This year I am
recapping games in a similar fashion that soccer matches are
recapped. Following a game, each player receives a rating 1-10 based
upon their performance. Over the course of time you can see how they
are playing in stretches, and how the team overall is performing
based upon the form of their players. I think this is an effective
way to evaluate basketball games. Especially when, at the end of the
season, it is not always the most talented team that wins, or the
team that had the most victories during the season, but the team that
is experiencing the greatest of run of form. So, with no further
introduction, here is the first batch of player ratings from Opening
Night. 7 Iowa State vs Colorado, and Lehigh @ Syracuse were the two
games I watched. I did not create player ratings for Lehigh and
Colorado, because I don't find them interesting.
Friday
11/13/2005
Syacuse Orange[men]
C DaJuan Coleman 2
After missing
the last 22 months due to injury, Coleman started tonight, and
played—13 minutes. Coleman picked up two quick fouls in the first,
and sat the rest of the half. He played more in the second; Coleman
even managed to score an easy two the one time Syracuse was able to
move the ball around effectively. However, this game has to be a
major disappointment for Coleman. In the second half, Coleman had his
limited minutes because Obokoh and Lydon simply proved to be better
interior defenders. Syracuse needs Coleman to play, because he is one
of two players capable of scoring the ball in the post, and the
Orange[men] desperately need to add that layer to their attack.
F Tyler Roberson 4
Roberson only
played 21 minutes, despite picking up zero fouls. He finished the
fame 0-3 from the field, scoring zero point. He did however, grab
five rebounds, and even dished out a pair of assists. Syracuse,
Boeheim, gave up on Roberson way too early in this game, taking him
out of the game did not improve the team. Roberson and Coleman were
not able to get things going on the offensive end, but they were
hardly given a chance; they combined to take five shots. The guards
were either unable to give them the ball, or too busy shooting early
in the shot clock. Removing Roberson from the game, especially when
Coleman is already out for fouls, completely eliminates any threat in
the low post on offense. It also removes Syracuse's best rebounder.
Lehigh rebounded only two less balls than Syracuse, and grabbed 11
offensive rebounds. Roberson would especially have been helpful
offensive rebounding due to his athleticism, and willingness to crash
the glass. This quality was needed in this game when Syracuse's
offense was reduced to hoisting three point shots. But, alas,
Roberson was stuck on the bench twiddling his thumbs. Roberson needs
to play 30 minutes a game. His 4 rating in this game has less
to do with him, and more to do with the manner in which he was
utilized. Rant Over.
F Malachi Richardson 6
Malachi
Richardson had a mixed debut, but ultimately he was one of the few
positive contributors. The headlines will say Richardson led Syracuse
to victory, and leave it at that, but it is far from that simple, or
positive sounding. Richardson scored 14 points, but shot only 5-12
(42%) from the field, although he shot better from 3pt range, 4-9.
Richardson was good on the defensive end. He used his length to his
advantage on the wing, leading the team with three steals. He also
grabbed six rebounds. However, Richardson turned the ball over five
times as well. He showed a pretty good handle, and controlled the
ball well, but he had a real problem passing the ball, often making
extremely poor choices. #FreshmanMistakes. Overall
it was a good game from the four-star freshman, and he was one of the
few exciting players this game.
G Michael Gbinije 5
Gbinije led the
team in points with 16. That does not make his performance
impressive. He shot 5-13 (39%), and was only 2-9 from three. Gbinije
started at point guard for Syracuse, but finished the game with only
two assists. Meanwhile, he turned the ball over four times. Gbinije
was at his best last season—and again in this game, when he is
slashing into the lane, or driving in with the ball towards the
basket. He is a good finisher while driving, and this also opens up
other players, like Roberson and Coleman for easy stuffs, or Cooney
and Richardson for open threes. In this game, Gbinije and Cooney
chose to stay outside the arc until one of them threw up a three.
That kind of offense does not work. Gbinije could be a great player
this year, but he cannot abandon what made him effective last season.
Syracuse will benefit from him driving to the basket, and
occasionally shooting from outside.
G Trevor Cooney 4
Cooney also
scored in double figures, 13, but that does not mean his performance
was good this game. He shot 4-13 (31%), and 3-9 from three. On the
bright side, His 33.3% from three this game was better than his 30.9%
from a year ago. Hooray the little things! Cooney also turned the
ball over four times. He and Gbinije need to spread the ball around
more. They are not going to be effective if they play the way they
did tonight.
C Chinoso Obokoh 7
Obokoh ended up
with 15 minutes played in this game. He was very effective on the
defensive end. One of the big questions surrounding Syracuse this
season was who would replace Rakeem Christmas, on both the offensive
and defensive end, and although the still do not have an answer on
offense, Obokoh proved to be a very good rim protector, and defensive
specialist. He finished the game with four blocks (in 15 minutes!).
F Tyler Lydon 6
Lydon played
starter's minutes, 28, in place of Coleman and Roberson, and saw time
both in the middle of the zone, and on the wing opposite Richardson.
Lydon proved to be a very good defender in both spots. He blocked two
shots, and also stole three balls, tying Richardson for the team
lead. Lydon was also great at grabbing rebounds, 11, using his length
exceptionally well. Interestingly, Lydon was thought to be an
immediate asset on offense, because he is a good outside shooter.
However, in this game he scored only four points, shooting 1-4, and
0-3 from three. He struggled offensively, but did everything else
well. The prospect of Lydon putting both aspects of his game together
is very exciting though.
G Kaleb Joseph 6
Kaleb Joseph
struggled last season, which earned him a spot on the bench the
latter half of his freshman season, and he will defer to Cooney and
Gbinije to start this season. However, Joseph was one of the bright
spots this game, and should have been played more than 14 minutes,
based upon the flow of the game. Jospeh scored eight points—again,
in just 14 minutes, on 2-3 shooting, all his shots were from 3pt
range, and he also went 2-2 from the free throw line. He also had one
assist, one steal, and most importantly,
did not turn the ball over. Joseph was the best player when he was on
the court, and he should have played more in the second half.
G Franklin Howard N/A
Howard came in
for four minutes in the first half. He did not play long enough to
discuss.
Team Rating: 4.89
Syracuse
got the win. But, they looked terrible tonight. This game showed just
how valuable Rakeem Christmas was to this team last year. Without
him, Syracuse had no scoring presence in the low post. That will have
to change if Syracuse wants to improve. Instead, Syracuse relied way
too heavily on the three pointer. They took 34 threes, which means
65% of their shots came from beyond the arc. Luckily, they did not
shoot too horribly from there, 32.4%, but that is not a viable way to
score consistently. Syracuse's offense was extremely unbalance—and
not just because two thirds of their attempts came from deep, but
because three players: Richardson, Cooney, and Gbinije were
responsible for 75% of Syracuse's shots! Syracuse needs to spread the
ball around more on offense, and their key players need to be more
selective taking shots. The key will be Gbinije driving to hoop. His
ability to penetrate will upon up the rest of the offense. Playing
Kaleb Joseph more could also lead to a more balanced offense. Joseph
would be the primary ball handler, which would take the ball out of
the hands of the three main culprits in what became a downtown
bonanza. Syracuse also needs to commit to Tyler Roberson playing
consistent minutes for them. He is an essential piece on offense, and
they need to get him the ball in areas where he can score. When
Roberson was on the floor, you often saw him playing just above the
free throw line, where Christmas liked to receive the ball last year.
So, you could see Syracuse was attempting to run a play for him
there, but they quit on him too easily. On the defensive side, the
zone was very good. The advantage to playing Gbinije and Cooney at
the top of the zone is their length, and their ability to create
steals. Richardson and Lydon have also adapted to the zone quickly,
and their tailor-made to be successful pieces on defense. Obokoh was
the key piece as the rim protector in the center of the zone. He was
exceptional against Lehigh. However, Obokoh still has zero upside on
offense. So, it is still important that Coleman stays on the court,
and finds an offensive rhythm. In all, Syracuse got the win, but they
did look strong doing so. They need to adapt, and play better
offensively, otherwise they will get destroyed during the ACC season.
7 Iowa State 68 Colorado 62
Iowa State Cyclones
F Jameel McKay: 6
McKay finished
the game with eight points, and 10 rebounds, nearly a double-double.
Despite those solid numbers, McKay played only 26 minutes because he
was often in foul trouble; he finished with four fouls. He also
turned the ball over three times, and was 0-3 at the foul line. McKay
played much better in the second half than he did the first, when his
defense also suffered.
F Georges Niang: 7
Niang scored 17
points, shooting 7-14 from the field. However, Niang did not look
like an All-American level of player. This could have been a showcase
game for Niang. But, despite finishing with a nice point total, he
missed several easy shots that would have allowed him to break 20.
His defense was also lazy at times, and ended the game with four
fouls as well. Niang only had four rebounds all game, as well. Niang
did show off his solid handle of the ball. He did a nice job driving
into the lane, and getting himself to hit high percentage shots, but
missed, as previously mentioned, a few easy ones. Niang only turned
the ball over once though, which is great considering how often he
dribbles the ball.
F Abdel Nader: 6
Nader finished
the game with 14 points and six rebounds, shooting 6-13. However,
Nader missed both of his attempted threes, badly. He also picked up
four fouls; yep, all three forwards had four fouls by the end of the
game. Nader did not play well on defense either for much of the game.
He failed to pressure George King when he was behind the arc, and was
responsible for three uncontested three pointers made. Nader did a
play better in the second half defensively, he got a couple blocks,
and grabbed a couple steals, which led to easy points on the other
end.
G Nazareth Mitrou-Long: 6
Mitrou-Long
started the game fast. However, he cooled down halfway through the
first, and remained that way through the second half as well.
Mitrou-Long finished with 13 points, shooting a stellar 5-9, and 2-5
from three. However, he also turned the ball over five times. He did
show poise in transition, and on fast breaks though. Mittrou-Long
proved he can be a good scorer for this team, but he needs to show a
more complete game.
G Monte Morris: 7
Morris looked
like the Cyclones' best player. Sure, he only shot 42% from the
field, and was 0-1 from three, but he was the clear leader of this
team. The Cyclones were most dangerous when Morris had the ball in
his hans. He showed an incredible ability to drive to the basket,
where he could either finish in traffic, or open things up inside for
other players. He is a good ball handler, turning the ball over just
twice in 36 minutes. He finished the game with four assists. Morris
was also an asset on defense, and finished the game with three
steals, and five rebounds.
G Matt Thomas: 3
Matt Thomas was
the first man off the bench, and the most utilized reserve, playing
24 minutes. He finished the game with only four points, shooting 2-7
from the field, and missing both of his 3pt attempts. The two shots
he did make came from uncontested lay ups. He grabbed five rebounds,
but was not a great asset on defense; Iowa State was forced to play
small when he was in the lineup.
G Hallice Cooke: 6
Hallice Cook
only played 13 minutes. But, he displayed some promise. He has a good
handle, and tallied two assists in his limited time on the court. He
also grabbed a steal and three rebounds. Cooke was the better of the
two reserves, and Iowa State would be more interesting with him
playing alongside Morris and Mitrou-Long when one of the bigs have to
sit.
Team Rating: 6.05
Iowa State was
not able to put away Colorado until the final minute of the game.
They did not shoot particularly well, 2-10 from 3pt range, 53.3% from
the FT line, despite shooting 44.6% overall. They fouled way too
much, each of the forwards picked up four fouls, and that will be a
struggle for Iowa State all season. It especially hurt them, because
they do not have a deep bench. They also lack size after the three
starters; Matt Thomas was the tallest player to come off the bench,
and he's 6'4. The absence of frontcourt depth is the biggest concern
for the Cyclones. Once McKay leaves the court, they have to play
small, and move Niang up to play against opposing centers; he is not
the same kind of defender, and rim protector that McKay is. Based on
this performance, Iowa State did not look like the seventh best team
in the country. They are not a top ten team for me.
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