Biggest disappointment about Joseph so far...

[sufandu]

fair point but this is a fan board and KJ has been awful. Should he be on the bench learning during practices? Yes. But he isn't.

He isn't, but that doesn't change how prepared he should be. He is what he is, and there's no reason to keep pointing out the same stuff over and over. If he's playing like this as a junior then it's warranted, but during December of his freshman year when it was originally expected he'd be getting spot minutes behind Ennis, let's give it a rest.

 

[br801]

Has KJ done anything positive so far this season?

He duped JB into giving him a D-I basketball scholarship? No wait, that was Trevor Cooney. Or was it Andy Rautins? Sometimes trashing our players just gets so damn confusing.

 

[Full_Rebar]

I was thinking about this today and came to the realization that Kaleb has something to offer that we desperately need, and it ain't a point guard. This kid can score. He is one of those guys that can put the ball in the bucket. Those guys are born not made. Sure this point guard gig seems to with him pretty good right now, but he'll either eventually get it or be moved off it..but Im fairly certain he WILL be able to score. In this era of Cuse hoops, that facet of his game may actually be more valuable to us than distribution

I agree and I think that might also contribute to some of JB's frustration with Gbinije right now because he knows Kaleb is best scoring and needs MG and Trevor to be able to share some of the ball-handling.

 

[SUbear]

Great post. Before reading your post, I was about to say... "Hey, what about a post saying 'Here are some positives things about KJ?'" He did not commit here thinking he was going to be the starting PG this year. We did not recruit him thinking he would be the starting PG this year. Talk about "eating your young." We've made an art form of it here.

You are right about him not be expected to play this year, but unfortunately he is. The problem with him that I have, is that I do not see the raw material that can turn into a great point even given time. He lacks the quickness that he would need, does not have a great handle even if you allow for youth, dribbles too high and erect, does not seem too have a high basketball IQ, and does not give good entry passes to his bigs. A year of developement might have been able to fix or improve some of those things, but I have doubts that he will be even an adequate point before at least his junior year, and then only with great improvement on his part. I hope he does better than I expect, but I am not seeing a point that from his rating one would have expected. Sorry to say so.
I expect he may be relegated to riding the pine unless he gets much improved by ACC play, if that becomes necessary the team will certainly struggle. His turnovers can not be tolerated later in the season, right now he is being given every possible chance to make it. No improvement will soon mean coach will, of necessity and perhaps desperation, be forced to try going to someone else.

 

[SUbear]

We are 10 games into this kid's college career and some folks on this forum act like he's a finished product.
Its baffling some of the posts that have sprung up- u have to double check just to make sure some of them are serious.
Kaleb bashing, not to mention overall SU Team bashing is becoming a blood sport here.
And no, before someone pops up w/ the "just telling it like it is" mantra, the fact is there are little if no qualifiers used to make various points.
Instant gratification, entitlement, stunning lack of patience, and overall cynicism seem to drive the bus.
Classic Syracuse insecurity on full display. Unreal.
JMHO Oh Lord

Okay Pollyanna, got it no one should say critical things even when warranted, let me start. This team is fantastic and will surely win the NCAA tourny this year. Every player is an absolute all star, and can not improve their game at all. Damn lets just tell the coaches to go on vacation this year they will not be needed anyway. Happy now?

 

[CaptainJ]

Okay Pollyanna, got it no one should say critical things even when warranted, let me start. This team is fantastic and will surely win the NCAA tourny this year. Every player is an absolute all star, and can not improve their game at all. Damn lets just tell the coaches to go on vacation this year they will not be needed anyway. Happy now?

Add DoctorBombay to the list of CuseHulk, OGBJ20, and TrueBlue(by manner of being accused of being CuseHulk), the people called names that reflect naivety on the board. This post isn't directed at you as you've been a good poster, but I'm trying to keep a running commentary at times to remind us of the direction in which we are apparently headed. I do see and even to an extent share your concern, but still felt my comment was warranted.

 

[DoctorBombay]

Okay Pollyanna, got it no one should say critical things even when warranted, let me start. This team is fantastic and will surely win the NCAA tourny this year. Every player is an absolute all star, and can not improve their game at all. Damn lets just tell the coaches to go on vacation this year they will not be needed anyway. Happy now?

Yes...because that was the entire gist of my post.
Whatta u, 12 years old?
Theres a difference between being a pessimistic, chicken-litte d****bag, who points out nothing but negatives, and someone who sees the circumstances of a FRESHMAN in his first few weeks playing Div 1. Is it that hard to see the difference?
Grow up.

 

[tee1222]

 

[Dave85]

I watched him go 7-9 from the floor against that good Canadian team that I always forget the name of. He was under control, didn't make a lot of mistakes, made his mid range jumpers, made a nice floater or two in the line, finished at the rim...he looked good!

I'm holding on to that and thinking that there's something there. He just needs a lot of work and isn't quite ready. It happens. We've been spoiled with Ennis, Flynn, GMac, Edelin, and Triche. But if we think back further, guys like Autry and especially Hart struggled as freshmen at times.

It's a long season. There will be many ups and downs for our freshmen. All that matters for this season is we get enough wins to get into the big dance. I am surprised by the number of people trashing Kaleb. So what if they have a bad season. I am more irritated with TE leaving too soon than I am with Kaleb working his guts out every night he plays.

 

[AlaskaSU]

I'm not too concerned about the NCAA. We've missed it before and starting the tourny as a low seed is no great shakes. Where I draw the line is in upholding our stretch of not having a losing season. If we can protect the ball we should win enough games.

 

[SUbear]

Yes...because that was the entire gist of my post.
Whatta u, 12 years old?
Theres a difference between being a pessimistic, chicken-litte d****bag, who points out nothing but negatives, and someone who sees the circumstances of a FRESHMAN in his first few weeks playing Div 1. Is it that hard to see the difference?
Grow up.

You seem to be the one who is twelve since you seem to regard criticism as personal attacks on players, which is the typical of the reaction of the immature. It is not, in most cases it is merely commenting on that players abilities at present, and maybe potential. I will not compare you to CuseHulk though because he is obviously much younger than you.
Sorry you did not care for my sarcasm, not.

 

[Jamesvillecuse]

I'm fine with the need to be a little positive, but I am not going to buy into the "he didn't expect to start this year". Every recruit SU gets should come in with the mindset that they are going to start or be a major contributor and I don't think Joseph is any different. If anything I think he's like MCW in that they are scorers who happened to play PG- that's just where the game is right now and I expect he'll be getting better as he adjusts to the college game.

By all accounts he's a hard worker and open to coaching and once he trusts his instincts more, he'll be able to continue to grow.

I don't think the problem is he didn't think he was going to start but that the coaches didn't think he would start. JB said he wasn't really a PG all the time in HS so they planned on him being a backup and learning the position not being the starter and learning the position. When you recruit the kind of players we recruit eventually you will be caught playing players you didn't expect to play as much. I would love to see G and Cooney start and have Kaleb come off the bench but highly doubt JB would make that move. The season is far from over and I hope eventually Kaleb gets it! I can live with some of the TO's but his not keeping his hands up on defense drives me mad but I put that more on the coaches then Kaleb.

 

[tee1222]

I don't think the problem is he didn't think he was going to start but that the coaches didn't think he would start. JB said he wasn't really a PG all the time in HS so they planned on him being a backup and learning the position not being the starter and learning the position. When you recruit the kind of players we recruit eventually you will be caught playing players you didn't expect to play as much. I would love to see G and Cooney start and have Kaleb come off the bench but highly doubt JB would make that move. The season is far from over and I hope eventually Kaleb gets it! I can live with some of the TO's but his not keeping his hands up on defense drives me mad but I put that more on the coaches then Kaleb.

The hands. The hands are killin' me.