Twin Towers Starting line up Starting Games Better this year & Grant needs to step up next.

[jordoo]

Just something that struck me in the head today. We have been getting off to pretty good starts with DC2 and Rak starting, best we have since Rak has been starting in the two bigs line up. I believe the reason for this is that Rak has vastly improved as a wing defender and that its easier for teams to attack the wing/ weak side corner 3's and baseline lobs than it is to expose the middle early in the game. That's what used to get Rak on the bench at the first whistle. He would miss someone in the corner being out of position or they would get a lob behind him both of which he has defended much better this year. I'd go so far as to say that he is playing the wing better than Grant right now who is often exposed for over extending. Once teams start attacking DC2 in the middle that is when JB sits one of the bigs if they are successful, although it seems to take teams 4-5 minutes to figure out how to do that. That said DC2 is improving and there is reason for hope that he will be adaquite at some point this year and possibly pretty good next.

Either way Grant is the next guy who really needs to step up for our team to take the next step IMO. H is too reactionary right now on D and making poor decisions on O. He is so wildly athletic and talented that he gets away with these things for the most part and is still a good player but he could be great.

Also just a question? Is there anyone (NCAA player) you would trade Ennis for right now? I think not.

 

[SaltLakeOrange]

DCII and Rak are both playing well. What they really don't give us is instant offense. They often disappear on the offensive end. Jerami is so explosive it's silly. He just needs to become more consistent. And, you're absolutely right. He doesn't play defense well at all...

 

[jordoo]

DCII and Rak are both playing well. What they really don't give us is instant offense. They often disappear on the offensive end. Jerami is so explosive it's silly. He just needs to become more consistent. And, you're absolutely right. He doesn't play defense well at all...

I wish we would try to press our advantage on offense with Rak and DC2 to start games . . . . . . if they are giving us an advantage offensively which is really the big question isn't it. Does it help our post offense or offense in general to have them play together? I'm not sure but I do like the strategy of starting them because it guarantees DC2 some minutes which he needs to develop.

 

[Jack Hall]

Just something that struck me in the head today. We have been getting off to pretty good starts with DC2 and Rak starting, best we have since Rak has been starting in the two bigs line up. I believe the reason for this is that Rak has vastly improved as a wing defender and that its easier for teams to attack the wing/ weak side corner 3's and baseline lobs than it is to expose the middle early in the game. That's what used to get Rak on the bench at the first whistle. He would miss someone in the corner being out of position or they would get a lob behind him both of which he has defended much better this year. I'd go so far as to say that he is playing the wing better than Grant right now who is often exposed for over extending. Once teams start attacking DC2 in the middle that is when JB sits one of the bigs if they are successful, although it seems to take teams 4-5 minutes to figure out how to do that. That said DC2 is improving and there is reason for hope that he will be adaquite at some point this year and possibly pretty good next.

Either way Grant is the next guy who really needs to step up for our team to take the next step IMO. H is too reactionary right now on D and making poor decisions on O. He is so wildly athletic and talented that he gets away with these things for the most part and is still a good player but he could be great.

Also just a question? Is there anyone (NCAA player) you would trade Ennis for right now? I think not.

You make some great pts about JBs defensive substitutions. Most people expected the top of the zone to struggle early this season because we would miss the crazy length /athleticism of MCW. But what has disappointed me slightly is the interior of the zone has not altered /challenged as many shots as last yr and all we lost was JS who was not a tremendous shot blocker. IMO this is twofold, one DC is playing more and he is not a great shot blocker and two , as you pt out , grant has been out of position in zone so far this season quite a bit.

But what I find interesting is most of the national experts I have heard have insinuated that for SU to become title contenders they need low post / inside scoring. On the surface I would agree w that. But JB in his post game presses the last two games has not said that at all! He has taken a diff stance. He has said (paraphrasing) that for us to move to next level our defense needs to start playing like last seasons. Usually JB knows what he is talking about. Something to watch thruout the course of this season...

 

[Jack Hall]

Just something that struck me in the head today. We have been getting off to pretty good starts with DC2 and Rak starting, best we have since Rak has been starting in the two bigs line up. I believe the reason for this is that Rak has vastly improved as a wing defender and that its easier for teams to attack the wing/ weak side corner 3's and baseline lobs than it is to expose the middle early in the game. That's what used to get Rak on the bench at the first whistle. He would miss someone in the corner being out of position or they would get a lob behind him both of which he has defended much better this year. I'd go so far as to say that he is playing the wing better than Grant right now who is often exposed for over extending. Once teams start attacking DC2 in the middle that is when JB sits one of the bigs if they are successful, although it seems to take teams 4-5 minutes to figure out how to do that. That said DC2 is improving and there is reason for hope that he will be adaquite at some point this year and possibly pretty good next.

Either way Grant is the next guy who really needs to step up for our team to take the next step IMO. H is too reactionary right now on D and making poor decisions on O. He is so wildly athletic and talented that he gets away with these things for the most part and is still a good player but he could be great.

Also just a question? Is there anyone (NCAA player) you would trade Ennis for right now? I think not.

And my main pt being, when grant starts to play d like we all think he is capable of...watch the freak out! Go Orange!

 

[tbonezone]

i think any coach who's watched any tape at all knows by now that the baseline lob over grant is wide open 80% of the time

 

[jordoo]

You make some great pts about JBs defensive substitutions. Most people expected the top of the zone to struggle early this season because we would miss the crazy length /athleticism of MCW. But what has disappointed me slightly is the interior of the zone has not altered /challenged as many shots as last yr and all we lost was JS who was not a tremendous shot blocker. IMO this is twofold, one DC is playing more and he is not a great shot blocker and two , as you pt out , grant has been out of position in zone so far this season quite a bit.

But what I find interesting is most of the national experts I have heard have insinuated that for SU to become title contenders they need low post / inside scoring. On the surface I would agree w that. But JB in his post game presses the last two games has not said that at all! He has taken a diff stance. He has said (paraphrasing) that for us to move to next level our defense needs to start playing like last seasons. Usually JB knows what he is talking about. Something to watch thruout the course of this season...

Be careful with JB's post game comments he is a master at using them to prop his team up or humble them or tweak certain players the way he feels they need to be because he knows those quotes get out. That being said I think he was pretty straight up on this one that you point out and I agree it would be great to have inside scoring but Rak and DC2 providing offensive put backs is enough if the guards can continue to score this way and Grant the leap we all can see coming.

 

[jordoo]

i think any coach who's watched any tape at all knows by now that the baseline lob over grant is wide open 80% of the time

Its funny that many fans blame these on the center.

 

[OttoMets]

Good post. Rakeem has come a long way. He's legitimately a defensive asset on the wing and better than anyone who plays behind him right now. Glad to see Boeheim able to keep the two-bigs lineup in as deep as six or seven minutes into the game lately.

Now if the two of them could just get that high-low offense going a little more consistently...

 

[Jack Hall]

Be careful with JB's post game comments he is a master at using them to prop his team up or humble them or tweak certain players the way he feels they need to be because he knows those quotes get out. That being said I think he was pretty straight up on this one that you point out and I agree it would be great to have inside scoring but Rak and DC2 providing offensive put backs is enough if the guards can continue to score this way and Grant the leap we all can see coming.

I agree. The guards will have some off games,when they do the d needs to step up like it did against iu , grant too, unlike he did against iu...

 

[Oakland]

Just something that struck me in the head today. We have been getting off to pretty good starts with DC2 and Rak starting, best we have since Rak has been starting in the two bigs line up. I believe the reason for this is that Rak has vastly improved as a wing defender and that its easier for teams to attack the wing/ weak side corner 3's and baseline lobs than it is to expose the middle early in the game. That's what used to get Rak on the bench at the first whistle. He would miss someone in the corner being out of position or they would get a lob behind him both of which he has defended much better this year. I'd go so far as to say that he is playing the wing better than Grant right now who is often exposed for over extending. Once teams start attacking DC2 in the middle that is when JB sits one of the bigs if they are successful, although it seems to take teams 4-5 minutes to figure out how to do that. That said DC2 is improving and there is reason for hope that he will be adaquite at some point this year and possibly pretty good next.

Either way Grant is the next guy who really needs to step up for our team to take the next step IMO. H is too reactionary right now on D and making poor decisions on O. He is so wildly athletic and talented that he gets away with these things for the most part and is still a good player but he could be great.

Also just a question? Is there anyone (NCAA player) you would trade Ennis for right now? I think not.

Really like Rak on the defensive end this season. Baylor has 5 star bigs on the offensive end and Rak did a great job neutralizing them, starting with forcing the TO on their alley oop play at the beginning of the game.

Just wish he would get a little something going on the offensive end - he has shown flashes in the past. But having said that, maybe my favorite play of the season was his pass to TC for the layup in the half court set.

 

[osullfam]

I suspect there's a better point guard somewhere out there in NCAA land. Ennis is undoubtedly the player we could least afford to lose.

 

[CorduroyG]

im still trying to read the subject correctly.

 

[jordoo]

im still trying to read the subject correctly.

Word smith I am not.