Duke Postgame

[capeorange]

I think you missed my point, Matt. Our best player doesn’t know how to play. Our staff doesn’t know how to get him to play. He floated around the three point line and chucked bricks.

He took 3 two point shots, and he was so lazy and ineffective that he rode the pine for nearly half the game.

He may be our most talented player but I don't think he has any heart. He only looks good when we play the Little Sisters of the Poor.
I imagine the next coach will recruit over him and let him transfer to wherever. He needs to grow a set.

 

[OrlandoCuse]

Not to derail this thread but….. no. Kyle would have 20 dunks.

Good grief. No sarcasm detector?

 

[capeorange]

It's wild - if you go back to when we played a team like Houston, it's almost like such a thing might matter.

Going from a 4 point loss to Houston (#2) to a 40 point loss to Duke (#3) is truly a testament to what Red can accomplish the longer he has to work with these kids and really let his coaching sink in.

And what 'star' player didn't play in Vegas when our defense was so good.

 

[Marsh01]

man i give people credit for sticking around. I stopped watching altogether after the BC game and dont even know when they play anymore

 

[orangepassion]

That said we need guys who will battle. Guys who will dive on the floor to grab a loose ball. Even when down 30.

This is an old story, but I'm tired of only seeing players of opposing teams diving for loose balls. You'd think we were #3 in the country and Duke below .500 in the conference with the amount of desperation they played with compared to SU.

 

[orangepassion]

He may be our most talented player but I don't think he has any heart. He only looks good when we play the Little Sisters of the Poor.
I imagine the next coach will recruit over him and let him transfer to wherever. He needs to grow a set.

He has a ton of talent. A good coach would make a world of difference in getting him to play the right way. That applies to several guys on our team.

 

[sweetpea]

There's no worse realization than to slowly learn that your baby (i.e., meal ticket) is ugly.

JJ was a star, a McD',s All American -- I'm sure that his camp has dreamed of him going to the league since he was in high school.

Now that his career hasn't unfolded as envisioned, the blame game begins.

The reality is probably somewhere in the middle. JJ hasn't come anywhere close to actualizing his potential, or the high school accolades. But part of that is based on coaching, and the lack of development over the course of his career.

Both are true.

JJ has never been able shoot well enough from any range over the long haul to be effective.

 

[tbonezone]

watched the "highlights" this morning . yes it was as bad as i remembered.

 

[capeorange]

He has a ton of talent. A good coach would make a world of difference in getting him to play the right way. That applies to several guys on our team.

He just plays too timid when he faces stronger talent. Look at how Kyle plays, he doesn't back down from anyone while Donnie hides out at the 3 point line away from it all.
A good coach won't put up with it but I don't know if Donnie has the heart to get in the paint and mix it up the way players like Kyle does. You need desire to go along with talent.

 

[CuseFaninVT]

He just plays too timid when he faces stronger talent. Look at how Kyle plays, he doesn't back down from anyone while Donnie hides out at the 3 point line away from it all.
A good coach won't put up with it but I don't know if Donnie has the heart to get in the paint and mix it up the way players like Kyle does. You need desire to go along with talent.

Afraid of injuring himself again?

 

[jr4750]

Just realized they fired Jerome Tang after a similar beat down. That was very embarrassing. Been a tough year of wood shed stompings for the cuse.

 

[jdubs30]

He just plays too timid when he faces stronger talent. Look at how Kyle plays, he doesn't back down from anyone while Donnie hides out at the 3 point line away from it all.
A good coach won't put up with it but I don't know if Donnie has the heart to get in the paint and mix it up the way players like Kyle does. You need desire to go along with talent.

A good coach would draw up plays and clean looks for our best player. Our offense consists of 2 guys standing in the corner, Kyle (maybe) setting a pick, and then one on one from one of the guards

 

[RF2044]

man i give people credit for sticking around. I stopped watching altogether after the BC game and dont even know when they play anymore

I used to plan my entire day around Syracuse games.

And there was a time when an SU loss in basketball, football, and lax would ruin my entire week. I am so desensitized now, those days are long in the past.

 

[capeorange]

Afraid of injuring himself again?

Could be, but if he doesn't get stronger and get over his fear, he may never reach his potential.
On the other hand, some guys will never have the mental toughness that Kyle has and Donnie may be one of them.

 

[cliftonparksufan]

This is an old story, but I'm tired of only seeing players of opposing teams diving for loose balls. You'd think we were #3 in the country and Duke below .500 in the conference with the amount of desperation they played with compared to SU.

I've said all along that Duke has a very good chance to win the National Championship. I think they have a lot of intangibles. If they don't it because one of the "really good teams" will beat them. The top 4 or 5 teams are really good this season.

I want to see Duke beat Michigan by double digits on Saturday, and then we can remove them from "really good team" status.

Right now they are included, along with Duke, ISU, Houston and Arizons. UConn to be determined.

Red wanted to play like Houston this season. Well Red almost, and should have beat Houston, and then it basically bottomed out from there. What a waste of another season. Many of us Syracuse fans are aging. LOL!!! We don't have a lot of time left.

 

[ManleyRocks]

It’s amazing to me that people think JJ was an actual option and that he could improve. He’s shown us everything he’s got, his ceiling. Sticking with him was Red’s actual mistake. Fatal it turns out.

His assistant coaches as actual teachers have brought and bring very little to the table. I did not want to believe it, but at the time of original hiring had a sense that this is where it could end 36 months later given the assistant coach situation. And here we are. 3 weeks to go and the boil will be lanced and the healing process can begin.

 

[Eric15]

We played very hard for the first 17-18 minutes of the first half. And then we had I believe three lazy/unforced turnovers on three straight possessions (two of which were on Donnie), and then we just couldn't psychologically recover from it.

 

[Conrad13]

It is the player-coach nexus that is failing. I don’t think there is one person on here who faults JJ or Red as a person. They are doing a disservice to each other though. JJ shouldn’t have to carry the offense in his shoulders and Red shouldn’t be asking him to. But he has for three seasons now. That said, JJ has to make better shot decisions on the court. Every turnaround jumper, fade away, crazy toss at the backboard or long three is much more likely to be a turnover than points for SU.

This is the way I've felt about many of our guards lately. Girard was a nice shooter, so you set him up with a screen or two to get him open. He should not have been the primary ballhandler. Richmond should have been the ball dominant PG.

JJ is a sparkplug who is fast and good at getting into the lane and taking advantage of opportunities when the defense keys in on other players. He should not be the guy you build your offense around.

I find myself blaming JB/Red for these players' troubles more than the players themselves. I know that the players have their limitations, but they also have some strengths and the SU coaching staff haven't put them in good positions to be successful.

 

[Irt4su]

That approach might work for a small mom-and-pop shop, but it isn't a viable approach for a Fortune 500. Therein lies the difference.

That was my point. Please read the first post

 

[jimb]

Very sad what has become of this program. I turned off the game at halftime after the run we gave up to end the half. Knew it was over then.

If most fans are like me they’ll find other hobbies and be less engaged until the program shows that they’re serious.

Since last year I’ve started snowboarding, in my mid thirties, to have something to do in the winter. I figured breaking bones was more fun than watching this program.

There is another basketball team on campus that is well coached, disciplined, talented, and fun to watch. Give up? -- --

 

[FrancoPizza]

And what 'star' player didn't play in Vegas when our defense was so good.

I kept saying the legend of Donnie grew with each game he didn't play. But you kids weren't having any of it.

 

[cliftonparksufan]

This is the way I've felt about many of our guards lately. Girard was a nice shooter, so you set him up with a screen or two to get him open. He should not have been the primary ballhandler. Richmond should have been the ball dominant PG.

JJ is a sparkplug who is fast and good at getting into the lane and taking advantage of opportunities when the defense keys in on other players. He should not be the guy you build your offense around.

I find myself blaming JB/Red for these players' troubles more than the players themselves. I know that the players have their limitations, but they also have some strengths and the SU coaching staff haven't put them in good positions to be successful.

Some teams are very good at sealing off the lane to create easy paths to the hoop.

Some teams are very good at making that extra pass to create open outside shots.

Some teams are very good at driving the ball and then passing to an open shooter.

Some teams are very good at creating an open shot on an out of bounds play.

Some teams are very good during the last four minutes of the 1st half and the first four minutes of the 2nd half.

Some teams are very good at getting 50/50 balls.

And then some teams are not consistently good at any of those.

 

[Newhouser]

Our offense is extremely limited because George can't beat anyone off the dribble and get us into whatever if any sets we plan to run. It takes him too long to get it into the frontcourt and then he has to initiate everything way too far from the basket. It is a major reason why we are always up against the shot clock.

Our poorly designed scheme, horrendous shooters, and lazy workers are further put behind the 8 ball by our second highest paid player's inability to get by anyone in the open court.

 

[Marsh01]

I used to plan my entire day around Syracuse games.

And there was a time when an SU loss in basketball, football, and lax would ruin my entire week. I am so desensitized now, those days are long in the past.

ive been numb for years. its a sad state. i dont even really pay attention anymore. Hoping that changes next season

 

[Fly Rodder]

I find myself blaming JB/Red for these players' troubles more than the players themselves.

It's been that way for a while now. Gbinije's success really fried JAB's brain and he felt he could take any undersized SF and turn them into a primary offensive threat/PG. That led to a string of tall guys at the top of the key with the ball taking a bunch of shots and no real PG. No offense to any of them, but that hurt the teams chances at winning consistently and Red has been continuing the plan with JJ and Chance.

They went and got a PG this season, but he's been underwhelming IMO mostly due to the lack of an offensive plan.