Sid Wilson expectations

[bmayuc]

My expectations for Sid are pretty simple - use his athleticism to do the basics - Rebound on both sides of the floor, finish dunks and layups on offense, and be a pesky defender.

Also, I expect him to rip several souls from the underworld with hammerdunks and/or hellacious blocks during the year.

If he does those things, and cuts out the "bad Sidney" things - ie the loose turnovers, the dumb mid range jumpers... then I'll be quite happy indeed

 

[olehead]

It has been discussed here several times. He has the ability. His work ethic and lack of dedication are holding him back.

Proof, I ask, where is the proof, or is the BY simply parroting takes of others about his work ethic and lack of dedication. In other words, it may not be clicking yet for Sid, does not mean he's not working hard. You can't impugn his work ethic simply due to fan disappointment in on the court output. I know it's a barometer but we as fans don't know what effort these guys are giving unless getting direct feedback from players or coaches.

 

[HuskyHawk]

He is the returning player who can most impact this team if he can improve. I think he will be more fundamentally sound on defense, rebound better, and block shots. His offense is a big question mark. If we can press and run, Sid can be an absolute force on the break. He's an ideal trailer. In the half court I want to see him move more without the ball, especially cuts to the hoop. I can see him getting weak side layups off of passes from Josh or from a penetrating guard.

 

[UofCT]

Thanks for the reminder. Although a 78-71 road loss, the Memphis game was indeed memorable. The team played without J. Adams and Alterique, using just 7 men. Carlton, in early foul trouble, played just 14 minutes, scored one point. Should have been a 30-point loss. Sid played 36 minutes enroute to his 16-6-3. Polley had 20 points and 6 rebounds in 34 minutes. Shows the latent potential in these guys if the situation compels and the spirit calls.

Good point and I guess I was harsh. This game was totally forgotten

 

[Palatine]

Watching how often Sid looked lost last year, you have to wonder how natural the game is for him. Just talking about his instinct. When to go, when to wait. He had trouble with simple things like put backs, things that should be automatic. There is a quirkiness to his game that I can't quite put a finger on.

He's athletic as hell. But he always looks like everything takes a lot of effort. If he was a little more smooth and natural, he could be a very, very good player.

 

[Engineer90]

Proof, I ask, where is the proof, or is the BY simply parroting takes of others about his work ethic and lack of dedication. In other words, it may not be clicking yet for Sid, does not mean he's not working hard. You can't impugn his work ethic simply due to fan disappointment in on the court output. I know it's a barometer but we as fans don't know what effort these guys are giving unless getting direct feedback from players or coaches.

I am not going to rehash the stories from last summer and this summer. Believe what you want or look it up.

 

[Tenspro2002]

He can’t shoot, dribble, pass, rebound, or defend. He was a liability on the court last season. Given the hype I was very disappointed, borderline shocked how bad he was.

I wish I could say I was shocked.

He looked like the prototypical 6'7 wing who's really more of an athlete than a basketball player. Skills were lacking. Basketball IQ was lacking. Not unlike his predecessor at the position in Larrier. KO definitely had a type, though to his credit at least the guy before that -- Daniel Hamilton -- had plenty of skill if not toughness.

Hopefully Hurley can instill some good habits, knowledge of the game, and desire to work. That sort of thing tends to be innate though, and given how little Hurley has talked about him, it gives the impression that Hurley doesn't see him as a "Hurley guy".

In short, I hope he gives us energy and a few big dunks a game, but expecting more than that is really getting wishful.

 

[freescooter]

Incredible athlete but has zero bbiq and just lzvks so many things. He will be an off the bench guy who gives Polley a breather. Don’t be fooled by his Memphis stat line. Guys with that much athleticism get hot from time to time. Guys with that little basketball skill don’t do it consistently.

 

[olehead]

I am not going to rehash the stories from last summer and this summer. Believe what you want or look it up.

Stop it.

 

[Kenny11]

Incredible athlete but has zero BBQ and just lzvks so many things. He will be an off the bench guy who gives Polley a breather. Don’t be fooled by his Memphis stat line. Guys with that much athleticism get hot from time to time. Guys with that little basketball skill don’t do it consistently.

I was disappointed with Sid last season too but I think we should expect improvement. You are right that he will be behind Polley but he still should get a lot of minutes and be an important part of team. We probably crap on him a little too much here. When we are in a groove this year, which I expect to happen, Sid is going to make some exciting plays that bring everyone to their feet. He doesn't have to worry about starting...just play hard, be confident and good things will happen for him.

 

[Lefty2one]

I'm always optimistic when it comes to player development but on the pragmatic side if some other things go well--namely Akok's presence and Whaley's development--then Sid will be a fringe rotational piece. He was bad last year.

He was so bad last year that he wouldn't have been in the rotation on a decent team.
- He shot .349 from the floor (including .396 inside the arc).
- He shot .229 from three.
- In 489 minutes of playing time he had: 7 assists, 8 steals, 20 blocks, 69 rebounds.

We weren't exactly playing a tough schedule last year. It's alarming for a superior athlete to shoot .349 from the floor and .396 inside the arc. The big concern is that he lacks both skill and BBIQ. He is super raw even after two years on campus. As others have said, he can't dribble, pass, or shoot. He's not a great defender either, despite his athleticism.

I assume that we go small and Polley, Akok, Whaley, and Carlton get the bulk of the minutes at the 4/5. Gilbert, Adams, Vital, Bouknight will split up most of the time at the 1-3 spots. There may be 8-10 minutes available for Sid. His destiny is a hustle 4-man. He needs to put on the proverbial 25 lbs of offseason muscle one of these years. At 6'7" 180 with his skill set it's going to be really hard to be an impact player at the high major level. Hopefully Hurley can work some magic.

 

[Fan4ever]

His output will be determined by his input. Really doesn't get more basic than that.

Has the talent, does he have the desire ?

 

[TheChamps990411]

Sid had 16 points, 6 rebounds and 3 blocks against Memphis last season. I think he is a bit better than many of us give him credit for, me included.

Even a broken clock can have a good night. lol!

 

[Engineer90]

Stop it.

That's funny. Now I feel like bringing it up over and over again.

 

[olehead]

That's funny. Now I feel like bringing it up over and over again.

Watch tonight's game

 

[Engineer90]

Watch tonight's game

Yes, it was better. He actually had a positive +/-. But it was Sacred Heart so let's see what he does against decent teams and let's see how consistent he is over several games. If you look at his body and think that he put enough work into it over the summer, I don't know what to tell you. Maybe he worked on skills and experience will always lead to improvement. But he will be limited by a lack of strength and conditioning. And you know he has heard that message loud and clear. So why the lack of progress?

I would hope he can improve on last year's +/-:

 

[superjohn]

He is the returning player who can most impact this team if he can improve. I think he will be more fundamentally sound on defense, rebound better, and block shots. His offense is a big question mark. If we can press and run, Sid can be an absolute force on the break. He's an ideal trailer. In the half court I want to see him move more without the ball, especially cuts to the hoop. I can see him getting weak side layups off of passes from Josh or from a penetrating guard.

I hear you but we'll go as Alterique goes.

 

[HuskyHawk]

I hear you but we'll go as Alterique goes.

I don’t mean he’s the best, simply that range between his possible outcomes is the widest. He could be barely a contributor to a very big contributor. Guys like Vital, AG and Carlton will produce close to what we expect.