JB's growing list of "Can'ts"

[manleyzoo]

My impression is JB's "Can't" folder is expanding with each passing year. As in, we don't have a better 2 guard, so we can't do anything about minutes. There's more...We can't do anything about our short bench because we can't play guys that aren't ready (even though maybe they might be with a longer leash). Our power forward can't get a rebound unless he's playing against a team that doesn't box out. Our starters can't get tired, we have enough game stoppages. We can't play another defense. We can't press other than at the end of games when we're desperate. We can't change our often stagnant offense no matter what. We can't adapt, we just need to do what we do better. We can't come out of the zone when we're getting annihilated on the boards.

I'm sure there's more that I'm not remembering. Just once I'd like to hear "we're going to try this, it's new, but we're going to do something different for more than just a minute to see how we do."

I think our old ball coach needs an injection of "why not" to at least pare back the "can'ts." Why not have some insurance before the season even starts that one or more of our shooters may go south by having a longer term plan to use Howard sooner, take some lumps by make an investment for later on? Why not anticipate G's legs may go at some point from playing 40 mins a game and move him off the ball for 15 mins a game? Why not resist history and not bury Joseph as a point sub but play him off the ball as a shooter behind screens (pre-season word was he could shoot the 15-footer)? Why not rest your designated shooter, knowing that his legs likely will go? Why not tweak the system to fit the players rather than the other way around? Why not move Richardson to the 2 guard every once in a while?

Other coaches miraculously figure a way to be just a bit more flexible.

 

[FrancoPizza]

Very well articulated. I think a lot of his decisions are just reflective of his growing more conservative with age.

 

[HoustonCuse]

I like this, but with the caveat that it is too hard know how much of what you suggest is dismissed by the coach because of data he has that we don't have. We know that one of JB's greatest strengths is talent/player evaluation (at least I think it is), so things like the Joseph 2G stuff I can't get too worked up about. Developing guys earlier in the season, I also have to feel like JB probably doesn't need to see them in a game to understand their current capabilities, he's able to evaluate them in other places.

The rest, it could be just communication style, but I agree. In my business you would get pilloried for this intractable "no but" attitude. The modern approach is "yes if." That may sound like semantics, and it very well could be in this case, but it comes off as a very pessimistic attitude and gives the impression that you are not leading, you are just reacting to what happens to you. Not a great look for a head coach.

 

[OrangeXtreme]

Have you ever seen Joseph hit a 15 footer?

Neither has JB. And he's watched Joseph brick 200 shots a day in practice since September.

 

[two3zone]

Have you ever seen Joseph hit a 15 footer?

Neither has JB. And he's watched Joseph brick 200 shots a day in practice since September.

Have seen him hit more than Frank Howard and Buss combined.

 

[pfister1]

Have you ever seen Joseph hit a 15 footer?

Neither has JB. And he's watched Joseph brick 200 shots a day in practice since September.

Kaleb shot a better percentage from 2 last year than Cooney did. I don't really want to argue that Joseph should have gotten more playing time, because I wasn't really thrilled with what I saw with the little playing time he did get, but I also find myself scratching my head about how he could have regressed so much that with a shorter roster of players this season he was so much worse that he couldn't carve out any minutes.

But as to your point about Joseph's shooting...it is a fact that he hit a higher percentage of his field goals last season than the annointed two guard.

 

[NineOneSeven]

Why not tweak the system to fit the players rather than the other way around? QUOTE]

.

Ive said this many times, especially on the football board. It is much easier to change the system to fit the players than it is for the players to change their game for the system.[/

 

[OrangeXtreme]

Kaleb shot a better percentage from 2 last year than Cooney did. I don't really want to argue that Joseph should have gotten more playing time, because I wasn't really thrilled with what I saw with the little playing time he did get, but I also find myself scratching my head about how he could have regressed so much that with a shorter roster of players this season he was so much worse that he couldn't carve out any minutes. But as to your point about Joseph's shooting...it is a fact that he hit a higher percentage of his field goals last season than the annointed two guard.

5-28 this season (.179)

Last year he was 68-181 (.376) vs Cooney's 136-376 (.359)

If Joseph was shooting anywhere near 35% in practice this year, he'd have a place in the rotation. I shudder to think what his practice % really is.

 

[djcon57]

Note to self: Saying Joseph bricks 200 shots a day in practice.

Not considered player bashing. Got it.

 

[NineOneSeven]

The fact we are even indirectly comparing Joseph to Cooney tells me all I need to know

 

[NineOneSeven]

5-28 this season (.179)

Last year he was 68-181 (.376) vs Cooney's 136-376 (.359)

If Joseph was shooting anywhere near 35% in practice this year, he'd have a place in the rotation. I shudder to think what his practice % really is.

What about this double double doe?

http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/boxscore?gameId=400587863

 

[AZOrange]

Note to self: Saying Joseph bricks 200 shots a day in practice. Not considered player bashing. Got it.

I dont remember what game it was but KJ literally had the worst sequence of basketball in about 1:30 that I've ever seen. IIRC, he turned it over on offense (or had his shot blocked), then gave up a three, then had his pocket picked and fouled the guy on a 3 point play on a layup. It was incredible.

 

[Ghost]

Have you ever seen Joseph hit a 15 footer?

Neither has JB. And he's watched Joseph brick 200 shots a day in practice since September.

Does anyone actually see practice regularly? Tons of people answered any criticism of Patterson with, "well, JB sees him in practice and clearly can't shoot." Then JB says, Patterson is streaky, tends to need a warm-up time (misses like his first 6 or 7), then hits like 20 in a row (he was comparing him to Stevie Thompson I think in that regard). It was on his radio show. That's slightly different than the narrative that he never makes shots in practice...which was repeated over and over again. It was the same with BJ, but when BJ was able to get up at least 4 attempts in games he hit at least 33% at the same clip as our two current guards.

Joseph didn't play because he embarassed himself in games...do we know he sucks in practice?

I dont remember what game it was but KJ literally had the worst sequence of basketball in about 1:30 that I've ever seen. IIRC, he turned it over on offense (or had his shot blocked), then gave up a three, then had his pocket picked and fouled the guy on a 3 point play on a layup. It was incredible.

lol...I'm pretty sure he airballed his last 3 or 4 shot attempts. Each one worse than the last. Kid definitely lost whatever confidence he had...he looked awful.

 

[longtimefan]

Ive said this many times, especially on the football board. It is much easier to change the system to fit the players than it is for the players to change their game for the system.[/

And yet, our football program is doing exactly that--Babers comes in with his system, and proceeds to train current players, who were not recruited for it, to use it.

And recruit players who specifically fit his system. How is that different from JB recruiting his "long athletes"who fit his zone defense?

Which is not the same thing as overall roster construction. The fact that so many guys are playing out of position is troublesome. This clearly goes back to the staff (although the early departures and scholarship reductions probably blindsided them to some extent).

 

[Cusefan0307]

I dont remember what game it was but KJ literally had the worst sequence of basketball in about 1:30 that I've ever seen. IIRC, he turned it over on offense (or had his shot blocked), then gave up a three, then had his pocket picked and fouled the guy on a 3 point play on a layup. It was incredible.

UNC at home. It was brutal. He hasn't seen the court since except garbage time.

 

[721Comstock]

I dont remember what game it was but KJ literally had the worst sequence of basketball in about 1:30 that I've ever seen. IIRC, he turned it over on offense (or had his shot blocked), then gave up a three, then had his pocket picked and fouled the guy on a 3 point play on a layup. It was incredible.

Coach K thought it was Amazing. God Bless America!

 

[tbonezone]

kaleb played so few minutes and with such a short leash that it would be impossible to grade him this year. did we ever see kj play a full ten minute stretch where you can actually get into the flow of the game even against the little debbies ?

 

[retro44]

I am just hoping that Hopkins has a mind of his own when he finally takes over.
After watching the women's game yesterday they are basically a mirror image of Boeheims.

 

[br801]

I am just hoping that Hopkins has a mind of his own when he finally takes over.
After watching the women's game yesterday they are basically a mirror image of Boeheims.

Identical, except for the relentless full court pressure and liberal substitutions.

 

[Capt. Tuttle]

Kaleb shot a better percentage from 2 last year than Cooney did. I don't really want to argue that Joseph should have gotten more playing time, because I wasn't really thrilled with what I saw with the little playing time he did get, but I also find myself scratching my head about how he could have regressed so much that with a shorter roster of players this season he was so much worse that he couldn't carve out any minutes.

But as to your point about Joseph's shooting...it is a fact that he hit a higher percentage of his field goals last season than the annointed two guard.

Yeah, that's a fair comparison, because they faced the same defensive pressure each time on the floor. :crazy:

 

[TheCusian]

I find the assumption that JB isn't willing to try new things to make his team better a silly notion. I have no doubt that he's thought all of "the cant's" through and vetted a 100 other ideas.

The team, as its construed just isn't that good. If you want to dump on him, I'd say recruiting is the culprit. But that happens to every program in the country.

We're due an upswing.

 

[Francis03]

I dont remember what game it was but KJ literally had the worst sequence of basketball in about 1:30 that I've ever seen. IIRC, he turned it over on offense (or had his shot blocked), then gave up a three, then had his pocket picked and fouled the guy on a 3 point play on a layup. It was incredible.

Lol. I was at that game in Miami and my reaction was just the same as the pic below.

 

[Flacusian]

Uh, you CAN'T be serious.

 

[CorduroyG]

Cooney had a similar sequence sat against fsu in 2nd half as kaleb. Turnover which led to a runout, then took an awful contested shot while driving which lead to an open 3 by fsu.

We go from being down 2 with the ball with a chance to tie to down 7 in like 30 secs thanx to the coon dawg.

 

[tbonezone]

joseph had a 2:1 asst/to ratio. that's acceptable . same as howard and better than the starters. but again it's impossible to gauge his play cuz he simply wasn't given any run at all this year. you can't come in cold for 2 minutes and perform.

(also happened to lead the team in steals per minute played by a wide margin.)