Postgame Thoughts… Pitt

[CuseTG2003]

 

[kcsu]

We won.

 

[AZOrange]

Capel did a poor job of prepping his team for this game. Offensively and defensively.

He might be the worst coach in basketball

 

[Orangezoo]

He might be the worst coach in basketball

It's sucked we haven't been very good to enjoy Pitt continuing to hire awful coaches since Dixon.

 

[dan7800]

I’m so sick of the Boeheim show. Zero reason for Benny to play 3 minutes tonight. It’s gross.

Agreed. If nothing else, give the young man some minutes when we have a 15 point lead.

I'm in the minority, but I loved putting JBA in there. We weren't getting it done, so bring a fresh guy in who will bring some energy.

PS I really hate Pitt. They're dumb.

 

[FRANKIEFAN]

This. I get that minutes are good for young players and that JB isn’t fond of playing a deep bench and his handling of young players and the bench (particularly in recent years) is fine to criticize.

But this board is unreal. Every year people cry about minutes. Kadary I get, but Carey? Goodine? Benny? Frank as a frosh? I mean, sometimes it’s on the player to produce when they get that opportunity.

For the season Benny has played in 16 games including tonight. Prior to tonight he was averaging about 14 mins/game. And he had 15 total field goals and 23 total rebounds (as a 6-8 forward).

This isn’t lack of opportunity, this purely lack of production — even if we forget the scoring and focus on filling a stat sheet with steals/Rebounds/blocks.

Should he have played more tonight? I think so. But to act like somehow 12-15 more minutes were going to make some huge difference in his game is pure conjecture.

Yeah. Jimmy Jr is also averaging 15 points per game. If he hits a three its to be expected. If Williams touches the ball and doesn't commit a turnover the game thread has 10 posts immediately of people rejoicing and saying 'see he just needs time' or something to that effect. Its weird.

13.2 MPG is plenty of playing time to show what you have and 'develop' Williams could just focus on being physical and using his athleticism to draw fouls but I'm not sure he wants to go to the line hes shooting 42.9% from the stripe.

JB pushed ALL his chips in on this player being able to fill the 6th/7th man in the rotation role when he could have had a proven player instead. Coach liked his starting 5 and didn't want any bench players causing problems. I don't want to scapegoat the guy but I think that is the biggest reason we have virtually no chance at an at large. First forward off the bench is kind of the most important position on this team if we had Marek and weren't starting him at center we have 3-4 more wins.

Can Carmelo send him a headband? I can't think of many guys who try to play basketball with their hair directly in their eyes blocking their vision maybe Dan Dickau years ago but Williams is kinda like Cousin It. That might help.

 

[bigmike]

View attachment 212645

Hilarious, oh and Covid changed our wardrobes.

 

[UnderHisOwnPower]

 

[OrangeMojo]

I guess you never watched any of Tom Cream’s teams.

I took the kids over to Athens a couple weeks ago to see a UGA game - watched Crean’s boys get dominated wire to wire by a 5-7 Gardner-Webb team. It was horrific how bad they were.

It was so bad I looked up Crean’s salary midway through the second half - base salary of $3.2M this year.

 

[orangecuse]

This. I get that minutes are good for young players and that JB isn’t fond of playing a deep bench and his handling of young players and the bench (particularly in recent years) is fine to criticize.

But this board is unreal. Every year people cry about minutes. Kadary I get, but Carey? Goodine? Benny? Frank as a frosh? I mean, sometimes it’s on the player to produce when they get that opportunity.

For the season Benny has played in 16 games including tonight. Prior to tonight he was averaging about 14 mins/game. And he had 15 total field goals and 23 total rebounds (as a 6-8 forward).

This isn’t lack of opportunity, this purely lack of production — even if we forget the scoring and focus on filling a stat sheet with steals/Rebounds/blocks.

Should he have played more tonight? I think so. But to act like somehow 12-15 more minutes were going to make some huge difference in his game is pure conjecture.

Okay. But do you want to know what is "unreal?" This team going into last night's game was a sub .500 team this far into the season. More importantly, that many of our starters would likely be 6th or 7th type guys during our more consistent and accustomed good years. You know, back when we were consistently ranked during the regular seasons. We haven't played a conference game as a ranked team after January 1st since like 2014. I mean...think about that for a moment...that's unreal!

That being the case, what's also unreal, is we still can't seem to get our bench guys out there to play much, especially in meaningful moments. Meaningful moments being in the 2nd half when the outcome is still in question. Those who do make it in, are only in because our old normal 6th/7th player nowadays starter, is in significant foul trouble or has fouled out.

You mention those other players, well, that really speaks for itself too, and is even more unreal. How far back do we have to go before we had a legit P5 level PG on this team...Ennis! We got very fortunate that Silent G was able to convert and run the point here after Ennis as well, he certainly wasn't brought here from Duke with that in mind.

The 5 spot has been a joke as well for a P5 level team since Christmas' graduation, let alone for a P5 level school in Syracuse that ranks all time in the Top 6 for wins at the collegiate level. Jesse appears to be our best since Rak, but just last February the HOF'er spewed consistently how he wasn't "ready." We have been so deficient there until Jesse this season, that Lydon to Marek to now Jimmy Jr. is playing the 5.

Those facts and the fact that JB has done a beyond miserable job for years now relative to roster management, etc. is no doubt, truly unreal!

 

[STEVEHOLT]

We have never had a recruit as hyped as Williams come in a million miles away from being ready to contribute and people are griping about his minutes?

I get that he might improve but I expect every recruit we have next year to be better than him b/c if they aren't we shouldn't be recruiting them.

How low our expectations have dropped...

This was a good win. I feel like a bunch of games this year should have ended this way wish we could have a couple back and were still playing for an at large.

I was a “free Bennie” guy initially. Now I’m more of a “free me from having to watch Bennie” guy

 

[STEVEHOLT]

View attachment 212645

How much they paying Gordon Gekko to serve as motivational assistant?

 

[HSPORANGE]

Okay. But do you want to know what is "unreal?" This team going into last night's game was a sub .500 team this far into the season. More importantly, that many of our starters would likely be 6th or 7th type guys during our more consistent and accustomed good years. You know, back when we were consistently ranked during the regular seasons. We haven't played a conference game as a ranked team after January 1st since like 2014. I mean...think about that for a moment...that's unreal!

That being the case, what's also unreal, is we still can't seem to get our bench guys out there to play much, especially in meaningful moments. Meaningful moments being in the 2nd half when the outcome is still in question. Those who do make it in, are only in because our old normal 6th/7th player nowadays starter, is in significant foul trouble or has fouled out.

You mention those other players, well, that really speaks for itself too, and is even more unreal. How far back do we have to go before we had a legit P5 level PG on this team...Ennis! We got very fortunate that Silent G was able to convert and run the point here after Ennis as well, he certainly wasn't brought here from Duke with that in mind.

The 5 spot has been a joke as well for a P5 level team since Christmas' graduation, let alone for a P5 level school in Syracuse that ranks all time in the Top 6 for wins at the collegiate level. Jesse appears to be our best since Rak, but just last February the HOF'er spewed consistently how he wasn't "ready." We have been so deficient there until Jesse this season, that Lydon to Marek to now Jimmy Jr. is playing the 5.

Those facts and the fact that JB has done a beyond miserable job for years now relative to roster management, etc. is no doubt, truly unreal!

Deep breaths, its going to be ok. We won and as far as I know, no players or their family members currently post on this board (board is becoming harder and harder to visit and especially after a loss). I'm in the group that feels JB needs to consider retiring very soon but has earned his right to call his shot on when he does, within reason. The man is beyond stubborn.

Absolutely no reason that Swider, Joe, or Jimmy Jr should be playing more than 30 min per game. Buddy is our best player and deserves his minutes even though I think he would be even better with slightly less minutes per game and an occasional breather.

While I think Benny has a very high ceiling, the guy does not belong on the floor playing 20 min per game right now when he is clearly struggling with all facets of the game. Blame it on JB or blame it on whatever, but the kid is struggling. I, personally, would like to see more Symir at the point, especially against the faster and more athletic teams. He is able to penetrate and break aggressive defenses better then anyone else on the roster. Slide Joe to the 2 some and Buddy can play some at the 3.

I truly hope JB moves Joe to the 2 next year and either Symir or Copeland is the starter at pg. Joe's 3 point shooting would be much better playing off the ball.

Happy for the guys to get a much needed win. They are a couple bounces away from being 5-0 in conference.

 

[Cusefan0307]

How much they paying Gordon Gekko to serve as motivational assistant?

I thought it was Pat Riley.

 

[phil77]

While I think Benny has a very high ceiling, the guy does not belong on the floor playing 20 min per game right now when he is clearly struggling with all facets of the game. Blame it on JB or blame it on whatever, but the kid is struggling.

This is exactly why when you have a 20 point lead with 7 minutes against a terrible terrible terrible PITT team that he needs those minutes. He needs those minutes to gain confidence and develop so in the future he might be someone they can rely on. How about running a couple of sets for him to see what he can do on offense maybe in the post or something. This is the exact type of game that the bench should be playing to get better and actually gain in-game confidence. If you aren't going to play him when you are up 20 against the worst team in the ACC then you just aren't going to ever play him and just tell him to go to the portal.

 

[billsin01]

Okay. But do you want to know what is "unreal?" This team going into last night's game was a sub .500 team this far into the season. More importantly, that many of our starters would likely be 6th or 7th type guys during our more consistent and accustomed good years. You know, back when we were consistently ranked during the regular seasons. We haven't played a conference game as a ranked team after January 1st since like 2014. I mean...think about that for a moment...that's unreal!

That being the case, what's also unreal, is we still can't seem to get our bench guys out there to play much, especially in meaningful moments. Meaningful moments being in the 2nd half when the outcome is still in question. Those who do make it in, are only in because our old normal 6th/7th player nowadays starter, is in significant foul trouble or has fouled out.

You mention those other players, well, that really speaks for itself too, and is even more unreal. How far back do we have to go before we had a legit P5 level PG on this team...Ennis! We got very fortunate that Silent G was able to convert and run the point here after Ennis as well, he certainly wasn't brought here from Duke with that in mind.

The 5 spot has been a joke as well for a P5 level team since Christmas' graduation, let alone for a P5 level school in Syracuse that ranks all time in the Top 6 for wins at the collegiate level. Jesse appears to be our best since Rak, but just last February the HOF'er spewed consistently how he wasn't "ready." We have been so deficient there until Jesse this season, that Lydon to Marek to now Jimmy Jr. is playing the 5.

Those facts and the fact that JB has done a beyond miserable job for years now relative to roster management, etc. is no doubt, truly unreal!

OK, then criticize those things. Benny getting huge benefit from 12-15 more mins in one game or getting bigger minutes in general while showing nothing is, as you point out, not the issue.

For me, I’m not as concerned about all the things you mention b/c JB built this thing and it would take an act of god to make a guy that entrenched and proud to walk away when he’s known nothing other than Cuse hoops for the past 50 years, give or take. The end was likely going to be a little ugly and it certainly has been.

But I’m not totally sure what you do about it. Yes, if boosters are going nuts, it gives you more leverage but I don’t think that’s the case.

It’s gotten ugly, which was predictable. Sucks. The question that worries me more is we ever really see a return to those glory years. I’m not so sure with all the changes to college sports. It’s depressing and you’re not wrong. But let’s not conflate that with the issue of playing time, which is a crutch for so many on here.

 

[LockedOnSyr]

Here's our recap pod. We talked a lot about the rotations and whether Bol, Symir, Frank should get more time.