A Bit of a Contrarian View

[Zelda Zonk]

I guess sometimes you can argue with facts.

I only suggested that McLeod is substantially better than the board gives him credit for... That and that he's an elite shotblocker.

Sorry, man—I was laughing with you as I typed that.
I don’t agree with the ‘stats,’ but I do want to see what he can do and think he deserves minutes. Where ever he fails, it’s just a different kind of fail than we would see with an exhausted Lampkin or an overmatched Petar/Davis/Freeman.

 

[Niastri]

Sorry, man—I was laughing with you as I typed that.
I don’t agree with the ‘stats,’ but I do want to see what he can do and think he deserves minutes. Where ever he fails, it’s just a different kind of fail than we would see with an exhausted Lampkin or an overmatched Petar/Davis/Freeman.

I'd like to see him get more minutes, at least when Lampkin needs a rest.

I think Lampkin is the focal point of our offense, and needs to be out there. But, I also think he runs out of steam if asked to play more than 28-30 minutes, and will wear down if asked to play more than that.

Then, it's a mistake to rely on non centers to play center. McLeod should be out there 5-6 minutes a half, at least.

 

[Orangefizz]

This team will be good at the end of the year. It’s a matter of how long it takes them to get there

I just don’t see it with the make up of the roster we have. It’s disjointed; and doesn’t look like a Syracuse team. I think our ceiling is .500 this year. I just don’t see any organization or structure on offense and defense. These guys just don’t seem to know what they’re doing out there and that points to coaching.

Our best lineup I think is JJ, Choppa, Bell, Donnie, Lumpkin.

Bench would be very strong imo and a team strength. Just don’t think red has the ability to put the pieces in the right places. I really question his coaching. Year 2 and this job may be too big for him, especially combined with our lack of NIL $$$

I’m getting Dino vibes watching his team play.

 

[SUbear]

This isn't an unfair observation, but five games in, Freeman has already shown more than Benny Williams ever did.

Freeman, through five games, has 3 double digit rebound games, two of them double doubles.

Williams, for comparison, had 3 double digit rebound games in his Syracuse career, none as a freshman.

Freeman will be good, but still is poor defensively. How quickly he can get better may be a huge key to how this season goes. Right now SU is not very good, their man to man defense is bad, limited offensive movement, personnel are not playing as a cohesive unit, coaching is meh. Too many things need to improve and time is not on our side.
We need a miracle at this point.

 

[grepal]

I know everybody is miserable mourning the horror of our performance in Brooklyn.

I on the other hand, am a bit encouraged. We played a couple really good teams and competed, and even had a chance to win if a handful of things went better.

Did anybody think that was possible when Youngstown State was taking us to overtime? Or especially when Lemoyne had the ball down two at the buzzer?

We had a lot of positives we could work with.

This actually feels more positive to me than Hawaii last year, when it really didn't feel like we had any way to get better, other than Benny Williams suddenly becoming a top player.

And yet, we still got to twenty wins, with that crazy roster.

I think we'll be ok this year.

I see used after upset this year. Rutgers lost to Kenesaw today is just one instance. There is a ton of parity between 20 and 80. ACC has lost a lot of games. How many teams do we have less than a 40 percent chance against, one or two, and we have that or those at home.

 

[H20TownOrange]

Agreed, but I think there is a similar motor issue, which I mentioned game one and got slaughtered for it.

But Freeman is far better.

I don’t think it’s a motor issue, I think the game is just moving a touch fast for Donnie at the moment, and that’s why we see some careless TO’s and quick shots. It’s not an effort thing, and he is battling on the boards. I think if he slows down a bit offensively and works his game inside-out it may open up some things.

 

[NineOneSeven]

It's an interesting experiment. If we blasted LeMoyne/Colgate/Y. State but lost in the same exact manner to Texas and TT, would you say we regressed? Instead, because we won almost the opposite way in the first 3 games, we are showing progress now.

Anyway... I too think we played better than expected in Brooklyn. I also didn't think we were ever winning.

 

[Idiocuse22&]

I will bet everyone and anyone that wants to that we will win 20+ by the end of the season.

Hand shook

 

[Brooky03]

I just don’t see it with the make up of the roster we have. It’s disjointed; and doesn’t look like a Syracuse team. I think our ceiling is .500 this year. I just don’t see any organization or structure on offense and defense. These guys just don’t seem to know what they’re doing out there and that points to coaching.

Our best lineup I think is JJ, Choppa, Bell, Donnie, Lumpkin.

Bench would be very strong imo and a team strength. Just don’t think red has the ability to put the pieces in the right places. I really question his coaching. Year 2 and this job may be too big for him, especially combined with our lack of NIL $$$

I’m getting Dino vibes watching his team play.

I don’t think we’re going to see a ‘Syracuse team’ for a while because a Jim Boeheim constructed and coached team is what has defined a ‘Syracuse team’ for so long. Autry is purposefully trying to depart from that.

It’s messy, for sure, but I think chemistry and learning to play together will improve considerably. The disjointedness will smooth out. I just don’t know how long it will take for that to happen. The bench should and will get shorter. Players should start feeling more comfortable in their roles. Right now, it feels like an all-star team. Not that they’re all-star caliber, but that they’re a bunch of individuals not really sure how to play off each other and put their teammates in the best spots.

I’m not worried about the offense much. We’ll start shooting better, probably sooner than later. We have guys who can shoot. Rhythm will help a lot with that. I am worried about the defense, though. The m2m is exactly as bad as I had feared it would be. Everybody plays m2m and we play m2m like everybody. There are no wrinkles to it. There are no plus matchups in our favor. And the zone is a weaker version of what it once was, so it’s become what it is for every other team, a trunk monkey that can knock opponents off guard for a few possessions and that’s it.

 

[SBU72]

Niastri has stats that prove he’s the best center since Wilt at Kansas.

Yet Wilt played only 2 years in college and McLoed is what in his 6th year at 4 schools. Heck Wilt didn't play for that many pro teams in 13 years! I repeat, are there any 7'5" (even 7'2"!) 25 year Olds in college!

 

[longtimefan]

Considering our only realistic shot of getting into the tournament this season was winning the ACC tournament it seems they're probably the most important games left on the schedule. You betting on us in back to back days at the end of the year?

I'm not betting on back to back days in the ACC tournament, but I wouldn't have bet on NC St. last season, or UConn in 2011, or SU in 2006.

I don't agree that the only realistic shot at the NCAA's is winning the ACC tournament.

 

[billsin01]

There are no more back-to-back games on the schedule.

I think the defense in Brooklyn was much better than what we had seen in the Dome.

I wouldn't say I'm in a spot of a lot of hope, but I thought the defense in the second half against texas actually looked good. Like, genuinely, good. I don't know that we can sustain that for 40 against good teams consistently, but it's a positive sign at least.

 

[Blanko97]

I just don’t see it with the make up of the roster we have. It’s disjointed; and doesn’t look like a Syracuse team. I think our ceiling is .500 this year. I just don’t see any organization or structure on offense and defense. These guys just don’t seem to know what they’re doing out there and that points to coaching.

Our best lineup I think is JJ, Choppa, Bell, Donnie, Lumpkin.

Bench would be very strong imo and a team strength. Just don’t think red has the ability to put the pieces in the right places. I really question his coaching. Year 2 and this job may be too big for him, especially combined with our lack of NIL $$$

I’m getting Dino vibes watching his team play.

The ACC seems to be SUPER bad. They can probably win 17-18 without beating anyone of consequence

 

[IthacaMatt]

I have the same feeling of being encouraged - but I'm also wrapping my head around the fact that it's mainly due to the fact that we took the expectations as low as they could possibly go while starting a season 3-0.

I suppose just wait for Cornell and see where we are.

I've felt more encouraged after other games where we lost to a P5 program this season. That game was hot trash. We were never really in it. We looked like absolute losers out there.

 

[jdubs30]

I've felt more encouraged after other games where we lost to a P5 program this season. That game was hot trash. We were never really in it. We looked like absolute losers out there.

JJ definitely makes a difference. He’s a very good 1 on 1 player - it’s not like we run great stuff for him. We just don’t have anyone else like him. If he broke his hand on Halloween we would have a few more losses …..

 

[powdersmack]

I will bet everyone and anyone that wants to that we will win 20+ by the end of the season.

Hand shook

This doesn't look too prescient at this point.

 

[IthacaMatt]

JJ definitely makes a difference. He’s a very good 1 on 1 player - it’s not like we run great stuff for him. We just don’t have anyone else like him. If he broke his hand on Halloween we would have a few more losses …..

Any good team shouldn't have to survive on one-on-one basketball.
That's literally zero coaching. It's pick-up at the Y.
We are so terrible now. If I were Red, I could see him resigning so we can start a proper coaching search this time.

 

[Idiocuse22&]

This doesn't look too prescient at this point.

Nope not looking good at all, LOL. Im really not laughing tho, Are you??? This season will be very upsetting for me.

Or...a miracle comes our way.
That would be something if we could turn this season around...I have been known to suggest ideas or predictions that were unbelievable that turned into reality. This is a contrarian view thread after all.
However,
All bets are off,

My toes were crossed.

 

[W'boro'Cuse315]

I will bet everyone and anyone that wants to that we will win 20+ by the end of the season.

Hand shook

This doesn't look too prescient at this point.

Powder coming with that month-old post quote.