Our problem is basic

[kcsu]

Guards are unquestionably the most important component of a successful team. Frank is not a PG and doesnt have the shot to play the 2. He simply is not an ACC guard.
John is too small to be effective as a defensive guard in our zone. Offensively he is mediocre. Again he isn't an ACC caliber starting guard.
White is a small forward offensively but is in no way a guard.
Our best guard and only true ACC caliber player at the position is Battle.
At this point i would go with the following lineup even though it has on the surface 2 guys playing out of position.
1: Battle. He is our most talented player. If JB can turn Gib into a 1 he can do the same with Battle.
2: White. He shoots lights out and as a result create space for Battle to use his athleticism to penetrate.
On D you have size at the top of the zone which is the most important element. I realize white lacks foot speed but with him and Battle we do have exceptional size up top.
3: Lydon. Great shooter tons of length. Second best talent on the team. Solid on the wing in the zone.
4: Roby. Play D crash the boards on every O and D possession.
5: TT. Can score and will only improve with increases minutes.
Subs: JG at the 2 not point.
DC at 5.
Go with those 7 add Chubaka if he returns and live with it. FH sits and tranfers.
Find a 2 in the off season to replace white.
The key is Battle to PG as this season is lost so play for the future and he is our only hope at PG this and next year.

 

[hoopsupstate]

Lydon is not solid on the wing. He is one of the problems on defense. He's always late closing out. He can't play the three. He's already proved it.

 

[hoopsupstate]

This team lacks toughness. It's why they miss so many easy shots around the basket. They can't take any body contact and score. This happens every game. Yesterday is not the first game that they have missed a ton of layups. They don't have a single player on this team that's comitted to playing defense. Their transition defense is awful, simply because they don't run the floor. They don't even have the ambition to run the floor on the ofensive end. How many easy baskets do we get? Boeheim has destroyed Howard just like he did Joseph. It's a carbon copy all over again. Either they can't recognize talent or JB has got to stop brow beating his young guards to the point they lose confidence and forget how to play. JB is a great coach and has done an amazing job for 40+ years,but I think he's forgot what it's like to be a young player who is learning how to play the game. He has no patience and he's become stuck in his ways. In no way do I think he's the main problem for this team. This team is NOT talented and extremely lazy. That's s losing combination and they are proving it.

 

[STEVEHOLT]

our problem is the basketball world has changed. the game has evolved and is now a perimeter oriented game, spread the floor, shoot threes. zone defense doesn't work as well as it used to . these guys dont play it well for sure, but good ball movement and good shooters will destroy any zone no matter how good.

 

[orange79]

Lydon is not solid on the wing. He is one of the problems on defense. He's always late closing out. He can't play the three. He's already proved it.

And JB said exactly this in yesterday's presser.

 

[SoBristol]

It might be time to give up on the idea that there is an easy fix for this team. It isn't just one issue.

 

[orangecuse]

This team lacks toughness. It's why they miss so many easy shots around the basket. They can't take any body contact and score. This happens every game. Yesterday is not the first game that they have missed a ton of layups. They don't have a single player on this team that's comitted to playing defense. Their transition defense is awful, simply because they don't run the floor. They don't even have the ambition to run the floor on the ofensive end. How many easy baskets do we get? Boeheim has destroyed Howard just like he did Joseph. It's a carbon copy all over again. Either they can't recognize talent or JB has got to stop brow beating his young guards to the point they lose confidence and forget how to play. JB is a great coach and has done an amazing job for 40+ years,but I think he's forgot what it's like to be a young player who is learning how to play the game. He has no patience and he's become stuck in his ways. In no way do I think he's the main problem for this team. This team is NOT talented and extremely lazy. That's s losing combination and they are proving it.

Agree with a lot here, except for JB destroying of Joseph & now Howard. Here's keeping things real, at least from what I've seen. Joseph at the point was a disaster, but not because of JB. He couldn't do anything to create offense. His handle wasn't good, evident by his constant left to right dribbling vs. toward the hoop. Additionally, he dribbled the ball very high for a guy who was only 6'2" and because of it would have all kinds of trouble in traffic, not to mention he couldn't beat anyone off the dribble. He also wasn't a good shooter in addition to his stature which limited him from really being a 2. So, he possessed a very limited skillset.

Howard has the same traits as Joseph, in addition to being quite slow laterally, and why he also isn't an ACC level guard (at either position). He has good height/length, but that's about it as he also lacks strength to finish, especially in traffic.

So, when it comes to not having any confidence, it's because of the aforementioned and resultant lack of skillset to play at this high/ACC level. Confidence is bred from results and achievements experienced when placed in the fire. Neither one ever (to date at SU) has had those results/successes proving they could play at this level. If Howard's confidence is truly shattered, it's because deep down he knows he doesn't have the tools in his toolbox...no doubt that this realization is daunting and quite difficult to digest.

 

[Millhouse]

Guards are unquestionably the most important component of a successful team. Frank is not a PG and doesnt have the shot to play the 2. He simply is not an ACC guard.
John is too small to be effective as a defensive guard in our zone. Offensively he is mediocre. Again he isn't an ACC caliber starting guard.
White is a small forward offensively but is in no way a guard.
Our best guard and only true ACC caliber player at the position is Battle.
At this point i would go with the following lineup even though it has on the surface 2 guys playing out of position.
1: Battle. He is our most talented player. If JB can turn Gib into a 1 he can do the same with Battle.
2: White. He shoots lights out and as a result create space for Battle to use his athleticism to penetrate.
On D you have size at the top of the zone which is the most important element. I realize white lacks foot speed but with him and Battle we do have exceptional size up top.
3: Lydon. Great shooter tons of length. Second best talent on the team. Solid on the wing in the zone.
4: Roby. Play D crash the boards on every O and D possession.
5: TT. Can score and will only improve with increases minutes.
Subs: JG at the 2 not point.
DC at 5.
Go with those 7 add Chubaka if he returns and live with it. FH sits and tranfers.
Find a 2 in the off season to replace white.
The key is Battle to PG as this season is lost so play for the future and he is our only hope at PG this and next year.

the zone needs big guards. big guards who can defend in the zone can't shoot. small guards who can shoot can't defend in the zone. we try to split the difference with a short guy who can shoot and a longer guy who can't. but opponents just shoot over the little guy and dare the long guy to shoot on the other end.

we'd be better off with two sharpshooting midgets or two tall bad shooters

 

[SoBeCuse]

Agree with a lot here, except for JB destroying of Joseph & now Howard. Here's keeping things real, at least from what I've seen. Joseph at the point was a disaster, but not because of JB. He couldn't do anything to create offense. His handle wasn't good, evident by his constant left to right dribbling vs. toward the hoop. Additionally, he dribbled the ball very high for a guy who was only 6'2" and because of it would have all kinds of trouble in traffic, not to mention he couldn't beat anyone off the dribble. He also wasn't a good shooter in addition to his stature which limited him from really being a 2. So, he possessed a very limited skillset.

Howard has the same traits as Joseph, in addition to being quite slow laterally, and why he also isn't an ACC level guard (at either position). He has good height/length, but that's about it as he also lacks strength to finish, especially in traffic.

So, when it comes to not having any confidence, it's because of the aforementioned and resultant lack of skillset to play at this high/ACC level. Confidence is bred from results and achievements experienced when placed in the fire. Neither one ever (to date at SU) has had those results/successes proving they could play at this level. If Howard's confidence is truly shattered, it's because deep down he knows he doesn't have the tools in his toolbox...no doubt that this realization is daunting and quite difficult to digest.

Excellent post. Pretty much sums it up and addresses the potential psyche/no confidence issues. The staff picked these guys and it is what it is. Ugh.

 

[Forloveoforange]

the zone needs big guards. big guards who can defend in the zone can't shoot. small guards who can shoot can't defend in the zone. we try to split the difference with a short guy who can shoot and a longer guy who can't. but opponents just shoot over the little guy and dare the long guy to shoot on the other end.

we'd be better off with two sharpshooting midgets or two tall bad shooters

Thank you! I mentioned a while ago how basketball seems to be like chess, in that you need 2 knights or 2 bishops. You explained why it is the case. A long and a short don't work.

 

[jordoo]

we need ballers!

 

[81South]

we need ballers!

We need better 'bags'

 

[Chicago44s]

100% agree. I'll take it a step further. Battle PG, Lydon SG, White SF , Robie PF and TT C. This puts the 5 best players on the court together. Battle can't be worse off than Frank of JG offensively. Defensively he's our best guard. What made Mike so good was his ability to shoot the three or penetrate. He was never really an assist guy. Battle can be that guy. I know Lydon at the 2 is pretty absurd. His length up top would give smaller guards fits and sure it's not prototypical but he could collapse better on any team trying to get the ball into the foul line. I think Robie is the best rebounder and help back line defender we have, White looks way more comfortable at the 3 and TT will need to keep watching tape of Etan, Fab Melo (2nd yr) and Otis Hill. These guys played the back of the zone as well as any of our C's.