Calipari is just a little too defensive here, isn’t he? | Syracusefan.com

Calipari is just a little too defensive here, isn’t he?

I think his response was cogent and rational. What else was he supposed to say? He's not wrong, and neither is Bilas. The truth is somewhere in between, and likely depends on the individual player, not the program.
 
I think his response was cogent and rational. What else was he supposed to say? He's not wrong, and neither is Bilas. The truth is somewhere in between, and likely depends on the individual player, not the program.

Be humble yet confident in what you do. Obviously he’s a strong coach with a great program. All the same, it’s mostly about recruiting - so he needs to “keep the lie alive”.

I thought his response was rambling and reaching and nerdy sounding in its defensiveness and arrogance. He could’ve just said “we’ve got a great staff and have had great players”. They aren’t some special factory...but he needs recruits to think they are.
 
Be humble yet confident in what you do. Obviously he’s a strong coach with a great program. All the same, it’s mostly about recruiting - so he needs to “keep the lie alive”.

I thought his response was rambling and reaching and nerdy sounding in its defensiveness and arrogance. He could’ve just said “we’ve got a great staff and have had great players”. They aren’t some special factory...but he needs recruits to think they are.
I disagree with that. I think we here are predisposed to read anything from him with prejudice. But, apparently, his brand of 'brashness,' if you even need to go so far to call it that, is effective toward getting and keeping top talent. And if that works, it's probably something you ought to be doing. Coach K does the same thing, just in a different way. Both may be disingenuous, but recruiting is a sales job. And as we can plainly see with Trump, you (can) sell by being unapologetically self-assured, and by defining your own truths.

And, still—i don't see anything wrong or rambling in that interview. I actually really like what he said. Especially about the season being all about team and then afterward, it's about the player. I love that. That's how it should be, and i'm pretty sure that kind of ethos is incredibly appealing to a recruit. JB ought to have more of that attitude, even if it is just PR. Maybe JB does do that, but i/we don't hear about it. All we hear about is his condemnation of a kid's decision to leave.
 
Bilas is right. Cal is protecting his recruiting pitch, but I had trouble following some of his points. What was he getting at with the Herro and Bledsoe comment?
 
I disagree with that. I think we here are predisposed to read anything from him with prejudice. But, apparently, his brand of 'brashness,' if you even need to go so far to call it that, is effective toward getting and keeping top talent. And if that works, it's probably something you ought to be doing. Coach K does the same thing, just in a different way. Both may be disingenuous, but recruiting is a sales job. And as we can plainly see with Trump, you (can) sell by being unapologetically self-assured, and by defining your own truths.

And, still—i don't see anything wrong or rambling in that interview. I actually really like what he said. Especially about the season being all about team and then afterward, it's about the player. I love that. That's how it should be, and i'm pretty sure that kind of ethos is incredibly appealing to a recruit. JB ought to have more of that attitude, even if it is just PR. Maybe JB does do that, but i/we don't hear about it. All we hear about is his condemnation of a kid's decision to leave.

The team first mentality during the season and then player first mentality after the season is not unique to Cal.

When Boeheim speaks about players, it’s universally been honest criticism. I won’t get on a coach for being honest, however detrimental his opinion is for the player he’s asked about. He’s never said a player needs to come back just because he wants him back to make the team better.
 
Cal’s apparent argument that he evaluated better and that means he produced pros is bizarre. He recruits elite talent that everybody ranks highly. Regardless, good evaluation of talent is not an argument that supports the idea of developing pros. Two separate things, entirely.

The volume shooters argument was bizarre. I’m not sure what his point was...

He teaches guys to defend. That’s good. Welcome to the club with about 200 other coaches.

He said he disagrees with Bilas but didn’t really say anything to support the idea that Bilas was wrong.
 
I disagree with that. I think we here are predisposed to read anything from him with prejudice. But, apparently, his brand of 'brashness,' if you even need to go so far to call it that, is effective toward getting and keeping top talent. And if that works, it's probably something you ought to be doing. Coach K does the same thing, just in a different way. Both may be disingenuous, but recruiting is a sales job. And as we can plainly see with Trump, you (can) sell by being unapologetically self-assured, and by defining your own truths.

And, still—i don't see anything wrong or rambling in that interview. I actually really like what he said. Especially about the season being all about team and then afterward, it's about the player. I love that. That's how it should be, and i'm pretty sure that kind of ethos is incredibly appealing to a recruit. JB ought to have more of that attitude, even if it is just PR. Maybe JB does do that, but i/we don't hear about it. All we hear about is his condemnation of a kid's decision to leave.

You didn’t think he was rambling when he started talking about volume shooters?

I think it’s incredibly arrogant of him to talk like he’s doing something special by “teaching them to defend” and “it’s about the team” or whatever as opposed to the other coaches out there...as if they don’t all do that.

Give him Pepperdine’s roster every year and he’s not “developing” any pros.

He’s a great recruiter and a strong coach in terms of winning games. Those things are undeniable. He’s not doing anything for any of these players that every other coach isn’t doing, in terms of “development”.
 
Show me proof. I’ve never disagreed with his assessment of players who aren't ready.


Also, fight me

Right. I’m sure when he was critical of Grant and Ennis’ decision it was entirely out of concern for their future, and had nothing to do with what we had coming back.
 
You didn’t think he was rambling when he started talking about volume shooters?

I think it’s incredibly arrogant of him to talk like he’s doing something special by “teaching them to defend” and “it’s about the team” or whatever as opposed to the other coaches out there...as if they don’t all do that.

Give him Pepperdine’s roster every year and he’s not “developing” any pros.

He’s a great recruiter and a strong coach in terms of winning games. Those things are undeniable. He’s not doing anything for any of these players that every other coach isn’t doing, in terms of “development”.

I don't see why Cal couldn't have just said that he recruits pros and makes them better pros. He could make a persuasive argument that his program consistently elevates players a few draft spots. That's a defensible argument. But to act as if he's finding diamonds in the rough and polishing them up, is just weird and not based in reality.
 
I feel like sometime over the past couple years Bilas actually surpassed Calipari in my mind in terms of how annoying I find them.
 
I'd rather listen to neither of them at this point. Seth Greenberg has turned into my favorite basketball analyst on ESPN by far.
 
I see he’s still doing that rap thing on twitter. It’s been like five years.

It's just so stupid. A few months back he rapped that he was from the ghetto. No Jay, you are from an extremely wealthy California suburb, and you make a living talking about kids playing basketball, many of whom are actually from the ghetto.
 
It's just so stupid. A few months back he rapped that he was from the ghetto. No Jay, you are from an extremely wealthy California suburb, and you make a living talking about kids playing basketball, many of whom are actually from the ghetto.

Last I knew they were all Young Jeezy quotes.

Not sure if he’s still sticking to that, or if he expanded to quoting others. But I’m pretty sure he’s just using quotes, not making any of it up himself.
 
It's just so stupid. A few months back he rapped that he was from the ghetto. No Jay, you are from an extremely wealthy California suburb, and you make a living talking about kids playing basketball, many of whom are actually from the ghetto.

Counterpoint: he has to go to work.
 
Right. I’m sure when he was critical of Grant and Ennis’ decision it was entirely out of concern for their future, and had nothing to do with what we had coming back.

Boeheim's argument against Grant going was that he could be a first team All-American and improve his draft stock if he came back. Also, he thought Grant needed to get bigger/stronger. Both incredibly valid points. Grant got a 2nd round contract; a big difference from a 1st round contract.

For Ennis, he said he has a NBA PG skill set but needed another year to get physical ready (right or wrong, JB emphasizes physical readiness apparently). He wasn't wrong here either. Ennis struggled early and continued to struggle, especially on defense (he's slow and small) in his years in the league.

So JB didn't offer any dishonest criticism of either player and even sprinkled in praise where it was due. What's the issue?
 
Boeheim's argument against Grant going was that he could be a first team All-American and improve his draft stock if he came back. Also, he thought Grant needed to get bigger/stronger. Both incredibly valid points. Grant got a 2nd round contract; a big difference from a 1st round contract.

For Ennis, he said he has a NBA PG skill set but needed another year to get physical ready (right or wrong, JB emphasizes physical readiness apparently). He wasn't wrong here either. Ennis struggled early and continued to struggle, especially on defense (he's slow and small) in his years in the league.

So JB didn't offer any dishonest criticism of either player and even sprinkled in praise where it was due. What's the issue?

Dude. Boeheims never going to come out and say that a player needs to stay and not declare for the draft to make the team better for...obvious reasons.

I mean I have no interest in turning this into another mind numbing debate over when a kid should and should not declare. But if really think that Boeheim had no ulterior motives in saying that about those guys, with the team coming back, well I;m not going to sit here and try to convince you otherwise.
 

Forum statistics

Threads
167,146
Messages
4,683,116
Members
5,901
Latest member
CarlsbergMD

Online statistics

Members online
292
Guests online
1,415
Total visitors
1,707


Top Bottom