Line up changes

[Newhouser]

Okay - so we have 6 players who JB will play. No PG and no NBA picks (Battle may sneak in but at this point I am not seeing it).

At anyway JB has 2 options - status quo (I am opposed to that and think of the definition of insanity) or at least try some unique options with the 6 people who play. Does anyone have any thoughts on anything that JAB could do (though we know he won't and that is fine).

If it was my team, starting Saturday I would play Tyus at the point. I'm not sure that would change results but again not the status quo.

I would also try some bolder changes such as try Marek at the top of the zone. Not quick obviously but understanding his length and angles which he seems to understand very well, may be effective in spots and give Battle or Howard a needed blow.

I think this teams biggest issue is mental fatigue and lack of basketball IQ. We need to stop pigeon holing positions and by some minutes when we can. I don't see what we have to lose . Let's mix and match odd combos - it may look like a clown show but not sure it's any more clownish than our current offensive structure.

 

[Waltdods]

Okay - so we have 6 players who JB will play. No PG and no NBA picks (Battle may sneak in but at this point I am not seeing it).

At anyway JB has 2 options - status quo (I am opposed to that and think of the definition of insanity) or at least try some unique options with the 6 people who play. Does anyone have any thoughts on anything that JAB could do (though we know he won't and that is fine).

If it was my team, starting Saturday I would play Tyus at the point. I'm not sure that would change results but again not the status quo.

I would also try some bolder changes such as try Marek at the top of the zone. Not quick obviously but understanding his length and angles which he seems to understand very well, may be effective in spots and give Battle or Howard a needed blow.

I think this teams biggest issue is mental fatigue and lack of basketball IQ. We need to stop pigeon holing positions and by some minutes when we can. I don't see what we have to lose . Let's mix and match odd combos - it may look like a clown show but not sure it's any more clownish than our current offensive structure.

This team's biggest issue is the lack of shooters. Putting Tyus at the point doesn't change that. Putting Marek at the top of the zone doesn't change that. Less "mental fatigue" doesn't change that.

 

[CuseFaninVT]

Personally, I'd like to see us go with a smaller lineup and try to score a bit more. Give Washington the point duties. Let Frank be the 2G as he's our best shooter now. Battle will be our 3 and Oshae the 4. With Chukwu in the middle. Our zone would be quicker than with Moyer out there. Rotate in MD and Moyer for Oshae and Battle depending on how they are doing.

 

[Bayside44]

The guys that we have just have to play better. That's basically all we have. If Sidibe gets healthy in hurry that can marginally help.

Our cake was baked with the recruiting / roster flubs.

 

[PhatOrange]

There isn't a fix but I'd like to see a lineup with Washington at PG, Howard 2G, Battle at the 3 with Brisset and Chukwu.

You'd be missing Moyer on the boards for all of the Howard, Battle, Brissett misses but the different look with Washington running point might help these guys get better shots.

 

[MikeSU02]

This team's biggest issue is the lack of shooters. Putting Tyus at the point doesn't change that. Putting Marek at the top of the zone doesn't change that. Less "mental fatigue" doesn't change that.

Exactly.

We can't shoot from the outside. I don't think that is going to change.

Whatever the reason, we play guys too long.

I think we are in for a long road if Frank, Battle and OB are playing 37 - 40 minutes a night in the current offense we have.

Somehow Howard Washington has to be able to play 10 mpg. JB feels that he cannot right now. Somehow we have to get Oshae down to like 32 mpg, right now JB feels that he cannot. I'm not the coach and maybe we just have to ride with what we have.

We need to bring our guys up to practice at like 8,000 feet so they can finish these games, because I don't think they're going to magically start making threes.

Also, the Sidibe injury is just killing us. I know he's gutting it out, but boy he would have been really helpful.

 

[Cusefan0307]

Not sure how putting Tyus at the point solves anything. He never passes.

 

[AZOrange]

The lineup won’t matter this year or next if the coaching philosophy doesn’t change. Defense is ok but the offense is horrible and has been for awhile. I am as big a JB fan as it gets but something has to give. If it’s guys that can’t score then we need to recruit guys that can. If it’s game plan or execution then we need to practice better.

The excuses are taking over our program. After 4+ years we are a below average ACC team. Remove the freak FF and it’s even more embarrassing.

We need to be real with ourselves here. Baz, Carey, buddy and Hughes can’t fix this problem by themselves.

 

[Waltdods]

The lineup won’t matter this year or next if the coaching philosophy doesn’t change. Defense is ok but the offense is horrible and has been for awhile. I am as big a JB fan as it gets but something has to give. If it’s guys that can’t score then we need to recruit guys that can. If it’s game plan or execution then we need to practice better.

The excuses are taking over our program. After 4+ years we are a below average ACC team. Remove the freak FF and it’s even more embarrassing.

We need to be real with ourselves here. Baz, Carey, buddy and Hughes can’t fix this problem by themselves.

It's not just Baz, Carey, and Hughes. It's a sophomore Brissett, Moyer, and Dolezaj. It's a Frank Howard who does not need to be 1/3 of the offense. This year's team has massive structural limitations (which have been obvious at least since Geno Thorpe left) that next year's won't.

I've made this point before, but Syracuse went through an almost identical down stretch (though without a Final Four!) in 2005-08. No tournament wins, missed the tournament twice, would have missed it for a third time but for Gerry's MSG miracle. In retrospect, we rightly see that as the result of some recruiting misses (the Messrs. Wright, the disappointing 03 class) and a little bad luck (Vermont, Gerry's injury, Nichols' slow development). But things turned around when the recruiting luck turned. And I think there's a lot of reason to think the recruiting luck has turned now. Not just that next year's class looks great on paper, but that this year's class has been way better than anyone could have reasonably anticipated.

Syracuse had the same coaches when it had the best offense in the country in 2010, the best team in the country in 2012, and a legit national title chance in 2013. None of that was very long ago! Even last year the offense was actually pretty good once everyone settled into their roles.

 

[Cusefan0307]

The lineup won’t matter this year or next if the coaching philosophy doesn’t change. Defense is ok but the offense is horrible and has been for awhile. I am as big a JB fan as it gets but something has to give. If it’s guys that can’t score then we need to recruit guys that can. If it’s game plan or execution then we need to practice better.

The excuses are taking over our program. After 4+ years we are a below average ACC team. Remove the freak FF and it’s even more embarrassing.

We need to be real with ourselves here. Baz, Carey, buddy and Hughes can’t fix this problem by themselves.

Watch a Washington game compared to ours. The offensive philosophy is night and day.

 

[TinyManInside]

Okay - so we have 6 players who JB will play. No PG and no NBA picks (Battle may sneak in but at this point I am not seeing it).

At anyway JB has 2 options - status quo (I am opposed to that and think of the definition of insanity) or at least try some unique options with the 6 people who play. Does anyone have any thoughts on anything that JAB could do (though we know he won't and that is fine).

If it was my team, starting Saturday I would play Tyus at the point. I'm not sure that would change results but again not the status quo.

I would also try some bolder changes such as try Marek at the top of the zone. Not quick obviously but understanding his length and angles which he seems to understand very well, may be effective in spots and give Battle or Howard a needed blow.

I think this teams biggest issue is mental fatigue and lack of basketball IQ. We need to stop pigeon holing positions and by some minutes when we can. I don't see what we have to lose . Let's mix and match odd combos - it may look like a clown show but not sure it's any more clownish than our current offensive structure.

Battle at the point would be a disaster. The kid NEVER EVER EVER passes the ball, and his turnover numbers are basically just as bad as Howard's if you adjust them to the amount of time he has the ball in his hand relative to the amount of time Frank does.

 

[RealMcNeil]

Not sure how putting Tyus at the point solves anything. He never passes.

I'd wager Battle would turn the ball over nearly as much as Howard in that situation, too.

 

[Brooky03]

I'm not saying we should do this but, if we're going to change the lineup, the only change that would do anything is playing 3 guards. It would put Tyus in matchups with, presumably, slower forwards who shouldn't be able to stay in front of him, and he wouldn't be giving up too much size. It would take the ball out of Howard's hands and free him up to run off screens and get open for 3's. The obvious question is whether or not Washington could play serious minutes at PG in the ACC. The answer is most likely no, obviously.

On defense, we'd be worse up top but probably wouldn't lose much on the back end. Our rim protection would suffer with Battle back there but we should cover shooters in the corner/wing better. Rebounding wouldn't be great, but it never is.

 

[SoBristol]

The lineup won’t matter this year or next if the coaching philosophy doesn’t change. Defense is ok but the offense is horrible and has been for awhile. ....

We need to be real with ourselves here. Baz, Carey, buddy and Hughes can’t fix this problem by themselves.

It is largely personnel, not coaching philosophy, and it is a consequence of having 3 first year players in our 6 man rotation (4 of 7 if you count Sidibe). Last season (how soon we forget), we had shooters, and the offense was very good in many ACC games once Gillon became the starter. Defense was not ok -- remember White, Gillon, Thompson, and the absence of a 7 ft rim protector?

How to fix the problem? Give the younger inside players (Dolezaj, Sidibe, Moyer) another year in the program; and let Chukwu make similar progress in his basketball IQ and S&C year over year. Howard is young for a junior -- can still get better, as can the 19 year old Brissett.
Mix in a new 3rd year (Hughes) and the 3 new frosh, and now we have an 8 man rotation, rather than 6. We will have an opportunity for 4 scorers on the floor. It becomes feasible to run more and press more. Maybe even have more than one player on the court who can create and pass for a teammate (now we have only Howard).

 

[TinyManInside]

Watch a Washington game compared to ours. The offensive philosophy is night and day.

The UW offense in their game at USC was beautiful to watch. They spread the floor so much better than we do, even though they really don't have many good 3 point shooters, and they move the ball around much better than we do, even though they don't have a real PG (people here would hate Crisp more than they hate FH). They take a lot more mid-range shots. UW is still not a great offensive team but they definitely are more balanced. It helps that Hopkins consistently plays 8 guys and doesn't use the 40 Minute Warrior technique. They've been very, very good in late game situations this year because they're players are usually fresh.

 

[dasher]

The guys that we have just have to play better. That's basically all we have. If Sidibe gets healthy in hurry that can marginally help.

Our cake was baked with the recruiting / roster flubs.

I think the sanctions baked our cake but not in the way most people think. We kept recruiting guys that would leave early. Only, we didn't have program guys waiting to take their place. We had inexperienced guys who weren't as good and weren't ready.

 

[Bayside44]

I think the sanctions baked our cake but not in the way most people think. We kept recruiting guys that would leave early. Only, we didn't have program guys waiting to take their place. We had inexperienced guys who weren't as good and weren't ready.

Lydon ended up not being a program guy an Thompson was weird. And whatever happened with #s around the Huerter recruitment. That's a lot to weather.

 

[Newhouser]

The UW offense in their game at USC was beautiful to watch. They spread the floor so much better than we do, even though they really don't have many good 3 point shooters, and they move the ball around much better than we do, even though they don't have a real PG (people here would hate Crisp more than they hate FH). They take a lot more mid-range shots. UW is still not a great offensive team but they definitely are more balanced. It helps that Hopkins consistently plays 8 guys and doesn't use the 40 Minute Warrior technique. They've been very, very good in late game situations this year because they're players are usually fresh.

They also have a big that can make a play with his back to the basket. You don't have to be Bob Lanier down there but any kind of threat helps.

 

[Alsacs]

It is largely personnel, not coaching philosophy, and it is a consequence of having 3 first year players in our 6 man rotation (4 of 7 if you count Sidibe). Last season (how soon we forget), we had shooters, and the offense was very good in many ACC games once Gillon became the starter. Defense was not ok -- remember White, Gillon, Thompson, and the absence of a 7 ft rim protector?

How to fix the problem? Give the younger inside players (Dolezaj, Sidibe, Moyer) another year in the program; and let Chukwu make similar progress in his basketball IQ and S&C year over year. Howard is young for a junior -- can still get better, as can the 19 year old Brissett.
Mix in a new 3rd year (Hughes) and the 3 new frosh, and now we have an 8 man rotation, rather than 6. We will have an opportunity for 4 scorers on the floor. It becomes feasible to run more and press more. Maybe even have more than one player on the court who can create and pass for a teammate (now we have only Howard).

It’s not inexperience that is the problem.
Kentucky and Duke are loaded with freshman.
Our problem is we don’t recruit the highest offensive skill we can our recruiting is tailored to the zone.
We sacrifice skill for length.
Brissett will get better but he isn’t here longer than next year.
Jonny Flynn wouldn’t be recruited nowadays because he would be too small for the zone.

 

[br801]

I'm not saying we should do this but, if we're going to change the lineup, the only change that would do anything is playing 3 guards. It would put Tyus in matchups with, presumably, slower forwards who shouldn't be able to stay in front of him, and he wouldn't be giving up too much size. It would take the ball out of Howard's hands and free him up to run off screens and get open for 3's. The obvious question is whether or not Washington could play serious minutes at PG in the ACC. The answer is most likely no, obviously.

On defense, we'd be worse up top but probably wouldn't lose much on the back end. Our rim protection would suffer with Battle back there but we should cover shooters in the corner/wing better. Rebounding wouldn't be great, but it never is.

That smaller lineup would really have to make shots because you'd be kissing this team's offensive rebounding advantage goodbye.

 

[Fly Rodder]

That smaller lineup would really have to make shots because you'd be kissing this team's offensive rebounding advantage goodbye.

And I think Washington would give up about five wide open threes a game. I think his defense is poor (but can be improved). With SU playing a super low possession game, they can't afford too many defensive breakdowns.

 

[CuseFaninVT]

And I think Washington would give up about five wide open threes a game. I think his defense is poor (but can be improved). With SU playing a super low possession game, they can't afford too many defensive breakdowns.

The whole point is to improve the offense beyond being super low possession.

I think Washington will be fine. Battle gives up more open threes than he should at this point in his development, but no one ever seems to mention that. Can't have that from a guy who shoots 0-7 from three.

 

[OttoinGrotto]

Exactly.

We can't shoot from the outside. I don't think that is going to change.

Whatever the reason, we play guys too long.

I think we are in for a long road if Frank, Battle and OB are playing 37 - 40 minutes a night in the current offense we have.

Somehow Howard Washington has to be able to play 10 mpg. JB feels that he cannot right now. Somehow we have to get Oshae down to like 32 mpg, right now JB feels that he cannot. I'm not the coach and maybe we just have to ride with what we have.

We need to bring our guys up to practice at like 8,000 feet so they can finish these games, because I don't think they're going to magically start making threes.

Also, the Sidibe injury is just killing us. I know he's gutting it out, but boy he would have been really helpful.

Part of what I dislike about consistently having short benches is that we don't make teams have to account for many different options or looks. You scout six guys and two lineup combos. Boom, done.

Maybe, just maybe, injecting more variety could make us trickier to defend and lead us to a little bit better offense.

 

[CuseFaninVT]

Part of what I dislike about consistently having short benches is that we don't make teams have to account for many different options or looks. You scout six guys and two lineup combos. Boom, done.

Kind of the opposite of what happened in the BCS championship game this year. New QB, completely different style of play - 5th championship in 9 years.

 

[Brooky03]

That smaller lineup would really have to make shots because you'd be kissing this team's offensive rebounding advantage goodbye.

How does the team's offensive rebounding % compare to other years? Are we getting more offensive boards because we're better at rebounding or because we miss 700 shots per half?