"?

We’re going after a portal center! So he would only play a few minutes there each game. No one is suggesting that Red told Maliq Brown to walk! We’re saying how is the minutes distribution issue that hard to figure out when other programs do it all the time? Why can’t Red and Brown come to an understanding together on this? There are plenty of minutes available. I don’t know where the disconnect is but they should be able to figure it out.

 

[Fly Rodder]

No, it's not. If you know bball it's a solid take. great role player very limited on the O side

How’s your boy Carey doing? Solid contributor yet? You may have played college basketball in 19 dickety 2, or whatever, but your scouting is terrible.

 

[cusefan88]

He probably didn't want to play a single minute at center and obviously his best friend on the team is gone. Tough but if you were 20-21 years old you would probably make same decision.

 

[pearl31]

We’re going after a portal center! So he would only play a few minutes there. No one is suggesting that Red told Maliq Brown to walk! We’re saying how is the minutes distribution issue that hard to figure out when other programs do it all the time? Why can’t Red and Brown come to an understanding together on this? There are plenty of minutes available.

How do you know what minutes distribution Red decided/didn't decide and what was presented to Maliq?

 

[AZOrange]

Freeman somehow gets lost in this.

He’s there regardless. Im
Talking the trade

 

[pearl31]

Im
Talking the trade

lol. so Red said, hmm yeah I'm gonna go ahead and trade Maliq for Lampkin - that's your take?

 

[FrancoPizza]

So Brown for Lampkin? Ugh

Get a marginal bump in offense along with less defense and more turnovers.

 

[AZOrange]

lol. so Red said, hmm yeah I'm gonna go ahead and trade Maliq for Lampkin - that's your take?

Not my take at all. I’m just comparing the two players. If getting Lampkin costs you Maliq you don’t do that deal.

 

[Fly Rodder]

But what if they did? What if they had a vision for that and Maliq/camp said nope? What would you have Red do?

I’d be loyal to the guy you developed and has already showed he can play well at this level, not the unknown quantities coming into the program. Freeman can come off the bench. Not every McD AA is some irreplaceable stud as a frosh. Ask UK. Replace the least effective guys on the team who finished near the bottom in most categories in the conference. Get better talent.

this Red’s choice and part of being a big college basketball coach. That’s why he’s paid millions.

 

[pearl31]

Not my take at all. I’m just comparing the two players. If getting Lampkin costs you Maliq you don’t do that deal.

So Maliq transferred out because he saw Lampkin coming in??

 

[Cusefan0307]

Lampkin is an average player. Brown is above average. The height and weight mean nothing because the rebounding rate is the with Lampkin blocking less shots and has considerably worse defensive metrics. Meanwhile we have a 2 and a 3 who are turnstiles on defense.

We better hope Freeman is the second coming of Melo because the defense is going to be atrocious if this is the move. I’d be fine if we got the kid at Tennesse. He at least has upside. This guy is a taller and larger worse version of Maliq.

 

[IthacaBarrel]

Not my take at all. I’m just comparing the two players. If getting Lampkin costs you Maliq you don’t do that deal.

who is doing deals? does syracuse have a GM that I don't know about? Are they getting cap relief an expiring contract and a pick swap as well?

 

[FrancoPizza]

Maybe the real question is how much $$ do we need in the NIL fund to say keep Maliq, bring in a top end portal pg and bring in someone like Lampkin to all take a role in the 25 mpg space so we can have a winning program?

Given Maliq's earlier comments, and his mom backing that up... it sounds like another school dropped a bag large enough to make a difference. Would be nice if the insiders could clear this up.