JB Presser

[tbonezone]

hey michael jordan averaged less than 31 minutes per game all 3 years at unc.

 

[Marsh01]

This confuses me. Exactly how does our offense get better (and that's really what needs to happen - the defense is actually fine) with Keita back?

I dont know but ever since he has been out the offense has stunk. Maybe it has to do with them playing more extended minutes? Not sure

 

[SmilinBob]

Fair was moving like an old man at the end of that game. Again, the reason why Boeheim has 1 title, his lack of patience for the bench. Sometimes the energy alone is what helps turn tides in games like this along with giving starters a rest. Again, watch Fair move...or lack of moving at the end, especially on D. You can't shoot as often as Fair and not even hit/or barely hit the freakon rim that many times.

Rak should have got the ball more during this game along with Grant.

 

[dollarbill44]

This loss had absolutely nothing to do with starters being tired. Nothing...we simply have not executed on offense well over the last 3-4 games. What makes anyone think we'd execute better if Roberson, or Patterson or anyone else played? Our best players played, played hard but missed defensive assignments, free throws and a couple bunnies. I hate to say its, but that happens sometimes. It blows to lose to crappy team like BC, but it's going to happen sometimes. I don't think we need to throw the baby out with the bath water. We need to regroup, and focus on Duke...

Because there is a cumulative effect on the body, particularly the Central Nervous System ("CNS"), of repeatedly fatiguing the body. Some of you on here seem to think that the body just resets after a night of sleep. It most certainly doesn't, regardless of age. A fatigued CNS impacts the reaction time of fast-twitch muscle fibers, so that even if your muscles aren't tired, they can be a bit slower to react. The last two games, it has appeared to me that the team was slower than normal and they "just" missed a lot of shots they normally make.
You don't play your reserves with the thought that they will be better than your starters. You play your reserves so that your starters can be their best when you really need them.

 

[NineOneSeven]

This loss had absolutely nothing to do with starters being tired. Nothing...we simply have not executed on offense well over the last 3-4 games. What makes anyone think we'd execute better if Roberson, or Patterson or anyone else played? Our best players played, played hard but missed defensive assignments, free throws and a couple bunnies. I hate to say its, but that happens sometimes. It blows to lose to crappy team like BC, but it's going to happen sometimes. I don't think we need to throw the baby out with the bath water. We need to regroup, and focus on Duke...

It's called mental fatigue. This team is mentally fatigued. I'll say it again- even a ONE MINUTE break from the sideline just to get a different view of the game can be a huge advantage.

 

[NineOneSeven]

How about you play more than 5 1/2 guys against the worst team in the nation when we have Duke on Saturday.

A loss to BC is bad. Exhausting our starters is bad. Going into Cameron tired is awful.

We should feel bad.

 

[dollarbill44]

This confuses me. Exactly how does our offense get better (and that's really what needs to happen - the defense is actually fine) with Keita back?

Our back line defense was atrocious last night. Way too many open looks from the wings and corners and too many easy buckets down the stretch. Baye gives us a big defensive lift.

 

[Timonen]

Agreed with those saying Rak was probably shocked to get the ball. He could have his man sealed, on the ground, defender in fetal position and Ennis will dribble it out or Fair will go Iso-Fair and turn it over/throw it off the backboard.

when the guy who looked like a hybrid of chris farley and francis from pee wee's big adventure was in the game against him, rak got ZERO touches. but he's the man at the end. really strange management of things last night.

 

[SBU72]

Yeah. Weird comment, coach.

I wondered why at time out after that shot, JB took the time to "yell" at Xmas instead of concentrating on getting the team ready to coninue the game. Didn't seem like a teaching moment to me.

 

[dasher]

Fair was moving like an old man at the end of that game. Again, the reason why Boeheim has 1 title, his lack of patience for the bench. Sometimes the energy alone is what helps turn tides in games like this along with giving starters a rest. Again, watch Fair move...or lack of moving at the end, especially on D. You can't shoot as often as Fair and not even hit/or barely hit the freakon rim that many times.

Rak should have got the ball more during this game along with Grant.

yep, that is the reason that smart hit that shot. Please.

 

[SmilinBob]

yep, that is the reason that smart hit that shot. Please.

I find it amazing that people always go to one aspect of the game that just happens to be at the end. There are 40 minutes in a game, the game is often won or lost during various junctures of the game. The game winning shot is the final piece of that culmination.

 

[pfister1]

BC had guys out there tonight that would never be recruited by us. Are our bench players that much worse than the guys that just beat our starters? Said differently, isn't tonight exhibit A that on any given night you just never know what might happen if given a chance?

This is the point that frosts me when JB says the guys on the bench are not ready to contribute. IMO the reason they are not ready to contribute is not because they don't have the talent or physical tools to do so, it's because they don't have the confidence to do so. They don't have the confidence because JB hasn't handled them in a way that would allow them to develop any confidence. They aren't allowed to simply play, make a mistake and play through the mistake. I'm not saying do that with all 11 scholarship players on the roster, but I don't think the rotation should ever shrink to 6 guys and this year given how single dimensional both Gbinije and Baye have been, I don't think the rotation should shrink to 7 guys either. I would like to see Roberson getting minutes because I think he can bring some offense to the court, but he needs playing time to have the confidence to do it.

Roberson playing 5 - 10 minutes per game every game would not be the undoing of our season.

We went 5:41 to start the game without a made field goal.
We had another drought (no scoring of any type) from 13:47 to 9:26 of the first half.
In the second half we went from 13:50 until 5:58 without a made field goal.


From 13:50 until the end of the game we had only 3 made field goals.

That is downright pathetic. Maybe a change of pace on the court with a player with some type of offensive game allows you to break those scoring droughts???

 

[OttoMets]

I actually had a bigger problem with CJ's failure to grab that board and get the put back. He had position but failed to put a body on the BC guy who basically snuck in front of him and took the win. Plenty of blame to go around...I was really disappointed that we couldn't seem to press our physical advantage. We were outrebounded by the 343rd ranked rebounding team in the nation tonight.

That has happened so often this year.

I don't mean to pile on C.J., but this is another reason that I think Roberson could help us: Fair has plateaued defensively, consistently giving up the baseline and being late to rotate, and he's had a lot of trouble simply bodying up and getting the rebounds that he's in position for.

 

[Ryand877]

Yes i have and the better players play. This isnt cyo where everyone plays. I was waiting for this argument to get brought up tonight. Keita being hurt has hurt us more than anything

Couldn't agree more.

 

[OttoMets]

I thought it was a terrible shot. Need to power dribble, or power move, pump fake, get the foul and the dunk. To shoot a baby hook in that situation is unacceptable. Love it when JB agrees with me.

Call me nuts, but I bet Boeheim would have been equally critical if Christmas had taken a dribble. (Think of Roberson on Saturday.)

 

[tptcuse]

Let's be honest about "going up 13." That lasted about 30 seconds at the most. It was down to six in no time. You don't put freshmen in when you extend a lead for that short amount of time.

 

[NineOneSeven]

That has happened so often this year.

I don't mean to pile on C.J., but this is another reason that I think Roberson could help us: Fair has plateaued defensively, consistently giving up the baseline and being late to rotate, and he's had a lot of trouble simply bodying up and getting the rebounds that he's in position for.

Fair doesn't box out. Our forwards rely on ball instincts and athleticism to rebound. That only gets you so far.

 

[OttoMets]

Fair was moving like an old man at the end of that game. Again, the reason why Boeheim has 1 title, his lack of patience for the bench. Sometimes the energy alone is what helps turn tides in games like this along with giving starters a rest. Again, watch Fair move...or lack of moving at the end, especially on D. You can't shoot as often as Fair and not even hit/or barely hit the freakon rim that many times.

Rak should have got the ball more during this game along with Grant.

This is the point that frosts me when JB says the guys on the bench are not ready to contribute. IMO the reason they are not ready to contribute is not because they don't have the talent or physical tools to do so, it's because they don't have the confidence to do so. They don't have the confidence because JB hasn't handled them in a way that would allow them to develop any confidence. They aren't allowed to simply play, make a mistake and play through the mistake. I'm not saying do that with all 11 scholarship players on the roster, but I don't think the rotation should ever shrink to 6 guys and this year given how single dimensional both Gbinije and Baye have been, I don't think the rotation should shrink to 7 guys either. I would like to see Roberson getting minutes because I think he can bring some offense to the court, but he needs playing time to have the confidence to do it.

Roberson playing 5 - 10 minutes per game every game would not be the undoing of our season.

We went 5:41 to start the game without a made field goal.
We had another drought (no scoring of any type) from 13:47 to 9:26 of the first half.
In the second half we went from 13:50 until 5:58 without a made field goal.


From 13:50 until the end of the game we had only 3 made field goals.

That is downright pathetic. Maybe a change of pace on the court with a player with some type of offensive game allows you to break those scoring droughts???

Good points. Not popular with many (there's a reflexive reaction to shout down opinions critical of Boeheim on this board), but there's some truth here.

The guy has his philosophy, like anyone else, and tries to adhere to it and stay within his comfort zone. Part of that philosophy is to play ~7 guys. There are years when that has hurt us (2005 comes to mind immediately for me). We'll see where it leaves us this year.

 

[NineOneSeven]

You guys honestly can sit there and tell me that a top freshman recruit "isn't ready to contribute?". IMO, that's BS. I don't buy any of it. These kids don't miraculously forget how to play basketball. It takes some time to adjust to the college game, sure. You know how they adjust to the play? You let them play. It's a self-fulfilling prophecy.

 

[Cusefan0307]

Our offense stunk, but our defense wasn't great either. Jerami was terrible getting out to the corner. Cooney and Ennis allowed to much penetration. BC made the adjustment in the 2nd half with the fourth shooter. We never countered.

You live in die with the horses that got you there. This isn't some mystery, but Cj and Trevor need to get going. We need them to put the ball in the hoop for us. Playing the 3 sons really isn't going to solve anything for this season. I have yet to see anything from any of them to suggest they should play.

That said it would not shock me if we beat Duke on Saturday, because that's just how basketball is.

 

[Deano]

You guys honestly can sit there and tell me that a top freshman recruit "isn't ready to contribute?". IMO, that's BS. I don't buy any of it. These kids don't miraculously forget how to play basketball. It takes some time to adjust to the college game, sure. You know how they adjust to the play? You let them play. It's a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Agree especially in TR situation. Can't yank him out after a minute or two if he makes one mistake, heck the crap that CJ did last night warranted bench time but because he's a senior it won't happen.

 

[swish7]

I agree about the power dribble thing. That is why I added power move, etc. It's a fundamental thing a big man learns starting in modified hoops. Some guys can pull off the power dribble. And by power dribble, I mean with two hands a purposeful pivot to the rim and a dunk attempt. It would have been OK in that scenario because there was no scrappy guard in the area to strip the ball away.

In his presser, JB was critical of Rak for not "taking it to the rim". He may have also said you cannot shoot a hook in that scenario. He's saying the same thing I am.

I don't get why he focuses in on Rak and has little to say about the weak shots we saw from Fair and Grant. He's a complex human.

People bring up missed bunnies, as if SU was playing great and the ball just didn't bounce their way that night. It's not that simple. Need to own the fact that, for whatever reason, Fair doesn't try to draw contact. You have to attack the rim.

 

[Marsh01]

You guys honestly can sit there and tell me that a top freshman recruit "isn't ready to contribute?". IMO, that's BS. I don't buy any of it. These kids don't miraculously forget how to play basketball. It takes some time to adjust to the college game, sure. You know how they adjust to the play? You let them play. It's a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Its no a matter of being ready to contribute. Its being behind 2 stud forwards which is why Roberson isnt playing. If you can tell me with a straight face (well internet face anyways) that you would feel comfortable taking 10 minutes away from both CJ and Grant and stick Roberson out there I wont believe you. Defense also matters and he doesnt have a clue right now. Thats why he isnt playing

 

[Marsh01]

In his presser, JB was critical of Rak for not "taking it to the rim". He may have also said you cannot shoot a hook in that scenario. He's saying the same thing I am.

I dont see how the hook was a bad shot. He shot it with about 3 seconds left so it wasnt like he had all this time to make a move to the basket. Taking it too the rim wasnt an option with such little time left.

He got a god look. A look he has started to make. It was a good shot that just didnt go in. From my seat (and I had a perfect look from my seat) and it was right on the money and cant believe it didnt fall.

I had no problem with the shot.

 

[OttoMets]

Its no a matter of being ready to contribute. Its being behind 2 stud forwards which is why Roberson isnt playing. If you can tell me with a straight face (well internet face anyways) that you would feel comfortable taking 10 minutes away from both CJ and Grant and stick Roberson out there I wont believe you. Defense also matters and he doesnt have a clue right now. Thats why he isnt playing

He's played well on defense.

No sense in arguing, since we can't sit down here and break down film of the few times he's played this calendar year, but I noted early on that Roberson grasped the zone very well for a freshman and was able to defend with very little drop-off from when either other forward was in the game.