Should Have Spent the $$$ on a PG

[jordoo]

The more things change the more they stay the same. This team would have been better off spending the big money on a PG and getting whatever big we could. I like Eddie but a PG is so much more valuable on a team that is lacking in so many areas. The PG play has been so poor that it makes it hard to properly evaluate the rest of the teams shortcomings.

Winning teams have a net positive floor general. Winning teams have at least 1 or 2 high end talents. Winning teams have at least one guy that plays hard and infects the other guys with it. Winning teams know what they are trying to do and have a plan. Winning teams have consistent roles, substitution patterns and leadership. It seems like we don't have any of those things but without even decent PG play its hard to tell. I know that as a fan, most of my life Syracuse has had at least 3 of those things most seasons and sometimes 4 or all 5. It was brutal for me to sit through that BC game. I will hope for the best but what we saw from a coaching standpoint appeared to be grasping in the darkness.

 

[RF2044]

Yup. Agree 100%.

The inability to land / retain a quality, high caliber point guard was in no small part what led to our decline over JB's final 8 years. And that trend has continued to be a big problem with this "new" staff.

 

[pwong]

Wasn’t it because we didn’t have the money for their top PG target?

We couldn’t aim super high (Dakota Leffew as top realistic target) and then the Eddie Lampkin NIL increase/Georgia having SEC money left us having to go to Plan B / cheaper option in Carlos?

 

[Nicknack]

I don't disagree with you but I think we tried. As I understand it, we got picked over by top talent and/or weren't able to afford some guys - my top choice was brining Richmond back but I think he was too pricey.

The main issue I have right now is continuing to play Carlos almost the full game. I don't think it's a hot take to say, if he continues to log 35-36 minutes a game, we're screwed. I would rather die from paper cuts then continue to see that.

 

[Newhouser]

Al McGuire used to always say the college game is won in the backcourt the NBA in the front court.

Game has changed obviously but push comes to shove you have to place priority on the guards.

 

[23Zone]

Hope the Aussie can deliver next year

 

[FRANKIEFAN]

Noone expected Carlos to be this bad. Lampkin on a better team would be great.

 

[Sherman20]

The more things change the more they stay the same. This team would have been better off spending the big money on a PG and getting whatever big we could. I like Eddie but a PG is so much more valuable on a team that is lacking in so many areas. The PG play has been so poor that it makes it hard to properly evaluate the rest of the teams shortcomings.

Winning teams have a net positive floor general. Winning teams have at least 1 or 2 high end talents. Winning teams have at least one guy that plays hard and infects the other guys with it. Winning teams know what they are trying to do and have a plan. Winning teams have consistent roles, substitution patterns and leadership. It seems like we don't have any of those things but without even decent PG play its hard to tell. I know that as a fan, most of my life Syracuse has had at least 3 of those things most seasons and sometimes 4 or all 5. It was brutal for me to sit through that BC game. I will hope for the best but what we saw from a coaching standpoint appeared to be grasping in the darkness.

Yeah a better PG would have been key. Especially with Starling really being more of a shooting guard.

But we attempted to get into the Malik Mack and Kadary Richmond sweepstakes, and those didn’t seem to go anywhere. I don’t see us beating out Pitino for Kadary or being able to overcome staying home in the DMV for Mack, even with more $$. Roach was another apparent target that we didn’t get any traction on. I just don’t know if we had the dough, even if we took Lampkin’s money to pay for a PG. What other PGs would have been a good fit that we could have realistically landed? There must have been other mid major guys but I’m struggling to come up with names.

 

[Trueblue25]

We dont get point guards drafted. Another casualty of the JB era since 2014.

 

[Bayside44]

Yeah a better PG would have been key. Especially with Starling really being more of a shooting guard.

But we attempted to get into the Malik Mack and Kadary Richmond sweepstakes, and those didn’t seem to go anywhere. I don’t see us beating out Pitino for Kadary or being able to overcome staying home in the DMV for Mack. Roach was another apparent target that we didn’t get any traction on. I just don’t know if we had the dough, even if we took Lampkin’s money to pay for a PG. What other PGs would have been a good fit that we could have realistically landed? There must have been other mid major guys but I’m struggling to come up with names.

Erik Reynolds was rumored to get into the portal but never did.

 

[orangecuse]

Yup. Agree 100%.

The inability to land / retain a quality, high caliber point guard was in no small part what led to our decline over JB's final 8 years. And that trend has continued to be a big problem with this "new" staff.

Tru dat!

And, a very close 2nd being, all of those swing and misses on our high(er) ranked and targeted 5's, where we ended up settling with Plan D & E type guys. Tyler Lydon at the 5...and the beat goes on.

 

[Sherman20]

Erik Reynolds was rumored to get into the portal but never did.

Yes. And Straughn had a good connect as one of his former assistant coaches. But he also wasn’t a PG.

 

[Bayside44]

Yes. And Straughn had a good connect as one of his former assistant coaches. But he also wasn’t a PG.

But he's well over 6 feet tall

 

[Sherman20]

The Possible PGs thread from last spring is a pretty interesting read now. Tomcat had a pretty nice advanced stats compilation/ breakdown of some of the potential targets that were being mentioned, including Carlos.

Possible Portal Point Guards

I wondered that myself for a minute, but Judah moving on was no secret. It’s not like Mike Waters just found out this afternoon. Right, but I could see a player coming in from elsewhere and his family/representative wanting to be 100% clear publicly. It would suck to transfer somewhere and then...

syracusefan.com

There are so many players we have been discussing that I thought it would be a good idea to put them all together in a spreadsheet to see how they compare.

Looking at this, I don't think there is much of a comparison. Erik Reynolds II is the guy we need. Dasher was right. Again.

I think if you click on it, it will blow up to a readable size. Happy to add more players or more columns if need be.

Also included Judah's stats for comparison purposes. And highlighted the best number for each category.

View attachment 239637

 

[phil77]

Roach was another apparent target that we didn’t get any traction on.

I don't think we really went after Roach because we were too far down the line with Leffew and the staff thought he was 100% coming. He would have been my 1000% pick from last year's portal class and that includes Richmond. He could have had a major impact on the team similar to McCord IMO.

 

[Sbucketball]

Roach was another apparent target that we didn’t get any traction on.

I don't think we really went after Roach because we were too far down the line with Leffew and the staff thought he was 100% coming. He would have been my 1000% pick from last year's portal class and that includes Richmond. He could have had a major impact on the team similar to McCord IMO.

Unfortunately, Roach views Syracuse as a bad basketball program. He's quietly said as much. So that was never going to work. Need to repair our brand quickly and it's not happening this year.

 

[MikeSU02]

The more things change the more they stay the same. This team would have been better off spending the big money on a PG and getting whatever big we could. I like Eddie but a PG is so much more valuable on a team that is lacking in so many areas. The PG play has been so poor that it makes it hard to properly evaluate the rest of the teams shortcomings.

Winning teams have a net positive floor general. Winning teams have at least 1 or 2 high end talents. Winning teams have at least one guy that plays hard and infects the other guys with it. Winning teams know what they are trying to do and have a plan. Winning teams have consistent roles, substitution patterns and leadership. It seems like we don't have any of those things but without even decent PG play its hard to tell. I know that as a fan, most of my life Syracuse has had at least 3 of those things most seasons and sometimes 4 or all 5. It was brutal for me to sit through that BC game. I will hope for the best but what we saw from a coaching standpoint appeared to be grasping in the darkness.

Lead guards increase the ceiling of everyone other on the floor. They are insanely important at the college game.

Yes, there are the Edeys/Clingans of the world, but for the most part, lead guards are the silver bullet that fix a lot of other problems.

Hopefully the portal next year is better to us and/or the Aussie kid can really step up.

 

[l'orange]

True PG does fix a lot. Look at Tyler Ennis from back in the day. Offense was slow but deliberate.
True point with guys that full-on hustle on D and boards and you'll have a decent team.

 

[Nicknack]

We dont get point guards drafted. Another casualty of the JB era since 2014.

Simple fix... get better talent. In one year, it's not like programs are "getting" guys into the NBA. They're getting themselves into the league with the talent they have gong into college.

 

[Newhouser]

Tru dat!

And, a very close 2nd being, all of those swing and misses on our high(er) ranked and targeted 5's, where we ended up settling with Plan D & E type guys. Tyler Lydon at the 5...and the beat goes on.

I would kill to have Lydon at the 5. Most under appreciated player here..maybe ever.

 

[cuseattle]

I would kill to have Lydon at the 5. Most under appreciated player here..maybe ever.

Loved Lydon's game. Still wish he would have taken half the threes he faked at the arc.

 

[chuck]

We dont get point guards drafted. Another casualty of the JB era since 2014.

Um, I'd say about 95% of teams don't get pgs drafted in the last 8 years lol.