Playing with a lead ...

[Flacusian]

I'm really grateful that we won today and G showcased just how great a player he has become. However I find it really distressing that the team has such a propensity to squander away a big lead and turn a cakewalk into a nailbiter. It just seems like there is no discipline when it comes to maintaining focus and taking care of the ball. Once a good sized lead is established it becomes fashionable to take quick ill conceived shots, casual dangerous passes, and often sloppy all around play.

Invariably the opposing team makes a rapid comeback capitalizing off of turnover after turnover and being the recipient of stops which they in effect didn't even have to really earn ... we gave it to them. Today's game should have never gotten even remotely close after half time. It's great that we got the win and that G had such a memorable Senior Day game but if we are going to make any noise in the ACC tourny or the dance they need to clean it up.

 

[orangenirvana]

I don't think having a lead had anything to do with it. They likely would have had nearly 20 turnovers even if they were behind the entire game.

 

[SUintheVille]

It would be nice to get ahead big and stay ahead big all game (does wonders for the blood pressure). But, the ebb and flow of the game, many games and not just SU games, are like this. Teams go on runs. The test is being able to rebuild a lead after the other team draws closer. Cuse did that today. Do it again!

 

[OrangeDW]

The number of times we opened up a big lead, and then came down and had a sloppy turnover, and then followed it up the next possession by taking a quick, bad shot...it was unbelievable. We just kept doing it.

 

[Jack Hall]

Being a JB fan for decades theres nothing i saw today that surprised me. And if you think that is a passive aggressive bash, keep in mind: we won by 9

 

[STEVEHOLT]

we always have a couple solid droughts a game. Dustbowl Okie level droughts. Todays just happened to occur when we had big leads.

 

[MGP]

I'm really grateful that we won today and G showcased just how great a player he has become. However I find it really distressing that the team has such a propensity to squander away a big lead and turn a cakewalk into a nailbiter. It just seems like there is no discipline when it comes to maintaining focus and taking care of the ball. Once a good sized lead is established it becomes fashionable to take quick ill conceived shots, casual dangerous passes, and often sloppy all around play.

Invariably the opposing team makes a rapid comeback capitalizing off of turnover after turnover and being the recipient of stops which they in effect didn't even have to really earn ... we gave it to them. Today's game should have never gotten even remotely close after half time. It's great that we got the win and that G had such a memorable Senior Day game but if we are going to make any noise in the ACC tourny or the dance they need to clean it up.

I'll piggyback off that and ask one of you stat guys how many games this year (out of our 10 losses) have we had double digit leads at some point in the game and gone on to lose? I would bet 6 or 7...

 

[br801]

The number of times we opened up a big lead, and then came down and had a sloppy turnover, and then followed it up the next possession by taking a quick, bad shot...it was unbelievable. We just kept doing it.

I thought I was watching the NBA all-star game a few times. Very odd to see 29 games into the season. I'm sure JB will be making this a point of emphasis.

 

[NorSyr66]

This game had loss written all over it except for Gbinije. He just plain flat out was determined it would not happen. Wow....what a way to bow out on Senior Day. It has been said over and over but Syracuse loves to play to the level of its competition. We survived a nearly bad day all around with G carrying the entire team across the finish line. Not trying to short suit the decent games from DC, Lydon and Richardson but without G, it was a loss.

 

[OrangeDW]

I'll piggyback off that and ask one of you stat guys how many games this year (out of our 10 losses) have we had double digit leads at some point in the game and gone on to lose? I would bet 6 or 7...

Little low post scoring, and lacking a true PG that can control the game(Gbinije has performed admirably at PG, but obviously he's a natural wing and we need him to score first and foremost), are what lead to our blowing leads so frequently.

 

[omniorange]

I'll piggyback off that and ask one of you stat guys how many games this year (out of our 10 losses) have we had double digit leads at some point in the game and gone on to lose? I would bet 6 or 7...

Twice. Miami when we led 20-9 with just under 7 minutes to go in the 1st half and just recently against the Cards when we led 18-6 with just under 10 minutes to go.

Cheers,
Neil

 

[AZOrange]

I thought I was watching the NBA all-star game a few times. Very odd to see 29 games into the season. I'm sure JB will be making this a point of emphasis.

We also missed a lot of good (wide open) shots.

 

[Chris02M]

We also missed a lot of good (wide open) shots.

especially cooney and lydon

 

[AZOrange]

especially cooney and lydon

Lydons all looked good...Cooneys...not so much.