Donnie and JJ back

[sufan59]

If this guess is accurate, then I'm surprised that Kyle didn't stay one more season. I assume he would have gotten at least as much as Donnie, he would be set for life, and the NFL would still be there the following year.

Also, 9m is ~30% higher than the median NBA salary. For that much money, maybe Donnie is here for 2 or 3 more years.

I thought you were talking about Kyle Cuffe for a second then saw he would make as much as Donnie. I was very confused.

 

[007]

I'm not suggesting everyone ignore the obvious with JJ. I'm there with you. We need to deal with the reality of what he is and can be.

BUT...

He's a local kid who clearly wants to win at home. At best, we can hope he has an amazing SR season without crapping on him all offseason.

Again, not suggesting we shouldn't be recruiting over. We should be giving him some comp for PT, imo. But we can hope he steps up his game to the next level.

Getting Freeman and Starling back is the best start to the off season we could have hoped for. I know there will be push back on that take because of JJ. But for all the JJ bashing, Red invested in keeping him here. I don't think the plan is to recruit over him.

I think the thought process is that JJ's skill set and efficiency will likely play up if he doesn't have to be the primary playmaker, scorer, and only late game option. Of course, to get there, Red will need to add offensive talent via the portal. JJ already scaled back his 3 attempts - that needs to continue. He needs to focus on doing the things he does well. And he needs to play with much more effort on D.

 

[rrlbees]

The key here is maintaining our NIL. If this is a one time “booster shot”, we’ll be back in the same boat.

For sure. And that’s gonna be a problem for a lot of schools. How many years can all this money be maintained.

 

[NineOneSeven]

This is the biggest news in awhile imo. We have to capitalize on this. Gets me much more fired up for the season.

 

[dasher]

it's crazy that 34% for the season looks like a big improvement to what we've had

I know you understand that 34% when none of the shots are highly contested because you are the last option is far different than 30% when the other team is keying on you and your teammates give you the ball at the end of the shot clock. Cadeau is a terrible shooter.

 

[FrancoPizza]

I think JJ can be effective if they introduce hash marks on the court and we initiate plays from the right hash mark.

 

[Niastri]

If this guess is accurate, then I'm surprised that Kyle (McCord - TY 59) didn't stay one more season. I assume he would have gotten at least as much as Donnie, he would be set for life, and the NFL would still be there the following year.

Also, 9m is ~30% higher than the median NBA salary. For that much money, maybe Donnie is here for 2 or 3 more years.

That’s total budget for the basketball roster, not just for Freeman.

I imagine there will be rosters with $15 million or more in salaries next season.

 

[Cusefan0307]

I know you understand that 34% when none of the shots are highly contested because you are the last option is far different than 30% when the other team is keying on you and your teammates give you the ball at the end of the shot clock. Cadeau is a terrible shooter.

Guessing he was forced out at UNC.

 

[phil77]

Guessing he was forced out at UNC.

Yup I think UNC is spending a boatload this portal season.

 

[kingtidge]

I agree, if we can get a well rounded point guard, Starling gets a lot better...

...He’s got the potential to be literally unguardable at the college level. Possibly our next 20-10 guy and go to guy when we really need a basket. In his first 14 games, PER and BPM already had him as our second best player last season, after “advanced stat” darling the Highlander.

Next season, Freeman will be our best player from opening tip, unless Red really surprises us in a good way in the transfer portal.

I’m really pleased we were able to get it done.

That's one side of the coin.

The other side of the coin is that his mark on defense often looks unguardable as well because JJ chooses not to guard him.

If we don't get some semblance of a working defense next year, the offense won't much matter.

I am really glad Donnie is back as he's young and has lots of room for improvement and development.

JJ I'm ok with, but only if his minutes are dropped somewhat and shared with a more well-rounded player that can actually play defense. We simply can't have JJ playing the majority of minutes most games and having his mark blow past him repeatedly all game due to poor effort on defense. Also, it would be good to give him some competition that might light a fire under him to play better D.

 

[Scooch]

This is very good news. For all of JJ's flaws (and there a bunch of them) he also has real strengths. We need to build a roster that emphasizes the latter and mitigates the former.

Donnie can legitimately be a true star. He was improving right up until he got hurt.

 

[walsh2012]

View attachment 250620

Never in doubt

 

[JRDCuse]

We as a fan base have been asking for the staff to show us something for a while, today they did! This will be the day we all remember that turned the program around. It’s time for us to show ourselves and the program something, BELIEF! Let’s believe that we can be what we were for so long. Let’s rally around JJ specifically, he is one of ours! Like many have said, it’s easy to find yourself being inefficient when the defense knows you are the only backcourt scoring option and I think too that his wrist was probably more of an issue than we know. Our guy is going to have a great senior year as one of the best guards in the league. Let’s go Orange!

 

[walsh2012]

Hopefully getting Donnie back can help attract better players from the portal.

Honestly i'd sat kiyan is the guy players would be most excited to squad up with

 

[tptcuse]

It’s not a matter of waiting to say it. It’s more so that the nonsense that was discussed on here was completely made up by posters on this board. At no point did Donnie ever say how he couldn’t wait to transfer, how he didn’t like Syracuse, how he hated playing for Red or anything of that nature. I said it game 10 that was coming back. Then he got injured. And everyone went scorched earth about he was gone and blah blah. It’s so frustrating to share information that I KNOW is true just to have posters say the complete opposite with zero factual knowledge. Misery loves company on this board and wish some info was taken differently when certain people bring it to the board.

The kid loves Syracuse, he loves Red and him coming back should help curb some stupid narratives around here. Go orange

Oh, I know. I was being literal because you have been saying this for so long.

 

[Niastri]

That's one side of the coin.

The other side of the coin is that his mark on defense often looks unguardable as well because JJ chooses not to guard him.

If we don't get some semblance of a working defense next year, the offense won't much matter.

I am really glad Donnie is back as he's young and has lots of room for improvement and development.

JJ I'm ok with, but only if his minutes are dropped somewhat and shared with a more well-rounded player that can actually play defense. We simply can't have JJ playing the majority of minutes most games and having his mark blow past him repeatedly all game due to poor effort on defense. Also, it would be good to give him some competition that might light a fire under him to play better D.

My unguardable comment was about Freeman, not Starling. Starling is good, maybe even great at the one thing he does, but about half of the rosters we play against have somebody who can guard him one on one pretty effectively. All of them, with few exceptions, can scheme to take Starling out of the game.

I think Freeman, on the other hand, could become literally unguardable if he reaches his potential. He can score in the post, and will command double teams. He can dribble around most power forwards and almost all centers. He can shoot the three at a high rate if you sag of him. He can find the open man if you double team him. Etc. The 90% projection Freeman posts you up like a center and shoots and drives like a small forward, rebounds with the best of them, and blocks shots and deflects passes at a decent rate as well.

I am ever the optimist, but Freeman’s ceiling is incredibly high. I didn’t think we would see it, as most guys don’t come close as freshman… But the hidden blessing of his foot injury this season is that we get him for his sophomore season with 14 games under his belt and a year of S&C (assuming, without evidence, that Syracuse basketball actually has S&C).

 

[ar inj]

The key here is maintaining our NIL. If this is a one time “booster shot”, we’ll be back in the same boat.

Agree but they are working on making some new interested parties annual and not one timers

 

[kingtidge]

My unguardable comment was about Freeman, not Starling. Starling is good, maybe even great at the one thing he does, but about half of the rosters we play against have somebody who can guard him one on one pretty effectively. All of them, with few exceptions, can scheme to take Starling out of the game.

I think Freeman, on the other hand, could become literally unguardable if he reaches his potential. He can score in the post, and will command double teams. He can dribble around most power forwards and almost all centers. He can shoot the three at a high rate if you sag of him. He can find the open man if you double team him. Etc. The 90% projection Freeman posts you up like a center and shoots and drives like a small forward, rebounds with the best of them, and blocks shots and deflects passes at a decent rate as well.

I am ever the optimist, but Freeman’s ceiling is incredibly high. I didn’t think we would see it, as most guys don’t come close as freshman… But the hidden blessing of his foot injury this season is that we get him for his sophomore season with 14 games under his belt and a year of S&C (assuming, without evidence, that Syracuse basketball actually has S&C).

Yeah, sorry. I misread and thought you meant Starling.

I'm much higher on Freeman as well. He needs to beef-up, but he clearly has a lot of potential and agree he could be a real handful with more development.

 

[Irt4su]

PL34SED

 

[djcon57]

For sure. And that’s gonna be a problem for a lot of schools. How many years can all this money be maintained.

I think in our situation all that matters right now is next year. We have to get back in the tourney.

 

[Zelda Zonk]

Big news. A decent foundation.

Soooo… if that means their NIL is agreed upon, what exactly does that mean? A contract has been signed? Is there a way to structure a NIL contract that is actually binding? And/or one that has a buyout/cancellation figure?

I genuinely don’t know—please edumacate me. I’m assuming the ordeal with Lampkin last year was because this stuff was just not fully buttoned-up. What happens if Donnie gets an offer next month or when someone gets desperate in June, 2x what we‘re going to pay him? Some fat Texas wallet comes a-tamperin’?

 

[Niastri]

Nothing is binding until the draft declaration deadline is done and the transfer window is closed.

Fortunately, unlike Lampkin, the day the portal closes is when Freeman is locked in. Transfers aren’t locked in until they enroll in their new school.

 

[Bulldog04]

Big news. A decent foundation.

Soooo… if that means their NIL is agreed upon, what exactly does that mean? A contract has been signed? Is there a way to structure a NIL contract that is actually binding? And/or one that has a buyout/cancellation figure?

I genuinely don’t know—please edumacate me. I’m assuming the ordeal with Lampkin last year was because this stuff was just not fully buttoned-up. What happens if Donnie gets an offer next month or when someone gets desperate in June, 2x what we‘re going to pay him? Some fat Texas wallet comes a-tamperin’?

They were still scrambling with money when Eddie bumped the price. They literally had to go raise the money within like 48 hours to get him to be at cuse at that time. They also thought they were getting another player at the time too. It was not organized. This year is 100000% different than last year hence why I still stand behind Alex and Red and the guys for next season because of the preparation for this offseason compared to last

 

[Hopkins16]

Being able to retain both is a very good sign from an NIL perspective. Donnie is going to flourish, especially if we get a good point guard.

Elliot Cadeau is available. Great distributor.

 

[NineOneSeven]

Elliot Cadeau is available. Great distributor.

We can’t have JJ and him in the back court in 2025. If this was 2000, sure.