Xmas getting the old Paul Harris treatment

[anomander]

If Rak gets in foul trouble, we should go small with Grant at C and bring in Roberson or Mike G.
Keita is just too much of a liability on O and the O is what is hurting us. We need to score. Stops in the zone will happen eventually even with a small lineup.

That's what I was calling for on the couch. Grant at center

 

[djcon57]

raxmas scored 3 points. keita 2. liability? rax ain't shaq.

Rak can catch the ball and dunk the ball. The defense has to actually guard Rak when he rolls to the basketball.
When Keita plays, it's basically 5 on 4. They don't guard him at all.

 

[Ghost]

I think this is more myth than reality.

He averages less than 4 shots a game, and is hitting 2.3 out of 3.7 overall. So unless you think he has 73 dunks this year, he has to have been hitting some other kind of shot. Which I could verify, if you do think he has 73 dunks.

He rarely shoots to begin with. He opened both the Duke and GT games with mid-range jumpers which is pretty easily verified. Go watch 'em if you want.

 

[NKR1978]

I'm still trying to figure out how we got to having a roster consisting of the following

C - Baye Moussa Kieta SR
C - Rak Christmas JR
C - DaJuan Coleman S0
C - Chino FR
PF - CJ Fair SR
PF - Jerami Grant S0
PF - Tyler Roberson FR

That's 7 of our 12 scholarship players who don't have the ability to stretch the defense with the 3 point shot. I know they were worried about an early departure, but imo this team was poorly constructed. I'm hoping we noticed this and that was the reasoning for getting Tyler Lydon instead of Derrick Jones. Lydon and Richardson are both kids who can stretch the defense, while Jones is an elite athlete. Then again help from the outside is still 2 years away.

I'm excited about Lydon. He seems like the type of kid Belein gets that just can kill you inside and out. Unfortunately, I'm losing faith in the staff's ability to develop big men and hope Gerry or Red moves on to accept an associate head coach position somewhere.

 

[anomander]

I'm excited about Lydon. He seems like the type of kid Belein gets that just can kill you inside and out. Unfortunately, I'm losing faith in the staff's ability to develop big men and hope Gerry or Red moves on to accept an associate head coach position somewhere.

Doesn't Hop coach the big men? Honestly i'm not too sure how much better a truly great big men coach could do with what we have to work with. Boeheim clearly recruits for defense on the bottom of the zone. I don't even know how to categorize Baye, Riley, Rak, and Coleman? Are they recruiting misses, bad player development, or they just are what they are? Obviously neither had much offense skill to work with when they got here, but I couldn't see Baye, or Riley being a threat even with a great big man coach. Chino is going to be a lot like these guys as well so the frustrating is just going to continue. I miss the days of Arinze or Hak. It helps being able to get easy buckets. Fab was solid his Sophmore season as well.

As for our 2015 class I really like the decision to go with Lydon over Jones. We have been short of offensive playmakers who can knock down shots for a couple years now. Both Lydon and Richardson will give us that. I really hope we stick it out with Bryant as well. Even if it goes the distance he is much more of an offensive threat then the other options. A class of Richardson, Lydon, Bryant, and Diagne would address a lot of needs.

 

[tbonezone]

fab was solid his soph year. yet vonleh,randall,dakari,embiid,chris walker are all solid frosh.
and while coleman and christmas both rode the pines what are the bets on okafor next year ?

 

[anomander]

fab was solid his soph year. yet vonleh,randall,dakari,embiid,chris walker are all solid frosh.
and while coleman and christmas both rode the pines what are the bets on okafor next year ?

that reminds me. Vonleh was a huge miss. Just imagine how much he would have helped us this year. I guess him reclassifying hurt our chances.

 

[longislandcuse]

that reminds me. Vonleh was a huge miss. Just imagine how much he would have helped us this year. I guess him reclassifying hurt our chances.

Would he have played?

 

[tbonezone]

Would he have played?

probably not becuz at syracuse the standard line is "well it takes a couple years for a big guy to develop and grasp what we're doing". meantime other schools put them in the nba 1st round.

 

[pearl31]

He averages less than 4 shots a game, and is hitting 2.3 out of 3.7 overall. So unless you think he has 73 dunks this year, he has to have been hitting some other kind of shot. Which I could verify, if you do think he has 73 dunks.

He rarely shoots to begin with. He opened both the Duke and GT games with mid-range jumpers which is pretty easily verified. Go watch 'em if you want.

Tell me the last non-dunk or non-freethrow Rak has made.

 

[NKR1978]

Doesn't Hop coach the big men? Honestly i'm not too sure how much better a truly great big men coach could do with what we have to work with. Boeheim clearly recruits for defense on the bottom of the zone. I don't even know how to categorize Baye, Riley, Rak, and Coleman? Are they recruiting misses, bad player development, or they just are what they are? Obviously neither had much offense skill to work with when they got here, but I couldn't see Baye, or Riley being a threat even with a great big man coach. Chino is going to be a lot like these guys as well so the frustrating is just going to continue. I miss the days of Arinze or Hak. It helps being able to get easy buckets. Fab was solid his Sophmore season as well.

As for our 2015 class I really like the decision to go with Lydon over Jones. We have been short of offensive playmakers who can knock down shots for a couple years now. Both Lydon and Richardson will give us that. I really hope we stick it out with Bryant as well. Even if it goes the distance he is much more of an offensive threat then the other options. A class of Richardson, Lydon, Bryant, and Diagne would address a lot of needs.

I think Rak has every tool. Certainly passes the look test and seems far more athletic than Fab, Rick or AO. Depressing that it's been three years since our last truly reliable big. I don't count Fab in that group.

 

[tbonezone]

hey i like rakim.i like his size and skills and island style. but does anybody here really get the impression that he is close to his coach? i myself sense nothing of the sort. cold mango vibe.

 

[SoBeCuse]

He managed to play the last 11 minutes of the game with 4 fouls, maybe he should concentrate on playing the first part of the game the way he does once he's picked up a critical number of fouls.

This. He HAS to play smarter in these first halves. He's not some frosh anymore. We can't leave Keita on the floor for too long.

 

[Ghost]

Tell me the last non-dunk or non-freethrow Rak has made.

Did you read the second paragraph? I named two right there in the last 5 or 6 games where he opened our scoring with mid-range jumpers.

 

[pearl31]

Did you read the second paragraph? I named two right there in the last 5 or 6 games where he opened our scoring with mid-range jumpers.

I'm sure there's a way to find out for sure (I don't know where/how to find it and I don't really feel like it) but I don't recall Christmas making a non-dunk shot in several weeks. Point being- I can only laugh at all the clamoring around here for getting the ball to him when he is simply not a legitimate scoring option. And, no, don't tell me he hasn't had his opportunities to prove otherwise.
For the past several weeks he's basically been a foul machine, a decent shot blocker and a marginal rebounder—and in actuality not much of an improvement over board whipping boy BMK.
Essentially he is Mookie Watkins redux.

 

[Ghost]

I'm sure there's a way to find out for sure (I don't know where/how to find it and I don't really feel like it) but I don't recall Christmas making a non-dunk shot in several weeks. Point being- I can only laugh at all the clamoring around here for getting the ball to him when he is simply not a legitimate scoring option. And, no, don't tell me he hasn't had his opportunities to prove otherwise.
For the past several weeks he's basically been a foul machine, a decent shot blocker and a marginal rebounder—and in actuality not much of an improvement over board whipping boy BMK.
Essentially he is Mookie Watkins redux.

First, if you don't feel like it, and you don't care to look it up for yourself, than I don't know what to tell you. You asked the ridiculous question, I answered. It's fairly simple to verify. So whatever...why ask at all?

Second, if you think Rak and Baye are playing about the same of late...well...not sure what to tell you. Even if you think every basket he has made in the last month were dunks, you do realize that's more than Baye is providing, right? He's not passing it to the other team or fumbling the ball out of bounds.

He made 5 field goals against Florida State, you have to go back and add up every single game since January to get to five for Baye. He's also blocked more shots in January than Baye has total since January.

 

[pearl31]

First, if you don't feel like it, and you don't care to look it up for yourself, than I don't know what to tell you. You asked the ridiculous question, I answered. It's fairly simple to verify. So whatever...why ask at all?

And if you think Rak and Baye are playing about the same of late...well...not sure what to tell you.

So you think Rak is a legitimate offensive option, do you?
And as a rebounder?
And as a player who can play without fouling?
Why do you think BMK has to play all the minutes he does?

 

[Ghost]

So you think Rak is a legitimate offensive option, do you?
And as a rebounder?
And as a player who can play without fouling?
Why do you think BMK has to play all the minutes he does?

I'm not sure why when people on her argue against their favorite whipping boy, whomever it is, they try to take the argument on the other side and make it so extreme.

You tried to exaggerate Rak's failing on offense by implying he never scores outside of dunks. I said that wasn't the case - and listed twice off the top of my head and then checked to make sure. You then said, blah, I'm too lazy to check. So, again, not sure what to tell you.

I'm not even sure what you mean by legitimate scoring option. Do I think we can run the offense through him? No. Do I think he should be shooting more, getting more touches, yes. I think the team would benefit from playing inside/out a bit more. So, in that sense, yes, I think he is a legitimate offensive option. Do I think he should be leading the team in shots? No. Second, no. Etc...

Rebounding out of the zone is a fairly difficult endeavor for a center, especially when we have our forwards cheating out so high. It often leaves the C boxing out one guy with two other guys collapsing in front of him. But yes, I think he's fairly competent in that area.

Not sure what that means. Do I think he's capable of not fouling? Sure. I think he's probably capable of hitting a shot from half court too.

Because JB loves him some Baye? I don't know. I would avoid playing Baye as much as humanly possible if I was a coach. He's an energy guy, there are games where he contributes a bit, but if he's playing as he has of late, I'm not giving any minutes once I see him giving nada.

I'm not entirely sure I wouldn't have tried playing Grant at center against smaller teams. Hell, we're willing to play G at forward. Crazier things have happened.

 

[pearl31]

Do I think he's capable of not fouling? Sure. I think he's probably capable of hitting a shot from half court too.

That's just brilliant right there.
If the guy could play smart and not try to tamohawk every opponent's shot in his vicinity and not jump on every shot fake he could actually stay in the game — and yes even get some more shots/touches as you prescribe — and yes make it so the dreaded BMK wouldn't have to play much. Unfortunately, after 3 years, he's not able to do that.

 

[emeraldde]

Maybe I haven't examined it as much as the op, but to me this just sounds like excuses.

 

[hoopsupstate]

T

I'm excited about Lydon. He seems like the type of kid Belein gets that just can kill you inside and out. Unfortunately, I'm losing faith in the staff's ability to develop big men and hope Gerry or Red moves on to accept an associate head coach position somewhere.

The only problem is he weighs about 150 pounds.

 

[Ghost]

That's just brilliant right there.
If the guy could play smart and not try to tamohawk every opponent's shot in his vicinity and not jump on every shot fake he could actually stay in the game — and yes even get some more shots/touches as you prescribe — and yes make it so the dreaded BMK wouldn't have to play much. Unfortunately, after 3 years, he's not able to do that.

Ask a stupid question, etc...you know how the saying goes.

Ummm, outside of two games he plays about the same minutes with or without foul trouble (when Baye is available). Always has. So, again, I think you're just making stuff up. Or are too lazy to actually analyze anything.

He's been over his average 3 of the last 4 games. When Baye was out he played 35/35/39. So, again, it seems he's capable of not fouling - he didn't foul out any of those games. Which more or less answers your question.

Ur welcome!

 

[OttoMets]

First, if you don't feel like it, and you don't care to look it up for yourself, than I don't know what to tell you. You asked the ridiculous question, I answered. It's fairly simple to verify. So whatever...why ask at all?

Second, if you think Rak and Baye are playing about the same of late...well...not sure what to tell you. Even if you think every basket he has made in the last month were dunks, you do realize that's more than Baye is providing, right? He's not passing it to the other team or fumbling the ball out of bounds.

He made 5 field goals against Florida State, you have to go back and add up every single game since January to get to five for Baye. He's also blocked more shots in January than Baye has total since January.

I can't understand the people who contradict without anything to support the contradiction. Far and away my least favorite thing about this board.

 

[OburgOrange]

I can't understand the people who contradict without anything to support the contradiction. Far and away my least favorite thing about this board.

That and, the ole "well if you knew what I know" spiel without telling us what it is you know!

 

[pearl31]

Serious questions–and I honestly don't know how to find the information that would answer them, but perhaps someone on here does.
1) How many games this year has Rak made it to halftime with less than 2 fouls?
2) What is his shooting % this year on non-dunks?