Felix' Role & "Small Ball"

Yikes, we now have posters who mention Dom and Charles Barkley in the same posts as Felix.
This sort of reminds me of last season when C. Jones was hyped by a few posters along with Coach Lavin as the best hope for us as a PF.

Felix will continue to be a marginal player. Hopefully, whenever Coach Mullin uses him, he will contribute. There should be no high expectations here.
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The point was that "big forwards" aren't always so big, and some short PFs have been pretty successful. The concern about Felix playing PF was based on his size, not his ability. The point is that Felix likely will face some PF that are not a lot taller than he is.
 
Felix has the reflexes of a cat. ;)
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How long to come up with that one?
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Lot's of research. :p Just hoping we can use whatever skills he has on the court.
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They have to use him somewhere. Lets see where his development and improved has brought. Guards are full although he could spell them or if need be play with our large guard for mins
 
Bottom line is that we need to have more than 6 serviceable players who we are not afraid to have on the court. Last year, we had a lot of days when we only had 6 guys who could/would play meaningfully. It can not be a negative in any way if the staff can get FB to a point where he is comfortable in some role and we are comfortable letting him play whatever minutes they find for him or use him for. He is athletic, pretty good defender etc. I think a lot has to do with building his confidence so that he doesn't rush and make bad plays. If he gives us 8-12 decent minutes to spell the starters, that's a great bonus. And, maybe he can show some leadership to the young guys.
 
we've had guys in the past that were undersized in terms of height but did good things. 6'7" Ty Grant was the best center in the league his senior year. Anthony Glover was about the same height as Balamou and played center and pretty much killed it against everyone. I remember him throwing 7 footer Jake Voskuhl around like a rag doll. Billy Singleton at around 6'7 I think, was very effective using his body/position against much taller guys. Bootsy who everyone remembers as a 3pt shooter, was actually very good down low on both offense and defense. Sharif Fordham was also very effective as an athletic 2G getting rebounds, boxing and playing D on much taller guys. Postell who was a much better shooter but maybe the only guy mentioned with similar athletic ability to Felix, had maybe an inch on Balamou and played from 2-4 and did it great at each position.

Personally I saw some promise in Felix his first year and was totally confounded on how he was used last season. I think he could give us some quality minutes with the right coaching and commitment to a particular role. Keep in mind that we've already got great shooters. Felix could compliment some toughness and physicality where needed to our otherwise slight guards. And if he could become a force on the offensive glass (which he has all the potential in the world to do) that would make the offense even more dangerous with those shooters in play.
 
we've had guys in the past that were undersized in terms of height but did good things. 6'7" Ty Grant was the best center in the league his senior year. Anthony Glover was about the same height as Balamou and played center and pretty much killed it against everyone. I remember him throwing 7 footer Jake Voskuhl around like a rag doll. Billy Singleton at around 6'7 I think, was very effective using his body/position against much taller guys. Bootsy who everyone remembers as a 3pt shooter, was actually very good down low on both offense and defense. Sharif Fordham was also very effective as an athletic 2G getting rebounds, boxing and playing D on much taller guys. Postell who was a much better shooter but maybe the only guy mentioned with similar athletic ability to Felix, had maybe an inch on Balamou and played from 2-4 and did it great at each position.

Personally I saw some promise in Felix his first year and was totally confounded on how he was used last season. I think he could give us some quality minutes with the right coaching and commitment to a particular role. Keep in mind that we've already got great shooters. Felix could compliment some toughness and physicality where needed to our otherwise slight guards. And if he could become a force on the offensive glass (which he has all the potential in the world to do) that would make the offense even more dangerous with those shooters in play.
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If FB could develop in to a Sharif Fordham type of contributor I think that would be his ceiling, and I think we would all be thrilled. But with all due respect Paul, every player you mentioned was light years ahead of FB in skill sets. Maybe undersized, slow or both, but they were all excellent basketball players who understood the game and understood their strengths and weaknesses. FWIW since you mentioned "glass", I actually think Willie Glass is the player that FB most reminds me of in terms of athleticism, body type and style of play. Not comparing talent levels, just those other qualities.
 
If FB could develop in to a Sharif Fordham type of contributor I think that would be his ceiling, and I think we would all be thrilled. But with all due respect Paul, every player you mentioned was light years ahead of FB in skill sets. Maybe undersized, slow or both, but they were all excellent basketball players who understood the game and understood their strengths and weaknesses. FWIW since you mentioned "glass", I actually think Willie Glass is the player that FB most reminds me of in terms of athleticism, body type and style of play. Not comparing talent levels, just those other qualities.
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I agree. But everyone starts somewhere. Unless you are saying that he is unteachable, I'm just saying that with some good coaching he has an upside and physically he is one of those guys that could be used to create an advantage rather than a disadvantage where athletic ability could counter height. He is also not the bumbler some are making him out to be. Watch his PT his first year. He made very few mistakes. Just put in some time, had some decent stops and a few decent plays. Last season it looked like Lavin wanted him to be a spot up shooter(?!?) and worse he couldn't finish. Frustrating to watch but I don't think it was all on him. We'll see.

Grant was a shrewd ball player but not prototypical or having obvious physical superiority. Fraschilla had him in the dog house and gave him PT only reluctantly. New coach and he is one of the best players in the league.
 
Sorry, but I just don't feel he has the talent to play in this league. At his size he has to be able to hit the open jumper, and he can't. If they are going to allow him to keep his scholly because of his great attitude and superior work ethic, fine, but his position should be limited to the pine right along side the coach based off of his on court ability. That is not me trying to be mean or disrespectful, just honest about what I feel his basketball abilities are, and if FB is the best we can do this year, it will be a longer season than I anticipated.
 
Sharif Fordham was also very effective as an athletic 2G getting rebounds, boxing and playing D on much taller guys.
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I don't ask much. If he does a reasonable Fordham impersonation -- and I certainly think he can -- I'm happy with him.
 
we've had guys in the past that were undersized in terms of height but did good things. 6'7" Ty Grant was the best center in the league his senior year. Anthony Glover was about the same height as Balamou and played center and pretty much killed it against everyone. I remember him throwing 7 footer Jake Voskuhl around like a rag doll. Billy Singleton at around 6'7 I think, was very effective using his body/position against much taller guys. Bootsy who everyone remembers as a 3pt shooter, was actually very good down low on both offense and defense. Sharif Fordham was also very effective as an athletic 2G getting rebounds, boxing and playing D on much taller guys. Postell who was a much better shooter but maybe the only guy mentioned with similar athletic ability to Felix, had maybe an inch on Balamou and played from 2-4 and did it great at each position.

Personally I saw some promise in Felix his first year and was totally confounded on how he was used last season. I think he could give us some quality minutes with the right coaching and commitment to a particular role. Keep in mind that we've already got great shooters. Felix could compliment some toughness and physicality where needed to our otherwise slight guards. And if he could become a force on the offensive glass (which he has all the potential in the world to do) that would make the offense even more dangerous with those shooters in play.
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Grant, Glover and Singleton were all bigger, thicker bodies than Felix. Bootsy actually played center in HS, so he had experience in backing down smaller guys. Postell really didn't develop his outside shooting till his senior year. Wasn't the primary scorer on any of his teams but still managed double figures his last two seasons. I don't get the Felix analogy with them. Fordham I get, because like Felix he was never an offensive threat.
 
If used for short bursts, Felix can be an effective role player that can change the course of action. He can steal offensive rebounds, come out of nowhere to block shots, throw down a ferocious dunk or hit a soft jumper from 10 feet and in. Basketball is all about matchups and until the opposition figures out how to counteract him, for a few minutes he can give a lumbering forward fits. So, his effectiveness will be based on using him in spots where his athleticism creates more problems than his lack of his height or overall ability presents for us. If that transforms to 5-6 points and 4 rebounds per game in 15 minutes, that would be awesome, and probably be viewed as a ceiling on his anticipated production. Consider also that he isn't a particularly strong ball handler with no shooting range, and Mullin would likely want 3 guys on the floor that can do those things.
 
@rumbleSBN: Balamou on his role with the team: "I'm a guard." #sjubb #BEMediaDay

@rumbleSBN: Balamou says the coaching staff has not talked to him about playing PF but he has seen the reports.
 
@rumbleSBN: Balamou on his role with the team: "I'm a guard." #sjubb #BEMediaDay

@rumbleSBN: Balamou says the coaching staff has not talked to him about playing PF but he has seen the reports.
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Rothstein again.
 
Grant, Glover and Singleton were all bigger, thicker bodies than Felix. Bootsy actually played center in HS, so he had experience in backing down smaller guys. Postell really didn't develop his outside shooting till his senior year. Wasn't the primary scorer on any of his teams but still managed double figures his last two seasons. I don't get the Felix analogy with them. Fordham I get, because like Felix he was never an offensive threat.
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My point was that a lack of height could be compensated with other strengths. The only analogy is that tweeners and undersized players can be used at either an advantage or a disadvantage (for example speed and hops over height and bulk). It is up to the coach to recognize their strength and play to it, and the individual player to understand that and accept it.

All of them were more experienced especially in hindsight of four year careers, and let's not forget that Grant who was one of my favorite players, did not look great when he came in. He only really shined under a new coaching staff. Postell didn't develop his outside shot. Exactly. He got PT, coaching, worked on his game. He got a chance and developed his game. But regardless, he spent 4 seasons as an undersized guy skying over much bigger guys on both offense and defense due to his explosive athletic ability. Pointer is another good example. Roosevelt Jones on Butler is a great example. The guy has no box that you could pigeon hole him into. As a coach you could completely dismiss him because he has this really awkward looking style and doesn't fit one particular prototype.

We haven't seen enough of Felix except in short, random spurts and from what looked like some kind of ill-conceived attempt to force him into a role he wasn't made for. We know he has freakish athletic ability and he seems like a smart kid that is coachable. Let's see if this staff can harness it? We need guys that can give us minutes. We are long, thin and will need to find ways to compensate against larger, more physical teams. He is one of 5 options on this team that has seen any PT in Div I basketball. Only one of those guys (Johnson) are we looking at as a guaranteed starter.
 
FB is a guard in the same way DLo was. He was also 2 inches taller and
should be able to hang with SFs on occasion. I see him as a useful guy and I hope Mo gives him a decent shot.
 
For better or for worse Felix should average 15 minutes per game. He has the heart of a lion and superb athletic ability. He will be used out of necessity at the 4 and perhaps the 3 for defensive purposes. Hopefully we can all appreciate Felix for what he brings to the court and not focus on the player he will never be.
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5 minutes
 
FB is a guard in the same way DLo was. He was also 2 inches taller and
should be able to hang with SFs on occasion. I see him as a useful guy and I hope Mo gives him a decent shot.
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On the official SJU site both are listed at 6'4". I'll assume both are between 6'2"-6'3". So how it is that you think FB is 2" taller? At least I'm glad to hear that the ridiculous rumor of FB playing PF has been squashed, and by FB himself. FB is a guard, a very very very poor man's Willie Glass. Great on athleticism, short on everything else. The most I'm expecting from him a few minutes a game to spell the other guys, especially when there's foul trouble.
 
Grant, Glover and Singleton were all bigger, thicker bodies than Felix. Bootsy actually played center in HS, so he had experience in backing down smaller guys. Postell really didn't develop his outside shooting till his senior year. Wasn't the primary scorer on any of his teams but still managed double figures his last two seasons. I don't get the Felix analogy with them. Fordham I get, because like Felix he was never an offensive threat.
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My point was that a lack of height could be compensated with other strengths. The only analogy is that tweeners and undersized players can be used at either an advantage or a disadvantage (for example speed and hops over height and bulk). It is up to the coach to recognize their strength and play to it, and the individual player to understand that and accept it.

All of them were more experienced especially in hindsight of four year careers, and let's not forget that Grant who was one of my favorite players, did not look great when he came in. He only really shined under a new coaching staff. Postell didn't develop his outside shot. Exactly. He got PT, coaching, worked on his game. He got a chance and developed his game. But regardless, he spent 4 seasons as an undersized guy skying over much bigger guys on both offense and defense due to his explosive athletic ability. Pointer is another good example. Roosevelt Jones on Butler is a great example. The guy has no box that you could pigeon hole him into. As a coach you could completely dismiss him because he has this really awkward looking style and doesn't fit one particular prototype.

We haven't seen enough of Felix except in short, random spurts and from what looked like some kind of ill-conceived attempt to force him into a role he wasn't made for. We know he has freakish athletic ability and he seems like a smart kid that is coachable. Let's see if this staff can harness it? We need guys that can give us minutes. We are long, thin and will need to find ways to compensate against larger, more physical teams. He is one of 5 options on this team that has seen any PT in Div I basketball. Only one of those guys (Johnson) are we looking at as a guaranteed starter.
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I have yet to see "freakish athletic ability" from Felix, he's athletic, but so are a lot of guys. If he had that abilbity he'd have been playing much more because that's the kind of player Lavin liked to use. You can say Lavin wasted a year when he gave him that ill conceived start against nova, and I would agree, but I hold out the same for Felix and Christian: whatever we get will be a bonus, but I'm not expecting much. Ellison, and M'Vouika are going to eat up most of those back-up minutes at the 2-3.

With the exception of Fordham, all the other guys you mentioned had nice careers as they got better from year one. Bootsy came in ready so he's probably not a good comparison. Felix has yet to show us anything that would lead me to believe that he's going to have a transformation in his last year, even with the new staff coaching him up. I hope I'm wrong but I just don't see it.
 
FB is a guard in the same way DLo was. He was also 2 inches taller and
should be able to hang with SFs on occasion. I see him as a useful guy and I hope Mo gives him a decent shot.
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On the official SJU site both are listed at 6'4". I'll assume both are between 6'2"-6'3". So how it is that you think FB is 2" taller? At least I'm glad to hear that the ridiculous rumor of FB playing PF has been squashed, and by FB himself. FB is a guard, a very very very poor man's Willie Glass. Great on athleticism, short on everything else. The most I'm expecting from him a few minutes a game to spell the other guys, especially when there's foul trouble.
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I believe that Willie Glass was a second round NBA pick. I compared him to a David Russell. The comparison of Balamou to either is that all three play in sneakers and pretty much ends there. Ok, Balamou can jump.
 
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