Our shot selection is terrible this year

[Capt. Tuttle]

Just note this is charted on six games.

Also, I wish the SU-specific version had volume of shots and not just a color gradient to show above/below average.

We seem to be doing well around the rim and I'm guessing, without looking it up, that we are sneaking into the good shooters quadrant because of Q being the main reason.

Two other things I'd say:

1) The green on the arc of the three should be on both sides and I think it would if we would just play Kadary, Buddy and Joe (I know, I know, but I don't think Buddy is ever sitting and I know we'd get torched on his side of the wing). I can't help but think we can go five out to really allow for drive and kick. Heck, even if we had a center that could catch a lob or handle a pocket pass, we could really get some momentum.

2) That grey area in the pain is where we're see the Buddy back down and the Kadary half floater/half push shot. The Buddy back down really has to be tabled and Kadary needs to get his Kawhi studies done to make that shot.

Just read an article that Buddy is 48% from 2 point area. Given they are pretty much all contested, that’s really good. Shot that as a team and we win a lot of games.

 

[djcon57]

Just read an article that Buddy is 48% from 2 point area. Given they are pretty much all contested, that’s really good. Shot that as a team and we win a lot of games.

he’s currently 45% from 2

 

[Capt. Tuttle]

This is what I have been saying all season. Interesting to see it graphically.

Good shooters shooting bad shots does not equal a good shooting team, unfortunately.

I'd almost rather have a bad shooting team getting good shots than a "good shooting" team taking bad ones.

The frustrating part is that I do beleive this team is excellent at shooting the ball...when they have a good shot. Historically high FT% is not an accident. its just not translating into the offense.

Quality of shot comes down to scheme and approach. Very good teams like UVA can force this team into taking mostly bad shots because of lack of athleticism and telegraphed scheme that is easy to prepare for. Their defense is great at that one thing...which is why UVA destroys SU (not to mention their offense gets nothing but quality of shot vs the zone).

This one issue is the key problem with what JB has since the team got sanctions and in the ACC.

Other teams are getting quality shots and making them at a much higher % than normal bc of breakdowns in scheme (which is a lot to do with ahtleticism)...thats why we see all these players going for career night vs SU zone lately.

meanwhile, SU is often not getting quality looks or gunning or chucking...I think JB mostly says to players do exactly what I tell you on defense and you can do what you like on offense...which has worked when you have billy owens level talent...and an actual point gaurd running things.

Now, i think it is the case that players and team are getting results despite the scheme that team is running ...opponents (good ones anyways) are able to get ANYTHING they want on offense and limit the team considerably with their defense. FSU just whooped UVA - outrebounded them and got more steals and shot the 3 well...there is a recipe to beat them if you dont play completely into their hands.

i often watch the games this season and wonder how a pickup game with su players vs BC or bryant or pitt or UVA or whomever would look and I think the SU players would do better in the pickup game than the official one. I think they often have "better" players than the opponent but are getting boondoggled bc of scheme/approach and this graphic is why I am more sure of that now.

It comes down to being rigid and inflexible in terms of strategy and approach...never a good way to compete, imo.

I don’t think we have one player who starts for a top half ACC team.

 

[Orangezoo]

Good shooters / bad shots is often simply a reflection of physical or certain skill based limitations (like ballhandling). Teams just don't have the horses to create enough easy looks for themselves. So it could be a recruiting issue

It is also sometimes a symptom of poor coaching schemes. Of course that would never be the case for Syracuse... but for some other coaches could be the cause.

For the sensitive folks out there they will just say its because Syracuse is missing their shots.

Taking this and adding on.. if you look back at what has been key for us for the past 20 yrs when we have had good and great teams there is something that sticks out.

When we put 3 guys on the court who can get into the paint and are a triple threat to shoot it, take it to the rim or pass it or at least 2 of those 3 we almost always have a good team. There are other factors like the C position and having 3pt shooting but it comes down to having 3 guys with this skill set in the court at all times.

Last year we had 1 guy in Hughes. Neither Buddy or Joe were a constant threat. Sure on occasion with the right matchup but that isn't the point.

This year we really don't have anyone besides Marek and Kadary who can do this. Alan is starting to show this ability but he primarily is a get to the rim or use the turnaround jumpshot when he gets into the lane. Buddy backs his man down but it is a methodical sink or swim move and one that takes 3x as long as it used to take Billy. When either of those two make that play, it takes so long to develop that it's really just an ISO move and not showcasing that skill. Kadary is faster with it and makes plays off of it but is still learning to master it vs college defenders.

Marek is the best at this skill and when he is aggressive and on his game he attacks and makes a play or pass quickly.

When you have 3 players with this skill set it gets the defense out of position and opens up the offensive glass and forces a help defender to possibly leave a shooter open. When you have only one, the offense becomes too one dimensional. Luckily QG has some Otis Hill in him which is something that has given us another look we typically don't rely on but has been part of the formula in some years.

I think that Alan, Benny, Quincy and Kadary could all be solid and effective with this skillset. Pair it with QG and a big-time athlete like Frank and you are looking at the formula that takes us into some of our best teams. Buddy needs to work this summer on footspeed, footwork and being less methodical in taking on his man. If he does he most certainly could help here. If not he is the ideal guy to play the Southerland 7th man role. Joe is the perfect back up/Co starting PG.

Woody then gives you the ideal 8th man who can do it all like Pace did.

The key to having 3 guys on the court at all times is in getting Griffin to be a threat getting in the lane far more often. The past two games have been great signs he can do this if given a whole off season. We don't need volume sharpshooters on the court at all times. Capable multi dimensional guys who can defend in the zone, hit a perimeter shot and then 3 minimum to attack the paint as a triple/double threat and we are in business.

 

[Briancuse]

This speaks to coaching.
Plain and simple.
If we have good shooters and are taking bad shots that should be up to the coaches to fix.

Jb has been around the block enough to know what a good shot is. I'm sure he goes over it during film sessions and practice the players have to start to take better shots.

 

[upperdeck]

Makes you really want to go back and watch a game to see what were good shots and bad shots, being wide open does not make something a good shot either. you can run bad offense, and a team play great D and still end up with a good shot if you make enough bad passes some times.

 

[Alsacs]

Jb has been around the block enough to know what a good shot is. I'm sure he goes over it during film sessions and practice the players have to start to take better shots.

Describe our offensive sets.
What adjustments have made offensively this year or the last 7 years?

 

[sufandu]

It's odd about just how below average we are on the corner 3's, from both sides.

That's the easiest/shortest 3 - but we're turrible at them.

Not shocked to see Syracuse fall into the "good shooters, bad shots" quartile.
It's what we do. Repeatedly.

Is it shorter from the college line? I know it is from the NBA line. I wonder if depth perception is more difficult from the corner for some guys.

 

[sufandu]

Jb has been around the block enough to know what a good shot is. I'm sure he goes over it during film sessions and practice the players have to start to take better shots.

They can't take them if they don't get them. We don't get guys open. How much of that is poor offensive design versus lack of talent? I don't know. It hurts that our best driver isn't a good shooter, our good shooters don't drive well, and we have absolutely no post game. I don't know that we have a way to threaten defenses to dictate what we want. They know to back off Kadary, play Buddy and Joe tight, and ignore the post.

 

[OrangeFoo]

It’s so incredibly frustrating. This is where a new coach could possibly help us. Though in a lot of other areas it could hurt if we make the wrong hire.

We should have hired an “offensive coordinator“ a long time ago. One of the issues with JB basically bringing in only coaches from his tree is that a) we never get new ideas/thinking into the system and b) even if the coaches have new ideas they either are hesitant to surface them or JB is ignoring them.

Duke might have a similar problem, but we just don’t know because their recruiting is s insane.

We don’t need to hire a new hc... The current one could make changes himself but that would require him to admit the current way is broken and that ain’t happening. And that’s the real problem.

 

[Briancuse]

Describe our offensive sets.
What adjustments have made offensively this year or the last 7 years?

I wouldn't call them productive by any means. But how much is coaching and talent? I remember a 2013 final four team that had a 3 game stretch where they looked like a bad cyo team on offense.

 

[Fly Rodder]

It's odd about just how below average we are on the corner 3's, from both sides.

That's the easiest/shortest 3 - but we're turrible at them.

We don't play for them. All the screens and curls are to open up the top half of the arc.

The only time there are people set up in the corner it's because it's a loose ball/rebound situation or they're a decoy.