facts on Brandon's ft shooting @ crunchtime

[Upstate]

I'm not sure those facts support your theory however. So what you're saying is that an 80% FT shooter shoots 70% when it matters most. I would argue that is the walking, talking definition of not being clutch.

Having said that, he's probably our best FT shooter, and best FT shooter in late games, though I'd like to see KJO's numbers in the final 2 minutes.

Waiters has missed some big FTs at the end of games this year, too. Ville and UConn (IIRC) come to mind

 

[SoBristol]

First off, to the OP, thanks for the data. I think it shows people went off after some upsetting misses out of BT. I don't know if it's a BT thing or just viciousness after a loss.

As for Brandon, I think he can be very good, maybe not a star. I think he can and will improve. I think I will enjoy seeing the team with him as a leader. It looks like he has a quiet, confident, high Bball IQ. When he is teamed up with MCW I think it will be a pleasure to watch.

Contrast that with the game of Dion. His two best games at SU are losses (Cincy and Marq last year). Dions thought pattern at the end of the Cincy game was to stall with 35 left and have him heave a 3 to tie (he didn't get the chance but you know that's what he was going to do). With BT and MCW on the floor I think they would have taken a different tack. I have always feared this thought process out of Dion. And I still do. I think in a similar situation in the NCAAT Dion will do something similar. Hope that situation doesn't arise.

People go nuts over BT missing but give Dions boneheaded selfish end of game situation a pass, because he made shots earlier.

Seriously? You are going to jump on Dion for one play (not all that bad), after the kid puts up an all-tournament game, and his veteran teammates (including BT) barely show up? In games where his teammates show up, Dion doesn't have to take over. But in the garden last year, BET vs UConn, and Marq, and Friday against Cincy, he comes up big when others are playing weak.

 

[Sgt Cuse]

Seriously? You are going to jump on Dion for one play (not all that bad), after the kid puts up an all-tournament game, and his veteran teammates (including BT) barely show up? In games where his teammates show up, Dion doesn't have to take over. But in the garden last year, BET vs UConn, and Marq, and Friday against Cincy, he comes up big when others are playing weak.

I may have been harsh on Dion. I just find mental mistakes more frustrating than misses.

 

[HoustonCuse]

I'm not pissed at Dion for that play by any means. He was on fire. But, yes it was his call to run clock and he clearly got surprised by the foul strategy there. That's something maybe a senior or a really heady player realizes could happen and either goes faster for the shot (Gerry would have done this) or anticipate it and try to make a shooting motion when the guy went to foul (Kemba Walker would have done this).

 

[rstone7727]

I'm not sure those facts support your theory however. So what you're saying is that an 80% FT shooter shoots 70% when it matters most. I would argue that is the walking, talking definition of not being clutch.

Having said that, he's probably our best FT shooter, and best FT shooter in late games, though I'd like to see KJO's numbers in the final 2 minutes.

The reason I did this was some people were saying in the other thread, that Brandon was no better than 50% in crunch time (end of game situations when we needed him to knock the free throws down). Personally I don't think the difference between 71% and 81% is significant enough to bring attention to as that swing could very well happen in the first five minutes of a game as well. I don't think Brandon has such a bad "head" problem as others have suggested.

 

[Ghost]

I'm not pissed at Dion for that play by any means. He was on fire. But, yes it was his call to run clock and he clearly got surprised by the foul strategy there. That's something maybe a senior or a really heady player realizes could happen and either goes faster for the shot (Gerry would have done this) or anticipate it and try to make a shooting motion when the guy went to foul (Kemba Walker would have done this).

Didn't he do that?

 

[br801]

Seriously? You are going to jump on Dion for one play (not all that bad), after the kid puts up an all-tournament game, and his veteran teammates (including BT) barely show up? In games where his teammates show up, Dion doesn't have to take over. But in the garden last year, BET vs UConn, and Marq, and Friday against Cincy, he comes up big when others are playing weak.

I thought Triche did more than "barely show up" the other night. He did miss several open looks (which happens sometimes) but was active defensively and did facilitate the offense pretty well during the comeback.

And with all due respect, there have been plenty of games this season when either Joseph, Triche or Jardine have carried the team when most of the others were having sub-par games.

 

[SoBristol]

I thought Triche did more than "barely show up" the other night. He did miss several open looks (which happens sometimes) but was active defensively and did facilitate the offense pretty well during the comeback.

And with all due respect, there have been plenty of games this season when either Joseph, Triche or Jardine have carried the team when most of the others were having sub-par games.

Fair enough -- the others have had their moments, but not usually against the tough defensive teams that challenge the guards. I followed the game on Friday (radio) but haven't watched the tape yet. It is frustrating, though, to see BT get 7 or 9 points in key games (and be part of the slow starts), when he appears to have enough skill to do better. Missing shots he should make; not finishing drives when he does make strong moves. Brandon can be a difference maker for us -- hope he has saved up some of his better games.

 

[OttoMets]

The reason I did this was some people were saying in the other thread, that Brandon was no better than 50% in crunch time (end of game situations when we needed him to knock the free throws down). Personally I don't think the difference between 71% and 81% is significant enough to bring attention to as that swing could very well happen in the first five minutes of a game as well. I don't think Brandon has such a bad "head" problem as others have suggested.

I was one of those; my 50% was an exaggeration, but I had him at something like 58% in Big East play (I didn't have that 6-6 from the Florida and Stanford games, and I missed another of the opportunities that you used).

For the record, I'm a Syracuse fan, I like Brandon Triche as a player, and I'll readily acknowledge that he's our best free throw shooter. I jumped into the fray yesterday because someone (Mark, maybe?) said Triche only hit half his late-game free throws and that guy who makes all the idiotic posts tried to contradict (as always) without any supporting statistics. He's irritated many of us in the past because he's argumentative and makes ridiculous claims, so I quickly scanned Brandon's Big East game logs on ESPN and made a post in support of what Mark said.

As you noted, Brandon's got too few late-game free throws to claim with certainty that he's got some kind of problem. However, his late-game numbers are significantly worse than his overall numbers. I wouldn't call him (or anyone else on this team) a clutch free-throw shooter.

 

[MSOrange]

I was one of those; my 50% was an exaggeration, but I had him at something like 58% in Big East play (I didn't have that 6-6 from the Florida and Stanford games, and I missed another of the opportunities that you used).

For the record, I'm a Syracuse fan, I like Brandon Triche as a player, and I'll readily acknowledge that he's our best free throw shooter. I jumped into the fray yesterday because someone (Mark, maybe?) said Triche only hit half his late-game free throws and that guy who makes all the idiotic posts tried to contradict (as always) without any supporting statistics. He's irritated many of us in the past because he's argumentative and makes ridiculous claims, so I quickly scanned Brandon's Big East game logs on ESPN and made a post in support of what Mark said.

As you noted, Brandon's got too few late-game free throws to claim with certainty that he's got some kind of problem. However, his late-game numbers are significantly worse than his overall numbers. I wouldn't call him (or anyone else on this team) a clutch free-throw shooter.

You hit the nail on the head with your last sentence. We have no real clutch free throw shooters this year. Best one we have is now an assistant coach in street clothes

 

[SoBristol]

Free throw percentage in the last 10 minutes would not make my top 7 of reasons for the loss to Cincy. Defensive intensity; quickness at the top of the zone; boards; turnovers; missed open shots; failure to finish inside; KJ not contributing at his usual level.