JJ is the least competitive Syracuse player I have ever seen suit up.

[AZOrange]

On a lighter note about JJ, his 1,000th point was sick - brought it the length of the floor and slammed it home.

He’s really an incredible athlete. Wish we put him in positions to do it more

 

[cuseguy]

JJ excels in a transition offense when he has the ball. Unfortunately, we’re not able to run enough and JJ becomes ineffective in a halfcourt game. George also isn’t very good at finding JJ in the halfcourt. Red noted, though, that JJ is the team leader and is playing better defense.

 

[Cusefan0307]

JJ excels in a transition offense when he has the ball. Unfortunately, we’re not able to run enough and JJ becomes ineffective in a halfcourt game. George also isn’t very good at finding JJ in the halfcourt. Red noted, though, that JJ is the team leader and is playing better defense.

He’s a shooting guard. Shooting is a must from that position and he still is at best the 2nd worst defender on the team. If all he’s good for is running in transition then he shouldn’t be a starter.

 

[jdubs30]

He’s a shooting guard. Shooting is a must from that position and he still is at best the 2nd worst defender on the team. If all he’s good for is running in transition then he shouldn’t be a starter.

He’s also the only guy we have who can consistently beat his man off the dribble and get to the rim.

 

[Newhouser]

He’s also the only guy we have who can consistently beat his man off the dribble and get to the rim.

That is what makes him and this team so frustrating. He is the only guy who can get to the rim (sorry Kiyan loses it more than gets it to the rim), we need his athleticism but we don't play tempo to take advantage of it and, well he can't shoot and doesn't guard.

 

[ar inj]

He’s also the only guy we have who can consistently beat his man off the dribble and get to the rim.

But that is the problem. He, in fact, cannot consistently beat ACC defenders and get to the rim and yet he does frequently get beat to the rim on the other end.

 

[baggerbob]

He’s also the only guy we have who can consistently beat his man off the dribble and get to the rim.

The problem with that is unlike Devo who could consistently finish at the rim, JJ doesn't.

 

[Cusefan0307]

He’s also the only guy we have who can consistently beat his man off the dribble and get to the rim.

We aren’t watching the same game.

 

[721Comstock]

The problem with that is unlike Devo who could consistently finish at the rim, JJ doesn't.

AND - JJ has no left hand.
It may as well have been amputated, he doesn't use the L at the rim AT ALL.

And when he does cut L and then try to lay it in w his R on the L side of the rim -
he gets it swatted. Easily.

Devo could and did finish with either hand.
That's a big part of why he was such a great scorer.
Plus shooting 3's and frees at solid %'s.

 

[DoctahLexus]

Kingz is clearly the guy who should play over JJ at the 2. Kiyan right now is not doing enough to start at the 2. 1. George 2. Kingz 3. Betsey 4. Donnie and 5. Kyle is the only lineup I can see working on offense, with JJ backing up George more than he does Kingz.

Shooting guard who can't shoot well is obviously an issue. That is exactly why we can't have Kiyan taking JJs minutes there. Right now Kiyan is a worse shooter, worse at creating looks in the lane, less likely to be a playmaker/passer, and a worse defender with IMO worse hustle. I am pretty sure whatever advanced stat you want to use backs this up too. We cannot afford to play him major mins just because of his higher ceiling, we have to win in the present.

Even if we avoid that lineup because of concerns with Betsey's defense, it still leaves too many points off the board avoiding that line up of 5. JJ with his skillset is more suited to be a back up 1 than a starting 2.

 

[tbonezone]

if you want to put up numbers then just do what you do. if you really want your team to win then you gotta figure out what you bring that makes everybody better. and do that instead.

 

[Cusefan0307]

62-188(33%) going back to January 29th and 12-64(18%)from 3. There’s 28 turnovers in there too.

 

[Blanko97]

Badddd

 

[Bulldog04]

62-188(33%) going back to January 29th and 12-64(18%)from 3. There’s 28 turnovers in there too.

They played better without him. The ball moved better. The offense flowed better. There’s no denying it. Problem is red loves him and thinks he’s really good

 

[cuseinseattle]

62-188(33%) going back to January 29th and 12-64(18%)from 3. There’s 28 turnovers in there too.

How did he ever make 12. It's a miracle

 

[cuseinseattle]

They played better without him. The ball moved better. The offense flowed better. There’s no denying it. Problem is red loves him and thinks he’s really good

I agree that's the problem.

 

[Mstumpy50]

They played better without him. The ball moved better. The offense flowed better. There’s no denying it. Problem is red loves him and thinks he’s really good

"loves him and thinks he’s really good"

When a career is on the line like Red's is at this point, one would hope said coach could see a bit more clearly...

 

[Blanko97]

They played better without him. The ball moved better. The offense flowed better. There’s no denying it. Problem is red loves him and thinks he’s really good

It’s uncanny how bad he is at his job

 

[UD1954]

JJ is here because of Red and Syracuse is better for it... the problem is JJ is really good or really bad game to game when we need him to be consistent to lead a young team. If he can find his groove this team can be dangerous if not Kiyan needs more PT

 

[MikeSU02]

His TS% is 47%.

That is awful.

 

[Trueblue25]

We quite literally dont run an offense. Which of you, that have ever played basketball in your life, can watch a game coached by Red and say “Yup, Starling’s the one ruining this!”

 

[STEVEHOLT]

Did you watch Chris Bell the last couple years on the defensive boards? JJ is Dillon Brooks competition wise relative to that.

 

[JRHEETER]

Why does Red insist on leaving J.J. in the game? The offense is running smoothly and working great. Let me force J.J. in there and almost blow this game.

Makes no sense.

 

[MSOrange]

His TS% is 47%.

That is awful.

For those like myself who aren't quite as knowledgeable about advanced stats for basketball, I found this general guide, which confirms Mike's point.

TS% Benchmarks

• Poor: Under 50%.
• Average: Around 53-55%.
• Good: 55-58%.
• Very Good: 58-59%.
• Elite: 60%+.
• Legendary: 62%+ (e.g., Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant).

 

[CuseFaninVT]

"loves him and thinks he’s really good"

When a career is on the line like Red's is at this point, one would hope said coach could see a bit more clearly...

Or one of his assistants could show him the metrics. And make him realize this is who JJ actually is. He’s not taking the next step up anytime soon.