The unpanic button

[Flacusian]

Reading many of the posts here it becomes abundantly apparent that there is a lot of disappointment and some element of alarm at having lost the past 2 games, especially in the fashion we played both offensively and defensively. There is certainly nobody more qualified to assess the strengths and weaknesses of this team than JB and the fact that he has been uncharacteristically calm in the face of the past 2 performances should serve as a great cue for all of us as fans. A couple things seem to stand out that haven't gotten much mention.

First off, many Syracuse basketball fans are spoiled and have been treated to many years of teams that tore through the November schedule with, in many cases, no losses at all. This years team differs greatly from most Syracuse teams in that we are putting a team out on the floor that for the most part has absolutely no experience playing with each other, playing the complex Jim Boeheim 2-3 zone, and has lost it's 3 best scorers from the previous season.

We are extremely fortunate to have picked up two 5th year transfer players who although both possess skills and talent which will undoubtedly help the team but at the same time will be faced with a huge adjustment in terms of learning the nuances and intricacies of the zone which relies heavily on players understanding almost on an instinctual level their responsibilities and proper rotations which are absolutely essential for the zone to be effective.

Add to that 2 freshman who show great promise and talent but again will need time to learn how to dovetail their skills is such a manner that they become working components in the zone and team in general. We also have a 7'2" center who appears to be a complete project but who nonetheless has been evaluated by JB as someone who is going to contribute to this team, this year.

So I would think that most here would agree that we do have a collection of players who possess considerable skills and abilities but as we have all seen they are not playing well as a team, both offensively and defensively. I think the surprising thing is that anyone would have had expectations that we might not have some pretty good sized problems to work on coming out of the gate at the season's start.

I think it would be fair to say that JB is faced with one of the biggest team building projects that he as ever been faced with. Yet he seems almost nonchalant when speaking about the current state of the team. Two schools of thought: 1. he has lost his spark and is indifferent, 2. He is totally realistic about what he has to work with and has confidence that given time he can teach and coach this group into a very good team which will be ready to compete at the highest levels when it matters most.

JB has made some statements heading into this season about the raw material he has to work with and has intimated that he feels good about the prospects for this group of players, ergo, this years team. That's good enough for me. I'm ok with taking some lumps early on if that's what it takes as part of the process of assimilating a good team with what we have to work with. I recall a team that started off 21-0 or something like that and they limped into the final several weeks of the season and couldn't get it done.

I'm willing with deferring to JB and staying on board with this group and watching what JB can do with them. If JB can remain calm, composed and optimistic... then I don't see any reason why I can't do the same. I've seen sparks of excellence from pretty much every player we have on this years squad and with proper coaching and consensus/team building done by a HOF coach who has often done more with less...

It's time to in the words of Aaron Rogers, "Relax" Just like the players should do...let the game come to you/us. Patience isn't a very big price to pay. I believe in these guys... there is too much talent and too much great coaching for this team not to improve significantly and end up being a team we will all be proud of.

 

[cuseinseattle]

I agree with much of what you said and I know by the end of the year we will be a much better team than this. Having said that I can't recall a season where my thoughts about how good we would be and how good we are playing have been so dramatically different. I'm usually pretty realistic and understand our limitations and I didn't expect to see what we are seeing even though it is early. Maybe since two kids were 5th year guys I thought they would adapt and understand things at a rate that is not realistic. I don't know.

 

[Flacusian]

I agree with much of what you said and I know by the end of the year we will be a much better team than this. Having said that I can't recall a season where my thoughts about how good we would be and how good we are playing have been so dramatically different. I'm usually pretty realistic and understand our limitations and I didn't expect to see what we are seeing even though it is early. Maybe since two kids were 5th year guys I thought they would adapt and understand things at a rate that is not realistic. I don't know.

Well Seattle... it sounds as though you do know.

 

[orangenirvana]

We also have a 7'2" center who appears to be a complete project but who nonetheless has been evaluated by JB as someone who is going to contribute to this team, this year.

I'll take that bet. Chukwu is years away from contributing to the successes of a Power 5 conference team.

Agree with the rest of your post. This forum can be a trainwreck if you don't ignore everyone but the long-time intelligent posters.

 

[Day2]

Great thread. If you wanted to pick a team that would expose our defensive weaknesses after a few weeks of play, Wisconsin would be on everyone's short list. And if you wanted to pick a team that would expose our offensive weaknesses after a few weeks of play, a team like South Carolina would fit the bill.

We needed these games. Everything's on film now. Koenig's threes, Happ's dunks and Hayes' passes are ingrained in the players' minds. This will help them identify where they need to be on defense. Offensively, the game will come easier over the next couple of weeks because they won't be facing the hard-nosed defense of SC (and Wisconsin to a lesser extent). Confidence will return. The players will be better prepared for that three-game stretch in January when we face Miami, Pitt and Virginia Tech.

I would rather lose back-to-back games now and learn from them than go into that Miami game undefeated with a feeling of invincibility that's nothing more than fool's gold. Now the players get a chance to recover and get on a roll again, so the next time they drop a game or two, they won't lose much sleep over it.

And as fans, we can stop trying to figure out how we're going to get a one or a two seed in the East. I'll take a four seed in that same region.

 

[bballbeadle]

Flacusian, what a soothing, thoughtful post! I value it even more highly because you have been grieving, yet are still able to to find a good way to look at our team's struggles. Basketball has always been a mental health firewall for me, and this year I've needed it more than ever because of . . . "him." "It." The "situation." You addressed something that has greatly contributed to my angst, which was Boeheim's apparent praise for our team and their prospects. How eagerly did I grab onto those words and use them to psyche myself up for a team that was great from the get go! As others have stated, I did not expect to witness such extremes in bad play. It really knocked me backwards.

We all understand intellectually that to be a fan, we paddle through the bad times in order to surf high with the good times. But this paddling, especially when we are feeling low and vulnerable, can be daunting. Thank you for providing me with respite from my feverish thoughts, and a reminder that all is not lost. I will straighten my spine, not only for SU basketball, but for the wider world!

 

[Fly Rodder]

The biggest thing for me is just how different the team that played Monmouth (a decent team) looked versus the team that played SC and Wiscy. It was like night and day. Now, Monmouth isn't loaded with upper D1 players, but they're still a talented D1 team. SU weren't making a ton of mistakes, Howard and Gillon were racking up assists, and the defense looked like players had an idea about where they were supposed to be. Against Wiscy, it looked liked they hadn't even practiced the 2-3 zone this season.