Some general thoughts post-Gtown | Syracusefan.com

Some general thoughts post-Gtown

billsin01

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Interesting game, which is to say that I'm still not sure exactly what this team is and I'm not sure we should be bragging about beating a disaster of a g'town program at home, but ... it's better than the alternative. A few thoughts:

JB has done a solid job using his bench thus far
Everyone hates that JB sticks with 7/7.5 every year and so far he hasn't done that. Nine guys played at least 8 mins today and they all contributed in some form or fashion. Not quite sure why Brown isn't in the mix more, but otherwise, JB has played his guys. Thought the two times he put Torrence in were both good subs, JBA continues to bring energy and hustle/defense, and Hima had a key 8 min stretch. Still an uneven performance from Bell/Williams/Taylor but getting them reps makes sense and hopefully pays off.

Mintz was a difference-maker
Edwards is the best player on this team and Girard will continue to put up points, but Mintz not only getting his but also finding teammates would be an outstanding development. Drew a ton of fouls on G'town, broke their defense down non-stop and played well defensively -- not just the five steals but getting over screens up top all game long. That was a really nice effort.

Edwards is expanding his offensive game
Obviously a good game for Edwards who has the potential to put together a really special season when you look at the rebound and block totals. But his low-post spin and jump hook against Wahab was a beautiful post move. He also hit two short jumpers. The one criticism I've had of him the past year+ has been that he is much better at catch-and-finish plays than actually creating something. But he's done a nice job of creating some buckets the last few games. If he can control the fouls (big if), he could have a really big year offensively too.

Taylor/Williams/Bell remain question marks for me
JBA is going to hustle, defend and feed the post. Edwards does his thing, Girard will be frustrating at times but will also score and is our only consistent shooting threat at this point even with his struggles, Mintz can break defenders down and create, Hima is a big body and decent backup center, Torrence plays under control, is probably our best defensive guard and has shown more ability to score a bit this year as well. I feel like Taylor/Williams/Bell are still very much trying to figure out what they are and how they fit. It will be the key to what our season looks like down the road. Bell is frustrating because his energy and defense are so inconsistent and that three hasn't been falling. But, to be fair, he's come a long way since the exhibitions and the first three regular season games. He's a confident offensive player who is at least doing a little more inside the arc these days. Taylor is sort of the opposite -- he's not real frustrating but I'm not sure how confident he is in his game. Had a nice steal today but was otherwise pretty invisible out there and for a guy who's logged quite a few minutes, he hasn't yielded much in the way of scoring. He's a solid player but not overly productive. Benny, what can you say. I actually thought today he was a very effective player in the second half -- cutting to the basket, finishing plays, looking for his offense, active on defense. But he just struggles to do any of that consistently. Not sure who emerges out of this crew (and I'd actually like to see more of Brown), but at least one, preferably two need to bring some consistent production.

Overall: a work in progress
I remain in the camp that an NCAA bid or even a real run at the bubble feels unlikely. But I will say that this team looks far better than they did in the first few weeks of the season. JBA has been key, Edwards is expanding his game, Mintz is maturing and Bell/Williams have had some moments at times. Girard has struggled but still contributes. Torrence has been really good in relatively short stints off the bench. Hima is a decent backup big. There are some parts here, so hopefully they continue to play well the next five and can build of that. Will be interesting to watch, at least, which I wouldn't have said a few weeks ago.
 
The biggest improvement so far is the willingness to pass. The first several games were all "hero-ball." Maybe this is JBAs true contribution. He exemplifies team ball. If he's as vocal as people say he is in practice, he's probably making an impact.
 
The biggest improvement so far is the willingness to pass. The first several games were all "hero-ball." Maybe this is JBAs true contribution. He exemplifies team ball. If he's as vocal as people say he is in practice, he's probably making an impact.
Yeah this is a good point. I would add intensity/energy with JBA. I think people find that to be a back-handed compliment at times but that’s not how I see it.

Take Benny or Bell, for example. Those guys have gotten better and you can see some things. Benny’s mid-range is falling a bit more and bell has had some shots drop, grabbed a few boards, and even got the line three times. But, while there will always be mistakes, those guys show really good energy in spurts (even if the results aren’t there) and then wane for a bit and are a step slow as a result. JBA is what he is, but he is always sticking his nose in there and looking to disrupt things. He’s always locked into what’s happening in the game. It’s the same thing Keita had and Kong and Marek — the skill was what it was with each of those guys but could rely on them to match or exceed the opponent’s energy every time on the floor. That counts, especially for a young team.
 
All we need is really for Joe to make his FTs that matter, dont throw the hero pass, and just be a bit more consistent on the wide open looks he gets. He was 2-8 from three. A couple were just taking shots . but he had multiple wide open ft set looks as well.. those need to be 50/50 because with edwards gettting so much attention and Mintz driving, he is gonna get his 4-6 wide open looks that dont require a ton of running. Seems like every game he gets a couple wide open looks on the break as well and those are the killers we need to see go down,
 
Agree that even a bubble run would be a bit unexpected, but this will be an interesting team to watch because we actually have options. We have a number of players that can really contribute now. I do think Carey and Copeland are probably the odd men out for now, but who knows. Like a bunch of others, confused why Brown doesn't get more play. With Benny playing a bit of 3 now, wonder if that opens things up down the road for Brown. Always seems to make plays and rarely makes mistakes.

Overall, low expectations for outcomes, but excited to watch a team that shows potential of getting better each game.
 

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