Disjointed...

[GGGG]

OK. it is not Buzz's fault--it is the players. So you all give Buzz a pass, even though they are his players, strategy, game plan, etc. So, because he us such a stud coach he gets a pass for his down year.

Buzz is ultimately responsible of course.  But that doesn't mean that the players are completely absolved of any responsibility.  Just like Buzz doesn't deserve 100% of the credit...he doesn't deserve 100% of the blame.

[jesmu84]

There is nothing stopping Derrick and Juan and Jake from being leaders by example this year...yet their hard work doesn't translate into victories due to their limitations as players.   I'd much rather see a lineup that has the talent and potential to WIN games, that may not be as Johnny Hustle as the less talented guys.  We've seen the Johnny hustle team this year with Derrick, Jake, Juan, Otule being starters...the results weren't pretty.

I don't feel Jamil, Otule or Davante haven't played hard at most points throughout the year either.  I think they are beyond frustrated...Jamil and DG  don't initiate offense.  They are reliant in many ways on the perimeter players being effective.  They are like receivers in football to an extent - they are reliant on a QB to get them the ball.  You can have a hard working QB who wants to get the ball to his receivers...yet just doesn't have the tools necessary to play the position.  And as hard working as that QB may be - when the guys lining up around him don't have confidence in his abilities - due to him consistently showing his limitations - its hard for that QB's leadership and hard work ethic to have any cred in the locker room.

oh bullcrap. if davante is going to whine and be a selfish, immature baby on the defensive end because he isn't getting ball on offense, get him off the freaking floor. i dont care if a QB can't get the ball to a WR. that WR better sure as hell be blocking on a running play. otherwise i wouldn't want them on my team. the team/program is bigger than your self-interests.

[willie warrior]

Buzz is ultimately responsible of course.  But that doesn't mean that the players are completely absolved of any responsibility.  Just like Buzz doesn't deserve 100% of the credit...he doesn't deserve 100% of the blame.

I agree. The players are who Buzz picked. Their problems are Buzz's to correct. If they cannot be corrected, then they sit or move on.

[Lennys Tap]

And nor has Buzz seen him play 30 GAME minutes other than once...and even that wasn't going to happen if Derrick didn't tell Buzz to leave Dawson in the game!  Just find it funny that Buzz has made all the other tweaks..virtually every conceivable tweak he could make except this one.

Okay...I'll shut up now...as I realize this treads on/against my self imposed moratorium.

Thanks for limiting this lifting of your self imposed moratorium to 3 posts instead of 333 like your last one.

[GGGG]

oh bullcrap. if davante is going to whine and be a selfish, immature baby on the defensive end because he isn't getting ball on offense, get him off the freaking floor. i dont care if a QB can't get the ball to a WR. that WR better sure as hell be blocking on a running play. otherwise i wouldn't want them on my team. the team/program is bigger than your self-interests.

It's also a bunch of BS that doesn't hold up in the stats.  As I posted last week, Davante is getting more touches per minute, and shooting better, than he was last year.

And Jamil gets plenty of touches.

[Canned Goods n Ammo]

There is ONE major change that Buzz hasn't been willing to make all year..so all of the other tinkering that hasn't worked...well....maybe by process of elimination Buzz will figure it out.  The ONE guy on the team who's role basically hasn't changed at all for the entire season, and who has gotten max minutes is the PG.  The ONE game he wasn't given max minutes, and reduced to 30, we somehow win on the road at Georgetown.  All of the other lineup tinkering..hasn't changed a damn thing...the losses continue, we look like a hockey team sending lines of players out there, guys going in and out every minute, guys playing with different guys alongside them - you just don't see that happening on other successful teams.  And no, getting 10 minutes a game of action to show your value when broken up into 2-3 stints of run....does not reflect what you will produce in 30 minutes.

#1 Nice moratorium. Well done.

#2 I wasn't even referring to Derrick in my previous post. I was referring mostly to Jake and Juan, who several posters bemoaned earlier in the year. "We need more JJJ and Burton!" Well, yesterday we got more JJJ and Burton, and it looked disjointed, (as you correctly pointed out.)

#3 My hunch is that it's looked disjointed in practice as well, which is why Buzz had been depending upon Jake/Juan and even *gasp* DW. The other guys just weren't doing things correctly, and now we know what that looks like. If guys aren't playing correctly in practice, it's hard for Buzz to find rolls for them in a game.

#4 This team has talent. This team is deep. This team is inconsistent, and lacks the star power to cover for inconsistency.

[MU82]

#1 Nice moratorium. Well done.

#2 I wasn't even referring to Derrick in my previous post. I was referring mostly to Jake and Juan, who several posters bemoaned earlier in the year. "We need more JJJ and Burton!" Well, yesterday we got more JJJ and Burton, and it looked disjointed, (as you correctly pointed out.)

#3 My hunch is that it's looked disjointed in practice as well, which is why Buzz had been depending upon Jake/Juan and even *gasp* DW. The other guys just weren't doing things correctly, and now we know what that looks like. If guys aren't playing correctly in practice, it's hard for Buzz to find rolls for them in a game.

#4 This team has talent. This team is deep. This team is inconsistent, and lacks the star power to cover for inconsistency.

No. 4 is a point that isn't emphasized enough.

If one would bring up the lack of star power or go-to guy back in October, one would get the whole tired refrain: "People said we'd lack a go-to guy after Lazar left but Jimmy stepped up; they said we'd lack one after Jimmy left but Jae stepped up; they said we'd lack one after Jae left but Vander stepped up; and now they say we'll lack one after Vander left but somebody will step up -- probably Jamil -- because somebody always does."

Well Jamil didn't. Neither did anybody else. Trends are not facts. Not that trend, and not the trend that "we always start slow, have one horrible loss, right the ship, contend for the title." When the trend gets broken, and it always does, it leaves fans in a cranky mood and looking for people to blame.

How about next season? Will we have a star and/or go-to guy? We certainly haven't seen evidence that we can count on that from anybody on this year's team, although Burton seems to have the mental make-up to be that guy. I do hope he (and all of us fans) realize that our go-to guy often also sets the tone as a defender (Jimmy, Jae and Vander, for example), and Deonte seems to need a LOT of work there.

The closest we have to a go-to guy this season has been Mayo, but while he has come through in the clutch a couple of times, he is simply too inconsistent and obviously isn't trusted enough by Buzz. The other top option is Davante, but it's very difficult for low-post players to truly fill that role because they depend upon somebody else to get them the ball. Although Lazar, Jimmy and Jae all were forwards, each could go get the ball at midcourt or on the wing and then do something with it.

Best case scenario next season is for either Burton, JJJ or Duane to emerge as that guy. I'd throw Mayo into the mix, but who knows how dependable he'll be or even if he'll be back?

While folks have tossed out all kinds of reasons for our problems -- starting with PG, and I'm on board there, too -- the fact that Jamil never was willing or able to take over the Lazar/Jimmy/Jae/Vander role severely hurt our chances, especially in the close games.

I'm not saying it's Jamil's "fault," I'm just saying it turned out to not be something he's capable of doing.

Here's hoping somebody is capable next season, because every great team (and even every good team) needs a go-to guy, a star or both.

[Eldon]

He has increased Dawson's playing time with decidedly mixed results.

They are mixed now, but the results will only improve. Hopefully enough in time for the BE tourney

[GGGG]

They are mixed now, but the results will only improve. Hopefully enough in time for the BE tourney

How can you be sure that the results will only improve?

[jesmu84]

How can you be sure that the results will only improve?

Because things can't get any worse than what Derrick has done! Jeez Sultan, don't you pay attention to what's said around here?

[Eldon]

Because things can't get any worse than what Derrick has done! Jeez Sultan, don't you pay attention to what's said around here?

No no, im sticking to the Ners Moratorium Accord II.

I mean that the results with dawson at the point will only improve (i'll hedge, "most likely" improve) relative to the previous results we have been getting when dawson is in the game. In this instance i didnt mean relative to derrick.

To be clear, i meant comparing results with dawson over time, not dawson compared to derrick, as this latter case has been beaten to death.