JoeyD
- Thread starter JacStorm
- Start date
Far from a strawman argument; you started this thread off by saying how surprising Joey has been, and how he's a valuable contributor.
I actually don't see that. I think he's given us what you could expect from the last big man off the bench from any team in our conference.
Does he play a few mins? Yes. Do we need him to play a few mins because of our roster makeup? Yes. Has he absolutely killed us when on the floor? No.
But he is a weak rebounder for his size and a defensive liability outside of guarding his own man. In a zone, help defense, and any type of screen make him look lost.
All I'm saying is, good play from the team doesn't warrant praise for guys who haven't earned it. Joey has looked like a 12th man when he's out there. I can't give him props for that. I'll wait till he does something positive.
Des, if you'll compare what you wrote in your first post to what you wrote here, I think you'll have to agree that they're not the same. Not really close. If this is what you had written first, I might simply have disagreed somewhat with your observations and said that I hoped I was right, as it would be good for the team.
My comments about your first post were quite accurate, and I respectfully suggest that. if what you really felt was communicated in your second post. why not just start there from now on?
Joey is fine. You really can't say he does anything well. He is just a stop gap. If everything goes our way, he will see very little time. I am glad to have the big body. He will, sparingly, serve a purpose
The guy I am disappointed in is CJ. I think he has the physical tools to contribute much more than Joey. That said, he would need to be much more aggressive. Just once, I would love to see some killer instinct out of him.
The guy I am disappointed in is CJ. I think he has the physical tools to contribute much more than Joey. That said, he would need to be much more aggressive. Just once, I would love to see some killer instinct out of him.
beast of the east
Active member
I disagree with the harsh criticism of JDR. I think a backup center who can provide a big body to spell Obekpa for a couple of minutes to give CO a blow, or 5-6 minutes if CO gets in foul trouble, is essential to this team's go forth fortunes. Desco saying he looks like a 12th man our there is way off - a 12th man for SJU is a guy who looks overwhelmed against D1 competition and JDR doesn't appear to be that.
Yes, he shoots absolute bricks from the FT line, but he is in good company with big men who were horrendous from the stripe. No, he will never lead the team in scoring, or lead an offensive rally. However, before his activation we were absolutely dead in the water in terms of a credible big man if CO goes out in foul trouble. Having 10 fouls at center is important for winning squads.
Would we be in trouble if CO went out on injury and JDR was suddenly our starting center? Of course, but in terms of the present, he gives us a big body who gets a few rebounds and is a presence down low in the middle on defense. Can't remember the last time we had a legitimate backup center.
Yes, he shoots absolute bricks from the FT line, but he is in good company with big men who were horrendous from the stripe. No, he will never lead the team in scoring, or lead an offensive rally. However, before his activation we were absolutely dead in the water in terms of a credible big man if CO goes out in foul trouble. Having 10 fouls at center is important for winning squads.
Would we be in trouble if CO went out on injury and JDR was suddenly our starting center? Of course, but in terms of the present, he gives us a big body who gets a few rebounds and is a presence down low in the middle on defense. Can't remember the last time we had a legitimate backup center.
Production is all relative to role, and JDR has played his role close to a T since joining the team mid-season. It's not a role that's going to move the needle on winning v. losing most games, as is usually the case for a back-up center. And he shouldn't be punished for that in an evaluation of his contribution.
What you really hope for from a JDR are two things:
(1) When Obekpa is in foul trouble that he plays neutral-plus for extended minutes such that a game doesn't get away from us. I think you can already put St. Mary's, a game we needed to win and the first of JDR's career with us, squarely in the check box here.
(2) Every meaningful minute that he plays - even if just limited to banging on D and rebounding, as will be the case - is a minute Obekpa is putting in the bank for March. This can't be underestimated over the grind of a college season with a rotation as short as ours.
What you really hope for from a JDR are two things:
(1) When Obekpa is in foul trouble that he plays neutral-plus for extended minutes such that a game doesn't get away from us. I think you can already put St. Mary's, a game we needed to win and the first of JDR's career with us, squarely in the check box here.
(2) Every meaningful minute that he plays - even if just limited to banging on D and rebounding, as will be the case - is a minute Obekpa is putting in the bank for March. This can't be underestimated over the grind of a college season with a rotation as short as ours.
Ray Morgan
Well-known member
Rudy Wright was far more skilled than JDR, and was considered a pretty nice prospect out of high school. He didn't live up to the hype Looie placed on him, but was serviceable. For a guy who played almost no college ball and was not highly recruited, JDR has done well. He comes to play, and seems to know his role. It just amazes me that he is allowed to shoot foul shots with that form. You would think some coach, somewhere, tried to fix that problem.
beast of the east
Active member
I guess you weren't there the night Rudy Wright tried to dunk but instead missed awkwardly and bent the rim. It held up play for what seemed to be close to an hour.
Wright was a forward so maybe that's where you are saying he was more skilled. The best thing I can say about Rudy Wright as a basketball player is that he was a chemistry major, and doing both is a real credit to him. I hope he's had a great life and career. He seemed like a genuinely good guy
jumbo_peanuts
Active member
With all due respect to JDR.....he's played 3 games, 2 of which were blowouts. Let's give it at least a month before we decide if he can contribute meaningful minutes.
Ray Morgan
Well-known member
I missed that game, but saw enough of Rudy Wright to remember his awkward, Zendon-like style. Perhaps it would have been more appropriate to say that the set of division 1 players 6"8 or larger, past or present, that are more skilled than JDR includes Rudy Wright. I still like what JDR has done so far, especially considering I didn't expect him to leave the bench.
beast of the east
Active member
I'm not sure you have been watching, but I think we've gotten a pretty good sense of what he can provide as a backup center. At his age (23?) he probably isn't going to improve his offensive skills during this season, but there is no denying his strength and bulk underneath and that he can play basketball at a level that doesn't hurt us when he is on the floor. I particularly like him on the floor when the other starters (minus obekpa) are in because they can provide the offense that he likely won't give us. He has also shown that he can get the ball down low and draw fouls without turning the ball over.
One thing we may be missing that in certain short situations he could be used alongside Obekpa to give us twin towers down low against a big team.
Agreed that we may wanna give it some more time before we start comparing his game to the likes of Shaq.....but I will say that we prob don't escape that St. Mary's gm with a W had we not had those 12 mins from him off the bench when CO was out with foul trouble. Especially when you consider that more than half of SMU's points that night came from Waldow (their big)....most of which while CO was on the floor too. So I'd say JDR's already contributed some 'meaningful minutes' w/ that performance alone. Now ideally, CO can stay out of foul trouble and we don't need to see more than 2-3 mins/gm out of JDR, but it is nice knowing that we at least have an emergency 'big' to throw in if/when that does happen.