How about some early, friendly debate?

[DonLightfoot]

I know it is only two exhibition games so don't get all upset with me for posting this at such a time.

It has been touted by many that we should have a very good shooting team this year and our 3-pt production should improve noticeably. For the first two games our FG attempts have been 49% from two and 51% from three. Made FG's are 42% overall and 35% from three. Maybe 35% is good, but considering that so many of them were essentially wide open looks, I actually expected better. I have no idea how these percentages relate to last year except our 3 pt average was terrible.

Anyway, I am not so much worried about the percentage of "made" 3's, but more about how many we have and/or will be taking. It has really irked me in recent years when I would see how many 3's we would take and with the odd exception our players were just not of that caliber. This year our players are probably up to that task, but is that where we should be? With Sidibe (now appearing healthy), Guerrier and Edwards I think we have a decent chance to score inside.

So, what do you think? Will we live and die by the 3 point shot or do you see some inside presence becoming relevant? Man, it sure would be nice to have both threats.

 

[orange79]

Way too simple response:

QG will surprise and have to be accounted for down low, which will leave our shooters with ample opportunities to bomb away from outside.

I think with the shooters we have, we may set a record for 3-pointers attempted (and hopefully made!).

 

[sutomcat]

I know it is only two exhibition games so don't get all upset with me for posting this at such a time.

It has been touted by many that we should have a very good shooting team this year and our 3-pt production should improve noticeably. For the first two games our FG attempts have been 49% from two and 51% from three. Made FG's are 42% overall and 35% from three. Maybe 35% is good, but considering that so many of them were essentially wide open looks, I actually expected better. I have no idea how these percentages relate to last year except our 3 pt average was terrible.

Anyway, I am not so much worried about the percentage of "made" 3's, but more about how many we have and/or will be taking. It has really irked me in recent years when I would see how many 3's we would take and with the odd exception our players were just not of that caliber. This year our players are probably up to that task, but is that where we should be? With Sidibe (now appearing healthy), Guerrier and Edwards I think we have a decent chance to score inside.

So, what do you think? Will we live and die by the 3 point shot or do you see some inside presence becoming relevant? Man, it sure would be nice to have both threats.

They are playing with a 24 second shot clock, which makes it harder to get the ball into the paint.

That said, there is no traditional low post center who can use his strength and bulk to get position and score inside. There isn’t even a traditional power forward who can use their power and size to get baskets down low. This has to be the lightest, skinniest set of forwards and centers at Syracuse in a very long time.

So yes, we are going to have to rely on outside shooting, which should be the strength of this team, to a large degree this season. It is unfortunate that the 3 point circle is being moved out at the exact time we finally roll out a team that is designed to excelling shooting from the outside.

Adding the 3 point circle cost us an NC in 1987, when Alford went off on us from there. Extending the 3 point circle is going to hurt us again in 2019-20.

The good news is that there should be more room to operate in the paint this season, and I think this team will be more unselfish and work together better than the teams of the last couple of years. The chemistry has to be better.

 

[Cusefan0307]

Buddy and Eli will both be around 40 percent plus this year. That’s what we’ve needed. Battle and Oshae being gone are a net positive from there.

I think Quincy can shoot 35 percent and Dolezaj will be efficient in his attempts. Jury is out on Carey, but Girard and Goodine both have 40% potential from there.

The last thing I’m worried about with this team is shooting.

 

[OrangeAl]

They are playing with a 24 second shot clock, which makes it harder to get the ball into the paint.

That said, there is no traditional low post center who can use his strength and bulk to get position and score inside. There isn’t even a traditional power forward who can use their power and size to get baskets down low. This has to be the lightest, skinniest set of forwards and centers at Syracuse in a very long time.

So yes, we are going to have to rely on outside shooting, which should be the strength of this team, to a large degree this season. It is unfortunate that the 3 point circle is being moved out at the exact time we finally roll out a team that is designed to excelling shooting from the outside.

Adding the 3 point circle cost us an NC in 1987, when Alford went off on us from there. Extending the 3 point circle is going to hurt us again in 2019-20.

The good news is that there should be more room to operate in the paint this season, and I think this team will be more unselfish and work together better than the teams of the last couple of years. The chemistry has to be better.

I really think that the moving of the 3-point line is a good thing for us this year. We've now got guys that are comfortable from up to 25 feet, compared to guys that were mid-range shooters at heart.

 

[Newhouser]

We are going to bomb and need to in order to be successful. Key is having the right guys doing the bombing.

 

[Cheriehoop]

Hopefully players like Guerrier and Sidibe can take advantage of the room and single coverage they will more likely get with our threats from 3. Everything will depend on our 3point accuracy but opponents should be at risk if they dare us to shoot, and clog the lanes. I hope that when teams overplay us outside it will encourage our cutting and passing. It also should spread out and slow opponent’s help defense.

 

[Cuse House]

Watching QG play, I get the sense that he understands how to play the game. Not knocking OB at all, but he often played outside of what he was best at. He forced too many jumpers. QG has shown that he can play inside out. This is all based off of a small sample size, but I think QG is a better fit for what this team needs.

 

[Orangtiz]

Really like Goodine's game. Ive been high on him since he commited. I hes a solid playmaker and ball handler, that can drive and really shoot the ball. Has to get stronger but I think he might be the best player to come through the program in a while, in terms of NBA potential.

 

[realorange]

Watching QG play, I get the sense that he understands how to play the game. Not knocking OB at all, but he often played outside of what he was best at. He forced too many jumpers. QG has shown that he can play inside out. This is all based off of a small sample size, but I think QG is a better fit for what this team needs.

As someone said in an earlier post, I can't wait to see QG and Marek on the floor together. Both understand the game and should read each other well enough to give the opposition fits.

 

[HoustonCuse]

I have only seen highlights of the two games. It does appear there is a lot of 3 balls being taken. I have also seen a few nice cuts and back door plays though which is nice. Especially without MD playing (he seemed to account for many of our smooth looking passing plays the past two years). I still want to understand what JB has been doing with regard to offensive strategy over the past few years, as it seems like we have had none at all. It is one thing that I've been frustrated with him about. It will also be interesting to see what effect the personnel turnover and the new 3 point line has on the zone, I suspect not a positive one.

Question: Is the 3 point line in the Italy games the same distance of what college will have this season?

 

[Ozone!]

Hopefully, we will not live and die at the 3-point line. That has been our downfall in past seasons.
What we need is better ball movement including crisper passes and greater amount of guards attacking the rim. Way too much passing around the parameter. Great teams have effective inside out games.

 

[Consigliere]

First, I am by no means a fan of the increased reliance on the 3 but won't debate that. From an overly simplified analytics perspective the expected result per 2 pointer is .84 points (2 points * .42) and from a 3 pointer is 1.05 (3 points *.35) so stat nerds would say we should take more threes.

 

[Brooky03]

A hot dog is not a sandwich

 

[FrancoPizza]

All this hand-wringing about the offense... I'd be more worried about our perimeter foot speed and close-outs. The last good shooting team we had couldn't stop anybody.

 

[Cusefan0307]

Hopefully, we will not live and die at the 3-point line. That has been our downfall in past seasons.
What we need is better ball movement including crisper passes and greater amount of guards attacking the rim. Way too much passing around the parameter. Great teams have effective inside out games.

I mean Nova and UVA basically won titles from firing away from 3.

 

[Cusefan0307]

I have only seen highlights of the two games. It does appear there is a lot of 3 balls being taken. I have also seen a few nice cuts and back door plays though which is nice. Especially without MD playing (he seemed to account for many of our smooth looking passing plays the past two years). I still want to understand what JB has been doing with regard to offensive strategy over the past few years, as it seems like we have had none at all. It is one thing that I've been frustrated with him about. It will also be interesting to see what effect the personnel turnover and the new 3 point line has on the zone, I suspect not a positive one.

Question: Is the 3 point line in the Italy games the same distance of what college will have this season?

 

[Capt. Tuttle]

A hot dog is not a sandwich

Until you put it in a bun.

 

[20plus]

Buddy and Eli will both be around 40 percent plus this year. That’s what we’ve needed. Battle and Oshae being gone are a net positive from there.

I think Quincy can shoot 35 percent and Dolezaj will be efficient in his attempts. Jury is out on Carey, but Girard and Goodine both have 40% potential from there.

The last thing I’m worried about with this team is shooting.

That’s the way many of our fans are worried about our Strength

This is the best shooting team we’ve ever had and it’s not close. There’s no Josh pace Billy Ivan Paul Harris Michael Carter Williams or bricklayer on this team

I put this out in the summer we are the splash brothers in Syracuse let’s embrace that my God

 

[bballbeadle]

That’s the way many of our fans are worried about our Strength

This is the best shooting team we’ve ever had and it’s not close. There’s no Josh pace Billy Ivan Paul Harris Michael Carter Williams or bricklayer on this team

I put this out in the summer we are the splash brothers in Syracuse let’s embrace that my God

I like your passion.

 

[Dcuse]

Hopefully, we will not live and die at the 3-point line. That has been our downfall in past seasons.
What we need is better ball movement including crisper passes and greater amount of guards attacking the rim. Way too much passing around the parameter. Great teams have effective inside out games.

Trust me...we will definitely live or die at the 3-point line.

 

[Capt. Tuttle]

Trust me...we will definitely live or die at the 3-point line.

It's almost as if JB sees a trend and is adjusting.

 

[upperdeck]

if you have 4-5-6 guys who can shoot 3s and play the same positions its so much easier to ride a hot hand.

 

[Ozone!]

I mean Nova and UVA basically won titles from firing away from 3.

Both of those teams had solid inside presence.

 

[Cheriehoop]

Both of those teams had solid inside presence.

Old chicken or egg question. If a team has effective and multiple 3 point threats it helps a team’s inside game and a strong productive inside game helps 3 point shooters also with spacing. It’s all about balance and taking advantage of an opponent’s defensive weaknesses and strengths.