Thank you for allowing me to have an opinion. Now, please explain why in yours Mullin gives minutes to an otherwise marginally talented player who according to your reading of the situation does things other than what the coach tells him to do. Note that the question is not what "I [you] would much rather have" happen, but what actually happens on the court under the auspices of our hall of fame coach. Do you think that Aligabosandwiches disobeys Mullin's instructions and still gets minutes and that makes Mullin unhappy and he'd be happy with some other scenario but he's not so much in charge of the situation that he has to put up with Amar's insubordination? Mullin says hey AA get under the basket and rebound and AA says no, I'm a three point shooter, I'm standing out here waiting for the ball and Mullin says yeah, okay fine, have some minutes. That's beyond ridiculous.
2017-2018 Season
- Thread starter paultzman
- Start date
Thank you for allowing me to have an opinion. Now, please explain why in yours Mullin gives minutes to an otherwise marginally talented player who according to your reading of the situation does things other than what the coach tells him to do. Note that the question is not what "I [you] would much rather have" happen, but what actually happens on the court under the auspices of our hall of fame coach. Do you think that Aligabosandwiches disobeys Mullin's instructions and still gets minutes and that makes Mullin unhappy and he'd be happy with some other scenario but he's not so much in charge of the situation that he has to put up with Amar's insubordination? Mullin says hey AA get under the basket and rebound and AA says no, I'm a three point shooter, I'm standing out here waiting for the ball and Mullin says yeah, okay fine, have some minutes. That's beyond ridiculous.
He's a role player but not many can agree on what his role is, or should be.
Still, he helped us beat Syracuse at MSG, and has a hot girlfriend...
Still, he helped us beat Syracuse at MSG, and has a hot girlfriend...
He gets marginal minutes as we are short bodies and have been since his freshman season. I said if , a big if , he plays closer to the basket and boards , which I said he is capable of , he and the team will have a better season. He is a big body that has had a good rebounding game or two , and rebounding is more desire than anything else. If he commits himself to boarding which entails being closer to the basket than the three point line we will all be better off.
MarkRedman
Well-known member
Amar is capable of giving us quality reserve minutes as a competent inside player
He has two major issues:
1. He loves to shoot "treys". That's not what we primarily need to him to do this year
2. He has a history of difficulty staying out of foul trouble
If he can satisfy the role we need him to play, he can be an asset for us this year
With only 9 scholarship players available, he will get the opportunity to play
I hope that he takes full advantage of the situation and helps shore up our front line
He has two major issues:
1. He loves to shoot "treys". That's not what we primarily need to him to do this year
2. He has a history of difficulty staying out of foul trouble
If he can satisfy the role we need him to play, he can be an asset for us this year
With only 9 scholarship players available, he will get the opportunity to play
I hope that he takes full advantage of the situation and helps shore up our front line
Class of 72
Active member
First, you're a dirty old man for focusing on Amar's nubile girlfriend! That said, welcome to the club!
As far as his role, many of us would like to see him rebound and play inside a little more but after watching him for three years I think he is a Euro kid who is more comfortable shooting beyond the arc than mixing it up down low. For two years Mullin apparently thinks so too as I have never seen him upset with him when taking it from the outside. Mullin's plays seemed designed to feed Amar on the 3 point line. Of course that could be just poor game strategy on Mullin's part much like his lack of understanding in designing a defensive strategy.
Amar may be our 9th man but he may be the most important 9th man in the Big East this year.
First, you're a dirty old man for focusing on Amar's nubile girlfriend! That said, welcome to the club!
As far as his role, many of us would like to see him rebound and play inside a little more but after watching him for three years I think he is a Euro kid who is more comfortable shooting beyond the arc than mixing it up down low. For two years Mullin apparently thinks so too as I have never seen him upset with him when taking it from the outside. Mullin's plays seemed designed to feed Amar on the 3 point line. Of course that could be just poor game strategy on Mullin's part much like his lack of understanding in designing a defensive strategy.
Amar may be our 9th man but he may be the most important 9th man in the Big East this year.
I seem to remember AA playing more hard nosed D late last year.
That's fine, but it doesn't really address my point. Which is: I assume the team practices offensive sets and I assume that Mullin tells the players what to do and where to go when they practice them. I assume that when they practice their sets that if AA stands around at the three point line doing something other than what Mullin tells him to do Mullin would endeavor to correct his behavior and would react negatively if he did not, because Mullin does not appear to suffer fools gladly. Further, I assume that if he refused Mullin would not play him or if he did in the game other than what Mullin wanted he'd take him out, much like Norman Dale did to Rad Butcher when he disobeyed Dale's orders. Which leads me to believe that AA is doing what Mullin tells him to, however incompetently he does it.
First, you're a dirty old man for focusing on Amar's nubile girlfriend! That said, welcome to the club!
As far as his role, many of us would like to see him rebound and play inside a little more but after watching him for three years I think he is a Euro kid who is more comfortable shooting beyond the arc than mixing it up down low. For two years Mullin apparently thinks so too as I have never seen him upset with him when taking it from the outside. Mullin's plays seemed designed to feed Amar on the 3 point line. Of course that could be just poor game strategy on Mullin's part much like his lack of understanding in designing a defensive strategy.
Amar may be our 9th man but he may be the most important 9th man in the Big East this year.
I seem to remember AA playing more hard nosed D late last year.
Definitely bloodied a few noses.
Where do i sign?
Not sure if anyone posted this link or the value of the source but they mention St.John's as a team to watch.
This is the St. John's write up in the link above.
St. John's Red Storm
2016-2017: 14-19, 7-11 in the Big East
Departures: Federico Mussini (7.9 ppg., 42.7% 3pt.) departed to play overseas; Malik Ellison (7.4 ppg., 3.3 rpg., 34.1% 3pt.) transferred to Pittsburgh
Chris Mullin had never coached before taking over at St. John's; understandably, year 2 went much better than year one, when the Red Storm went 8-24 overall and 1-17 in the Big East. This year, the team will feature one of the most prolific backcourts in the nation with sophomores Shamorie Ponds (17.4 ppg., 4.4 rpg., 3.1 apg., 2.1 spg., 37.5% 3pt%) and Marcus LoVett (15.9 ppg., 3.8 apg., 38.2% 3pt.), and should have little trouble putting up points. Mullin also adds two potential impact transfers in Justin Simon, a top 20 recruit that produced very little in a year at Arizona, and Marvin Clark Jr., a capable rebounder and three point shooter from Michigan St.. Beyond the rim protection provided by Tariq Owens (5.2 rpg., 2.2 bpg.) and Kassoum Yakwe (1.9 bpg.), the Red Storm offer very little resistance at the defensive end (282nd in fg% defense, 300th in 3pt.% defense, and 314th in rebounding margin), almost to the point that games inadvertently resemble something Paul Westhead would reside over, which at the very least makes the team interesting to watch. If St. John's can muster any type of defensive effort, then they have the talent to be an NCAA Tournament team; if they can't, it's possible Mullin shouldn't be the head coach of a major college program.
That write-up is spot on regarding what many of us thought about the defense. I still hope the new guys bring a defensive mindset to playing "D".
Surprised to read that Marvin Clark can shoot the three. I haven't seen him play much so I am much looking forward to seeing him and Simon to see for myself what they bring. No mention of Trimble and although I have never seen him play I have a suspicion that he has the requisite size and strength to help us THIS year. Just a hunch.
If Clark can get minutes at the 5 he will force opponents to come out and cover him unlike Yawke and Ponds, Lovett, Simon and Ahmed will all benefit in getting to the basket.
beast of the east
Active member
This is very good analysis. I'm just not very confident that rebounding will improve. If Clark likes to live on the outside, if you recall Ponds and Lovett liked to crash offensive boards. This led to a lot of uncontested fast break layups, and I don't think that a Clark on the perimeter would be a great last line of defense. Defense is a lunch pail worker, junk yard dog mentality to protect the basket at all costs, and at least last year's squad, with perhaps the exception of Owens, showed much of that mentality. If this team doesn't shed the box score mentality (we lost, but look at how many points I scored), we only only be marginally better or essentially the same results as last year. Pinning high hopes on 2 transfers that were marginal contributors at their former schools is probably unrealistic, but I still see them as improvements over what they replaced.