Depth, or Complete Lack There Of...

[TBCuse11]

Im probably the biggest advocate of playing the bench, but honestly... I guess Jimmy B was right on this one. BJ simply doesnt have it this year, and he wont. Kid comes in last night and its New Jack City the first time he touches the ball. Misses by a mile, doesnt play again. As for the non-Cooney guard spot, complete disaster. Buss has honestly done very little when he plays, but Joseph appears to be so inept at offense that he will be sitting alot in the 2nd half of games. This is not ideal since Patterson cant shoot from the floor or the line. He also almost cost us the game with that horrible jump pass turnover.

That said, what can Jim do? We all know that the team will wear down as the year goes on, but there is nothing else to do. The hilarious chatter of Hop and JB about Chino and BJ "playing more" simply wont happen. There is no way that Jim will do this. He probably wants to, but anyone who has coached at any level knows that once you get in the thick of things u go with the guys who will help you win THAT game. Human competitive nature.

So we will continue to see Cooney and G play 40 minutes, Rak and Roberson probably 38+. The other guard will split time, and we will pray for the best. This isnt Teen Wolf where Michael J Fox can lead his team to victory with a bunch of scrubs and a fat dude who drains hook shots from 3 pt land. This is the ACC and although we struggled to beat the four teams that are probably going to finish 12-15th in the league... 4-0 is 4-0. We are doing what needs to be done to stay on the bubble. Now we just need a good win or two to get off it.

PS - Moot point, but had Ennis stayed this team is a top 10 team.
PPS - Cooney rocks !!

 

[SaltLakeOrange]

Im probably the biggest advocate of playing the bench, but honestly... I guess Jimmy B was right on this one. BJ simply doesnt have it this year, and he wont. Kid comes in last night and its New Jack City the first time he touches the ball. Misses by a mile, doesnt play again. As for the non-Cooney guard spot, complete disaster. Buss has honestly done very little when he plays, but Joseph appears to be so inept at offense that he will be sitting alot in the 2nd half of games. This is not ideal since Patterson cant shoot from the floor or the line. He also almost cost us the game with that horrible jump pass turnover.

That said, what can Jim do? We all know that the team will wear down as the year goes on, but there is nothing else to do. The hilarious chatter of Hop and JB about Chino and BJ "playing more" simply wont happen. There is no way that Jim will do this. He probably wants to, but anyone who has coached at any level knows that once you get in the thick of things u go with the guys who will help you win THAT game. Human competitive nature.

So we will continue to see Cooney and G play 40 minutes, Rak and Roberson probably 38+. The other guard will split time, and we will pray for the best. This isnt Teen Wolf where Michael J Fox can lead his team to victory with a bunch of scrubs and a fat dude who drains hook shots from 3 pt land. This is the ACC and although we struggled to beat the four teams that are probably going to finish 15-18th in the league... 4-0 is 4-0. We are doing what needs to be done to stay on the bubble. Now we just need a good win or two to get off it.

PS - Moot point, but had Ennis stayed this team is a top 10 team.
PPS - Cooney rocks !!

What needs to happen is for Ron, BJ and Kaleb to continue to get better so that they can contribute sooner than later. That's going to be the focus of the entire coaching staff, to get these kids ready to play! They have to...even if it's just playing defense to spell Trevor, Tyler and G. The enigma is Rak because Chino will not be ready this year. Our only hope there is for Tyler to slide over (but this will only happen if BJ can play some defense).

 

[TBCuse11]

What needs to happen is for Ron, BJ and Kaleb to continue to get better so that they can contribute sooner than later. That's going to be the focus of the entire coaching staff, to get these kids ready to play! They have to...even if it's just playing defense to spell Trevor, Tyler and G. The enigma is Rak because Chino will not be ready this year. Our only hope there is for Tyler to slide over (but this will only happen if BJ can play some defense).

i dont know... if they get a combined 3 mins against lowly Wake. Not sure they will see the court much at all... outside of when foul trouble makes it a must.

 

[Cusefan0307]

I think we have 3 of the best players at their position in the ACC. However, we have no depth, and I don't expect us to the rest of the season. We are going to ride Roc, Trevor, and Mike as far as they can take us.

 

[CuseFaninVT]

i dont know... if they get a combined 3 mins against lowly Wake. Not sure they will see the court much at all... outside of when foul trouble makes it a must.

I agree with you on this one. I'm not sure what's going on with Kaleb. He seems to be retreating from everything now. I can't explain it, but he's getting that scared look way too often. Buss is a mess on offense. The one shot he made was pretty, but he made it because he didn't think about it, just caught and shot.

BJ is another thing altogether. Really hope he can pull it together soon, but taking a shot the first time you touch the ball isn't the way to do it. Be active on D and rebound your as$ off and you'll get the minutes young man.

 

[SaltLakeOrange]

i dont know... if they get a combined 3 mins against lowly Wake. Not sure they will see the court much at all... outside of when foul trouble makes it a must.

So, until Chris got hurt, BJ was not close to being in the rotation...his season was lost. The situation has changed and expectations for him have changed.

Kaleb has it in him to be effective...see Nova for proof.

Ron hit a couple of huge shots and does play defense. He too will get better...

I'm not saying that JB will play these guys a lot, just that he will do what he can to set expectations and to get them better...The rest is up to them...

 

[Jack Hall]

I agree with you on this one. I'm not sure what's going on with Kaleb. He seems to be retreating from everything now. I can't explain it, but he's getting that scared look way too often. Buss is a mess on offense. The one shot he made was pretty, but he made it because he didn't think about it, just caught and shot.

BJ is another thing altogether. Really hope he can pull it together soon, but taking a shot the first time you touch the ball isn't the way to do it. Be active on D and rebound your as$ off and you'll get the minutes young man.

Buss is beating his guy off the dribble, now he just need to finish plays. His last turnover was actually a good play imo , he beat his guy easily, drew the defense into the lane and kicked out to an open TC, the defender just made a great play as he fully extended and just got a hand on it, watch a replay it was a great steal. RP just needs to get confidence finishing his plays and make some open threes imo

 

[orangejunkie]

We obviously have three solid players (Rak, Cooney, Gbinije) and three more that have to step it up (Joseph, BJ, Roberson, Patterson). There is a lot of season and practice time left, we can only hope.

Roberson seems ready on the defensive end, especially rebounding, but his offensive game is limited. Needs an off season where he takes several hundred mid range shots a day. He desperately needs a face up mid range game that he can hit consistently and something from 3 that opens up driving lanes for him.

BJ came in with the reputation of being a stretch forward that can shoot, but is limited on the defensive end. Unfortunately his shooting has been absent as well. Still, when you look at him he seems to have that upside that makes you think he could make the jump. Boeheim is obviously not happy with his defense and that will dictate his playing time going forward.

Joseph is really spotty, shows some signs but is wildly inconsistent. My fear is that it will be that way all year. Too bad he has to be a starter and can't develop his game as a guy that comes in for 10-15 minutes a game.

Patterson can contribute on the defensive end but struggles with his shooting. Staff seems to want him to dribble drive whenever he can as a way to open it up for others and not be so reliant on the 3. I thought he was supposedly a good 3 point shooter in high school but haven't seen it. His ball handling has improved as well as basketball IQ and decision making.

 

[longislandcuse]

Will they wear down though? They wore down last year but I also think you look worn down when noone can score. Rakeem Christmas, Trevor Cooney and Michael Gbinije are more skilled offensively than anyone we had last year...im serious about that, and don't say CJ Fair. Tyler Roberson's ceiling isn't as high as McCullough's but I do think Roberson can fulfill the Jerami Grant role of last year scoring some points here and there and attacking the boards. These are college kids who are, hopefully, well conditioned. I think "wearing down" last year was more a product of inept offense/skill than being tired.

Clearly we need to get some production out of Joseph/Patterson/Johnson/Chino but we need every win we can get to make the tourney and the ACC has no easy games. Johnson and Chino look really rough and we can't afford to lose a game because we feel the need to force feed them minutes.

Joseph/Patterson looks more and more like a point guard by committee situation with neither doing anything to warrant playing time aside from a lack of other options. Joseph plays like he Rajon Rondo minus the defense and vision while Patterson plays good defense and looks the part offensively until the time comes for him to actually do something.

I dont know what the answer is, all I know is we have 3 of the best players in the ACC, a promising rebounding machine and not much else. That's a team that can beat anyone but also lose to anyone, the good news is, that's most teams in CBB.

 

[jordoo]

I was shocked that BJ took not only a quick shot with his first touch but a bad one. Then he went down and missed the hottest shooter in the country on D. That was all she wrote. I want him to shoot wide open shots but you've been in for 3 or 4 seconds, the offense isn't set, you aren't set and its just bam shoot! A head scratcher for sure and I know he is smarter and better than that. I think he can give us minutes, help on the glass and seize the opportunities when they come on offense.

Joseph has taken on the personality of a pocket protector. Yes they keep ink off of your shirt but that's about it. He can do so much more. His defense has been trending upward and his handle has improved but on offense he spends a majority of his time being a placeholder rather than a playmaker. He needs to look for his shot more and drive more aggressively. Let the inner bookworm assassin out young man!

Buss plays very active defense and seems to have a nice eye for how plays will develop. His shot is crazy, looks nice when he makes it but like a shotput when he misses which happens most of the time. He does at least try to make something happen when the defense leaves him alone which is a plus. That's Buss he makes things happen although they aren't all good things.

 

[Full_Rebar]

Joseph is sitting because of his defense. I would have liked to have seen some offensive/defensive subbing when we knew Wake was fouling. Patterson is scary as a ball-handler and ft shooter.

Similar story with BJ. Missing shots isn't the killer- I think I heard Boeheim say he missed 2 rotations in the zone.

Roberson gives great effort, but he has to keep the defense honest. When he and Joseph were out there, it's like SU is playing 3 on 5 on offense and allows teams to collapse on Christmas/Cooney.

 

[Eric15]

Joseph is sitting because of his defense.

No doubt about it - Boeheim was infuriated at him for giving Greek guy a wide open look at the top of the key after an inbounds pass, and that was the end of the day for him.

 

[OttoMets]

Buss is beating his guy off the dribble, now he just need to finish plays. His last turnover was actually a good play imo , he beat his guy easily, drew the defense into the lane and kicked out to an open TC, the defender just made a great play as he fully extended and just got a hand on it, watch a replay it was a great steal. RP just needs to get confidence finishing his plays and make some open threes imo

He's got to be a credible threat to shoot from there; they scouted him well and jumped the passing lanes once Patterson left his feet because he doesn't look to the basket.

This goes for Joseph and Roberson, too: shoot and shoot decisively. No jab steps, up fakes, or hesitation. Shoot.

 

[Hoov50]

Im probably the biggest advocate of playing the bench, but honestly... I guess Jimmy B was right on this one. BJ simply doesnt have it this year, and he wont. Kid comes in last night and its New Jack City the first time he touches the ball. Misses by a mile, doesnt play again. As for the non-Cooney guard spot, complete disaster. Buss has honestly done very little when he plays, but Joseph appears to be so inept at offense that he will be sitting alot in the 2nd half of games. This is not ideal since Patterson cant shoot from the floor or the line. He also almost cost us the game with that horrible jump pass turnover.

That said, what can Jim do? We all know that the team will wear down as the year goes on, but there is nothing else to do. The hilarious chatter of Hop and JB about Chino and BJ "playing more" simply wont happen. There is no way that Jim will do this. He probably wants to, but anyone who has coached at any level knows that once you get in the thick of things u go with the guys who will help you win THAT game. Human competitive nature.

So we will continue to see Cooney and G play 40 minutes, Rak and Roberson probably 38+. The other guard will split time, and we will pray for the best. This isnt Teen Wolf where Michael J Fox can lead his team to victory with a bunch of scrubs and a fat dude who drains hook shots from 3 pt land. This is the ACC and although we struggled to beat the four teams that are probably going to finish 12-15th in the league... 4-0 is 4-0. We are doing what needs to be done to stay on the bubble. Now we just need a good win or two to get off it.

PS - Moot point, but had Ennis stayed this team is a top 10 team.
PPS - Cooney rocks !!

One positive is that we made it through 15 games before we had 3-4 guys who will have to play 35+ minutes. We have had seasons in the past where we had 3-4 guys playing 35+ from the beginning of the season. So that may delay our wearing down a little more than some years in the past.

 

[weepeel]

We really need to get some more points out of Roberson and Joseph/Patterson...cooney or gbinje are GOING to have off nights and halves...

Kaleb needs to take some wide open threes because the spacing with him on the court is atrocious and his defense isn't lockdown..

Rak is going to have nights of foul trouble against teams with a lot of functional bigs such as Louisville, nd, duke, Miami...given bjs height it is disappointing that he is not even able to give Roberson /gbinje a breather. They need to give bj an unlimited dining hall pass and some HGH!

 

[pfister1]

Joseph is sitting because of his defense. I would have liked to have seen some offensive/defensive subbing when we knew Wake was fouling. Patterson is scary as a ball-handler and ft shooter.

Similar story with BJ. Missing shots isn't the killer- I think I heard Boeheim say he missed 2 rotations in the zone.

Roberson gives great effort, but he has to keep the defense honest. When he and Joseph were out there, it's like SU is playing 3 on 5 on offense and allows teams to collapse on Christmas/Cooney.

We were lucky to win last night with both Patterson and Gbinije in at the end. It's going to be really really difficult to hold leads down the stretch if 2 of your 3 ball handlers on the court are shooting 45% or worse from the free throw line. There were two or three plays in a row where I wanted to strangle Cooney and Rak. They gave the ball up to either Gbinije or Patterson. I think they were both natural normal plays trying to avoid pressure, but my god the ball can't be in either guys hands when the opponent starts fouling.



Gbinije is now at 51% (19 of 37)
Patterson is at 25% ( 2 of 8 )

Joseph is at 67% (19 of 28)
BJ is at 75% (12 of 16)

 

[dan7800]

Guys need to play to get comfortable. With Roberson playing more, he looks more comfortable out there. You can tell BJ is VERY timid.

During the season, we will need Chino & BJ to play some significant minutes in some significant games. I am not saying either with be 1st round draft material (or even Israeli league material), but they will improve given an opportunity to play.

 

[pfister1]

Guys need to play to get comfortable. With Roberson playing more, he looks more comfortable out there. You can tell BJ is VERY timid.

And I would bet the reason he is so timid is largely because of the fear of being yanked for making a mistake.

 

[longislandcuse]

BJJ is the guy who has to bring something to the table. He can come in to give the frontline guys a rest and while we'd be undersized, theoretically given his skill set, he should be able to give us some points to counter that. (At the very least, the threat of being able to score opening things up for others)

 

[jordoo]

No doubt about it - Boeheim was infuriated at him for giving Greek guy a wide open look at the top of the key after an inbounds pass, and that was the end of the day for him.

Also early in the game he drove and dished to Tyler and then hung out on the baseline rather than circle back out for court balance. This cost Mike his first foul and JB was none to happy.

 

[Orangello]

What I don't understand simply is how you can have 4 scholarship athletes (KJ, BJ, RP and TR) who provide the critical bench depth for this team, collectively shoot the ball so poorly. If it was a different guy every night then I could accept that but this really suggests technique/coaching or a lack thereof. I honestly don't get how they can all be so bad so consistently.

 

[pearl31]

Im probably the biggest advocate of playing the bench, but honestly... I guess Jimmy B was right on this one. BJ simply doesnt have it this year, and he wont. Kid comes in last night and its New Jack City the first time he touches the ball. Misses by a mile, doesnt play again. As for the non-Cooney guard spot, complete disaster. Buss has honestly done very little when he plays, but Joseph appears to be so inept at offense that he will be sitting alot in the 2nd half of games. This is not ideal since Patterson cant shoot from the floor or the line. He also almost cost us the game with that horrible jump pass turnover.

That said, what can Jim do? We all know that the team will wear down as the year goes on, but there is nothing else to do. The hilarious chatter of Hop and JB about Chino and BJ "playing more" simply wont happen. There is no way that Jim will do this. He probably wants to, but anyone who has coached at any level knows that once you get in the thick of things u go with the guys who will help you win THAT game. Human competitive nature.

So we will continue to see Cooney and G play 40 minutes, Rak and Roberson probably 38+. The other guard will split time, and we will pray for the best. This isnt Teen Wolf where Michael J Fox can lead his team to victory with a bunch of scrubs and a fat dude who drains hook shots from 3 pt land. This is the ACC and although we struggled to beat the four teams that are probably going to finish 12-15th in the league... 4-0 is 4-0. We are doing what needs to be done to stay on the bubble. Now we just need a good win or two to get off it.

PS - Moot point, but had Ennis stayed this team is a top 10 team.
PPS - Cooney rocks !!

can't help but chuckle at how you use "Jim" as if you're a friend or relative of his or something. sure gives your posts extra legitimacy, though

 

[TBCuse11]

G has become our Jason Kidd. Dude stuffs the stat sheet now.

Its just tough to win with 4 players. THis is a very rough situation for Jimmy B because Im sure he knows he HAS to get Chino some run, but in reality... he also knows we can not lose to any teams who are equal to or worse than us. There is no time for learning on the job and taking a loss or two. Have to win all these games, which we have so far. Remarkably.

 

[RF2044]

Im probably the biggest advocate of playing the bench, but honestly... I guess Jimmy B was right on this one. BJ simply doesnt have it this year, and he wont. Kid comes in last night and its New Jack City the first time he touches the ball. Misses by a mile, doesnt play again. As for the non-Cooney guard spot, complete disaster. Buss has honestly done very little when he plays, but Joseph appears to be so inept at offense that he will be sitting alot in the 2nd half of games. This is not ideal since Patterson cant shoot from the floor or the line. He also almost cost us the game with that horrible jump pass turnover.

That said, what can Jim do? We all know that the team will wear down as the year goes on, but there is nothing else to do. The hilarious chatter of Hop and JB about Chino and BJ "playing more" simply wont happen. There is no way that Jim will do this. He probably wants to, but anyone who has coached at any level knows that once you get in the thick of things u go with the guys who will help you win THAT game. Human competitive nature.

So we will continue to see Cooney and G play 40 minutes, Rak and Roberson probably 38+. The other guard will split time, and we will pray for the best. This isnt Teen Wolf where Michael J Fox can lead his team to victory with a bunch of scrubs and a fat dude who drains hook shots from 3 pt land. This is the ACC and although we struggled to beat the four teams that are probably going to finish 12-15th in the league... 4-0 is 4-0. We are doing what needs to be done to stay on the bubble. Now we just need a good win or two to get off it.

PS - Moot point, but had Ennis stayed this team is a top 10 team.
PPS - Cooney rocks !!

Agreed on Ennis.

 

[longislandcuse]

What I don't understand simply is how you can have 4 scholarship athletes (KJ, BJ, RP and TR) who provide the critical bench depth for this team, collectively shoot the ball so poorly. If it was a different guy every night then I could accept that but this really suggests technique/coaching or a lack thereof. I honestly don't get how they can all be so bad so consistently.

Roberson i'll give a pass to because he's actually shown some semblence of offense in certain games and every game he brings the rebounding intensity of a madman but I agree in regards to BJJ/Patterson/Chino...not sure how these guys can be scholarship program guys for Syracuse and play this poorly every time they are given a chance.