CJ at the 2, if Roberson is what some think?

[TheRoyalIveyFund]

I think it's clear our two best players are CJ and Jerami based on what they've proven in games, practices, our system, camps, etc. If my hunch is right, Tyler Ennis will quickly jump into that group and become part of our "Big Three."

Come crunch time, those three surely will be on the court and the three leaders in minutes. Then, depending on how DC2/Rak play, one of those two will get the mins at the 5 and share the rest with Baye. We know that JB loves what Baye brings to the 5 on D, so he'll average about 17 mins a game but it's a good chance will be on the court during crunch time (unless DC2 or Rak really take a big leap).

So, that really only leaves one other position, the 2. We certainly need Cooney or G to step up and get some quality mins/production and hope that happens. However, if neither excel, and Roberson is the player that many think he is, I wonder if JB ends up finding a way to get CJ, Jerami and both Tylers on the court, to go along with a big? If we have great basketball talent in CJ/Grant/Roberson, and just good basketball talent in Cooney/G, I think you try to maximum said talent and get them on the court.

JB made a real effort to try James at the two and he was more mechanical than CJ. So, I think he wonders the same thing. It doesn't have to be 10-15 mins at the 2, it could be 3-4 mins each half, esp. during crunch time.

A backline of the Tyler R, Baye and Grant would be one of best interior D's in a looong time. CJ and Tyler E up top would be long, athletic and could rebound from the G position. Sure, we'd have issues with a zone but who says we aren't going to even with G or Cooney?

 

[CU44SE]

Dont see it happening, JB didnt try it at all last year and we can all agree grant > Cooney. If it was something he was interested in, I believe he would have put CJ at the 2 and James and Grant at the wings. We have more depth this year at the 2 then we had last year, I just dont see it.

 

[TheRoyalIveyFund]

Dont see it happening, JB didnt try it at all last year and we can all agree grant > Cooney. If it was something he was interested in, I believe he would have put CJ at the 2 and James and Grant at the wings. We have more depth this year at the 2 then we had last year, I just dont see it.

He did. I think you're forgetting pre-Big East. James definitely got time at the 2, it was in the cards. I think the suspension kind of played a part of it being discontinued (and maybe it just didn't work). However, it was definitely tried.

You're right, we have more depth. However, there's a difference between depth and top-notch basketball talent/ability. To me, it's about maximizing the talent you have. I get that chemistry is important and sometimes the best basketball ability/talent might not make for the best team. However, I have a ton of faith in CJ and think it could work for just a bit, as I suggested in the post. Again, not getting a bulk of mins at the 2.

 

[MCC]

Can't see it. CJ is our best rebounder and a sneaky shotblocker. He has the size and lateral mobility to play the back line of the 2/3.

I don't think he's best suited to challenge perimeter shots and disrupting the handles of opposing 1s/2s.

I think we'll see a F rotation of CJ, JG, Roc, and TR. TR may get more minutes at F than Roc.

If one of our 6'8" guys sees minutes at the 2 I suspect it will be BJJ.

 

[TheRoyalIveyFund]

Can't see it. CJ is our best rebounder and a sneaky shotblocker. He has the size and lateral mobility to play the back line of the 2/3.

I don't think he's best suited to challenge perimeter shots and disrupting the handles of opposing 1s/2s.

I think we'll see a F rotation of CJ, JG, Roc, and TR. TR may get more minutes at F than Roc.

If one of our 6'8" guys sees minutes at the 2 I suspect it will be BJJ.

My assumption/hypothetical that CJ gets time at the 2 would be if Roberson is what people are making him out to be. There's a reason why some guys on this board that having been watching hoops for 4 decades think he's is good enough to start, or his AAU coach saying #1 pick (that is beyond normal coach hype). I envision a Roberson that can quickly take that title of our best rebounder and sneaky shotblocker away from CJ. If that comes to fruition, why not CJ at the 2? At this point, is just conjecture. However, I'm drinking the kool-aid on what many have said about Tyler, those know much more about the game, JB, etc, than I.

 

[Orangezoo]

It is an interesting discussion and I think it really comes down to CJ's ballhandling, ability to defend at the top of the zone against smaller, quicker players and how well he shoots the 3 with an increase in the # of 3's he takes. I think this poses a ball handling problem more than anything. Also you need balance on the floor and if CJ is out there then Grant/CJ/Roberson could cause for a logjam in the paint in addition to whoever the big is.

 

[RF2044]

Can't envison that happening.

I undersand your point--get your best players on the court--but I doubt CJ plays 1 minute of PT at the 2.

 

[MCC]

My assumption/hypothetical that CJ gets time at the 2 would be if Roberson is what people are making him out to be. There's a reason why some guys on this board that having been watching hoops for 4 decades think he's is good enough to start, or his AAU coach saying #1 pick (that is beyond normal coach hype). I envision a Roberson that can quickly take that title of our best rebounder and sneaky shotblocker away from CJ. If that comes to fruition, why not CJ at the 2? At this point, is just conjecture. However, I'm drinking the kool-aid on what many have said about Tyler, those know much more about the game, JB, etc, than I.

I think he'll be better than CJ in a year or two. This year not so much. I guess I'm also in the queue for the kool aid but I'm cellaring mine for one season.

In any event CJ would not be optimally productive at the 2. At the offensive end of the floor how do you space things? On D does CJ have the instincts / can he be trained to shed the habits he's developed playing the 3/4 exclusively the last few years?

 

[moqui]

half the board thinks CJ is the best forward in the nation, while a growing minority wants to remake him into a 2 guard for the first time in his entire high school and college career.

Hoop Board Silly Season usually subsides by September, but it looks like its going to last for several weeks more. I blame global warming.

 

[AlaskaSU]

He did. I think you're forgetting pre-Big East. James definitely got time at the 2, it was in the cards. I think the suspension kind of played a part of it being discontinued (and maybe it just didn't work). However, it was definitely tried.

You're right, we have more depth. However, there's a difference between depth and top-notch basketball talent/ability. To me, it's about maximizing the talent you have. I get that chemistry is important and sometimes the best basketball ability/talent might not make for the best team. However, I have a ton of faith in CJ and think it could work for just a bit, as I suggested in the post. Again, not getting a bulk of mins at the 2.

I agree. How Many twos could challenge CJ? Give it a try in OOC. If he could play the 2, it would be an nba meal ticket.

 

[jordoo]

I think we are more likely to see a front line of Fair, Grant, Roberson if JB wants to get them all on the court together. It would be more of an offensive thing but all three of them can block shots and rebound. I think it would be Jerami in the middle like Hak used to be for short stints as a Sophmore.
Its just that all three are obviously forwards and we have Cooney and MikeG one of which JB will be comfortable with down the stretch in games plus there is the chance that BJ or Ron play so well they force themselves into the rotation. Too many better options at the 2G IMO this year so I think you would see either Grant in the middle of Roberson sitting due to CJ and Jarami being more experienced.

 

[cuseinseattle]

CJ is our best rebounder. Also this forward at the 2 in the zone never works. We have tried it before and Boeheim always says that the forward has their instincts and they won't get back on defense like they are supposed to. They naturally go after the rebound and you get beaten down the court on fast breaks. This happened to Southerland in practice last year numerious times according to Boeheim when they tried it. I think Roberson's role will mirror Grant's this last year. He will contribute off the bench for a handful of minutes and then more based on foul trouble or someone being inactive. Such as Southerland last year for academics. He will play big minutes his soph year for a team that will be loaded. The reality is that there are going to be minutes for him to some degree. CJ and Grant aren't both playing 38 minutes a game. I think CJ plays 35 and Grant plays 32. That leaves 13 minutes to go to him and maybe a few for Christmas at the PF

 

[AZOrange]

I think the lineup you will see a lot is fair-grant-keita upfront. Cj will play 0 minutes at the 2. As many as grant and bj will play there


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[rrlbees]

Grant will play the 5 long before CJ plays the 2.


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[realorange]

I think the lineup you will see a lot is fair-grant-keita upfront. Cj will play 0 minutes at the 2. As many as grant and bj will play there


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No CJ or Grant, but a good possibility you'll see BJ get a shot at the 2.

 

[edowd26]

half the board thinks CJ is the best forward in the nation, while a growing minority wants to remake him into a 2 guard for the first time in his entire high school and college career.

Hoop Board Silly Season usually subsides by September, but it looks like its going to last for several weeks more. I blame global warming.

I think that's a testament to his skill. Like "so good maybe he can slide to the 2 and dominate there ". For the record I dontethink for a minute that Cj will play anything but the 3/4.

 

[edowd26]

Grant will play the 5 long before CJ plays the 2.


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I actually wondered about this possibility against smaller less physical teams. But I still highly doubt it. Its a position you need to learn and I assume hes had no tutelage there.

 

[Garbs]

JB made a real effort to try James at the two and he was more mechanical than CJ.

did he really? I could probably count on my two hands how many minutes James played at the two, and I might not even need both hands

 

[IthacaMatt]

I think it's clear our two best players are CJ and Jerami based on what they've proven

So, that really only leaves one other position, the 2. We certainly need Cooney or G to step up and get some quality mins/production and hope that happens. However, if neither excel, and Roberson is the player that many think he is, I wonder if JB ends up finding a way to get CJ, Jerami and both Tylers on the court, to go along with a big?

JB made a real effort to try James at the two and he was more mechanical than CJ. So, I think he wonders the same thing. It doesn't have to be 10-15 mins at the 2, it could be 3-4 mins each half, esp. during crunch time.

I just don't see it. When we won in 2003, I said to many people that JB's innovation was not just the zone, but it was that we frequently played a 3 forward (as opposed to 3 guard) offense - a PG, a big man, and 3 SFs, with one of them as the shooting guard (Duany).

To do that, though, you need for 2 of the 3 SFs to be legitimate, dependable threats from 3. Warrick had not yet developed that part of his game, but Melo had it, and so did Kueth, who was a pretty good 3 point shooter.

When you look at our current collection of forwards, although I really like them, I don't see any of them as really top level 3 point shooters. Fair has the numbers, but it takes him too long to get the shot off. He hits them when he's open rather than contested, and he's not a volume shooter - he takes maybe 1 or 2 a game. None of our guys - Grant, Fair or Roberson - could be called quality volume shooters from 3, somebody you know can make a contested 3, not just an open one, and can get 5 or so in a game for you if he gets hot. I just don't see that guy.

For that reason, I think this experiment doesn't go anywhere. That's why James (not Fair) was given the shot at a little 2G in the early season last year. He had the defensive aptitude, he certainly was a quality volume shooter. But he couldn't handle the ball to save his life. So that was the end of the experiment.

I don't see this season's squad as being that much different. I don't see that "can't stop" explosive offensive player among the 3 that would permit them to all be on the floor at the same time.

 

[RandygoCuse]

half the board thinks CJ is the best forward in the nation, while a growing minority wants to remake him into a 2 guard for the first time in his entire high school and college career.

Hoop Board Silly Season usually subsides by September, but it looks like its going to last for several weeks more. I blame global warming.

Umm, I'm not a geographer or anything, but I'm pretty sure global warming has been proven not to exist.

 

[AlaskaSU]

i thought that Preston Shumpert make the switch?

 

[tee1222]

Grant will play the 5 long before CJ plays the 2.


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Bingo. The same might be even said of Roberson. He played the 5 often in high school.

 

[moqui]

did he really? I could probably count on my two hands how many minutes James played at the two, and I might not even need both hands

I think he might be thinking about Kris Joseph, who did get some looks at the 2

 

[cusetown1]

Off topic whatever happened to Robert Lazor?

 

[moqui]

i thought that Preston Shumpert make the switch?

Preston (and Moten before him) were always guard/forwards . . . the only true forward I can think of who switched to guard as a senior is Raf Addison. But none of those is a good match for CJ - they were all primarily wing players. CJ, while he has demonstrated the ability to hit open jumpers, is primarily an interior player, not a wing.