It's Official: It’s GMac

[tptcuse]

Good interview. I now see what Orangezoo meant about something being "different" about Gerry's intensity level as a person. As someone who is waiting to see the results before getting too excited either way, I was as impressed by the questions he didn't answer as the ones he did answer. He definitely grew a lot during his experience as a head coach and he seems to know how much is at stake.

 

[OrangeXtreme]

 

[OrangeXtreme]

 

[FloridaCuse]

GREAT interview. GREAT publicity!

 

[baggerbob]

View attachment 261684

I have about 70 pages of notes on CBB teams from watching games and Jordan Majewski's breakdowns. Here is what I have on Siena.

Obviously not all of it will translate and maybe he totally changes his style moving up a few levels but thought some people might be interested in some baseline nerd stuff.

I'm really excited to see/hear what is his style and what he was doing at Siena out of necessity or because it fit the league.

He should have much more versatile players to work with at Syracuse, then he had at Siena.

 

[OrangeXtreme]

 

[Orangezoo]

That is a really good read and hits in some key things. It also had me thinking after watching the Duke UConn game. The one thing about Hurley and it was the same with Calhoun is not just the X’s and O’s but the fact they come at you relentlessly for 40 minutes no matter what. They continue to push and try and find ways to beat you if that’s coming back, wiping the floor with you or keeping a small lead and not letting teams get over the hump.

I see a lot of that with how GMac approaches the game both when he was a player in HS to seeing him coaching. Every time something went wrong or not according to plan he was working with that staff to adjust with another approach or wrinkle. You have to be that way to win now consistently as you have so much more to deal with. There is no guarantee a kid will be there more than one year to be that leader you need so the coach and staff has to bring that intensity to ensure the team has it and do not allow it to fade when things go poorly. The reality of things not going well but I’m getting paid to play basketball so why should I care is a problem every coach has to deal with and that requires something a bit different than what used to work.

Anyways this article is good for everyone to read and understand a little better behind the scenes including bringing someone in more seasoned who was a longtime former head coach to help him while at Siena. Nice compliment he got from Gallo too.

Hoping today we learn a lot more.

 

[rrlbees]

great read.

 

[AZOrange]

Oh man. Dismissing Melo’s “inner drive” is ridiculous. There’s loads of people with innate athleticism and basketball talent. How many make the Hall of Fame? Incredibly few. It’s almost impossible to do. Yet Melo did.

You think the #13 scorer of all time didn’t have insane “inner drive”? What are we doing here?

People loved Gerry as a player because he was a small, great shooting white guy. That’s perfectly fine. Like you said, he looked like your neighbor and we relate to his background.

It’s the same reason Celtics fan love Payton Pritchard. But no one is claiming Pritchard has more “inner drive” than Jayson Tatum or Jaylen Brown. My goodness.

Yeah this Melo stuff is insane

 

[OrangeXtreme]

 

[LpoolNative]

Who doesn't? Again outside of the echo chamber of this online community I would bet people revere Melo just as much as GMAC. I will conceded that people probably find it much easier to relate to GMAC because Melo looks and moves like a super star athlete and has all the trappings of one. GMAC looks like a guy you would see at the pier fishing or hanging out shooting hoops at the local Y... So that probably explains why it seems like GMAC is more revered. The open question is going to be what an 16 year old kid and his family will relate to... I suspect parents will love GMAC, but will the kids?

What's funny is that GMAC is much more of a "killer" than Melo was... I think there is a an inner drive and will to win and succeed in GMAC that goes beyond way beyond what the normal elite athlete has. The true all time great coaches all have this characteristic... they don't accept anything less than 100% adherence to their directions and they hold people accountable if that's not there. This is why I am, and I'm sure a LOT of people are so excited about GMAC... I can't imagine him sitting around eeking out .500 seasons. I've said this earlier, but you see it when he is coaching when he is literally playing every play on the sidelines along with his players. I think with people like that burnout is a real risk as I don't know how a coach can maintain that level of intensity game after game... season after season.

When I look at GMAC I see a Pep Guardiola... reserved dudes, who were amazing and great players in their own right who maxed out their talents at a very elite level, but never true super stars. They are really nice guys who are quiet killers underneath the hood. If GMAC is 50% of the tactician and leader that Pep is we are in for an amazing run of success... that's the upside that I see. As someone said above... Ewing/Autry is the floor.

Melo would 360 windmill dunk on you blindfolded with his sack laid upon your cheek, even at the age of 41.

Not sure why you’re questioning his drive.

 

[OrangeXtreme]

 

[OrangeXtreme]

 

[OrangeXtreme]

How does a key booster raise money for Gerry McNamara and Syracuse basketball?

Brent Axe chats with SU booster Vinny Lobdell on the latest episode of "Syracuse Sports"

www.syracuse.com

 

[Orangezoo]

Encourage everyone to listen to this one and to Cole- great stuff. Joe is well spoken himself and a good listen.