What will this year's team look like?

[MikeSU02]

They'll look like a group of very athletic young men in orange and white basketball jerseys and shorts

 

[kcsu]

Im expecting a great year out of Davis. Also, we really need 7'4 to be healthy.

What Red did in winning 20 games last year was pretty amazing considering the issues and injuries. On paper this team looks solid. If Nat and Chance can contribute and if Freeman is as advertised, we should go dancing. My prediction is an 8 seed

 

[two3zone]

All the transfers have photos of them (and video of them playing) in their respective recruiting threads.

Each thread also will include bucketloads of amateur scouting reports, moderate teeth gnashing and even expert ish tax analysis, if you're up for it.

You forgot "body language theory"

 

[billsin01]

I think having actual centers playing center and actual power forwards playing power forward will make the team defense much better.

Last year, if any of the perimeter players got beaten off the dribble, the next line of defense was Brown or Taylor. This year it will be Lampkin or Freeman. Neither are shotblocking specialists, but at least have the size to prevent easy layups... And then there is the defensive effect a healthy McLeod brings to the table.

For much of the year last season, if someone got beat, there was no second defender. We also complain about Brown on the low block but we rarely sent any sort of help. A taller, skilled big give all day to decide what to do 6 feet from the basket is going to convert at a very high percentage.

Those are systemic questions that must be addressed. Not crushing Red — I agree, he did a nice job getting to 20 wins, by and large — but he will need some fairly significant tweaks from year 1 to year 2.

 

[billsin01]

Not to you, but the defender of Judah. When you are more of a ball hog then Iverson with a lot less talent, you are the problem.
Hope he grows up and finds a place to play, but being a team player, he wasn't.

I get, and agree with, much of the criticism of Judah but I always get stuck on this question: who should he have passed to? Now that’s different than ‘we should have run a different halfcourt offense’ or something like that. Just given the spot that team was in, with Red’s approach, Judah needed to be the focal point of that offense. We also scored a boatload of points in Feb with Judah running point. We were pretty damn efficient.

So, I don’t know, I won’t specifically defend Judah but the ‘Judah was the whole problem’ narrative is one I’m going to wait and see on.

 

[rrlbees]

For all this talk about who’s a real center or not, let’s not forget our “PF” playing “C” made 1st team all ACC defensive team and was the leading vote getter of all bigs.

 

[Niastri]

For all this talk about who’s a real center or not, let’s not forget our “PF” playing “C” made 1st team all ACC defensive team and was the leading vote getter of all bigs.

Brown's ability to slap the ball away from opposing players approaches legendary.

It is amazing the number of steals his teammates were credited with that should have been Brown's.

He also was terrific guarding smaller players on switches.

His post defense... Not so good.

 

[OttoinGrotto]

TORVIK ILL SEE YOU IN HELL

This is a well-reasoned response.

 

[OttoinGrotto]

upperclassmen from lower levels of division one hairball

wait wat

 

[rrlbees]

Brown's ability to slap the ball away from opposing players approaches legendary.

It is amazing the number of steals his teammates were credited with that should have been Brown's.

He also was terrific guarding smaller players on switches.

His post defense... Not so good.

It was good enough to be the highest vote getter of all post defenders.

 

[Orangezoo]

It was good enough to be the highest vote getter of all post defenders.

I think we can both be better as a team and defensively this year and also lament and miss that Brown isn’t a part of it given how good he is on that side of the ball. One doesn’t dictate the other.

 

[tptcuse]

I think we can both be better as a team and defensively this year and also lament and miss that Brown isn’t a part of it given how good he is on that side of the ball. One doesn’t dictate the other.

 

[Niastri]

wait wat

I might be reconsidering my vocation to become a professional proofreader.

 

[two3zone]

I might be reconsidering my vocation to become a professional proofreader.

 

[Niastri]

It was good enough to be the highest vote getter of all post defenders.

Yet teams scored over him at will. I was looking for reasons that he might have been first team ACC defense, but also not been good in the role he was put.

Extra credit for surviving in an awful situation?

He was undersized and took one for the team. The coaches like that sort of thing.

 

[ar inj]

For all this talk about who’s a real center or not, let’s not forget our “PF” playing “C” made 1st team all ACC defensive team and was the leading vote getter of all bigs.

Last time I checked, "our" PF is now "dead to me" as far as SU bball is concerned

 

[General20]

I think we can both be better as a team and defensively this year and also lament and miss that Brown isn’t a part of it given how good he is on that side of the ball. One doesn’t dictate the other.

If Freeman is 10 & 5 or better nobody here will miss Brown by the end of the season.

 

[Orangezoo]

If Freeman is 10 & 5 or better nobody here will miss Brown by the end of the season.

Add 1.5 bpg or better too and that really rings true

 

[OttoinGrotto]

I might be reconsidering my vocation to become a professional proofreader.

I just blame it on autocorrect.

95% of the time that is actually what happened.

 

[Niastri]

I just blame it on autocorrect.

95% of the time that is actually what happened.

 

[rrlbees]

I think we can both be better as a team and defensively this year and also lament and miss that Brown isn’t a part of it given how good he is on that side of the ball. One doesn’t dictate the other.

The biggest difference in inside defense this year will be at the 4. It will make a huge difference. Taylor wasn’t a 4. He didn’t ask to be the 4. That was Benny. Taylor was coming off the bench at a couple positions.

 

[djcon57]

If Freeman is 10 & 5 or better nobody here will miss Brown by the end of the season.

Jimmy B went for 14 and 6 and was a cone on D.

Not suggesting Freeman will but the point is it's not just basic stats. Have to include D (interior and the ability to guard PNR), can Freeman extend floor better than Maliq can, can Freeman pass as well as Maliq, etc

As much as it bummed me out to lose Maliq, looking at the build of this team, I'm more understanding with letting him go...that said...I'll continue to speak against the narrative some have against Maliq that he was some black hole on O or that he was a negative defender on D even playing center. Its just not true.

 

[billsin01]

If Freeman is 10 & 5 or better nobody here will miss Brown by the end of the season.

I'd say more like 14 or 15 and 7.

Freeman will likely be a more talented and versatile threat offensively. He could well be a solid defender but hard to say as a freshman. But you're also looking at, in all likelihood, a much higher usage rate and lower shooting percentage (true shooting or straight FG %). Likely more turnovers as well.

Brown is a complementary player for sure ... at least he was last season and likely will be again this season. But, having said that, he is almost purely additive. Doesn't need the ball, rebounds well, defends well, plays defensively on the perimeter, finishes well inside and gets to good spots with subtle off-ball movement. He's limited, but super efficient and the type of kid that good teams have -- kids that make a difference despite not being the star.

I'm excited about Freeman but I'm not convinced the loss of Brown won't hurt this team.

 

[Sbucketball]

I'd say more like 14 or 15 and 7.

Freeman will likely be a more talented and versatile threat offensively. He could well be a solid defender but hard to say as a freshman. But you're also looking at, in all likelihood, a much higher usage rate and lower shooting percentage (true shooting or straight FG %). Likely more turnovers as well.

Brown is a complementary player for sure ... at least he was last season and likely will be again this season. But, having said that, he is almost purely additive. Doesn't need the ball, rebounds well, defends well, plays defensively on the perimeter, finishes well inside and gets to good spots with subtle off-ball movement. He's limited, but super efficient and the type of kid that good teams have -- kids that make a difference despite not being the star.

I'm excited about Freeman but I'm not convinced the loss of Brown won't hurt this team.

Freeman has the higher ceiling, but I've been saying since last Spring I think there's a very good chance that this year, Maliq will be the better PF. I've also been saying I think we need to curb our expectations of Donnie because he was ranked Top 10 largely based on measurables and potential, not because he can dominate right now. And the excitement about him going in the lotto is also based on potential, not what he can do today. Hope I'm wrong. We need Donnie's though / we need Orange in the NBA.

 

[Cuse4455]

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