Mike's Mailbox: Will Syracuse basketball play at faster pace this season?

[OrangeXtreme]

 

[CuseFaninVT]

SoBeCuse got his question in and answered! I hope they are both right.

 

[dasher]

This is my favorite type of article from Mike and I suspect I'm not alone.

 

[cuse10]

Would be mind boggling if they didn't. They have the horses this year.

 

[cuseinseattle]

I'm fairly certain we will play faster than last year but that could still be really slow. I would rather know if we are going to play fast in general.

 

[GooseMutt]

I just hope we end game at least one point higher than our opponent. How we get there is secondary

 

[moqui]

average offensive possession length last year was 19.6 seconds - 341st out of 351 schools! easily the most deliberate offense in the 9 years kenpom has been keeping the stat.

su can & almost certainly will play much faster on the offensive end ... but the defense has evolved to such a point that our overall pace will still be on the slow side because we force teams to grind it out when they have the ball (and we give up a lot of offensive rebounds). su has been ranked near the bottom (or top, depending on how you look at it) in defensive possession length over that same period - twice leading the nation. in fact, last year at 17.8 seconds per defensive possession was the fastest the orange have allowed opponents to play since records have been kept

 

[SoBeCuse]

Floor Percentage is another useful stat. How many times you are scoring on actual possessions you get. Since we played so slow and possessions were down; you gotta maximize the possessions you get. We were 159 in the country in Floor %.

 

[cliftonparksufan]

the defense has evolved to such a point that our overall pace will still be on the slow side because we force teams to grind it out when they have the ball (and we give up a lot of offensive rebounds). su has been ranked near the bottom (or top, depending on how you look at it) in defensive possession length over that same period - twice leading the nation. in fact, last year at 17.8 seconds per defensive possession was the fastest the orange have allowed opponents to play since records have been kept

When we give up an offensive rebound does that count as another possession for our opponent? Let's say they shoot the ball with 12 seconds left on the clock (that's one possession). They miss and get an offensive rebound and tip the ball to the rim but miss (that possession takes one second). They get another offensive rebound and use five seconds of clock to shoot again ( So that must be three separate possessions or is it one possession since the ball never changed hands for a total of 18 seconds).

 

[Ceerqqq]

average offensive possession length last year was 19.6 seconds - 341st out of 351 schools! easily the most deliberate offense in the 9 years kenpom has been keeping the stat.

su can & almost certainly will play much faster on the offensive end ... but the defense has evolved to such a point that our overall pace will still be on the slow side because we force teams to grind it out when they have the ball (and we give up a lot of offensive rebounds). su has been ranked near the bottom (or top, depending on how you look at it) in defensive possession length over that same period - twice leading the nation. in fact, last year at 17.8 seconds per defensive possession was the fastest the orange have allowed opponents to play since records have been kept

I'm not sure I agree with this speculation, as I expect Boeheim will try to overwhelm opponents with more pressure from his defense this year in an attempt to force more turnovers.

No, I don't expect him to apply full-court pressure on every possession, which some observers have advocated, but I do expect to see him employ it more often, simply because he can do it this year---barring injuries---without worrying about exhausting the players he needs to rely on at the end of the game.

More important is the ramped up pressure I expect to see from the zone in the half-court. That is what Boeheim's athletes can do with his zone once they've gotten beyond the "mastering the rotations" portion of the learning curve, where they are simply trying to make sure they are where they need to be to make the zone work. When players still need to think about what they are doing on the court, it can slow them down, and on defense that can mean missing an opportunity for a steal.

But when it all starts to become more intuitive, when they know what to expect the other team to try to do to beat the zone, that is when they will begin to anticipate the next pass and use their athleticism/length to make the steal. Those lobs, those interior passes from the top of the key, they will all be expected. Indeed, the smart zone player will overplay his opponent in a certain way to encourage him to pass it where it will be picked off by a team mate who knows what is coming.

I'm talking about the kind of half-court pressure Boeheim's best defensive teams in the past were able to impose on their opponents, forcing them into turnover after turnover. That is what I am expecting to see this season: 1) more turnovers forced by Boeheim's Pressure Zone in the half court, 2) more use of full-court pressure utilizing fresher bodies, and 3) an abandonment of the 'deliberate' offensive approach Boeheim used last year in desperation, simply to survive his lack of a bench.

Should be a fun season to watch...

 

[cuseattle]

We've been slow since Ennis. Maybe before.
Hope Carey gets some play.

 

[JoeySimz]

We've been slow since Ennis. Maybe before.
Hope Carey gets some play.

You can bet on it. He will play. Rotation players at every position. We’re going to have fresh legs this year. I can’t wait to see the first line change when Boeheim sends JC, MD/Hughes, Buddy/Washington, Sidibe, and Braswell to the scorer’s table.

 

[SoBeCuse]

You can bet on it. He will play. Rotation players at every position. We’re going to have fresh legs this year. I can’t wait to see the first line change when Boeheim sends JC, MD/Hughes, Buddy/Washington, Sidibe, and Braswell to the scorer’s table.

I doubt Braswell plays beyond exhibitions and/or early season cupcakes but, yes, the “line change” should be great! Hopefully Carey plays well enough so Boeheim can’t afford to take him out.

 

[Orangezoo]

Floor Percentage is another useful stat. How many times you are scoring on actual possessions you get. Since we played so slow and possessions were down; you gotta maximize the possessions you get. We were 159 in the country in Floor %.

I'm actually surprised we were that high. I'm guessing offensive rebounding and putbacks kept us out of being much further down.

 

[SoBeCuse]

I'm actually surprised we were that high. I'm guessing offensive rebounding and putbacks kept us out of being much further down.

Probably. It’s still bad, though. We were actually pretty efficient in that Duke game so that bumped us up a bit. We were tied with Wake Forest in this category on the season. 48% on the nose. As far as Tourney teams we were the worst of the major conference teams. Texas was the next worst ranked 145. They were tied with Vandy/St. Louis/Richmond on the season.

 

[SBU72]

You can bet on it. He will play. Rotation players at every position. We’re going to have fresh legs this year. I can’t wait to see the first line change when Boeheim sends JC, MD/Hughes, Buddy/Washington, Sidibe, and Braswell to the scorer’s table.

Don't hold your breath! It'll never happen. Somebody will make a mistake and get pulled for teaching time. Then maybe 2 will go in. JB will never make a wholesale lineup change. Not his style.

 

[newmexicuse]

Well, it would be scary to think that we could play slower. The starting five have proved they they cannot run. Hopefully, when Carey and Hughes enter the game things will tick up a bit.

Real running starts with the D. I have long been an advocate of the soft press, no reason we should not soft or hard press 100% of the time this season as there is enough depth so that defenders will not have to get back to try and get a quick blow while the ball is being brought upcourt.

Another aspect to picking up the pace is a PG who breaks down the d early in the shot clock. That is not Frank, hopefully, that is something Jalen could do.

Last point is ball movement, too often last season Ty and to a lesser extent Oshae were ball stoppers. Only Marek really kept the ball in motion amongst our starters. Can Jimmy implement a motion offense ?

 

[SoBeCuse]

Well, it would be scary to think that we could play slower. The starting five have proved they they cannot run. Hopefully, when Carey and Hughes enter the game things will tick up a bit.

Real running starts with the D. I have long been an advocate of the soft press, no reason we should not soft or hard press 100% of the time this season as there is enough depth so that defenders will not have to get back to try and get a quick blow while the ball is being brought upcourt.

Another aspect to picking up the pace is a PG who breaks down the d early in the shot clock. That is not Frank, hopefully, that is something Jalen could do.

Last point is ball movement, too often last season Ty and to a lesser extent Oshae were ball stoppers. Only Marek really kept the ball in motion amongst our starters. Can Jimmy implement a motion offense ?

Right. Breaking down the D early in the shot clock is unfortunately something we can only count on our fingers occuring for a combined couple of a years now for whatever reasons. Lead guard limitations there I bet. Unfathomable really.

I hope to see, once and for all, the abolishing of a forward on the wing behind the arc dribble a litte left, then a little right, then only to return the ball to the guard wasting 5-7 sec or so.

 

[CuseFaninVT]

Right. Breaking down the D early in the shot clock is unfortunately something we can only count on our fingers occuring for a combined couple of a years now for whatever reasons. Lead guard limitations there I bet. Unfathomable really.

I hope to see, once and for all, the abolishing of a forward on the wing behind the arc dribble a litte left, then a little right, then only to return the ball to the guard wasting 5-7 sec or so.

How is it unfathomable? JB recruits for the zone. Period, full stop.

 

[SoBeCuse]

How is it unfathomable? JB recruits for the zone. Period, full stop.

When your lead guard and/or guards pretty much never (and that is fair) break down a defense early in the shot clock?! That’s beyond a zone thing. To me it’s unfathomable, yes.

 

[dasher]

When your lead guard and/or guards pretty much never (and that is fair) break down a defense early in the shot clock?! That’s beyond a zone thing. To me it’s unfathomable, yes.

In the regular part of the game, I think we will see our offense be more aggressive. We don't have the limited options that we have had over the last few seasons. We needed to have shorter games. I don't think that will be the case this year.

 

[JoeySimz]

I doubt Braswell plays beyond exhibitions and/or early season cupcakes but, yes, the “line change” should be great! Hopefully Carey plays well enough so Boeheim can’t afford to take him out.

Don't hold your breath! It'll never happen. Somebody will make a mistake and get pulled for teaching time. Then maybe 2 will go in. JB will never make a wholesale lineup change. Not his style.

Exactly. That’s why I said the “first” line change meaning in our first game. It’s going to be pretty exciting to see what these new guys can do. I believe JC will play quite a bit. And Sidibe too, of course.