The Cooney Conundrum

[kuethstheman]

What's a coach to do?

I'm pretty confident of the following, leading up to the season:

1. Cooney will come back next year
2. He'll shoot great
3. He'll take it to the basket
4. He'll take advantage of his athleticism
   
5. He'll play pretty good D
   
6. He'll look better than every other option we have at the 2
7. He'll take a gazillion extra shots a day and make all but a few
   
8. He'll do whatever else the coaches asks of him

So what do you do if you're JB?

• Play him, hope he shoots better (more consistently) over the course of the season than last year? Make him/let him expand his game
  
• Play someone else who is a lesser shooter but that has demonstrated a wider range of skills that the team needs and some consistency, in games last year (i.e. G)?

Does he risk a repeat of last year? Does he bank on Cooney being more consistent with experience, a la Rautins? How much more consistency would he expect?

I hope we can avoid rehashing who likes Cooney, who doesn't, and why. I'm asking what you think JB will do given the facts of Cooney's prolonged slump and JB's willingness to let him play through it while giving him the vast majority of minutes.

 

[Dave85]

What's a coach to do?

I'm pretty confident of the following, leading up to the season:

1. Cooney will come back next year
2. He'll shoot great
3. He'll take it to the basket
4. He'll take advantage of his athleticism
   
5. He'll play pretty good D
   
6. He'll look better than every other option we have at the 2
7. He'll take a gazillion extra shots a day and make all but a few
   
8. He'll do whatever else the coaches asks of him

So what do you do if you're JB?

• Play him, hope he shoots better (more consistently) over the course of the season than last year? Make him/let him expand his game
  
• Play someone else who is a lesser shooter but that has demonstrated a wider range of skills that the team needs and some consistency, in games last year (i.e. G)?

Does he risk a repeat of last year? Is it likely that Cooney will be more consistent with experience, a la Rautins? How much more consistent?

I hope we can avoid rehashing who likes Cooney, who doesn't, and why. I'm asking what you think JB will do given the facts of Cooney's prolonged slump and JB's willingness to let him play through it while giving him the vast majority of minutes.

I would like to see the Orange play some kind of motion read react offense. The double pick coming of the screen for Cooney got old pretty quick. Most teams shut Cooney down. The team has got to get away from passing the ball to a player and having that player score with one-on-one isolation. I would like to see the offense have more movement off the ball and see more passing to find an open player. Iowa State was really good at passing the ball around on offense. I would like to see some of that in the offensive sets.

If Cooney is ice cold, my hope is we will see more Patterson or Silent G at the 2.

 

[newmexicuse]

What's a coach to do?

I'm pretty confident of the following, leading up to the season:

1. Cooney will come back next year - Definitely
2. He'll shoot great - Will he do it when it matters ??
3. He'll take it to the basket - I doubt he will be very successful at this - a Devendorf he is not
4. He'll take advantage of his athleticism - IMHO his athleticism is vastly over-rated by many on this forum
   
5. He'll play pretty good D - But will he really be better than Buss or BJ if they get a legit chance to get some experience ?
   
6. He'll look better than every other option we have at the 2 - He will early on, but that remains to be seen if Buss and BJ are given a legit developmental opportunity.
7. He'll take a gazillion extra shots a day and make all but a few - Yes
   
8. He'll do whatever else the coaches asks of him - Yes

So what do you do if you're JB?

• Play him, hope he shoots better (more consistently) over the course of the season than last year? Make him/let him expand his game - I do not see Trevor consistently finishing at the rim, but I do think he should be able to drive and hit pullup J's consistently.
  
• Play someone else who is a lesser shooter but that has demonstrated a wider range of skills that the team needs and some consistency, in games last year (i.e. G)? - Somebody else has to step up first

Does he risk a repeat of last year? Does he bank on Cooney being more consistent with experience, a la Rautins? How much more consistency would he expect?

I hope we can avoid rehashing who likes Cooney, who doesn't, and why. I'm asking what you think JB will do given the facts of Cooney's prolonged slump and JB's willingness to let him play through it while giving him the vast majority of minutes.

- When a slump extends to 15 or more games you have to question if it is a slump or if the talent is over-rated. Last season team's showed they could adjust to Trevor, Trevor did not show he could successfully respond- doesn't mean that response won't happen this season.

My bottom line take on Trevor is that Jimmy needs to shorten his leash & cut his minutes so he will have legs throughout the season, and most importantly, he has to stop running around in circles & find some other way to get free (a PG who could drive & kick would help). Trevor does more circles than do my dogs when they are trying to find a spot to sit.

 

[kuethstheman]

So you're both assuming he starts?

 

[two3zone]

So you're both assuming he starts?

Who would start over him?

 

[rrlbees]

As much will depend on the team. Will we have better shooters overall so the defenses focus on the perimeter isn't only on Cooney and will we do any drive and kick or dumping to bigs who can pass back out. Running more also can help a 3 point shooter as a trailer.

Love to see Cooney get more looks that other great shooters get which is to be squared up to the basket, receive a pass and step into his shot.

Cooney needs to work on some things himself like has been mentioned, but he's not a single point of failure. The better construct of the team and offense around him will make him better and the better he plays will make the construct of the team and offense better.

I actually think the offense next year will be far better than this past seasons.

 

[stuckinbig11]

What conundrum? His defense is much better than "pretty good." If the team has more offensive options, his shooting should be more consistent. I am guessing that he will work on his mid-range game this summer.

 

[kuethstheman]

What conundrum? His defense is much better than "pretty good." If the team has more offensive options, his shooting should be more consistent. I am guessing that he will work on his mid-range game this summer.

The conundrum is that since he's always been great in practice, there may be no way to tell if he's improved or is going to do any better next year than this year.

I'm sure he'll work on his mid-range game but I believe he already has a good mid-range game. He either chooses not to use it much or JB, in asking for 10 three-point attempts per game has caused him to go all-in on perimeter shots.

 

[realorange]

So you're both assuming he starts?

Without question.

 

[kuethstheman]

Who would start over him?

I guess if I knew he was going to go 0 for February and March, rarely take it to the basket, and rarely take a mid-range jumper, I might consider G.

 

[jordoo]

If Cooney isn't better next year I will be shocked. If Cooney doesn't shoot a better percentage from the floor and 3 I will be shocked. If Cooney goes on a season ending drought for 10+ games I will be shocked. We need him to be better, just like we need Buss and MikeG to be better so we can sit Cooney for at least 5min a half. We need everyone else to be better on offense as well so Cooney doesn't have to run a marathon in every half court set to get a fade away 3 with a guy in his grill. The biggest issue we had on offense last year was that CJ and Jerami didn't scare anyone from the 3 line. It not only hurt their games it hurt spacing and meant when Ennis was dribbling Cooney was the only shooter other teams had to worry about. The staff did a great job freeing him early in the season but he had to run a lot to get those looks and teams scouted those plays after a while and defended them much better.

 

[two3zone]

I guess if I knew he was going to go 0 for February and March, rarely take it to the basket, and rarely take a mid-range jumper, I might consider G.

I would do the same had I known he would stink, but you could say that about any player in the starting lineup.

 

[kuethstheman]

I would do the same had I known he would stink, but you could say that about any player in the starting lineup.

You're right that it applies to any player. To be clear, I do not mean to say that I think Cooney stunk this year. I don't believe that at all. I do feel that it's not crazy to think about starting G next year.

 

[jordoo]

You're right that it applies to any player. To be clear, I do not mean to say that I think Cooney stunk this year. I don't believe that at all. I do feel that it's not crazy to think about starting G next year.

I think for once next years starters are about as easy to call as they ever have been. Kaleb, Trevor, Chris, Tyler and Rakeem.

 

[SoBristol]

Of course you start and play Cooney, and I expect Gbinije to be starting as well.

The question is how Cooney meshes with a new PG and a new SF. He can't be a spot-up shooter, running marathons, while the PG and SF handle the perimeter. It was possible with Ennis & Fair. With newbies in those roles (PG and SF) Cooney will have to add to his game.

 

[OttoinGrotto]

The conundrum is that since he's always been great in practice, there may be no way to tell if he's improved or is going to do any better next year than this year.

There might be something to that, but he's as much of a sure thing as we have and we'll ride or die in large part based on how well he plays.

 

[rrlbees]

I think for once next years starters are about as easy to call as they ever have been. Kaleb, Trevor, Chris, Tyler and Rakeem.

That will be it IMO too.

 

[OttoinGrotto]

I think for once next years starters are about as easy to call as they ever have been. Kaleb, Trevor, Chris, Tyler and Rakeem.

The only thing that I think could possibly change is if we want to start the game with more spacing so Roberson comes off the bench to spell BJ Johnson as the starter.

I don't think that's how it will play out, but I think that's the only way (barring injury) the lineup you mentioned doesn't happen.

 

[TBCuse11]

Cooney has 0 chance to not start. It is what it is. Silent G will eat in to his time though next year for sure. Maybe even Buss.
The leash will shorten, it has to.

 

[rrlbees]

Cooney has 0 chance to not start. It is what it is. Silent G will eat in to his time though next year for sure. Maybe even Buss. The leash will shorten, it has to.

He'll average the same mpg. And it's not a "leash". That phrase says a lot.

 

[omniorange]

The only thing that I think could possibly change is if we want to start the game with more spacing so Roberson comes off the bench to spell BJ Johnson as the starter.

I don't think that's how it will play out, but I think that's the only way (barring injury) the lineup you mentioned doesn't happen.

In that scenario I would think Tyler starts over Chris and it would be Chris coming off the bench to replace Tyler or BJ.

Cheers,
Neil

 

[jordoo]

The only thing that I think could possibly change is if we want to start the game with more spacing so Roberson comes off the bench to spell BJ Johnson as the starter.

I don't think that's how it will play out, but I think that's the only way (barring injury) the lineup you mentioned doesn't happen.

I'll put it this way. If BJ is our opening game starter at the 3 then we are going to be awesome. I have no doubt he will be a great player for us but I think it may take a big portion of this season for him to really come into his own. If he is more ready than Tyler or Chris at the beggining of the season then our forward rotation is going to rock and we all know what JB teams do with forwards who can shoot.

 

[retro44]

If we run the same offense as last year Cooney will struggle, if we run a more wide open offense I think Cooney gets better looks.

 

[BostonOrange]

He'll average the same mpg. And it's not a "leash". That phrase says a lot.

What would you call it? You think if Cooney has another 10 game stretch like he did at the end of the year where he goes 26-95 (27%) from the field, 16-69 from 3 (23%), 7.8 ppg, 2 rbs, .5 assts, 1.3 steals, that he will still be playing 30+ minutes a game at the end of it? JB felt like he didn't have any choice but to ride with him last year and hope he started making shots. No way, in my opinion, that his leash, or whatever you want to call it, is as long this year.

I like Trevor, and I think we all want him to succeed, and I agree with your points that the way the team was constructed last year contributed to his struggles, but...he needs to be better if he wants to keep playing. If he isn't, he won't be playing.

 

[MikeSU02]

What would you call it? You think if Cooney has another 10 game stretch like he did at the end of the year where he goes 26-95 (27%) from the field, 16-69 from 3 (23%), 7.8 ppg, 2 rbs, .5 assts, 1.3 steals, that he will still be playing 30+ minutes a game at the end of it? JB felt like he didn't have any choice but to ride with him last year and hope he started making shots. No way, in my opinion, that his leash, or whatever you want to call it, is as long this year.

I like Trevor, and I think we all want him to succeed, and I agree with your points that the way the team was constructed last year contributed to his struggles, but...he needs to be better if he wants to keep playing. If he isn't, he won't be playing.

I like TC. I think he'll improve. But he should not be playing 32 mpg. There should be a 3.5 guard rotation at least and he should be able to do more damage in less time next year. Part of his issue last year was the ridiculous effort he had to put in just to get a look in our half court offense. Cut his minutes by 3-4, get us out in transition more and work the ball inside out with better passing from the interior and I think you can see TC's output increase with a decrease in minutes.