Shark58
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this thread is not meant to bash Jim or get us all in an orange tizzy, but I would like a real conversation about SU's offense, especially in recent years, and how effective it has been vs possibilities of what we coulda been/could become on the offensive end.
Yes, I know Jim and the staff has forgotten more than I'll ever know. Yes, I know we have lost players early that would have definitely improved the O if they returned like Mali. Yes, I know I should gfms.
I understand one argument for our lack of O prowess is that we recruit for D. we get lanky athletes, esp at the wings, who profile well for the zone but aren't necessarily offensive juggernauts. some, like O'Shea, come better than expected on O while others like CJ & Kris more grow into the role. similarly at G, and especially the point, we seem to prefer the combo type guard instead of the Ennis type distributor. This profile type at the 1 hampers movement and helps make the offense as a whole a bit stagnant.
this leads to the next point that our O has seemed to devolve over the past couple of years to perimeter passing and looking for high ball screens with the pick being set by someone who is often the wrong guy doing so (Robe, BMK, Chucky) because they are limited in what they can do and when the drive into two defenders doesn't go well and they are now the outlet pass. When we run this with guys like Brisset, Lydon (and even a little Rak) coming up high it is much more effective. Part of the reason we don't probably has something to do with the lack of additional scorers on recent teams to provide an additional threat elsewhere on the court but still running it to a dead end doesn't help flow and is a big reason, imho, that so may possessions end up with poor shots. I'd much rather guys like Chucky and Robe spent way more time down low on the weak side looking to crash the boards and get put back points, or even a lob cut or two for easy 'oops.
one thing that drives me personally crazy is our seaming lack of plays. maybe a handful of times in the last decade of watching Cuse hoops can I remember a pg coming down court, setting up the offense calling for a set play, and us running that play effectively and repeatedly over the course of a game. Jimmy even admitted last year he had no current plays for the team. I get that he likes to have athletes make plays and I'm all for letting them play a loose offense but there are times the team struggles and it would be nice to have a set play or three to fall back on.
another thing is that when something unscripted works, we don't seem to go back to it. there was one tourney game, I think against Duke, where Battle was dribbling down the right side with Marek leading him. Marek made a quick turn and sealed the defender and Battle put up a shot right over his back. Simple, effective and the shot went in. A fellow long time Cuse fan who was in my living room joked if that was a set play and we watched as we never went back to it, or anything like it again for the rest of the game.
I'm hopeful that with O'Shea, a more assertive Marek, Frank, Carey, Hughes, Buddy etc. next year we'll have more firepower and the O will be office because of personnel but if a better scheme could be worked in, that wouldn't suck.
what say you?
Yes, I know Jim and the staff has forgotten more than I'll ever know. Yes, I know we have lost players early that would have definitely improved the O if they returned like Mali. Yes, I know I should gfms.
I understand one argument for our lack of O prowess is that we recruit for D. we get lanky athletes, esp at the wings, who profile well for the zone but aren't necessarily offensive juggernauts. some, like O'Shea, come better than expected on O while others like CJ & Kris more grow into the role. similarly at G, and especially the point, we seem to prefer the combo type guard instead of the Ennis type distributor. This profile type at the 1 hampers movement and helps make the offense as a whole a bit stagnant.
this leads to the next point that our O has seemed to devolve over the past couple of years to perimeter passing and looking for high ball screens with the pick being set by someone who is often the wrong guy doing so (Robe, BMK, Chucky) because they are limited in what they can do and when the drive into two defenders doesn't go well and they are now the outlet pass. When we run this with guys like Brisset, Lydon (and even a little Rak) coming up high it is much more effective. Part of the reason we don't probably has something to do with the lack of additional scorers on recent teams to provide an additional threat elsewhere on the court but still running it to a dead end doesn't help flow and is a big reason, imho, that so may possessions end up with poor shots. I'd much rather guys like Chucky and Robe spent way more time down low on the weak side looking to crash the boards and get put back points, or even a lob cut or two for easy 'oops.
one thing that drives me personally crazy is our seaming lack of plays. maybe a handful of times in the last decade of watching Cuse hoops can I remember a pg coming down court, setting up the offense calling for a set play, and us running that play effectively and repeatedly over the course of a game. Jimmy even admitted last year he had no current plays for the team. I get that he likes to have athletes make plays and I'm all for letting them play a loose offense but there are times the team struggles and it would be nice to have a set play or three to fall back on.
another thing is that when something unscripted works, we don't seem to go back to it. there was one tourney game, I think against Duke, where Battle was dribbling down the right side with Marek leading him. Marek made a quick turn and sealed the defender and Battle put up a shot right over his back. Simple, effective and the shot went in. A fellow long time Cuse fan who was in my living room joked if that was a set play and we watched as we never went back to it, or anything like it again for the rest of the game.
I'm hopeful that with O'Shea, a more assertive Marek, Frank, Carey, Hughes, Buddy etc. next year we'll have more firepower and the O will be office because of personnel but if a better scheme could be worked in, that wouldn't suck.
what say you?