1 - I know you are trying to avoid bashing Red outright but is it fair to say right now you are more than skeptical and thinking he’s not the guy ? To me the negative opinions baked into your response are plentiful around his ability to do the job. That’s where I’m going with my points more than it being about Eddie. My reference to Jdub was generic but figured familiarity was a better example.
2 - The game has changed along with society- the things we want emphasized and that coaches could get away with in terms of limiting players has taken close to a 180 degree turn. I’m as old school in the basics too but trying to be real with how things have to be managed now. It’s not unique to sports it’s everywhere including managing staff. So im done hanging on to something that isn’t returning anytime soon. Honestly if I hang onto it I just wouldn’t have any desire to watch the sport at all.
3- I do think its feasible he is working on his defense- given it was much better at TCU than in Boulder.
Re 1.
I love Red and have forever since he was a recruit and I was young. On my life, I still remember his Scholastic Sports America on ESPN.
I wanted a full coaching search that included external candidates. Whatever happened, happened.
I think Red was a good choice. He was an awesome player. Cut his teeth a few places coaching. Has connections. And I think he's clearly his own man in terms of respecting what JB built against where he wants to go for the future.
Last year he inherited the team and, depending on how you look at it, was successful. There is no doubt a case can be made that 20 wins was amazing. I think that is fair to say.
So, do I think he's the right guy? I want him to be, I'm not convinced of it yet in totality, but it's still early in his tenure.
Re 2.
Lampkin isnt making the NBA shooting threes. If Red cant convince him of that, thats a failure on Red's ability to effectively communicate and Lampkin's ability to absorb advice. If Lampkin cant be a plus defender, hes toast. If he cant switch at all, hes toast. If he doesnt understand how to defend the high pick and roll, hes toast. He will never, ever be a three point shooting big in the NBA. Point being, even if we are balancing what is good for Syracuse the bball team and Lampkin for his prospects (to be fair to Lampkin, the dude isnt a stiff), neither include him trying to shoot threes.
Re 3.
If he has any sense, he'd be committed to his defense like it was his saving grace.
JJ is going to get first crack at being the man. And he's going to have to work off a lot of screens. Who is setting that for him? Who can he depend on to screen and re-screen? Who can handle the short roll? I know the upside to JJ if he has confidence and his shot is fixed and he is healthy. I know the bare minimum I got with Chris Bell in terms of being a lights out shooter (btw, I'm coming around on Bell being awesome and making a huge jump even if he's limited). I know some other guys that came in will be aware of their role because of their limitations. I think Chase and Donnie are the two wild cards. But Donnie is on the radar for being a first round pick and he isn't going to stand in a corner.
I dunno, I don't dislike Lampkin. But for the resources we've committed to him, we need him being excellent at what we need him to be, not at what won't help him or us.
Hey, maybe I'm wrong and dude becomes a 270 pound Klay Thompson.
