Huh. Sounds like G expects to be starting PG

[SUFan44]

PG - Gbinije (35 mpg)
SG - Cooney (35 mpg)
SF - Lydon (15-20 mpg)
PF - Roberson (35 mpg)
C - Coleman (25 mpg)

Bench: Joseph (PG) (25 mpg), Richardson (SG)(10 mpg), Diagne (C/PF)(15-20 mpg). Gbinije/Roberson can play some SF too.

That's the best lineup we can put out there. And I think it's actually a pretty good one if Coleman can stay healthy.

 

[SUFan44]

Scouting reports I've read said no jumpshot at all and very little post game. I'm really not expecting any offense out of him at all to be honest.

Roberson was supposed to be a passable 3pt shooter with an automatic mid range jumper coming here.

I'm honestly not sure how ready MD will be when he gets here.

Diagne has one of the better post games and offensive games of any young big man we have brought in in a while. He is tremendously gifted at the offensive end.

 

[Dave85]

Per Donna Ditota piece in today's PS

DD: He has hinted that he wants you to play point guard. What are your thoughts about that?

MG: I kind of like it. It's going to be the first time in my career I'm going to start at the point guard and then play it. It's kind of exciting and I'm ready for it.

DD: So you're planning to be the starting point guard at the season-opener?


MG: The decision is ultimately not mine, but if it could go that way, yeah, I would like that.

My DC2 Knee Status thread is now locked so I could not post this there. But MG did mention DC2:

MG: I think we're going to be more perimeter this year. I think if DC is healthy this year, he'll give us a guy we can go to down low consistently. As far as the freshmen we got coming in, there's hype around Malachi (Richardson), so I'm hoping he'll be able to live up to it. But at the same time, being able to jump from high school to your freshman year in college is not easy. Yet there are players who are doing it well. Maybe the freshmen can come in and contribute right away. I'm just preparing for them to get into things slow and not feel like they have to have a lot on their shoulders.

DD: You mentioned Dajuan Coleman. Last time you played with him, how did he look and how much do you expect him to contribute?

MG: I do expect him to be healthy this year. I think we will see DC for most of the year. It's tough. We don't truly know if he's going to be ready until the time comes. But he's been playing pickup with us and he looked pretty good. He looked physical and dominant so hopefully he can stay healthy. With him healthy, we're a better team.

 

[Dave85]

JB wasn't fooling when he said there would be drastic changes this coming year.

I thought he said that was last year.

 

[Dave85]

Diagne has one of the better post games and offensive games of any young big man we have brought in in a while. He is tremendously gifted at the offensive end.

I will believe it when I see it.

 

[two3zone]

Diagne has one of the better post games and offensive games of any young big man we have brought in in a while. He is tremendously gifted at the offensive end.

Link to a scouting report saying this? Quotes from the staff? Anything?

 

[two3zone]

PG - Gbinije (35 mpg)
SG - Cooney (35 mpg)
SF - Lydon (15-20 mpg)
PF - Roberson (35 mpg)
C - Coleman (25 mpg)

Bench: Joseph (PG) (25 mpg), Richardson (SG)(10 mpg), Diagne (C/PF)(15-20 mpg). Gbinije/Roberson can play some SF too.

That's the best lineup we can put out there. And I think it's actually a pretty good one if Coleman can stay healthy.

If any freshman is going to start over KJ spots it's going to be Richardson, Lydon probably wont play much this year, just isn't room for him. If Coleman isn't healthy and we're forced with a Diange/Roberson platoon at the center spot then we'll probably see him, but I'd be in absolute shock if he played more than 5-8 minutes a game over the course of the entire season.

 

[jekelish]

Link to a scouting report saying this? Quotes from the staff? Anything?

I can tell you from watching him with my own eyes he's a lot more advanced offensively than a lot of our recent big men. He already has a nice looking jumper out to about 15 feet and can finish with either hand. Iommi, Francis, and Tee have all watched him and I'm sure will back this up.

 

[iommi]

Scouting reports I've read said no jumpshot at all and very little post game. I'm really not expecting any offense out of him at all to be honest.

Roberson was supposed to be a passable 3pt shooter with an automatic mid range jumper coming here.

I'm honestly not sure how ready MD will be when he gets here.

This couldn't be more wrong. He has a serviceable jump shot and a ton of post game. He's ambidextrous and has a baby hook that is deadly with either hand. Please show me a scouting report that says Diagne has very little post game.

 

[Trueblue25]

Prayers the kaleb morphs into 6th man dion and that michael can be offensively productive at the 1. We will be a top 10 team if thats the case because i fully expect roberson to kickass this year.

 

[RF2044]

If any freshman is going to start over KJ spots it's going to be Richardson, Lydon probably wont play much this year, just isn't room for him. If Coleman isn't healthy and we're forced with a Diange/Roberson platoon at the center spot then we'll probably see him, but I'd be in absolute shock if he played more than 5-8 minutes a game over the course of the entire season.

Lydon probably WILL play this year, if for no other reason than there is no backup 4 besdies him. So I'd expect him at minimum to be in the rotation spelling Roberson, if not challenging for minute at both 4 / 3. How many minutes will depend on a number of other factors.

For example, if G starts at the 1 [which I don't expect to be the case], then it will likely come down to a battle between Richardson / Lydon to start at 3. Who plays the most minute any given night might depend on specific matchups for each specific opponent.

 

[two3zone]

This couldn't be more wrong. He has a servcieable jump shot and a ton of post game. He's ambidextrous and has a baby hook is deadly with either hand. Please show me a scouting report that says Diagne has very littel post game.

Director of scouting for ESPN (Paul Biancardi) says "Diagne remains raw offensively" and go back to 1 year to his junior year scouting report, it's the same thing "no back to the basket offenisve game"

---------------------------------------------------

Moustapha Diagne (2015, Clifton, N.J.)

His game is raw and unorthodox. In fact it took me quite a while to determine if he is right handed or left handed. Right handed is the verdict, but he loves to use a left handed jump hook and also threw an impressive length of the court baseball pass with his left hand. Not much of a shooter, I'd actually take his left hand jump hook over his jump shot.

----------------------------------------------

Weaknesses
-Undersized for a center 6-8
-Not overly skilled. Can't do much in a half-court setting
-No post moves or jump-shot

--------------------------------------------------

 

[iommi]

Lydon probably WILL play this year, if for no other reason than there is no backup 4 besdies him. So I'd expect him at minimum to be in the rotation spelling Roberson, if not challenging for minute at both 4 / 3. How many minutes will depend on a number of other factors.

For example, if G starts at the 1 [which I don't expect to be the case], then it will likely come down to a battle between Richardson / Lydon to start at 3. Who plays the most minute any given night might depend on specific matchups for each specific opponent.

Not sure what you mean by Lydon being the only backup at the 4. Who are you projecting as the starter at the 4? We have 3 guys who are capable of playing the 4: Lydon, Diagne and Roberson (though maybe you're thinking of TRob as a 3 because he's a little short to be a 4?).

 

[two3zone]

Lydon probably WILL play this year, if for no other reason than there is no backup 4 besdies him. So I'd expect him at minimum to be in the rotation spelling Roberson, if not challenging for minute at both 4 / 3. How many minutes will depend on a number of other factors.

For example, if G starts at the 1 [which I don't expect to be the case], then it will likely come down to a battle between Richardson / Lydon to start at 3. Who plays the most minute any given night might depend on specific matchups for each specific opponent.

We had this same debate about BJ before last season. Richardson isn't going to be sharing minutes with Lydon, if minutes are available they're Richardson's. If they're not then it's just another reason why elite recruits wont come to Syracuse and play. Between G/Cooney/KJ, whatever minutes they don't get on the floor Richardson is coming in, he's too good for his minutes to get cut by Lydon.

 

[iommi]

Director of scouting for ESPN (Paul Biancardi) says "Diagne remains raw offensively" and go back to 1 year to his junior year scouting report, it's the same thing "no back to the basket offenisve game"

---------------------------------------------------

Moustapha Diagne (2015, Clifton, N.J.)

His game is raw and unorthodox. In fact it took me quite a while to determine if he is right handed or left handed. Right handed is the verdict, but he loves to use a left handed jump hook and also threw an impressive length of the court baseball pass with his left hand. Not much of a shooter, I'd actually take his left hand jump hook over his jump shot.

----------------------------------------------

Weaknesses
-Undersized for a center 6-8
-Not overly skilled. Can't do much in a half-court setting
-No post moves or jump-shot

--------------------------------------------------

Well, Biancardi must be a fool. What the hell has he been watching?
"can't do much in a half-court setting"--if establishing tremendous post positon, taking his man off the bounce and finishing with either hand "isn't much," then fine.

 

[RF2044]

Not sure what you mean by Lydon being the only backup at the 4. Who are you projecting as the starter at the 4? We have 3 guys who are capable of playing the 4: Lydon, Diagne and Roberson (though maybe you're thinking of TRob as a 3 because he's a little short to be a 4?).

Roberson is the starter at 4, so i didn't count him as a backup. Lydon and Diagne can both play 4, but I envision Diagne playing more [or mostly?] at the 5 behind Coleman.

 

[SUFan44]

We had this same debate about BJ before last season. Richardson isn't going to be sharing minutes with Lydon, if minutes are available they're Richardson's. If they're not then it's just another reason why elite recruits wont come to Syracuse and play. Between G/Cooney/KJ, whatever minutes they don't get on the floor Richardson is coming in, he's too good for his minutes to get cut by Lydon.

Have you seen either of these guys play? Or are all of your opinion based on what you read on the 100% accurate, 100% of the time Internet?

 

[SUFan44]

Director of scouting for ESPN (Paul Biancardi) says "Diagne remains raw offensively" and go back to 1 year to his junior year scouting report, it's the same thing "no back to the basket offenisve game"

---------------------------------------------------

Moustapha Diagne (2015, Clifton, N.J.)

His game is raw and unorthodox. In fact it took me quite a while to determine if he is right handed or left handed. Right handed is the verdict, but he loves to use a left handed jump hook and also threw an impressive length of the court baseball pass with his left hand. Not much of a shooter, I'd actually take his left hand jump hook over his jump shot.

----------------------------------------------

Weaknesses
-Undersized for a center 6-8
-Not overly skilled. Can't do much in a half-court setting
-No post moves or jump-shot

--------------------------------------------------

You do know that the scouting report written was from two years ago, right? I saw the kid play twice this year, including in April live and up close - he has very nice touch around the basket and has nice form on his jumper.

 

[RF2044]

We had this same debate about BJ before last season. Richardson isn't going to be sharing minutes with Lydon, if minutes are available they're Richardson's. If they're not then it's just another reason why elite recruits wont come to Syracuse and play. Between G/Cooney/KJ, whatever minutes they don't get on the floor Richardson is coming in, he's too good for his minutes to get cut by Lydon.

Forget predeterministic logic--if Lydon is better offensively and defensively, then he'll probably play more.

Lydon's capabilities are significantly underestimated by our fanbase, and Richardson's are probably a bit overestimated.

Not writing off Richardson--at all. But I fear he might be kind of one-dimensional right now, and that the McD's game demonstrated that he is primarily just a catch and shoot guy right now.

 

[jekelish]

Roberson is the starter at 4, so i didn't count him as a backup. Lydon and Diagne can both play 4, but I envision Diagne playing more [or mostly?] at the 5 behind Coleman.

I think the only way Lydon doesn't get meaningful minutes is if Gbinije spends most of his time at SF. Lydon should be able to get plenty of minutes there, and he's a lot more ready to play than people think. People just see "skinny" and forget the fact that he's still over 200 lbs and he led the U18 team in rebounding on a roster that included guys like Stanley Johnson and Justise Winslow.

 

[Cusefan0307]

Forget predeterministic logic--if Lydon is better offensively and defensively, then he'll probably play more.

Lydon's capabilities are significantly underestimated by our fanbase, and Richardson's are probably a bit overestimated.

Not writing off Richardson--at all. But I fear he might be kind of one-dimensional right now, and that the McD's game demonstrated that he is primarily just a catch and shoot guy right now.

I think Lydon and Diagne are both ahead of Richardson at this point. I know the recruiting analysts disagree, but Mali plays Kaleb-esque defense.

 

[jekelish]

Either way, it's an interesting discussion. And it made me want to write out my thoughts on what I think are the three most likely lineups: http://.com/what-could-the-starting-five-look-like-for-the-orange/

 

[two3zone]

You do know that the scouting report written was from two years ago, right? I saw the kid play twice this year, including in April live and up close - he has very nice touch around the basket and has nice form on his jumper.

What were your expectations from Roberson out of high school?

 

[two3zone]

Forget predeterministic logic--if Lydon is better offensively and defensively, then he'll probably play more.

Lydon's capabilities are significantly underestimated by our fanbase, and Richardson's are probably a bit overestimated.

Not writing off Richardson--at all. But I fear he might be kind of one-dimensional right now, and that the McD's game demonstrated that he is primarily just a catch and shoot guy right now.

I'm not going to argue with that, if Richardson has a KJ type year this year then Lydon will get an opportunity to play, no question. I just don't think Lydon is the player that Richardson is.

 

[jekelish]

Forget predeterministic logic--if Lydon is better offensively and defensively, then he'll probably play more.

Lydon's capabilities are significantly underestimated by our fanbase, and Richardson's are probably a bit overestimated.

Not writing off Richardson--at all. But I fear he might be kind of one-dimensional right now, and that the McD's game demonstrated that he is primarily just a catch and shoot guy right now.

Agree with this assessment 100%. I don't think Richardson is as good as his reputation (because like you say, he's a little one dimensional) and Lydon is vastly underrated.