The view from here

[Orangezoo]

Wasn't Dolezaj also a point guard until a growth spurt?

If so, Benny playing the Dolezaj point forward role surrounded by that collection of offensive firepower is downright salivating.

When JB has teams that are clearly flawed in one, or more areas, his ability to turn them into something that is greater than the sum of its parts generally comes to fruition around tourney time.

November/December may be a bit anticipatory, although this roster does have a ton of experience...

To me it's gonna be Buddy, Cole and Jessie who are key in ensuring we have more non conference pelts this year. Everybody else needs to be a complementary piece and I expect Benny over time joins the other 3 to make the core 4 that are the keys in winning.

JBjr will be somewhat of a Marek/Josh Pace hybrid who can do it all but even with the numbers yesterday still is more a complement.

Joe and Symir just need to be our PG crew. Joe may get hot and have a few big games but he only needs to do what he did for the first 25 mins of the game which is initiate the offense and get in the lane to be a passer and use having a 7 footer to his advantage.

 

[two3zone]

Benny will be our really good 6th man before the season is over. No way does he need 2-3 years. Plus he played a lot of minutes, and being a freshman needs a bit more conditioning. He was clearly my favorite, and first off the bench should be a spark for us. He is passionate, and good. He can really jump. I sat on the floor and have a couple of really good shots and videos of him going up for rebounds.

I like the connection with pretty much all of the players, no matter the combinations out there. Some good passing. and communication between players. Buddy and Cole together will give opponents trouble as either can hit the 3 from anywhere. Someone made a reference to playing hot potato, and that was a good one. Just keep passing it back and forth until one bombs the 3.

Joe had some good passes, but as the game went on I felt he still was making a lot of the same errors as in the past. I really was hoping to not see it, so it was not an old Joe bias, but he really started sliding back into some bad habits.

I felt the same feelings about Joe. Don’t know the stats by half but the first half he played like a point guard, second half he played like Joe Girard.

If we get first half Joe all year I think we’re in so much better shape.

 

[Orangezoo]

Benny will be our really good 6th man before the season is over. No way does he need 2-3 years. Plus he played a lot of minutes, and being a freshman needs a bit more conditioning. He was clearly my favorite, and first off the bench should be a spark for us. He is passionate, and good. He can really jump. I sat on the floor and have a couple of really good shots and videos of him going up for rebounds.

I like the connection with pretty much all of the players, no matter the combinations out there. Some good passing. and communication between players. Buddy and Cole together will give opponents trouble as either can hit the 3 from anywhere. Someone made a reference to playing hot potato, and that was a good one. Just keep passing it back and forth until one bombs the 3.

Joe had some good passes, but as the game went on I felt he still was making a lot of the same errors as in the past. I really was hoping to not see it, so it was not an old Joe bias, but he really started sliding back into some bad habits.

Joe needs the competitive juices from the crowd. As an emotional player he tailed off after the 15 minute mark of the second half. His errors looked to be a lack of concentration and almost getting bored out there. It's like he struggles to stay locked in. Symir came in and was 100 pct locked in every minute even if his limitations were evident. Joe won't see his 30 plus a game if Symir is gonna be able to push it up the floor and Joe has lapses.

 

[Orangezoo]

I felt the same feelings about Joe. Don’t know the stats by half but the first half he played like a point guard, second half he played like Joe Girard.

If we get first half Joe all year I think we’re in so much better shape.

If you rewatch the game check him after the 15 minute mark of the second half. I mean maybe I see it differently but it's like he is kind of saying games over, crowd is quiet I'm just gonna kinda chill.

If we can get first half Joe longer like you said and/or Symir pushing it every possession that should be a good combo. It's crazy to me as a former athlete when a player let's off the gas pedal. It's freaking gift to be out there.

 

[two3zone]

If you rewatch the game check him after the 15 minute mark of the second half. I mean maybe I see it differently but it's like he is kind of saying games over, crowd is quiet I'm just gonna kinda chill.

If we can get first half Joe longer like you said and/or Symir pushing it every possession that should be a good combo. It's crazy to me as a former athlete when a player let's off the gas pedal. It's freaking gift to be out there.

I would agree with you with the “kinda chill” thing if it was a one time isolated deal, but when you have 2 years of him doing it the outlier was the first half and not the second.

 

[Orangezoo]

I would agree with you with the “kinda chill” thing if it was a one time isolated deal, but when you have 2 years of him doing it the outlier was the first half and not the second.

It's not isolated at all. Just meant yesterday specifically which was long stretches last year. I just don't get it given he can do it for half the game... So why not a whole game and then go from there it's just odd.

It reminds me when coaching youngsters some years back and what you see with young big guys where they could rebound everything but don't have the motor/desire and you have a kid 8 inches shorter with a high motor snagging everything... But he is a guard.


I know Gerry is working hard with these guys- just wonder where is that drive and focus from Joe.

Also I don't want to take away from.how good he was in that first 25. It's exactly what we need. Just that we have to get that for a whole game and it's gonna really be up to Joe for that to be the case.

 

[two3zone]

It's not isolated at all. Just meant yesterday specifically which was long stretches last year. I just don't get it given he can do it for half the game... So why not a whole game and then go from there it's just odd.

It reminds me when coaching youngsters some years back and what you see with young big guys where they could rebound everything but don't have the motor/desire and you have a kid 8 inches shorter with a high motor snagging everything... But he is a guard.


I know Gerry is working hard with these guys- just wonder where is that drive and focus from Joe.

Maybe there is drive and focus and it’s an ability issue.

 

[Orangezoo]

Maybe there is drive and focus and it’s an ability issue.

Maybe- just that Pace really didn't defend him that differently other than throwing a few traps and hard hedges which he navigated ok. The few bad shots and general meh looked more like his own doing and not so much anything Pace was doing.

Or maybe he just is more Braxton Beverley than anything and minutes need to be more of a 20/20 split given he doesn't have the stamina. Lots of guys play with asthma but if it's a legit problem for him then we should manage his minutes accordingly

 

[littlereg]

I felt the same feelings about Joe. Don’t know the stats by half but the first half he played like a point guard, second half he played like Joe Girard.

If we get first half Joe all year I think we’re in so much better shape.

I didn’t pay as much attention to the second half as I was keeping an eye on the PFL fights but it seemed like the whole team kinda laxed the second half. As you said, Joe looked like an actual point guard with some of the dishes in the paint to Jesse in the first half along with using his shot as a complementary piece to the team. The second half of the game for the most part was about how the first exhibition of the season always looks, a glorified pickup.

 

[pearl31]

2-3 years?!

AT LEAST

 

[two3zone]

Maybe- just that Pace really didn't defend him that differently other than throwing a few traps and hard hedges which he navigated ok. The few bad shots and general meh looked more like his own doing and not so much anything Pace was doing.

Or maybe he just is more Braxton Beverley than anything and minutes need to be more of a 20/20 split given he doesn't have the stamina. Lots of guys play with asthma but if it's a legit problem for him then we should manage his minutes accordingly

A lot of teams we played last year sagged off him until he was about 7 feet from the three point line which was a huge error on their part (until late in the year).

Pace seemed to defend him 5 feet or so after he passed half court yesterday, when Joe turned his back to the basket in the second half instead of moving forward was when it was very noticeable.

 

[littlereg]

I didn’t pay as much attention to the second half as I was keeping an eye on the PFL fights but it seemed like the whole team kinda laxed the second half. As you said, Joe looked like an actual point guard with some of the dishes in the paint to Jesse in the first half along with using his shot as a complementary piece to the team. The second half of the game for the most part was about how the first exhibition of the season always looks, a glorified pickup.

Piggy backing off my lack of second half observations, it looked to me like we could really really get out and run if we WANTED too and it looked like symir wanted to quite few times. I hope for our sake we get back to it. Buddy ball from 3 off the fast break handoff was killer down the stretch last year.

 

[Orangezoo]

A lot of teams we played last year sagged off him until he was about 7 feet from the three point line which was a huge error on their part (until late in the year).

Pace seemed to defend him 5 feet or so after he passed half court yesterday, when Joe turned his back to the basket in the second half instead of moving forward was when it was very noticeable.

Yeah I saw that. They did that in the first half some too though. Where I saw the change was when he had a couple misses. When his shot isn't falling he needs to stay engaged. He hit that first one and it seemed to really help his play. It's such an enigma. I'm just glad Symir did some good things too. Plus Symir was that constant positive in his ear.

I'm hopeful still.

 

[bballbeadle]

I didn’t pay as much attention to the second half as I was keeping an eye on the PFL fights but it seemed like the whole team kinda laxed the second half. As you said, Joe looked like an actual point guard with some of the dishes in the paint to Jesse in the first half along with using his shot as a complementary piece to the team. The second half of the game for the most part was about how the first exhibition of the season always looks, a glorified pickup.

Yes, I was there and realized at some point in the second half that the team and the sparse crowd were in the doldrums. It seemed we were on 66 points a long time. It was clear they were going to beat Pace. They just let up, and Pace began hitting 3’s. If we have players that feed off the crowd, and we do, then they were not taking in much food.

Crowd gave them an enthusiastic cheer at the end of the game, though.

 

[two3zone]

Yes, I was there and realized at some point in the second half that the team and the sparse crowd were in the doldrums. It seemed we were on 66 points a long time. It was clear they were going to beat Pace. They just let up, and Pace began hitting 3’s. If we have players that feed off the crowd, and we do, then they were not taking in much food.

Crowd game them an enthusiastic cheer at the end of the game, though.

Careful!

 

[721Comstock]

I know it's cliche to compare lefty's to lefty's, but Jimmy Boeheim's shot outside of 15 feet reminds me a ton of watching CJ Fair shoot. The further out he goes it takes forever to get off. He will be good when open, but he's not quite like his brother or Swider from that department.

True dat.

But, IF like CJ (especially that one year, where he only took like 2 3's a game, and made 1) -
he's literally only taking them while wide open, then I have no problem with that, and who cares how long it takes to get his shot off?

Dude is 6'8". He's not getting his 3's swatted by 99.9% of college defenders.

Not everybody on our team needs to have a lightning quick release - defenders are gonna hafta deal with some 2-3 player combo of Joe/Buddy/Cole/Benny, in addition to Jimmy.

 

[DoctorBombay]

Obviously the biggest, and most pleasant surprise to me was Swider at the 2. That’s ungodly length up top of the zone. Loved the concept!

 

[Madbiker]

Center position looks very promising with J.E. / F.A. Symir looks to be like a 6'3 version of Eddie Moss , I am very disappointed with the teams FT. shooting and to only win the second half against Pace 36-34 was not very impressive.

And out rebounded Pace by only 3. That's was disappointing.

 

[kirbivore]

Great write up. You made a point about the defense on three pointers and I see that JGIII is still defending with his arms down. Last year there was such a difference between his defense and Kadary's. I just don't understand why this is not pointed out in practice? Am I missing something about defending out to the arc?

As we've seen with the Kadary comments it's clear Girard is the chosen one and will still play horrible lazy defense and won't get benched.

 

[DoctorBombay]

As we've seen with the Kadary comments it's clear Girard is the chosen one and will still play horrible lazy defense and won't get benched.

At this point it should also be abundantly clear that Kadary Richmond is now a Seton Hall Pirate.
I didn’t like the move either, but it’s way past time to let it go. Some folks aren’t just beating, but are bludgeoning a long dead horse.
His loss. NEXT!

 

[Cusefan0307]

I think some fans have built in opinions of Joe that no matter how he plays he will have a difficult time overcoming. Don’t remember a guy this scrutinized before the season even started. Not really his fault the other guy left.

 

[SUMinistry]

I think some fans have built in opinions of Joe that no matter how he plays he will have a difficult time overcoming. Don’t remember a guy this scrutinized before the season even started. Not really his fault the other guy left.

From the outside looking in, I think Cooney probably was. Regardless, this year, I think Girard is going to surprise some people. Don't think he's ever going to be an all-ACC type player, but with the shooters we have this year, I think he will get more open opportunities and won't have to force it as much.

 

[jdubs30]

I’m not worried about FT shooting at all. We have a bunch of veterans who are good shooters and work very hard on their games - last night was an aberration

 

[rrlbees]

Well, it didn’t take long.

 

[Orangezoo]

At this point it should also be abundantly clear that Kadary Richmond is now a Seton Hall Pirate.
I didn’t like the move either, but it’s way past time to let it go. Some folks aren’t just beating, but are bludgeoning a long dead horse.
His loss. NEXT!

Maybe we need to get a crew to go to every SHU game with come home Kadary signs. Who knows it might just work...