Reply to thread

Message: [QUOTE="OrangeFoo, post: 3171099, member: 210"] I tend to agree with this... even though UVA was a brick-fest the feel of the game felt different. We didn't drag every possession to the end of the shot clock and the D looked pretty solid to me. I think starting Marek at the 4 was a great move by JB... It addresses our rebounding and interior D weakness while allowing us to play our best playmaker. However if this is going work JB HAS to resist the temptation to play Marek at the 5... he has 15 fouls at the 5 on the bench and he can't be afraid to use them. I think there were a few compounding factors that led to Wednesday's debacle - JB's strategy for beating UVA's d has always been to spread out the UVA D and letting our superior athleticism take over, essentially playing a 4 out offense. I suspect that the main reason we didn't set screens is that the pack line D is really good at switching pick and bringing multiple together only helps their D. I actually don't disagree with the strategy but for whatever reason our guys could not get by their guys which took plan A out of play. Given that we have a brand new team and this was game 1, my guess is we didn't have time to install a plan B. - Marek didn't play in Italy because of his fingers so the team is still getting used to him - Gurrier was supposed to start at the 4, but based on my observations I'd say he's not close to ready. JB seems to agree has QG got yanked from the starting lineup - Carey is supposed to get this team into our offense but he struggles against man pressure to get the ball across half court to the 3 point line where we set up the offense. And even once he gets there I don't see any real ability to create for others versus shot hunting for himself. - If Girard is going to be the lead guard... and when he's on the court the other guys naturally defer to him and let him be lead guard, I don't think the rest of the team knows what he wants to do and where he wants people. Kind of like a new QB and new set of WRs need time together - Buddy's shot wasn't falling... there were a number of shots that he would normally hit that didn't fall today - Marek's shot wasn't falling... there were shots that he would hit that didn't fall today My main concerns: - We didn't get one fast break opportunity to my recollection. Not sure what happened to pushing tempo after rebounding or turnovers before that clearly didn't happen. - Our team can't get by anyone... this is across the board... even Carey and Hughes couldn't get by anyone. Is UVA that fast? - Add the UVA guy to the list of ND and BC big, goofy dudes who we have somehow have no ability to stop. - - Not to pile on Sidibe, but I'm going reiterate my earlier observation that we are in the worst position at the 5 than we have been in a LONG time. JB HAS to let Edwards and JBA get some run... we can't get through another season with Marek at the 5 because we don't have Brissett this year at the 4, instead we have a much less physically imposing Gurrier at the 4. I think the fast break and not being able to get by anyone will be resolved and I think sooner rather than later Girard is inserted into the starting line up at the 1 and Carey goes to the bench. The main question I have is whether JB will give Edwards/JBA a chance or whether we will be automatically handicapped by playing Marek at the 5. [/QUOTE]

Verification: What is a Syracuse fan's favorite color?