Dion: best all around Cuse guard ever in the modern era. Please discuss.

[Jake]

I watched the 1988 Pitt-Syracuse game that was being replayed today. Wow did Sherm look small (and in reality he was small). Sherm will always be one of my all time favorite Cuse players, but Dion is so much more explosive. Sherm had the nice finger roll finish on break-aways, while Dion has the "take off from 10 feet out and slam it as hard as you can" finish.

We are watching the rapid evolution of one of the best guards in SU history. If he sticks around for 1 more year and works on developing a deep and consistent 3 point shot, then watch out. He needs to model his game after another 6'4'' guy with the initials D.W.

Deshaun Williams?

 

[CorduroyG]

Ive said it before, i have little doubt that if dion comes back he'll be the kemba walker of last year and vault himself into a lottery pick. If he can develop that little jab step/step back jumper that kemba perfected last year he'll be unstoppable, if he isnt already. Still not crazy about his jumper, its like he shoots in slow motion, needs a quicker release. Develop a better outside game over the summer and its over.

 

[grepal]

When did the modern era start Is it pre or post Dave Bing? Is it the ESPN era?

 

[OrlandoCuse]

When did the modern era start Is it pre or post Dave Bing? Is it the ESPN era?

I think we're talking about ESPN/64 team NCAA tourney era. Basically, early 1980's onward.

 

[Knicks411]

I hope JB uses Flynn and Donte as examples for Dion. Who knows, maybe Donte even gives Dion a call. Dion, next year could be THE best player in college basketball and a top 5 pick. Hell, if Kyrie Irving can go #1, so can Dion. Next year he could be beyond dominant while playing pg, which is what he will be in the NBA.

Dion isn't going #1. I agree that Irving didn't strike me as a "typical" top pick, but Dion is miles away from being the #1 pick.

 

[Jake]

The Dion we are seeing this year, is the Dion that we saw on tape in high school. Physical, marginal shooter, unselfish and an unbeleivably creative finisher inside. The Dion we saw last year was soo much different. Its taken him a year to get in better shape and adjust to the speed of the college game. Now he's back to what I thought we were getting out of high school. Creating, finding open teammates and finishing in traffic. His shooting mechanics are still a mess, but he wills the ball into the hole. His game reminds me soo much of Pearl its scary. Except that Dion plays above the rim, Pearl never could. Both were great gamblers on defense. Both willed their jump shots into the hole, both could get into the teeth of any defense with the dribble and find ways to finish. And both are pure money on the fast break. Pearl was pure flair, Dion is pure power.

But as others have said, there's a reason why Pearl is a legend. Dion has some games to win to rise to that level.

 

[br801]

If he can channel the ego, put in the time, and hold off making the jump there is a great possiblity he might be, not only, one of the greatest guards if not the best at SU but possibly go down as one of the better/best in the history of college bball.

Wow.

Personally, I'd like to see more of a sample than 15 games before making an assessment like that. But that's just me.

 

[jsshap]

Thats the difference between people like you and people like myself who know talent.

We can watch a player for 5 mins and tell you whether he is good. In 15 mins we can tell you just how good and whether he is going to stick in the NBA. 15 games is a lifetime to someone who actually understands the game.

People who know the game knew last yr that Dion was a stone cold killer on the court. They knew Triche was massively overrated. They knew Greene was going to be a bust in the NBA (cant emphasize enough how important it is to know how to dribble before entering the draft) etc etc.

Thats impressive and all, but where it takes you 5 and 15, it takes me 3 and 10. Please excuse my arrogance.

 

[Cusefan0307]

Long time reader first time poster went to su from 03 to 07. Anyway I think some of you need to be more realistic with dion. Yes he is a good player, but to me talking him about a top 5 pick is pretty ridiculous. He can get to the rim, but he has no jumper. One only needs to take a look at how he did agAinst the best competition to see if he is ready or not . He was terrible against Florida. Those are the best guards we have seen all year. They kept dion out of the lane. Do you not think Connecticut, Marquette, and Louisville are not going to try to do the same. Again I am not saying dion is not any good, but comparing him to the best guards in college the last 10 years is ridiculous. Listen to boeheim, he has even said scouts really are not looking at many of our guys. Dion would just be another guy in the nba who can get to the rim with no jump shot . Hes not a point guard. Like the rest of our guards he has strengths and weaknesses. Take a look at what Luke Winn from cnnsi said about dion. While he is a good player, it can not go unnoticed that most of his production is coming against other teams second units. And before anyone calls me a scoop or bt apologist, I agree like most of you that he should be starting and he would have had scoop not come back.

 

[Victory Lap]

Thats impressive and all, but where it takes you 5 and 15, it takes me 3 and 10. Please excuse my arrogance.

You both sound like Joe Morgan and the Pre-moneyball Oakland A's scouts. But worse. At least Morgan was a good baseball player. Lemme guess - you judge a player by the relative hotness of his GF, too?

 

[Victory Lap]

You both sound like Joe Morgan and the Pre-moneyball Oakland A's scouts. But worse. At least Morgan was a good baseball player. Lemme guess - you judge a player by the relative hotness of his GF, too?

Perhaps your sarcasm is so thick I missed it. If that's the case, disregard.

 

[SouthCampusHero]

Watched the Florida game again since so many people are jumping on the Waiters bandwagon. Im not suggesting Dion isnt a great player...but he did NOT have a good game against top quality guards (Boynton and Walker). Both guards had their way with him...both on the offensive end and the defensive end. Note that Florida is the only team we have played that has multiple layers of great talent (Boynton and Walker at the gaurd positions, Beal at forward and Young at center). Dion got stuffed multiple times that game and had a hard time stopping both of their guards. Im not saying Dion cant get drafted this summer (I think he actually can) but lets pump the brakes at least a little bit when talking about his future in the NBA.

On another note, BMK looked pretty good in the Florida game. Very active. Sealed the baseline for Fair and Triche to convert lay-ups. Ran well. His stat line doesnt look good but he was pretty effective. Just give me 75% of what BMK showed prior to his hand injury last year. Pretty please? He clearly isnt 100% right now...not by a long shot. Remember his game against UConn last year (11 boards and 6 steals)? His play that game was a statistical outlier compared to the rest of the season; can he at least get relatively close to that this year when he gets healthy?

 

[NKR1978]

I hope JB uses Flynn and Donte as examples for Dion. Who knows, maybe Donte even gives Dion a call. Dion, next year could be THE best player in college basketball and a top 5 pick. Hell, if Kyrie Irving can go #1, so can Dion. Next year he could be beyond dominant while playing pg, which is what he will be in the NBA.

Kemba is another example of a guy who blew up because he stayed three years.

 

[SWC75]

Some would say that Sherm is the best in the ESPN era, but the Pearl is definitely the the standard where all guards at the Cuse and the BE were judged on. But let's talk about all around. Defense, passing, driving, shooting. We have been fortunate to have had GMAC, Andy, Dave Johnson, Lawrence Moten, Sims, Hart, etc, but it just seems like when Dion is in the game this season he is so much better than anyone else out there. I know it's only been 15 games this season, and I'm not an NBA scout, but I think I know major league talent when I see it.

Their numbers are in my "Net Points 2010-2011" post. Pearl was the bets at getitng to the basket I;ve seen but Waiter's is a more explosive finisher. I'm not sure I've ever seen Pearl dunk. Pearl and Douglas were much superior passers. All three could play defense when they wanted to. The book is still being written on Waiters and it will be fun to see him develop, (and where he chooses to do it). But right now Pearl and Sherm, are at the top of the list.

By theway, when does the "modern era" begin?

 

[memcorsu]

Wow.

Personally, I'd like to see more of a sample than 15 games before making an assessment like that. But that's just me.

I bold faced one of the better and clearly stated could be, possibly, etc... I completely agreed with your statement. He has a lot of work to do. If you read my posts I clearly state that there is a lot of work to do and he needs to show it over a season or two before we can crown him anything.

 

[Dmcnabbrules]

Moten was a much better college player.

 

[MadNY3]

Some would say that Sherm is the best in the ESPN era, but the Pearl is definitely the the standard where all guards at the Cuse and the BE were judged on. But let's talk about all around. Defense, passing, driving, shooting. We have been fortunate to have had GMAC, Andy, Dave Johnson, Lawrence Moten, Sims, Hart, etc, but it just seems like when Dion is in the game this season he is so much better than anyone else out there. I know it's only been 15 games this season, and I'm not an NBA scout, but I think I know major league talent when I see it.

Not saying a word until there's a full season under he belt.

Greatness is done over the course of a season. Let's see how he plays during the meat part of the year and March.