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Message: [QUOTE="CardiacCuse, post: 5545266, member: 6979"] my questions: [B]how important will play in the paint be for this team? [/B]from the looks of it, they arent going to be able to stop good interior scorers/teams...and it doesnt seem they have anyone who can play offense in the post. to me, thats the biggest question mark for this team's ceiling. Kyle can dunk lobs and easy buckets off feeds...but he is a big question mark for me. for me, it seems red chose a team without an actual center in favor of power forawrds who are agile and can jump at that spot...which is a gamble. its nice to have bigs who can move and can play a semblance of "positionless bball"...but not sure if it will be enough. downstream from this issue, offenses that cannot score inside are often easily limityed by good defensive teams. good offensive teams need diverse ways to score...so its important. [B]How many teams can make the Orange pay for the lack of a true center? [/B]maybe not many. maybe the small ball appraoch wont really be punished very often and they'll "get away with it." there arent really [I]that many[/I] centers out there that are monsters...i think Buffalo was actually pretty beefy and good inside (which maybe bodes well for them) [B]Will teams go "hack a kyle"? [/B]I would if I was coaching against SU. 100% of the time lol...will be interesting to see how end of game situations play out with such a free throw liability out there for the Orange. I reckon we will see a lot of donnie at center...and if not him, Suaore [B]Is the offense going to evolve beyond iso play? [/B]my guess here is a no, sadly. we will be able to see a lot of pick and roll, which will open 3s up, m0st likely...but the lack of an interior threat will keep teams honest on shooters for the most part. Having a PG is nice but it doesnt mean there will actually be an offensive system in place. [B]How will the offense evolve?[/B] overall, I think theres enough scorers and threats - the team also passes very well - that they will be able to score vs anyone. But to be top tier on offense, they will need a system and not just iso ball and "winging it"...theyll need to work togethr and use quick ball movement to beat teams...they are good passers but will it come together meaningfully? [B]Can Red get the team to win in blowouts?[/B] very important for NET...but Red hasnt really done it yet. [B]Will JJ play like a senior?[/B] JJ is looking at not making the NCAA tourney[I] once[/I] in his career if he doesnt make it this year. He didnt really "play like a senior" imo vs Buffalo...[B]Can he step his game up on both sides of the ball and make that leap we have been waiting for? [/B]i hope so. I really do. but it was very concerning to see his hitch in free throws in the Bufalo game. and the missed 3s. Maybe whatever injuries he had at Notre Dame are just permanent now and his shooting stroke will never get back to what it was in high school which made him such a big time recruit. [B]How will Red balance the minutes out? Can he keep everyone happy? [/B]for me Red's subbing has been headscratching his two years. its going to be challenging to play the hot hand and not bench the wrong guys from game to game. that speaks to OPs point about the biggest question being can Red be a D1 coach - I agree this roster is good enough for a D1 coach to get things done. this is reds make or break season, imo...its also going to be hard to keep everyone happy given there are a lot of players that seem to be good enough for this level. if red tries to keep everyone happy and spread the minutes out, it could hurt the results...or [B]will the depth of the roster be an advantage late in games? Can this team stop giving up uncontested shots so frequently? [/B]this has been a hallmark of reds first 2 years in charge. needs to end this year. every bucket needs to be hard to score. if this happens, the team makes the tourney, for sure. [B]Is there a defensive system that works? [/B]no explanation needed here. [B]how will the pecking order of the team evolve throughout the season? [/B]the freshman are talented but maybe not quite ready for leading roles. the new players are pretty good. the senior star doesnt seem to have fixed some key holes in his game. the sophomore star is coming off an injury and definitely rusty, with question marks on defense. [B]Will Red shake up the hierarchy on the team if it is warranted? Or will he rely on "experience" and status quo? [/B] lastly, [B]can this team hit the ground running and be ready from game 1? [/B]non con is so crucial these days. its really just not good enough to get it figured out by jan/feb anymore. the coaches that succeed in this era will be the ones that can play at their best from game 1. red hasnt done that yet. not even close. the first stretch of games vs houston, kansas and tennessee will really set the tone for the entire season, imo. they matter SO MUCH. if they can get some wins there...this team can take off. if not, I think it will feellike they are playing catch up all year, most likely... [/QUOTE]

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