Donnie Freeman Injury Updates (Not Out)

[sufan59]

I dunno... Freeman will hopefully help, but he can't solve:

• The team's lack of effort on defense for many possessions
• A predictable and schemable playground iso offense with very little off-ball movement and lack of situational designed plays
• Spaghetti-at-the-walls substitution patterns that repeatedly kill our momentum and provide our opponents to seize the momentum and go on runs
• Freethrow shooting as one of the worst in D1
• 3-point shooting that's very inconsistent

Perhaps we'll make some significant strides in the above, but, based on our significant sample size of Red & Co at this point, Red is not going to coach his way out of this paper bag. He simply isn't capable of it, I'm afraid.

It's unfortunate, but this team will likely continue to perform well below the sum of it's parts and if the level of play we're seeing now continues, the ACC portion of the schedule will likely be a bloodbath. If we're losing at home to Hofstra and eeking out wins against Northeastern, this would be no surprise...

I'm sad but not mad about it, as it is what it is at this point, and it sucks to see one of our own fail at the job. We likely need to take our lumps and hope for good changes in the near future with a new, dynamic athletics-focused chancellor coming in and an opportunity to flip the script with a program-changing hire.

Would glad to be wrong about this, of course, but it's last licks time to turn this ship around and we're woefully up against the rocks at the moment.

They’ll get back to the energy level of the Houston and Tennessee game and soon. Will they be able to sustain it is the major question.

 

[kingtidge]

They’ll get back to the energy level of the Houston and Tennessee game and soon. Will they be able to sustain it is the major question.

I was thinking the same before watching Northeastern outhustle us for rebounds, loose balls, and slice us apart in transition.

How the heck is Northeastern beating us down court repeatedly?

 

[23Zone]

Now I'm thinking of going on a run in the conference part of the schedule and getting hot in the tourney.

Everyone in this fan forum does lol

 

[Actionthrill]

A question for everyone. Is Donnie really good enough on offense to solve our offensive problems? I know how good Donnie is but is he enough to get this to the tournament?

 

[kirbivore]

The way the program has said this kid is day to day for about a month is another embarrassment on a list of them. Serious programs don’t act this way. And spare me the HIPPA nonsense.

I have a feeling Donnie will be nowhere to be found on New Years Eve

 

[kingtidge]

A question for everyone. Is Donnie really good enough on offense to solve our offensive problems? I know how good Donnie is but is he enough to get this to the tournament?

Donnie coming back isn't going to solve all our ball movement problems, off-ball movement issues, in-game adjustments and substitutions, situational need for designed plays, and our shift to brick city clankers when we're fouled on shots and drives and go to the line.

 

[Blanko97]

A question for everyone. Is Donnie really good enough on offense to solve our offensive problems? I know how good Donnie is but is he enough to get this to the tournament?

Donnie can post up, that’s helpful but he won’t solve the issues whatsoever

 

[SDjohn]

They’ll get back to the energy level of the Houston and Tennessee game and soon. Will they be able to sustain it is the major question.

I’ve seen nothing to indicate this…at all.

 

[kcsu]

I dunno... Freeman will hopefully help, but he can't solve:

• The team's lack of effort on defense for many possessions
• A predictable and schemable playground iso offense with very little off-ball movement and lack of situational designed plays
• Spaghetti-at-the-walls substitution patterns that repeatedly kill our momentum and provide our opponents with repeated opportunities to seize the momentum and go on runs
• Freethrow shooting that's one of the worst in D1
• 3-point shooting that's very inconsistent and downright bad in many games

Perhaps we'll make some significant strides in the above, but, based on our significant sample size of Red & Co at this point, Red is not going to coach his way out of this paper bag. He simply isn't capable of it, I'm afraid.

It's unfortunate, but this team will likely continue to perform well below the sum of it's parts and if the level of play we're seeing now continues, the ACC portion of the schedule will likely be a bloodbath. If we're losing at home to Hofstra and eeking out wins against Northeastern, this would be no surprise...

I'm sad but not mad about it, as it is what it is at this point, and it sucks to see one of our own fail at the job. We likely need to take our lumps and hope for good changes in the near future with a new, dynamic athletics-focused chancellor coming in and an opportunity to flip the script with a program-changing hire.

Would glad to be wrong about this, of course, but it's last licks time to turn this ship around and we're woefully up against the rocks at the moment.

Any teams most talented player helps

 

[Scott11]

Any teams most talented player helps

I agree. I think we beat Houston and Hofstra with Donnie. He’s worth one to two points a game. And we would all be feeling much different about this season if we only had two losses.

 

[Scooch]

Any teams most talented player helps

For sure. We’re far better off with him playing.

I do hope people remember that he’s not Carmelo. Freeman isn’t going to magically fix everything that ails this team.

And he plays a largely outside offensive game. I know people are going to scream and yell that he needs to play inside and he just simply isn’t that kind of player.

I have a hunch he’ll be good, but not carry-the-team great, and a lot of people will complain about him.

 

[Capt. Tuttle]

I agree. I think we beat Houston and Hofstra with Donnie. He’s worth one to two points a game. And we would all be feeling much different about this season if we only had two losses.

I think if we have a stellar run once he gets back, the fact that he was out for these losses may be considered when looking at the bubble

 

[Capt. Tuttle]

For sure. We’re far better off with him playing.

I do hope people remember that he’s not Carmelo. Freeman isn’t going to magically fix everything that ails this team.

And he plays a largely outside offensive game. I know people are going to scream and yell that he needs to play inside and he just simply isn’t that kind of player.

I have a hunch he’ll be good, but not carry-the-team great, and a lot of people will complain about him.

Well, the other team must account for him above all others, so he might free some other guys up for better looks. We’ll see.

 

[Brooky03]

A question for everyone. Is Donnie really good enough on offense to solve our offensive problems? I know how good Donnie is but is he enough to get this to the tournament?

I think the offense is designed to run through him. It’s less about his ability and more about the way his presence impacts everybody’s job on offense.

He’s also the guy you can give the ball to when things aren’t working and he might grind some points out that the alternatives aren’t scoring right now.

 

[RedtheGOB]

I think the offense is designed to run through him. It’s less about his ability and more about the way his presence impacts everybody’s job on offense.

He’s also the guy you can give the ball to when things aren’t working and he might grind some points out that the alternatives aren’t scoring right now.

I agree. I get people are really upset at Autry, I am too. but there also has to be a reality check sometimes when the best player on the team is out.

The people that immediately respond with this teams best player and that teams best player are out too. Here’s where I divert.

Autry and Kline built this roster around Donnie. JJ maybe a little too but mostly Donnie. He’s got by far the biggest paycheck and the most talent on the team.

It’s almost like both the coaches and the team are just waiting for Donnie. It’s not acceptable but it’s how it played out.

There’s a lot of eggs in the basket for Clemson.

 

[McCuse]

I agree. I think we beat Houston and Hofstra with Donnie. He’s worth one to two points a game. And we would all be feeling much different about this season if we only had two losses.

And a couple more wins on top of that if we only sank free throws.

 

[HtownOrange]

Regardless of who the team may be built around, it remains the coach's responsibility to manage the team he has. The idea of imposing a system may work but usually runs up against the wall called reality. Sure, when donors have been paying players for decades via back channels it's easy to impose you system and win. SU has not had that luxury. Every coach must played the team they have not the team they want. Red has not stepped up the coaching aspect and needs to do so as soon as possible.

 

[Consigliere]

What ifs are a fool’s errand but take the games Freeman has missed and add 5-6 point to Syracuse’s score for the impact he would have on the offensive end and 2-3 points on the defensive end where he may have grabbed a defensive rebound and limited second chance points by the opposition. Not only does that add two wins to the ledger and makes some single digit wins more manageable but likely eliminates the matchup with Iowa State and makes the third game in Vegas a bit more manageable.

I imagine we’d be weeding through dozens of posts trashing Wildhack for not extending Autry.

 

[Cuse_NYC]

Really wish Donnie could get out there for 10min tonight. Rather have the rust come off against Stonehill than Clemson (who is actually playing really well lately).

 

[Fly Rodder]

I imagine we’d be weeding through dozens of posts trashing Wildhack for not extending Autry.

No there wouldn't be. lol.

Frankly, no one really knows what kind of difference Donnie will be. He's got 18 games in his career so far and he's 10-8 with zero wins against a P5 team (8 games). Could he be a savior, sure, could it be more of the same slog? Also, sure. Freeman has been pretty good in half of the games against P5 teams and a zero in the rest, but there were no wins.

He's not replacing zeroes, he'll soak up some FGA and points from other players and a few rebounds from others. It'll be interesting to see what shakes out with him in the lineup, but what if's are worthless. Game scripts change with different personnel and different lineups. Teams will scheme to keep him in the midrange if they need to or funnel the ball to keep him in ISO sets and double JJ/Nait or Kingz.

 

[Goin' Deep]

Really wish Donnie could get out there for 10min tonight. Rather have the rust come off against Stonehill than Clemson (who is actually playing really well lately).

YUP!!!!
tape him up... wrap him up
have a 5 minute run...have the trainer/doctor look at him at halftime.
See how he feels.

 

[Orangezoo]

What ifs are a fool’s errand but take the games Freeman has missed and add 5-6 point to Syracuse’s score for the impact he would have on the offensive end and 2-3 points on the defensive end where he may have grabbed a defensive rebound and limited second chance points by the opposition. Not only does that add two wins to the ledger and makes some single digit wins more manageable but likely eliminates the matchup with Iowa State and makes the third game in Vegas a bit more manageable.

I imagine we’d be weeding through dozens of posts trashing Wildhack for not extending Autry.

Maybe so but the recent loss and underwhelming wins look a whole lot like the Monmouth game where effectively the same issues were present with Donnie on the floor. It’s obviously not that simple to expect he doesn’t come with the impact you hypothesize but we really don’t know.

Donnie was beating his man in ISO much like we relied on recently so the approach is pretty similar too.

 

[Consigliere]

No there wouldn't be. lol.

Frankly, no one really knows what kind of difference Donnie will be. He's got 18 games in his career so far and he's 10-8 with zero wins against a P5 team (8 games). Could he be a savior, sure, could it be more of the same slog? Also, sure. Freeman has been pretty good in half of the games against P5 teams and a zero in the rest, but there were no wins.

He's not replacing zeroes, he'll soak up some FGA and points from other players and a few rebounds from others. It'll be interesting to see what shakes out with him in the lineup, but what if's are worthless. Game scripts change with different personnel and different lineups. Teams will scheme to keep him in the midrange if they need to or funnel the ball to keep him in ISO sets and double JJ/Nait or Kingz.

Certainly true, but even with the modest incremental contributions I cited there would be a marked difference in the way the team is viewed right now, wouldn't there.? I guess despite all the negativity I choose to look at a team that is not very far from being perceived much differently and consider that had arguably the best player on the team been active all year that may well have been the case.

Not sold on Autry yet and certainly not saying this is potentially a Final Four team, but things might not be quite as bad as some are portraying them.

 

[kingtidge]

Any teams most talented player helps

No question he will help.

That said, I think his impact won't solve the fact that we are a poorly coached team.

 

[Fly Rodder]

but things might not be quite as bad as some are portraying them.

That's what sucks about mediocrity. Not good enough to win consistently, but not bad enough that it's obvious a change is needed.

Freeman is a very talented player. I hope they come out and throttle Clemson and look like they did for most of the Houston game.