Buzz Williams post game comments

[Cheriehoop]

Buzz Williams on the Jim Boeheim zone: 'I think he's a lot smarter than he says'

Found this very interesting.

 

[iommi]

Buzz Williams on the Jim Boeheim zone: 'I think he's a lot smarter than he says'

Found this very interesting.

It was. And he's also dead on with his 4-1 zone comments. Not sure why they didn't really try to hit the player running the baseline. Teams have been very successful against us throwing lobs too.

Well-written story from Chris Carlson.

 

[Cheriehoop]

JB was into metrics before the word was even used.

 

[OburgOrange]

JB was into metrics before the word was even used.

HOF

 

[realorange]

JB was into metrics before the word was even used.

In his pressers, he always has the numbers at his fingertips and many times quoting them without looking at his sheet.

 

[CousCuse]

In his pressers, he always has the numbers at his fingertips and many times quoting them without looking at his sheet.

I would hope he can remember these few numbers, it's not like he's making a calculation for a jump to warp speed, or is he?

 

[Scotch]

Buzz Williams on the Jim Boeheim zone: 'I think he's a lot smarter than he says'

Found this very interesting.

Agreed. It reminded me of KenPom's Boeheim Exception article from 2013.

When Jimmy B has the players, the "4-1" zone is consistently one of the best in the country in terms of 3PT% defense, by a mathematically significant margin.

I also love that the zone tends to force a lot of mid-range 2 pt shots, which is not only a lost art amongst this generation of players, but is also just statistically the shot you want an offense taking in terms of point-per-possession. Jimmy might not be an analytics guy, but a lot of advanced metrics tend to agree with his approach. Now if only we could rebound every year...

 

[Trueblue25]

I like buzz a lot. I know we make fun of him from time to time but this guy will be a legend too

 

[007]

I like buzz a lot. I know we make fun of him from time to time but this guy will be a legend too

I don't know about "legend," time will tell. But, I agree he is a great coach in a great coach's league. His man offense might be the best in the league.

 

[rrlbees]

Agreed. It reminded me of KenPom's Boeheim Exception article from 2013.

When Jimmy B has the players, the "4-1" zone is consistently one of the best in the country in terms of 3PT% defense, by a mathematically significant margin.

I also love that the zone tends to force a lot of mid-range 2 pt shots, which is not only a lost art amongst this generation of players, but is also just statistically the shot you want an offense taking in terms of point-per-possession. Jimmy might not be an analytics guy, but a lot of advanced metrics tend to agree with his approach. Now if only we could rebound every year...

FWIW, Hop was a big advance metrics guy.

 

[Jake]

The 2-3 zone and stall ball are both based on metrics.

 

[Capt. Tuttle]

The 2-3 zone and stall ball are both based on metrics.

Yup. JB, "Q" and Dino are doing math. JB does it in his head.

 

[Capt. Tuttle]

I like buzz a lot. I know we make fun of him from time to time but this guy will be a legend too

Buzz would be on my "next" short list

 

[007]

The 2-3 zone and stall ball are both based on metrics.

"The problem isn't the shots you are missing. The problem is you're not getting a shot." Buzz Williams

The JB zone (which really is a 4-1 vs 3 point shooting teams without an interior scoring threat) limits possessions. That's a big reason why we drain clock with a lead, are so deliberate in half court sets, and don't look to run/push the ball unless it's off a turnover.

 

[jdubs30]

I love the psychology that Buzz was referring to.

JB constantly mentions how sometimes he prefer a team to hit their first 2 or 3 3s to start a game. They get comfortable and think they can just shoot over it, but the odds catch up with them.

Jaylen Adams had what, 21 points in the 1st half last week? After that half I think the kid literally took 1 shot in the 2nd half/OT and it came in OT. It's so weird what it does to you mentally

 

[hoopsupstate]

"The problem isn't the shots you are missing. The problem is you're not getting a shot." Buzz Williams

The JB zone (which really is a 4-1 vs 3 point shooting teams without an interior scoring threat) limits possessions. That's a big reason why we drain clock with a lead, are so deliberate in half court sets, and don't look to run/push the ball unless it's off a turnover.

I agree. VT couldn’t find any open looks in the first half last night. They didn’t start driving until late in the game, after Chukwu was out of the game. They had to probe a long time last night trying to find an open look. It wasn’t until they got a couple of transition threes that they found any open looks.

 

[stuckinbig11]

Lost in the shuffle is the fact that JB has an incredible memory.

 

[Cheriehoop]

FWIW, Hop was a big advance metrics guy.

Yes Hop is. So is coach Q for the women, who has an assistant, Vonn Read, who also is huge into analytics and written numerous books on the subject. What’s even more interesting are the decisions that coaches make regarding their offensive and defensive styles/strategies based on these metrics. Buzz may have many of the same metrics but obviously his decisions and strategy differ. Bet some of his decisions would change if we did meet again. There are so many variables from game to game, player to player etc the decisions sure can’t be straight line. The analysis itself and decision making has to be fascinating and maybe intuitive to a point.

 

[SBU72]

I would hope he can remember these few numbers, it's not like he's making a calculation for a jump to warp speed, or is he?

Kirk never made those calcultions. Chekov or Sulu did and that was just pushing a few "buttons".

 

[NorSyr66]

Agreed. It reminded me of KenPom's Boeheim Exception article from 2013.

When Jimmy B has the players, the "4-1" zone is consistently one of the best in the country in terms of 3PT% defense, by a mathematically significant margin.

I also love that the zone tends to force a lot of mid-range 2 pt shots, which is not only a lost art amongst this generation of players, but is also just statistically the shot you want an offense taking in terms of point-per-possession. Jimmy might not be an analytics guy, but a lot of advanced metrics tend to agree with his approach. Now if only we could rebound every year...

Good comment. Regarding "if we could rebound like this every year" reminds me that one thing that is very different this year is the number of times we tip a rebound to another player. Not sure I have seen a Syracuse team do this ever or in a long time. Not sure if it is trained or instinct but we have 2 or 3 players that use this skill to help maintain possession of contested rebounds. One for certain is Dolezaj. He must lead the team in tipping rebounds.

 

[SUskibum]

Buzz would be on my "next" short list

Yup. Have you seen this yet?

Buzz Williams, Virginia Tech Basketball Team Honor Military Veterans

 

[Scotch]

Good comment. Regarding "if we could rebound like this every year" reminds me that one thing that is very different this year is the number of times we tip a rebound to another player. Not sure I have seen a Syracuse team do this ever or in a long time. Not sure if it is trained or instinct but we have 2 or 3 players that use this skill to help maintain possession of contested rebounds. One for certain is Dolezaj. He must lead the team in tipping rebounds.

Agreed. Lydon was amazing at this during that Final Four run, but not something we do well historically. This team rebounds and hits its free throws, is this really a Cuse team?

 

[310Pigpen]

Yup. Have you seen this yet?

Buzz Williams, Virginia Tech Basketball Team Honor Military Veterans

That video is when my opinion of Buzz changed for the better. I couldn't stand him at Marquette and never in my wildest dreams ever considered him a possible candidate to coach my favorite sports program. Now I wouldn't mind him being our next coach if that's who was chosen.

 

[CousCuse]

Kirk never made those calcultions. Chekov or Sulu did and that was just pushing a few "buttons".

I was actually thinking about the scene in Star Wars were Solo called Luke a boy and said something along the lines of stifle before I have Chewy slap the shlit out of you. He was making a calculation for the jump to light speed not warp speed, which is Star Fleet terminology. Though,

Spock was always working on some esoteric calculations for Kirk and prolly could have helped Boeheim come up with more advanced analytics to optimize the his enigma zone defense.

 

[SBU72]

I was wondering about that. I think that Star Trek is about the only space opera that just steps on the "gas" and goes to speeds above light speed. Everybody else has to calculate direction to avoid going thru bad things. Not ST. "Mr Sulo, thats to warp "