Postgame Thoughts… Duke game 2

[OttoMets]

This is Axe trying to stay in JB’s good graces.

Buddy is a number 2 or 3 option on a good team.
Usage inflates his numbers.

Honestly, I think people are being kind when they put it this way.

I try to stay away from making too many observations because I just don't watch enough basketball to comment knowledgeably.

But in a lot of ways Boeheim's the same player he's always been. Good shooter if his feet are set. Decidedly not if he's on the move. Nice enough midrange game, but a total black hole. And a total matador defender.

I can't remember too many Syracuse teams where a kid like that would be even a 3rd option. More like an end of rotation guy. But when he's able to get up a big volume of shots, he can get a point per shot.

 

[UpstateSM]

Turning Buddy into Tyus Battle wasn’t a winning basketball decision. That’s what JB did this season.

Last year most of his points came on catch and shoot scenarios or one and two dribbles. This isolation garbage is always garbage unless it’s Carmelo or a Jonny Flynn. We have a good shooter taking garbage shots.

Buddy should be used offensively the same way Klay Thompson is used. Instead he dribbles more in each game than Klay does in an entire season.

So clearly not good basketball to everyone besides our coach, apparently.

 

[OttoMets]

Next year, Frank, Jesse, Joe, Benny and (*hopefully) Swider are the core of a terrific, Sweet 16 level kind of team. That's a team, plus all the new guys, that's good enough to be ranked again. Come on, let's try to keep this team together!

Swider plays like he's 6'2" - I just can't see a guy like that taking up a frontcourt spot and being a component of a good team.

And Girard...it's just hard to see it. Pair him with a good point guard (is that a realistic possibility) and move him off the ball, he can do some nice things on offense. But after three years of reinforcing bad habits on mediocre teams, would he still be the guy who forces off-balance 25-footers because he hasn't taken a shot in awhile, dribbles the ball of his leg two times a game, and plays no defense at all? I don't know.

 

[djcon57]

Buddy should be used offensively the same way Klay Thompson is used. Instead he dribbles more in each game than Klay does in an entire season.

So clearly not good basketball to everyone besides our coach, apparently.

There’s a problem with that.

WE HAVE NO ONE THAT CAN GET PAST THEIR MAN...to which I literally pointed this out in the preseason and I think the answer was “spacing”

so it’s just Buddy running off of screens to get open which he doesnt do that great honestly

I think the first guy to create a basket getting past his man yesterday was JBA, not joking.

Joe had center on him at one point and couldn’t get by him, also not joking

 

[OttoMets]

Brent Axe seems like someone that isn’t very smart.

Was it the "single-handily" that gave it away, or his bad reading comprehension, or his atrocious basketball takes that gave it away?

 

[kingtidge]

And Girard...it's just hard to see it. Pair him with a good point guard (is that a realistic possibility) and move him off the ball, he can do some nice things on offense.

We have actually seen that when he plays next to symir a few times this season and Joe has gotten open shots and made them. But it's only been done to give other players a break. The problem is, doing this means other players will get less minutes and that is not something the coach deems acceptable it seems.

 

[djcon57]

Swider plays like he's 6'2" - I just can't see a guy like that taking up a frontcourt spot and being a component of a good team.

And Girard...it's just hard to see it. Pair him with a good point guard (is that a realistic possibility) and move him off the ball, he can do some nice things on offense. But after three years of reinforcing bad habits on mediocre teams, would he still be the guy who forces off-balance 25-footers because he hasn't taken a shot in awhile, dribbles the ball of his leg two times a game, and plays no defense at all? I don't know.

Joe would be a fine 2G if he gets pulled if hes having a bad shooting game. I don’t know if JB will do that.

 

[OrangeDW]

Honestly, I think people are being kind when they put it this way.

I try to stay away from making too many observations because I just don't watch enough basketball to comment knowledgeably.

But in a lot of ways Boeheim's the same player he's always been. Good shooter if his feet are set. Decidedly not if he's on the move. Nice enough midrange game, but a total black hole. And a total matador defender.

I can't remember too many Syracuse teams where a kid like that would be even a 3rd option. More like an end of rotation guy. But when he's able to get up a big volume of shots, he can get a point per shot.

On a good SU team, he’s Matt Roe.

 

[OttoMets]

in the past I was agreeing with that take, saying that Jimmy would be a good 3rd playing 20 mins or so.

after watching yesterday and thinking about it more, I just don’t know if I can anymore, im leaning more to that he simply is not an ACC caliber player at all and never was. He couldn’t do ANYTHING against Duke in any aspect of the game. Granted, he’s has his good games offensively but he’s such a defense liability. If the ACC was even mildly good this year, he would have been exposed badly.

This. And in my opinion this was apparent when he was at Cornell.

I don't even have a player comp for a forward who's so singularly overmatched, because guys like Devin Brennan-McBride were glued to the bench after the first semester and never played against good opponents.

No sense piling on the guy, but I've never seen a Syracuse player who's not only such a non-entity with stuff like rebounding but also fails to do the little things like passing the ball rather than hoisting up an impossible shot.

 

[OttoMets]

On a good SU team, he’s Matt Roe.

I just watched the 1988 Big East championship game this morning.

Lots of opinions.

But as Roe goes, yeah, there's something there. (Also, Roe committed a bad charge in the second half while handling the ball on a three-on-one break with Douglas and Coleman and for some reason not giving it up to one of them. So...yeah.)

 

[tbonezone]

I don't even have a player comp for a forward who's so singularly overmatched,

he's a poor man's mccorkle

 

[OttoMets]

he's a poor man's mccorkle

I used to make that comparison with Trevor Cooney.

I think Boeheim's got better control than Scotty had. Better shooter as well.Not as athletic, not nearly the defender, and probably not as good a ball-handler.

 

[Cusefan0307]

On a good SU team, he’s Matt Roe.

Ehh he’s better than that. Roe is a bit before my time, but not sure he could carry a team like Buddy did last year. If he had Richmond and Guerrier on this team his shooting percentages are probably 5% higher.

He’s the missing piece we needed on a lot of teams. Like when we started Louie McCroskey at shooting guard on a 27 win team when we lost to Vermont.

 

[CardiacCuse]

Brent Axe seems like someone that isn’t very smart.

i mean looking from the outside in and just looking at buddy as an individual separate from his team's context...he has all the "stats"

par for the course in terms of how sports and "stars" are evaluated in team sports these days...

just look at the numbers and ignore all context

 

[CardiacCuse]

We have actually seen that when he plays next to symir a few times this season and Joe has gotten open shots and made them. But it's only been done to give other players a break. The problem is, doing this means other players will get less minutes and that is not something the coach deems acceptable it seems.

was this whole "zone religion"...100% 2-3 for the past years done with building a system around Buddy eventually? its the only defense buddy could play in basically, no?

it is possible imo

and if so...it would explain some of the stubbornness JB has exhibited while coaching his sons...

if there have been years of prep work that have gone into this season, basically, ...no way he's gonna not just play it all the way out...

hence the exodus of transfers and horrible record this season

this was possibly just the secret plan FOR YEARS


I expect massive changes to style and defense and everything next season if JB is the coach...

that he will try to atone for his failed attempts to win as a "family"

 

[kirbivore]

I went into this game with zero expectations.

The team failed to meet my expectations.

 

[AZOrange]

Was it the "single-handily" that gave it away, or his bad reading comprehension, or his atrocious basketball takes that gave it away?

All of the above

 

[tbonezone]

Buddy will lead the the ACC in FG attempts for the second straight year. interesting to see where he ends up on SU's ALLtime list. not sure he can catch gerry or moten
but he'll definitely be top 5.

 

[rrlbees]

was this whole "zone religion"...100% 2-3 for the past years done with building a system around Buddy eventually? its the only defense buddy could play in basically, no?

it is possible imo

and if so...it would explain some of the stubbornness JB has exhibited while coaching his sons...

if there have been years of prep work that have gone into this season, basically, ...no way he's gonna not just play it all the way out...

hence the exodus of transfers and horrible record this season

this was possibly just the secret plan FOR YEARS


I expect massive changes to style and defense and everything next season if JB is the coach...

that he will try to atone for his failed attempts to win as a "family"

Is this a serious post?

 

[HOFCeluck]

If he played 20 minutes a game

Haha

Keep sliding….

 

[CardiacCuse]

Is this a serious post?

I dont think JB has planned to sabotage the program at the xpense of coaching his sons...i think he has just been blinded by some fauklty assumptions as a result of being "oo close" to his players

regardless...how do you explain the special treatment he has given buddy since day 1?

 

[UpstateSM]

 

[hoopsupstate]

in the past I was agreeing with that take, saying that Jimmy would be a good 3rd playing 20 mins or so.

after watching yesterday and thinking about it more, I just don’t know if I can anymore, im leaning more to that he simply is not an ACC caliber player at all and never was. He couldn’t do ANYTHING against Duke in any aspect of the game. Granted, he’s has his good games offensively but he’s such a defense liability. If the ACC was even mildly good this year, he would have been exposed badly.

He did score over 20 points in the prior two ACC games.

 

[djcon57]

He did score over 20 points in the prior two ACC games.

Right. I said he’s had good offensive games. Specifally he can score. He doesn’t create any shots for anyone else. He can’t rebound. And I believe his utter lack of defense isn’t worth the points.

a fine player for a lower level team or a .500 ACC, I guess. Not a playable player vs higher level teams, imo.

 

[rrlbees]

I dont think JB has planned to sabotage the program at the xpense of coaching his sons...i think he has just been blinded by some fauklty assumptions as a result of being "oo close" to his players

regardless...how do you explain the special treatment he has given buddy since day 1?

Your post said JB has played zone for years because it was the plan in anticipation of buddy playing there.