Buddy Boeheim's #'s

[GotNets?]

We had a similar player... this guy named Tyler Polley shot 40% from 3 against Maryland if I recall correctly.

Bouk got triple teamed and couldn’t get it to him. We didn’t have any inside out game and couldn’t get it to him. etc.

I forgot to add he like 5 touches all game.

 

[The Shot]

if you swap out Bouk’s line from the last game for Buddy’s, you think we are still playing? I hear ya, Bouk is a top 15 pick and Buddy is not. I laughed at Buddy in the past, but damn a similar player could have helped us. The numbers don’t lie over the last 3-4 weeks.

Again you are not understanding my point. All I’m saying is that we would be no better with him in Bouk’s role. We would be worse. He is not athletic enough to guard in a man scheme and there is no way he puts up those numbers facing the kind of double and triple teams that Bouk did. Boeheim is on fire right now there is no debating that. My point is that comparing Bouk and him without taking into account the system that allows him to stay on the court is probably not the best thing to do.

 

[superjohn]

Maybe weapons wasn’t the best choice of words. My point is that Syracuse has better shooters. They have 7 players shooting better than 30% from 3. Besides Marek everyone of their players that get any burn have the ability to hit the 3. We do not have consistent shooters so teams just pack it in. That’s one of the things that happened with Maryland and Creighton. But do you really think that Buddy Boeheim would excel like he currently is in any program where his athleticism was exposed? I think he would be a fine player but a real liability on defense. And also what is Buddy better at than James other than shooting and maybe passing?

I don't think he would excel in any/every system and I think we have much better talent than Syracuse does. Boeheim figured it out and they are playing by far their best ball of the year, Hurley didn't figure it out and UConn played it's worst game of the year in it's last game.

I think James is a much better all around player than Boeheim but Boeheim certainly played much better than James in the last couple.

 

[The Shot]

I don't think he would excel in any/every system and I think we have much better talent than Syracuse does. Boeheim figured it out and they are playing by far their best ball of the year, Hurley didn't figure it out and UConn played it's worst game of the year in it's last game.

I think James is a much better all around player than Boeheim but Boeheim certainly played much better than James in the last couple.

Can’t argue with this and I actually agree entirely. I just took issue with the idea that Buddy in place of Bouk would have made any difference. Like you said the issues were coaching based and I believe some were supporting cast based.

 

[The Shot]

It's crazy. Even Syracuse fans hated that team until about 10 days ago.

I think their biggest issue was that they had a bunch of players who supporting cast types and not alphas. That changed with Buddy’s emergence.

 

[Dean Wormer]

I forgot to add he like 5 touches all game.

That’s on the coaching and the PG. Every time down the floor Buddy boy has plays run for him. Why couldn’t we do the same for Polley? We kept trying to feature triple-teamed Bouk and even when that wasn’t working, we kept going back to it. You gotta put the players in the best position to succeed. Or you’re stuck on your couch talking what if’s.

 

[Stinger92860]

We had a similar player... this guy named Tyler Polley shot 40% from 3 against Maryland if I recall correctly.

Bouk got triple teamed and couldn’t get it to him. We didn’t have any inside out game and couldn’t get it to him. etc.

not even close, have you looked at buddy’s numbers over the last 3-4 weeks? It’s crazy.

edit: ball don’t lie. Keep in mind I hate them. My wife laughs because EVERY time I see car with stickers for cuse or Rutgers, I give them the finger. I won’t stop.

 

[ucp990411]

Maybe weapons wasn’t the best choice of words. My point is that Syracuse has better shooters. They have 7 players shooting better than 30% from 3. Besides Marek everyone of their players that get any burn have the ability to hit the 3. We do not have consistent shooters so teams just pack it in. That’s one of the things that happened with Maryland and Creighton. But do you really think that Buddy Boeheim would excel like he currently is in any program where his athleticism was exposed? I think he would be a fine player but a real liability on defense. And also what is Buddy better at than James other than shooting and maybe passing?

I always thought the name of the game was making baskets yourself or helping your teammates make baskets. You think differently?

 

[BlueDogs]

I couldn’t disagree more. You can’t compare how Buddy plays on Syracuse to how Bouk plays for us. His deficiencies are easily hidden in the zone. He would be a shell of himself on our team. He’s a subpar athlete who would get torched on defense. Also, with our lack of other shooters everyone would key on him and he’d be lucky to score 10 a game. Book’s biggest issue is that he had no weapons around him. Buddy has a few teammates who can shoot reliably. Just imagine the type of double and triple teams that Bouk has faced being thrown at Buddy. The only thing Boeheim does better is shoot. Nothing else (maybe passing?) He is literally the perfect player for Syracuse though. There is no denying that but we wouldn’t be raving about him if he played for a team that plays man to man defense.

So, if I follow, it’s the coach’s scheme that elevates him by putting in a system that maximizes is strengths. Interesting. Interesting concept we might try.

 

[The Shot]

I always thought the name of the game was making baskets yourself or helping your teammates make baskets. You think differently?

Not at all. All I’m saying is that when the rest of your teammates can shoot it makes it way easier for you to dominate. Take a look at the last 4 games for both Syracuse. They shot the following as a team from 3:

NCST 48%
UVA 36%
SDSU 55%
WVU 45%

Now compare that to UConn:

GT 43%
DP 29%
CRTN 21%
MD 30%

It’s clear that Syracuse shoots far better from 3 than UConn. Which means other teams actually have to defend the perimeter. When they play UConn they only really need to guard one or two players on the perimeter tightly. The rest of the defense can then sag toward the paint clogging the interior and allowing for double teams of Bouk. With Buddy you cannot double team him because Girard, Griffin, Guerrier, or Braswell will light you up. No one has to take Jackson or Martin or even Gaffney all that seriously when they are on the perimeter. The larger point I’m trying to make is that you can’t compare the two because the circumstances in which they operate are completely different and weighted a lot more heavily against Bouk.

 

[superjohn]

Not at all. All I’m saying is that when the rest of your teammates can shoot it makes it way easier for you to dominate. Take a look at the last 4 games for both Syracuse. They shot the following as a team from 3:

NCST 48%
UVA 36%
SDSU 55%
WVU 45%

Now compare that to UConn:

GT 43%
DP 29%
CRTN 21%
MD 30%

It’s clear that Syracuse shoots far better from 3 than UConn. Which means other teams actually have to defend the perimeter. When they play UConn they only really need to guard one or two players on the perimeter tightly. The rest of the defense can then sag toward the paint clogging the interior and allowing for double teams of Bouk. With Buddy you cannot double team him because Girard, Griffin, Guerrier, or Braswell will light you up. No one has to take Jackson or Martin or even Gaffney all that seriously when they are on the perimeter. The larger point I’m trying to make is that you can’t compare the two because the circumstances in which they operate are completely different and weighted a lot more heavily against Bouk.

Yes but like half of those threes are from Boeheim and he's shooting them at a 56% clip. When your best player is playing.like an absolute superstar and making everything it becomes much easier for everyone else, for whatever reasons we didn't have that. Syracuse was no better at making threes this season than UConn, since Buddy has gone super saiyan mode it's helped these other guys get wide open looks and the percentages went up.

 

[EBonz30]

They've always been a dumb fan base. He's always been a good player, now he's a great player.

Buddy Boeheim is not a great player- please walk back- he’s been hot over the last month or so- with that said it doesn’t mean he’s a great player- he’s one dimensional at best- although over the last month he’s been very good at that one dimension.

 

[superjohn]

Buddy Boeheim is not a great player- please walk back- he’s been hot over the last month or so- with that said it doesn’t mean he’s a great player- he’s one dimensional at best- although over the last month he’s been very good at that one dimension.

He's absolutely a great player now. Being one dimensional at the most important dimension in basketball makes you great when you are as good as anyone in the country at that one dimension.

 

[KingAG]

He's absolutely a great player now. Being one dimensional at the most important dimension in basketball makes you great when you are as good as anyone in the country at that one dimension.

But is this the player he is........or is he just on a hot streak? His history suggest he isn’t THIS good

 

[TheChamps990411]

Boeheim is still a Hall of Famer. I said earlier in the season, he makes every group he has look presentable eventually. People hiring him were nuts. Good for him. I’m not fan but the guy is one of the best all time and he deserves a little respect, especially at this point in his life. He may not be Wooden, K or even Calhoun, but he’s damn good and I think it is pretty funny to see him take this group to the Sweet 16 after the things people have been saying about him.

I respect his coaching ability as he is one of the greats for sure. I just think hes kind of a the way he treats some of the kids in his program and hes a gross human being as there is absolutely no excuse for a grown man to pick and eat his boogers. That gross bro!

 

[Dean Wormer]

I respect his coaching ability as he is one of the greats for sure. I just think hes kind of a the way he treats some of the kids in his program and hes a gross human being as there is absolutely no excuse for a grown man to pick and eat his boogers. That gross bro!

He’s an anus. Lotsa great coaches have been hemorrhoids, but because they win it’s usually tolerated.

 

[ucp990411]

But is this the player he is........or is he just on a hot streak? His history suggest he isn’t THIS good

He is rising to the occasion, unlike our best player

 

[EastCoast2]

Syracuse fan here. Buddy Boeheim has been unreal the past 2-3 weeks, but if I had to pick either Buddy Boeheim or James Bouknight for the rest of this tournament, I'd take Bouknight. There's a reason Bouknight is a projected lottery pick, and averaged ~20 ppg this season. Yes Buddy has been lights out, and has single-handedly won a few big games, but the old saying "live by the 3, die by the 3" can come true at any moment. Having an explosive scorer like Bouknight who can create his own shot from anywhere on the floor and create for others usually wins more games in March.

Part of Buddy's slow start to the season was he missed some time with COVID-19, and apparently caught it twice. He was struggling running up and down the court when he came back from quarantine. Maybe he's finally at full strength and has his legs back. Bouknight is still the more consistent player, in my opinion.

 

[tzznandrew]

We had a similar player... this guy named Tyler Polley shot 40% from 3 against Maryland if I recall correctly.

Bouk got triple teamed and couldn’t get it to him. We didn’t have any inside out game and couldn’t get it to him. etc.

Tyler Polley shot 35% for the season. The fact that he went 2/5 tells us more about sample size. Perhaps because of the achilles injury, he just was not the same shooter from 3 this year.

Cole shot 38% and Gaffney shot 36%, both a higher percentage than Polley. If Cole keeps that up and Gaffney continues his improvement, we might be in better shape than we realize. Still need a transfer who can shoot. And Jackson to be able to at least draw a defender.

 

[The Shot]

Syracuse fan here. Buddy Boeheim has been unreal the past 2-3 weeks, but if I had to pick either Buddy Boeheim or James Bouknight for the rest of this tournament, I'd take Bouknight. There's a reason Bouknight is a projected lottery pick, and averaged ~20 ppg this season. Yes Buddy has been lights out, and has single-handedly won a few big games, but the old saying "live by the 3, die by the 3" can come true at any moment. Having an explosive scorer like Bouknight who can create his own shot from anywhere on the floor and create for others usually wins more games in March.

Part of Buddy's slow start to the season was he missed some time with COVID-19, and apparently caught it twice. He was struggling running up and down the court when he came back from quarantine. Maybe he's finally at full strength and has his legs back. Bouknight is still the more consistent player, in my opinion.

I appreciate the input. I’m wondering as a Syracuse fan if you could provide an insight on a question that I have. Have you noticed the rest of the team improve on the offensive side of the ball during this incredible run by Buddy? Or have they pretty much maintained the same level of play? The reason I ask is that my impression of this SU team was that it was bunch of solid role players who lacked a go to player. Now that Boeheim is that guy the team complements each other nicely and these players aren’t really relied on to go above and beyond what is expected and playing at their previous level is okay. Or am I completely wrong?

 

[EastCoast2]

I appreciate the input. I’m wondering as a Syracuse fan if you could provide an insight on a question that I have. Have you noticed the rest of the team improve on the offensive side of the ball during this incredible run by Buddy? Or have they pretty much maintained the same level of play? The reason I ask is that my impression of this SU team was that it was bunch of solid role players who lacked a go to player. Now that Boeheim is that guy the team complements each other nicely and these players aren’t really relied on to go above and beyond what is expected and playing at their previous level is okay. Or am I completely wrong?

I think you're partially right. Having a player like Buddy shoot ~50% from 3P over several games obviously helps the offense. Some of those shots were desperation, end of shot-clock tosses that went in. This team is playing much better now than they were the first 1-2 months of the season, but Buddy's streak is only one reason. I mentioned Buddy had COVID-19 earlier in the season. Apparently Girard did too. He looked sluggish for a couple months. Aside from virus, quarantines, and missed time, Kadary Richmond (our consolation for missing out on Andre Jackson) continues to improve, and is getting more and more playing time. He's hands down our best handler and facilitator. He's taking minutes away from Girard which allows Girard to be a role player/spot shooter instead of full time PG playing 35+ mpg and getting gassed and then taking bad shots. Girard is healthier now and playing less minutes = better productivity and efficiency from him. If Girard is taking the most shots on the team, something went very wrong. He's much better taking 5-6 shots, not 10-12. Robert Braswell is also playing more, and stepping up to make big plays on both ends of the court. He's a 6'8 athletic shooter who hasn't played a ton all season, but is getting more confident with each game. His increased PT comes at the expense of 6'5 Alan Griffin who is streaky as well, but if you asked me 4 weeks ago I would've said he's our best total player. Guerrier has also been injured on and off, and appears mostly healthy now. He played most of last season with an injured groin. Our starting center, Bourama Sidibe, has effectively been out the entire season since an injury in game 1, but Dolezaj has stepped up and played well rotating over from the 4 to the 5. Add in Jesse Edwards, a 6'11 sophomore who is also playing better and more minutes each game.

To sum up:

1. Buddy is shooting lights out, and he is finally healthy
2. Kadary Richmond playing more, improving
3. Girard finally healthy, playing less, allowing him to play a role more suitable for him (not lead PG)
4. Robert Braswell and Jesse Edwards playing more and improving
5. Guerrier healthier, improving

EDIT: to add on, the reason Cuse's offense looked horrible most of the season was the lack of a facilitator. You're right that it's a bunch of nice role players, but no "stud" or go-to guy. If SU had a guy like Bouknight, they probably win 3-4 more games during the regular season and are looking at a 4-5 seed. Kadary Richmond has started to fill that void of playmaker.

 

[EBonz30]

He's absolutely a great player now. Being one dimensional at the most important dimension in basketball makes you great when you are as good as anyone in the country at that one dimension.

He's absolutely a great player now. Being one dimensional at the most important dimension in basketball makes you great when you are as good as anyone in the country at that one dimension.

A great player? Lol. Your the same person who thought Iowa was great because of their offensive shooting & firepower & thought Curry was a better basketball player than Kobe Bryant & LeBron James- you continue to over value shooting. It’s important & it’s even more important in today’s game, but with that said it’s not the end all be all.

 

[EBonz30]

Pretty sure peak Curry > peak Kobe

Good luck- give me Kobe- let’s talk when Curry wins a few more titles with borderline hall of famers- not Klay/Green & Durant.

 

[jibsey]

Can he defend NBA athletes?

This should have been Polley though...

I mean he’s Jimmer with an extra couple inches. Mostly it was because of his last name. I can’t lie though, I had never seen him interview or anything but hated how likeable and down to earth he seemed after their first win in the tournament. Seems like a good kid. Can’t root for him, but a good kid.

If it was Polley we'd still be playing.

 

[EBonz30]

He's absolutely a great player now. Being one dimensional at the most important dimension in basketball makes you great when you are as good as anyone in the country at that one dimension.

Is Buddy Boeheim still a great player- what a joke- lol.

 

[UConnSwag11]

Is Buddy Boeheim still a great player- what a joke- lol.

What difference it makes when you actually play hard defense on a one dimensional player

 

[EBonz30]

What difference it makes when you actually play hard defense on a one dimensional players you to

If you told me Corey Kispert was a great player it would be a much more interesting conversation- considering he is a much better shooter, passer, defender, & rebounder. Saying Buddy Boeheim is a great player because he has shot well from 3 over the last month or so feels like you have a specific agenda (similar to the media sometimes) or you are so consumed by shooting.

As I said previously, I think he just got caught up in the moment- as I mentioned earlier it’s the same person who said Curry was better than Kobe & LeBron when Curry was having those back to back insane years.

 

[EBonz30]

Yeah he is shooting himself up draft boards like steph curry did.

Now we are comparing Boeheim to Curry- lol. Btw I haven’t seen Boeheim on one mock draft.

 

[UConnSwag11]

Yeah he is shooting himself up draft boards like steph curry did.

Lol

 

[UConnSwag11]

Curry could dribble and play defense. He could also create his own shot