Stop-gap for this season- Maliq at the 4 Benny at the 5?
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FRANKIEFAN
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Yes. I think sticking Benny at the 5 for 30 mins or until he fouls out is by far our best plan at the position. He'll cause turnovers and frustrate their bigs.
Cope and Judah play 30 mins together with Cuffe backing them up and Starling can fight for minutes at the 3.
We can't get any less than we do from Starling in all these minutes its time to stop letting him start. Him and Bell fight for the 3 spot and Taylor spells Brown at 4.
Cope and Judah play 30 mins together with Cuffe backing them up and Starling can fight for minutes at the 3.
We can't get any less than we do from Starling in all these minutes its time to stop letting him start. Him and Bell fight for the 3 spot and Taylor spells Brown at 4.
Sorry I have no faith in Benny. He has shown no toughness, no willingness to fight for minutes or boards. He has shown little willingness to drive and instead still believes he is some sort of shooter. I would rather play Hima at the five than Benny
crv1728
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I've thought that if we are going to play Maliq, at 6'8" at the center, then we need more length, athleticism and rebounding to support him. Benny is the only guy on the roster that fits that, but it's Benny. So who knows, could work.
OttoinGrotto
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Look, it's an absolutely terrible idea, but I say we try it, and only slightly because I called Benny at the 5 last season and I would love to have that prediction pay off.
Copeland, Judah, Bell, Brown, and Benny would be your best starting line-up.
two3zone
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Preferably most of the game. Don’t think Benny is any good at all but he’s size and Taylor and Bell may stink worse.
CardiacCuse
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taylor at the 4 is arguably the worst idea i have ever seen offered up on this board. he can guard players his size or smaller pretty well but gets manhandled by anyone bigger.
I do kinda like the idea of benny at the 5 if only to force him near the rim and stop line driving worm burners from 3...but then again that would probably only apply to his defensive positioning. benny needs to hover near the rim all game or sit.
(a lot of these players need to sit...but playing 5 guys is mandatory, too)
its funny to me how people are zeroing in on starling when he is: avg double fgures in scoring with the same shooting % as mintz...42%...and better shooting % than: benny, taylor, cuffe and bell from the floor.
I mean, yeah, starling isnt exactly living up to 5star billing...but have you guys seen the alternatives on this roster??? JJ needs to play a lot of minutes on this team. maaaybe when Westry comes back, there will be legit options to bench him...but for now? hard no.
br801
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I wouldn't mind seeing it tried. If nothing else, it would give opposing teams a different look to consider, which is really McLeod's greatest value when he's in there. Who knows, maybe it would energerize Benny (at least briefly), and Red could catch lightning in a bottle once in a while. On the other hand, it might be a disaster and kill off any hope of getting serviceable minutes from Benny.
mark79
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I’ve thought about that. Can’t be worse than we have now lol
swish7
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I like this idea actually and have been noodling it for a bit. Kept it to myself bc people rag on Benny so much.
Benny seems like the type of kid that needs to feel like he's not gonna get yoinked after any mistake. So, let him exist at the center spot, and instruct him to not shoot 3s. Tell him he's got the most important role on the team, salvaging our weakest spot & shutting down the opponents strength.
I think he'd thrive. It would force him to do what he should be doing and that is attempting easier buckets.
Maliq would thrive wherever you put him.
mark79
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The question I have is whether he would / could play the 5 on offense as well as defense. Putting him at the 5 on defense doesn't necessarily mean he would remain close to the basket on offense. I would do whatever had to be done though to try to get him to stay within 10-15 feet of the basket include playing him at the 5 alongside Maliq at the 4.
PoppyHart
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If he’s playing the 5 and hustling back, he only needs to run 70 feet to get into defensive position.
tbonezone
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jb played PF'S out of position at the 5 for years. DC was a forward, otis was a pf ,etan was a forward, rax was PF/ center , add in lydon and many others. all playing out of their natural spots.
now you got three 7 footers sitting on your bench. i don't care if rotate them out every whistle . tell them they have 2 minutes and to hustle their butts back on D and block everything near the rim. we got 15 fouls to spend inside before we even get to brown. and just forget the benny nonsense.
now you got three 7 footers sitting on your bench. i don't care if rotate them out every whistle . tell them they have 2 minutes and to hustle their butts back on D and block everything near the rim. we got 15 fouls to spend inside before we even get to brown. and just forget the benny nonsense.
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swish7
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Yeah, it would be an experiment with an uncertain outcome, but it couldn't hurt. I completely agree he should occupy that < 15' space. He and Maliq can basically work off ball, shadowing, picking, then high low to each other for easy buckets.
pearl31
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"with the personnel available" and "stop-gap" are instructive here
a forward rotation of Bell/Taylor/Williams/Copeland/Cuffe isn't tenable
but (I think) 30ish minutes of Brown at the 4, shared minutes at the 5 between Benny/Hima/Carey, and a rotation at the 3 of Copeland/Bell/Cuffe is considerably more tenable
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Fly Rodder
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I don't see an issue with playing multiple PFs instead of a PF and a nominal center. There are only 12 players in the ACC listed as a center and Syracuse has three (four, Patterson not listed because he's redshirt)) of them (McLeod, Hima, and Carey). Only two of those players listed as centers have a positive BPM over 5*: Filipowski (13.6*) and Lynn Kidd (10.6). Rthe rest are various degrees of mediocre and not good at all.
Next season we can start Freeman and Maliq at the forwards with a tweener SF/G who can shoot and two guards who can shoot ... it's not a bad day at the office. I don't see that happening, but it's nice to dream.
*Leads all players in the ACC. Syracuse's highest player by BPM is Maliq Brown at 9.6.
Next season we can start Freeman and Maliq at the forwards with a tweener SF/G who can shoot and two guards who can shoot ... it's not a bad day at the office. I don't see that happening, but it's nice to dream.
*Leads all players in the ACC. Syracuse's highest player by BPM is Maliq Brown at 9.6.
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