Buddy?

[FloridaFan]

Where has Buddy been this whole game? We have been struggling to hit shots all game and he doesn’t even come out at all? Did he do something to anger Boeheim cause otherwise I have no explanation for this display.

 

[orangemass]

Wierd

 

[Brooky03]

Where has Buddy been this whole game? We have been struggling to hit shots all game and he doesn’t even come out at all? Did he do something to anger Boeheim cause otherwise I have no explanation for this display.

He would not have done well against this ball pressure

 

[FloridaFan]

He would not have done well against this ball pressure

Cause the rest of our team is? He may not be perfect but gosh darn it are we content to let our “starters” get slapped around and try nothing to stop it?

 

[OrangeDW]

VT playing a pressure man to man.

Buddy is a catch and shoot zonebuster who can’t do anything off the dribble.

 

[cuse10]

He should have absolutely gotten a shot tonight. Couldn't have been worse than Frank, Tyus and Elijah.

 

[FloridaFan]

Anyone can get hot. Look at how we always call random bench player to hit 10 3’s. All I’m saying is to not even give him a shot is atrocious

 

[Brooky03]

Cause the rest of our team is? He may not be perfect but gosh darn it are we content to let our “starters” get slapped around and try nothing to stop it?

Battle is the closest thing to a pro on this team and couldn't get a clean look all night. Buddy is slower, skinnier, and can't dribble nearly as well. What was he going to do?

 

[orangehomer]

we got beat in every direction in this game, it doesnt matter if buddy played or not.

 

[FloridaFan]

Battle is the closest thing to a pro on this team and couldn't get a clean look all night. Buddy is slower, skinnier, and can't dribble nearly as well. What was he going to do?

So if battle isn’t doing good we should throw in the towel cause no one can do good? May as well only play 5 people and throw in the towel if they can’t play well

 

[Brooky03]

So if battle isn’t doing good we should throw in the towel cause no one can do good? May as well only play 5 people and throw in the towel if they can’t play well

How would Buddy have been successful? Contested NBA threes?

 

[FloridaFan]

How would Buddy have been successful? Contested NBA threes?

Maybe he could have provided some energy to the lineup before it got out of hand. Plus didn’t he just hit a three against VT’s starters at the end so I guess he can hit shots can he not?

 

[Chip]

He would not have done well against this ball pressure

Same team that gave up 103 a few days ago.

It's moments like this that I'm glad I never played this stupid sport. But since I love SU and SU doesn't have hockey in the winter, stuck I am.

 

[Brooky03]

Maybe he could have provided some energy to the lineup before it got out of hand. Plus didn’t he just hit a three against VT’s starters at the end so I guess he can hit shots can he not?

He can shoot. Nobody is questioning that. But VT was not going to give him looks. Half interested defense up 20 points with minutes left is different than what the team played against tonight.

 

[NateW]

Not sure why JB didn’t just stick with the rotation that had been working for him.

Maybe it’s not Buddy’s best match up but it’s not like it’s his first time playing against pressure MTM defense.

I’m sure he wouldn’t have melted any worse than these other guys did.

 

[Chip]

Not sure why JB didn’t just stick with the rotation that had been working for him.

Maybe it’s not Buddy’s best match up but it’s not like it’s his first time playing against pressure MTM defense.

I’m sure he wouldn’t have melted any worse than these other guys did.

That's the part I don't get. We're winning games, we've built up some chemistry in the rotation, you have a kid coming off the bench hitting shots, but he can't play tonight because we're going to face pressure defense from a team that gave up over one HUNDRED points in their last game.

Maybe we're overthinking it?

 

[Cusefan0307]

BUT IT HAS BEEN A BUNCH OF NEPOTISM THAT HES PLAYED ALL YEAR.

 

[OrangeDW]

Where has Buddy been this whole game? We have been struggling to hit shots all game and he doesn’t even come out at all? Did he do something to anger Boeheim cause otherwise I have no explanation for this display.

He didn’t take the garbage out or walk the dog last week because he was too busy playing fortnite. Dad laid down the law with some tough love.

 

[orangecuse]

BUT IT HAS BEEN A BUNCH OF NEPOTISM THAT HES PLAYED ALL YEAR.

Yep. Those same folks probably would say that the reason JB didn't put his son in today is because he didn't want to embarrass him on national TV.

 

[FloridaFan]

He didn’t take the garbage out or walk the dog last week because he was too busy playing fortnite. Dad laid down the law with some tough love.

I’ll do all those things if it gets us a win

 

[Zelda Zonk]

BUT IT HAS BEEN A BUNCH OF NEPOTISM THAT HES PLAYED ALL YEAR.

Literally the most simplistic take you could have on this. Wish you had typed that in Courier.

 

[Cusefan0307]

Literally the most simplistic take you could have on this. Wish you had typed that in Courier.

Make an argument then.

 

[CaptainJ]

Yep. Those same folks probably would say that the reason JB didn't put his son in today is because he didn't want to embarrass him on national TV.

EPIC.

 

[orangecuse]

Same team that gave up 103 a few days ago.

It's moments like this that I'm glad I never played this stupid sport. But since I love SU and SU doesn't have hockey in the winter, stuck I am.

Exactly. Now, I haven't watched VT play much this year, so I do not know statistically whether they are as exceptional on D as they appeared tonight and whether the 103 points they gave up the other day to UNC was an aberration.

I do think this though from watching our team the past few years. When teams put a lot of ball pressure on us we struggle immensely on O and look completely out of sync and discombobulated. Frank struggled all night, just like he does when teams put a lot of pressure on him and hound the ball. His handle was loosy goosy all night, had some bad turnovers, carries, etc. Even times when he didn't lose the ball, his high and shaky handle caused a lot of anxiety. Even worse, is that when this happens to him, he let's it bleed into his mindset, and it then affects his defense. He was responsible for a lot of those open 3's that VT's Robinson drilled.

Frank has his best games when teams don't pressure him. He's a good passer, and along with his size, he can see the floor much better when not being hounded as he doesn't have to be as concerned with his handle. But when he is, what you see tonight is what we we've been getting. I think this offensive struggle tonight likely remains consistent when teams are going to pressure the ball and hound Frank, which I don't know why teams wouldn't.

Battle is not a point guard either, and even though he's capable of playing it at times, he also fares better when teams aren't hounding the ball. This issue at point guard is a serious dilemma for our team and has been. And, is likely to be the case against the better teams/guard we face in conference play as our schedule toughens.

 

[Zelda Zonk]

Make an argument then.

Let's go so far as to call it "nepotism." I personally have suggested JB had been giving Buddy the kind of "benefit of doubt" that he hadn't afforded to other players we've had over the years, who had similarly 'not performed.' Not the worst thing in the world, and i didn't complain about it so much as say, along with others, "how weird it was to see Buddy in the game, in the first half of a close league game."

So, there's the premise.

Firstly, "nepotism" wouldn't have to be a binary thing. Coach isn't a robot. He could give Buddy the 'benefit of the doubt' in some situations, and then recognize Buddy had less of a chance to succeed (today) and not play him. Doesn't mean he wasn't given the benefit of the doubt earlier.

Kinda surprises me when people need to insist that everything must be everything at all times. Not everything can be reduced to such simplicity.

But, whatever. I get that so many people are so sensitive in their 'defense' of Buddy. But, please recognize that there's no one here who doesn't want Buddy to succeed. No one.