JB on BJ

[pearl31]

Apparently from last night's postgame presser (sorry if posted elsewhere, did not come across it):

"We have to get a couple days of practice with B.J. He's better than he did. He just twice defensively didn't get to his position. He's got to play defense. If he doesn't score, I don't care. We need him to play defense."

 

[TBCuse11]

defense wins championships

 

[tee1222]

Apparently from last night's postgame presser (sorry if posted elsewhere, did not come across it):

"We have to get a couple days of practice with B.J. He's better than he did. He just twice defensively didn't get to his position. He's got to play defense. If he doesn't score, I don't care. We need him to play defense."

I must have said that (about just playing defense) 700 times leading up to last night's game. Just play defense young fella! The rest will come.

 

[jordoo]

The thing deep bench guys have to understand with JB is that the defensive effort and positioning is the absolute biggest thing that will get you back on the bench in a hurry. Its tough because he will give his proven guys some leeway here but a guy trying to prove himself to JB gets none. You simply cannot close out without effort and "tag" the guys jersey at the waist and expect JB to keep you in the game.

Just to add to this its not only BJ. Kaleb has been sat down because of defensive mistakes for long periods of the game and the same for Chris pre injury and those guys are starters although young starters.

 

[RF2044]

BJ missed a shot the first time he touched the ball, then compounded that mistake by not challenging a three defensively. Bench city after that.

 

[SaltLakeOrange]

BJ missed a shot the first time he touched the ball, then compounded that mistake by not challenging a three defensively. Bench city after that.

That's true but I think the shot mattered less than the really bad defense...He has to play defense!

 

[OttoMets]

I went back and watched all of our defensive possessions when B.J. was in the game (didn't take very long). Not rocket science here, but he's indecisive. Great defenders (Southerland, Roberson) anticipate and shift before the ball is reversed. B.J.'s standing in between the wing and the corner, splitting the difference because he hasn't had enough repetitions to instinctively know where to be.

Game time is how he's going to fix this problem. Hope we have enough big leads to make that happen.

 

[Brooky03]

Somebody show BJ video of Kristof and the minutes he got because he hustled and played D. Not the most gifted offensive player, not the most athletic dude, but he played because he put effort in on D. I'm not saying he was a world beater in the zone, but he got to the spots he needed to be at. That's all BJ needs to do.

 

[jordoo]

I went back and watched all of our defensive possessions when B.J. was in the game (didn't take very long). Not rocket science here, but he's indecisive. Great defenders (Southerland, Roberson) anticipate and shift before the ball is reversed. B.J.'s standing in between the wing and the corner, splitting the difference because he hasn't had enough repetitions to instinctively know where to be.

Game time is how he's going to fix this problem. Hope we have enough big leads to make that happen.

While this is basically correct you cannot close out without energy and without your hand up simply because you reacted late. That is the real issue even more than positioning. Joseph has also been pulled for that exact thing just touching a guy lazily on the jersey when they are already in their shot motion as if to say "I made to the shooter" is only going to infuriate JB more than the fact that you are unsure exactly where to be.

 

[jordoo]

Somebody show BJ video of Kristof and the minutes he got because he hustled and played D. Not the most gifted offensive player, not the most athletic dude, but he played because he put effort in on D. I'm not saying he was a world beater in the zone, but he got to the spots he needed to be at. That's all BJ needs to do.

And he effected the game even from the get go before really learning the defense because of his effort and hustle. Kristof rounded into a very nice interior passer as well that last month of the season before the big fall in the BET.

 

[OttoMets]

While this is basically correct you cannot close out without energy and without your hand up simply because you reacted late. That is the real issue even more than positioning. Joseph has also been pulled for that exact thing just touching a guy lazily on the jersey when they are already in their shot motion as if to say "I made to the shooter" is only going to infuriate JB more than the fact that you are unsure exactly where to be.

In that instance, correct. Got to get a hand up, every time. Though it is harder to get a hand up when you're late getting there because you didn't know to move until the pass was already in the air.

The "hand down" thing reminds me of another point, though - What, that's a foul! I hate that shooters are being pushed in the hip on so many shots without a whistle.

 

[NineOneSeven]

How about defense AND scoring?

 

[jordoo]

In that instance, correct. Got to get a hand up, every time. Though it is harder to get a hand up when you're late getting there because you didn't know to move until the pass was already in the air.

The "hand down" thing reminds me of another point, though - What, that's a foul! I hate that shooters are being pushed in the hip on so many shots without a whistle.

It certainly could be although BJ and Kaleb style its more like a love tap. LOL

 

[jordoo]

How about defense AND scoring?

These are the guys that seem to play and contribute the most on all levels of bball.

 

[CorduroyG]

How about defense AND scoring?

Whoa. You just blew my mind.

 

[Orangello]

Missing free throws costs champsionships.

 

[SUFan44]

I went back and watched all of our defensive possessions when B.J. was in the game (didn't take very long). Not rocket science here, but he's indecisive. Great defenders (Southerland, Roberson) anticipate and shift before the ball is reversed. B.J.'s standing in between the wing and the corner, splitting the difference because he hasn't had enough repetitions to instinctively know where to be.

Game time is how he's going to fix this problem. Hope we have enough big leads to make that happen.

Southerland was not a great defender. The contrary, in fact.

 

[OttoMets]

Southerland was not a great defender. The contrary, in fact.

By the time he was a senior, he was in fact an excellent defender.

 

[SUFan44]

By the time he was a senior, he was in fact an excellent defender.

I think you may need to re-watch the tape. He may have been serviceable, but he was by no means excellent.

 

[orangecuse]

JB's low tolerance to not playing solid D/very poor D is because playing D, for the most part, is 100% effort and focus. If you're a sub player and enter the game not demonstrating either, it says to him (at least in his mind) that you really don't care to be out there...so yank city. He does give considerably more freedom to his starters for the lapses, but certainly not the bench guys.

 

[jordoo]

I think you may need to re-watch the tape. He may have been serviceable, but he was by no means excellent.

He tended to over play and take too many chances. Remember how many times Baye had to cover the 3 in the corner on his side that last season? It did however work because MCW and Brandon were so good out top that James overplaying often worked in his favor. He was also not a very great rebounder for his height, length and athleticism. He was a good but not great wing defender IMO but more than made up for it by being a dangerous shooter who really spread the floor at the forward position.

 

[jekelish]

I went back and watched all of our defensive possessions when B.J. was in the game (didn't take very long). Not rocket science here, but he's indecisive. Great defenders (Southerland, Roberson) anticipate and shift before the ball is reversed. B.J.'s standing in between the wing and the corner, splitting the difference because he hasn't had enough repetitions to instinctively know where to be.

Game time is how he's going to fix this problem. Hope we have enough big leads to make that happen.

Game time is definitely going to help fix the problem, but honestly, defensive rotations are something you absolutely CAN learn and begin to excel at in practice. A lot of times improvement comes from actually playing in games, but learning your rotations and how to defend in the zone is one situation where practice absolutely can make all of the difference. He just needs to commit to learning his defensive responsibilities in practice and he will get more minutes.

 

[AlaskaSU]

Somebody show BJ video of Kristof and the minutes he got because he hustled and played D. Not the most gifted offensive player, not the most athletic dude, but he played because he put effort in on D. I'm not saying he was a world beater in the zone, but he got to the spots he needed to be at. That's all BJ needs to do.

He lost his starting job and never got it back.

 

[Brooky03]

He lost his starting job and never got it back.

Well, yeah he was replaced by Rick Jackson, though. For a JUCO player, I wouldn't hang my head about losing my starting spot to one of the better big men in SU history.

The point is that he was a low level player (less talent than BJ) who earned 15+ minutes per game simply by playing hard and putting effort in on D. His mpg took a very small hit his Senior season, so he wasn't a starter but played pretty much the same time he would have played if he kept the starting spot.

 

[jordoo]

Well, yeah he was replaced by Rick Jackson, though. For a JUCO player, I wouldn't hang my head about losing my starting spot to one of the better big mean in SU history.

The point is that he was a low level player (less talent than BJ) who earned 15+ minutes per game simply by playing hard and putting effort in on D. His mpg took a very small hit his Senior season, so he wasn't a starter but played pretty much the same time he would have played if he kept the starting spot.

He was of huge importance to that team as well because with the departure of Greene and Rick really being the backup center to Arinze even though he started Kristof was our only other forward with good size. Paul and Andy got the other minutes at the forward spot if you recall.