If a young, unproven player, in particular, isn’t going to give max effort in practice, then a coach has no compelling reason to play him. No coach is going to trust someone with meaningful minutes if they only know them as someone who dogs it in practice.
This is what we’re talking about here. This isn’t John Wallace in his senior year not giving it his all in a random January practice. This is about underclassmen who need to prove themselves.
Specific to SU hoops, I have no clue if Edwards, Newton, Braswell, etc. are dogging it in practice. If they have been, then that’s on them.
I watch those three, in particular, play in games and I question how all of them would dog it in practice.
Newton specifically. He is a high-motor guy and his defense was a bright spot early in the year. His shooting has not been good after his COVID pause, but his movement on the defensive end was impressive enough to lead anyone to believe that he would do the same in practice.
Again, I have no idea -- I'm not at practice. But the way they play in games, and try to seize the opportunity, it would strike me as weird if all of them were slacking off in practice.
I might also take it one step further and suggest that if they were dogging it in practice, then someone on the coaching staff should probably tell them that the only way they will play in the game is if they give it their all.
On the flip side, Griffin doesn't exactly strike me as someone that gives 100% in practice all of the time. Again, based on what we see on the court during games. Yet he still starts.
Finally, if Griffin doesn't give it his all during games on one end of the court (that much is clear), then why should practice be the determining factor? Aren't games more important?
Seems to me the "things JB says" argument holds a lot of water here. But again, impossible to know since we don't see practice. Which also gives JB the ability to craft whatever narrative he wants. And amplifies any fan's suspicion that he has lost his way as it relates to development of young players and roster management.