BJ Johnson just can't play at this level

[scottynguyen]

He's so young, I think it's easy to forget that. I feel like age in college basketball is often overlooked.

I'm not defending his play, the little we've seen has been mostly bad. But his age alone is a source for optimism.

Speaking purely in terms of basketball players average statistical growth curves, there's a ton of room for BJ to improve.

 

[NineOneSeven]

He'll get better.

I don't doubt that. The issue is just playing time next year.

 

[sufandu]

I love the conclusions being drawn about a young for his class sophomore halfway through his second year. It's fair to say he may not be ready. It's not fair to say he doesn't belong on the major D1 level because none of us have a crystal ball. I would say he probably should've redshirted last year considering his body and age. That wouldn't help anything for this year, but that extra year may end up helping him down the road.

A lot of the criticism sounds like the same things that were said about a low level recruit that was supposedly only offered a scholarship because he was a legacy. He seemed to turn out ok, and even got a sniff of NBA action. Isn't that right scottynguyen?

 

[cuseguy]

He'll get better. I don't doubt that. The issue is just playing time next year.

There just isn't going to be playing time for him.

He'll likely be behind Mike G, Lydon and possibly Malachi next year.

Maybe by his senior year, but Moyer joins the picture then.

 

[TBCuse11]

0 good comes from these threads. Bj obviously still has tremendous upside. We aren't kentucky, we develop kids. Just last year you guys were all talking about how rak and g were hopeless. Bj's time will come. He's been pressed into play due to injuries, i dont think anyone reasonably expected him to come out looking like senior demetris nichols.

almost always agree with you, but not on this topic. BJ's time will never come. He literally air balled a layup. I have never seen that before, not even at YMCA pick up games. He cant guard, cant shoot, cant rebound. We have G here another year, so at best he plays 5 mins a game next year. at BEST. then he is a senior.

He is much better off going somewhere he can START for two years. Univ of Buffalo anyone? He could carry them to the Big Dance.

 

[Trueblue25]

almost always agree with you, but not on this topic. BJ's time will never come. He literally air balled a layup. I have never seen that before, not even at YMCA pick up games. He cant guard, cant shoot, cant rebound. We have G here another year, so at best he plays 5 mins a game next year. at BEST. then he is a senior.

He is much better off going somewhere he can START for two years. Univ of Buffalo anyone? He could carry them to the Big Dance.

Ub's looking at a ticket this year with Moss, similar to Rak, and shannon evans whose one of the best sophomore guards in the Ncaa. Honestly between ub, cuse and st johns new york is representing well this year. Not to say ub would beat syracuse before you all go ape shat over that.

 

[orangecuse]

No offense, but what exactly are you guys seeing that makes you think he has potential? He's 6'8 (or so) and looks like a good athlete; but other than that what are we seeing? He can't handle the ball, hasn't made a jumpshot in forever, seeems below average on D and doesn't really know what to do with the ball once he gets it.

I get (and agree) why people think Patterson has potential. It also speaks volumes to me that JB would rather play Cooney/Roberson/G 40 minutes than give BJ any run; I know there's a chance for major improvement every summer, but to go from where he is now to a contributor next year (especially with our depth next year) seems so far fetched to me at this point.

An objective post imo. It'll be interesting to see if you get an informative response to your inquiry...I'm curious as well. JB doesn't have much confidence in him either, as he has stated such from what he observes in practice everyday...mentioning how he doesn't hit any shots in practice, etc., so what would make him think otherwise in the more pressured game situation? With our roster as thin as it is, he has seemingly failed to capitalize on this huge opportunity to prove to coach otherwise.

 

[weepeel]

It is unfortunate that we have four players who can barely shot...bj, Ron, Kaleb, and Tyler...with Roberson showing at least the ability to make the occasional 17 footer.

The sad truth is that if bj can't crack into this rotation for at least 10 minutes a game and contribute points then how will he get playing time with the players we have lined up in 2015.

Bj is also very young which is why a redshirt wouldn't have been a bad idea...especially to allow him to out on some mass

 

[supp]

I don't understand this sentence at all. Cooney averages 14 ppg - he's clearly good enough to play at this level.

I don't want to get into a whole thing here but being able to play at this level doesn't necessarily mean being able to produce and be efficient in your production at this level on most nights. I'm not trying to insult the guy but you put a just solid defender on him and he's not going to do much. The Clemson game was just the latest example. The fact that he cannot drive with any more than a 25% success rate ensures that the defender doesn't give him any space to maneuver. The way he's defended has little to do with us having no other 3-point options. They're playing him quite ordinarily from what I can see. No doubt, there are nights when he's shooting the lights out but we've played lots of mid-major guys over the years that have done that to us as well. No one thinks that those guys could play for us night in, night out. Sure he averages 14 pts a game. He's also taken the most shots on the team and is shooting 37% from the field. If you look at his game-by-game stats, I think the Nunes example becomes clearer.

We don't (and haven't had) much choice the past couple of years so he gets major minutes but that doesn't mean he's best suited for this level of play and that amount of time on the court. Put him on Delaware and he'd be a terror. If they got a favorable draw in the tourney, he could even go off and help them upset a team or two. But when someone like him plays a Syracuse-caliber schedule, it's hard not to show your limitations over time.

 

[SUFan44]

Before all is said and done BJ will be a great player for this program.

Meh. I disagree. I'm sure he's a great kid. Just don't see him ever getting it.

 

[SUFan44]

Height: 6'8"
Weight: 195lbs.

FG: 34.7%
3FG: 23.6%
FT: 44.4%

TOPG: 0.6
RPG: 2.2
PPG: 4.2

These are Demetris Nichols' freshman stats from a season in which he started more than half the games. Go look at BJ's stats, who's in a much smaller role, and tell me why BJ (basically a freshman) should be on a low level D1 team if DNic didn't belong there. . And, in case anybody is wondering, DNic's stats didn't improve much as a sophomore.

Nichols' defense was one billion times better. The game isn't all about offense.

 

[81South]

The kid has to be ready when his name is called and lately he hasn't been. Last night there was the missed bunny...2 missed free throws in crunch time and the turn over at mid court. I feel sick for the kid because you know how bad he must want to kill it out there but right now I am not sure things could go worse for the kid.

 

[Brooky03]

Nichols' defense was one billion times better. The game isn't all about offense.

Agreed. Defense is also the easiest area to improve. Nichols had the benefit of getting a lot of minutes early in his career, so he got to work out the kinks. BJ hasn't been given that opportunity.

 

[ORANGEsPHK]

I don't get some of the declarations being made here about BJ. I get that he is lost on the court, seems overwhelmed and that his shots have not gone down. However, players improve, regardless of what fans may think.

I don't know what BJ's ceiling is but I do know that many here claimed that KJ needs to sit, that he has no business playing, and yet he is improving on a game-by-game basis. Others claimed SU would be better if Patterson replaced Cooney.

I get that this is a fan board and emotions rule the roost, but I think there is a lot of premature judging of BJ. How many minutes has he played this year? And do those minutes capture BJ's full potential as a player here? I don't think so, we've seen plenty of players who the fan base denoted as failures that improved and became valuable assets to the program. BJ definitely needs PT to start 'getting' it and I do worry that he will have limited opportunities. However, Patterson is able to see the floor because he started focusing on what brings the highest value to the team, his defense, ball handling skills and good IQ in driving/dishing, etc (I'm glad he's not just chucking threes!). Step by step. Let's give him a chance here before saying he's not a player at this level.

 

[SUbear]

Agreed. Defense is also the easiest area to improve. Nichols had the benefit of getting a lot of minutes early in his career, so he got to work out the kinks. BJ hasn't been given that opportunity.

Defense is actually the hardest area to improve, because defense takes work, and knowing where you are suppose to be in various situations in the zone. A lot of offense is just being able to hit shots, and taking your opportunities. Oh, and gaining confidence is a huge factor.

 

[Doc5120]

I don't want to get into a whole thing here but being able to play at this level doesn't necessarily mean being able to produce and be efficient in your production at this level on most nights. I'm not trying to insult the guy but you put a just solid defender on him and he's not going to do much. The Clemson game was just the latest example. The fact that he cannot drive with any more than a 25% success rate ensures that the defender doesn't give him any space to maneuver. The way he's defended has little to do with us having no other 3-point options. They're playing him quite ordinarily from what I can see. No doubt, there are nights when he's shooting the lights out but we've played lots of mid-major guys over the years that have done that to us as well. No one thinks that those guys could play for us night in, night out. Sure he averages 14 pts a game. He's also taken the most shots on the team and is shooting 37% from the field. If you look at his game-by-game stats, I think the Nunes example becomes clearer.

We don't (and haven't had) much choice the past couple of years so he gets major minutes but that doesn't mean he's best suited for this level of play and that amount of time on the court. Put him on Delaware and he'd be a terror. If they got a favorable draw in the tourney, he could even go off and help them upset a team or two. But when someone like him plays a Syracuse-caliber schedule, it's hard not to show your limitations over time.

Sure, let's pick 1 game (Clemson) and not look at what he did the 9 prior games or the one after. Cooney is an above average D1 player. He's shooting nearly 38% from 3 on a team that has 3 capable scorers, which means he's seeing extra bodies flying at him because others on the court are no threat.

 

[AZOrange]

I root for BJ as much as anyone I've ever rooted for. He's got that quality where u just want him to succeed. I always felt that way about Luke Jackson too. You can just tell the game is totally in his head at this point. I agree with the prior sentiment that he could have/should have shirted.

 

[moqui]

I don't want to get into a whole thing here but being able to play at this level doesn't necessarily mean being able to produce and be efficient in your production at this level on most nights. I'm not trying to insult the guy but you put a just solid defender on him and he's not going to do much. The Clemson game was just the latest example. The fact that he cannot drive with any more than a 25% success rate ensures that the defender doesn't give him any space to maneuver. The way he's defended has little to do with us having no other 3-point options. They're playing him quite ordinarily from what I can see. No doubt, there are nights when he's shooting the lights out but we've played lots of mid-major guys over the years that have done that to us as well. No one thinks that those guys could play for us night in, night out. Sure he averages 14 pts a game. He's also taken the most shots on the team and is shooting 37% from the field. If you look at his game-by-game stats, I think the Nunes example becomes clearer.

We don't (and haven't had) much choice the past couple of years so he gets major minutes but that doesn't mean he's best suited for this level of play and that amount of time on the court. Put him on Delaware and he'd be a terror. If they got a favorable draw in the tourney, he could even go off and help them upset a team or two. But when someone like him plays a Syracuse-caliber schedule, it's hard not to show your limitations over time.

7th in the ACC in total points
4th in the ACC in 3pt percentage
5th in the ACC in total steals & steals per game
8th in the ACC in steal percentage
6th in the ACC in lowest turnover percentage
9th in the ACC in defensive win shares
1st in the ACC in both total minutes played and minutes per game
but he's not an ACC caliber player. Got it.

 

[NovaOrange]

I just don't understand why anyone posted this. I can deal with the little jabs here and there when people have a bad game but to take time to single out a 19 year old kid isn't good enough to play at this level is just BS.

 

[Brooky03]

Defense is actually the hardest area to improve, because defense takes work, and knowing where you are suppose to be in various situations in the zone. A lot of offense is just being able to hit shots, and taking your opportunities. Oh, and gaining confidence is a huge factor.

I completely disagree. Both defense and offense obviously require practice and knowing where to be. Where they differ is the amount of technical skill required. Shooting and dribbling are highly technical abilities that cannot be improved quickly. However, learning what it takes to stay in front of your man and play the passing lanes is more mental focus than anything else. Sure, blocking shots and stripping the ball are skills that have to be honed, but we're not asking him to do either of those things.

A lack of confidence is also much more detrimental on offense than D, IMO. Bottom line, if he puts the time in, he'll improve greatly on both sides of the ball. But he specifically needs to put the time in a defense because that's the limiting factor on his playing time right now. The offense will come.

 

[suttree]

I just don't understand why anyone posted this. I can deal with the little jabs here and there when people have a bad game but to take time to single out a 19 year old kid isn't good enough to play at this level is just BS.

This.

And the lowest BB IQ comment was the most inappropriate part.

People giving up on individual players and the team (another recent post about being "done") are a reflection of how spoiled so many fans have become--particularly in the last five years of the Boeheimian Rhapsody Golden Age. Do you guys also boo your grandmother if she overcooks the Thanksgiving turkey?

 

[dasher]

I don't want to get into a whole thing here but being able to play at this level doesn't necessarily mean being able to produce and be efficient in your production at this level on most nights. I'm not trying to insult the guy but you put a just solid defender on him and he's not going to do much. The Clemson game was just the latest example. The fact that he cannot drive with any more than a 25% success rate ensures that the defender doesn't give him any space to maneuver. The way he's defended has little to do with us having no other 3-point options. They're playing him quite ordinarily from what I can see. No doubt, there are nights when he's shooting the lights out but we've played lots of mid-major guys over the years that have done that to us as well. No one thinks that those guys could play for us night in, night out. Sure he averages 14 pts a game. He's also taken the most shots on the team and is shooting 37% from the field. If you look at his game-by-game stats, I think the Nunes example becomes clearer.

We don't (and haven't had) much choice the past couple of years so he gets major minutes but that doesn't mean he's best suited for this level of play and that amount of time on the court. Put him on Delaware and he'd be a terror. If they got a favorable draw in the tourney, he could even go off and help them upset a team or two. But when someone like him plays a Syracuse-caliber schedule, it's hard not to show your limitations over time.

I couldn't dislike or disagree with this post. Cooney is a good ACC player. Can he be shut down. Yeah. So can almost any player that we have had here save a few. Thank God we have him or you would see 5 guys around Rak. They don't guard silent G like they guard Cooney.

 

[dasher]

This.

And the lowest BB IQ comment was the most inappropriate part.

People giving up on individual players and the team (another recent post about being "done") are a reflection of how spoiled so many fans have become--particularly in the last five years of the Boeheimian Rhapsody Golden Age. Do you guys also boo your grandmother if she overcooks the Thanksgiving turkey?

It is not a fault to be realistic. This is a fan board and quite frankly, anyone who doesn't see how much this team lacks, is more a fanatic than a fan. When we beat a good team, maybe people will change their minds. Until then, who have we beat?

 

[phil77]

The only thing I worry about with BJ is that he is going to get recruited over and may not get the chance to develop as time moves on. I think junior/senior BJ will be a lot different than what we are seeing now if he gets a chance to develop. We will see how it turns out but I like the kid seems like a hard worker and wants to get better.

 

[suttree]

It is not a fault to be realistic. This is a fan board and quite frankly, anyone who doesn't see how much this team lacks, is more a fanatic than a fan. When we beat a good team, maybe people will change their minds. Until then, who have we beat?

What was the realistic part?