LJ Figueroa

Big numbers and high ratings as a high schooler are impressive. But we've been there and done that before. Even guys that came in an ititially underperformed to expectations (James Scott for example) can take time to adjust. Scott ended up being a very good player and a lot better than he got credit for but it took time. Or guys that were actually phenomenal but maybe lacked maturity or some other issue was missing to make them a good team player (Michael Porter could have been one of the all time greats).
What makes me optimistic about Figueroa is the comments about him playing team ball (and that panther2 was so impressed by him). To me that is a good sign of maturity and that he can be an addition to team chemistry rather than another guy trying to get his numbers. But even so, I think it is VERY rare for a JUCO to come in an be an immediate impact player in a high major conference so I'd rather not set the bar too high immediately and then hear all the criticisms that will surely follow.
 
[quote="Paul Massell" post=293756]Big numbers and high ratings as a high schooler are impressive. But we've been there and done that before. Even guys that came in an ititially underperformed to expectations (James Scott for example) can take time to adjust. Scott ended up being a very good player and a lot better than he got credit for but it took time. Or guys that were actually phenomenal but maybe lacked maturity or some other issue was missing to make them a good team player (Michael Porter could have been one of the all time greats).
What makes me optimistic about Figueroa is the comments about him playing team ball (and that panther2 was so impressed by him). To me that is a good sign of maturity and that he can be an addition to team chemistry rather than another guy trying to get his numbers. But even so, I think it is VERY rare for a JUCO to come in an be an immediate impact player in a high major conference so I'd rather not set the bar too high immediately and then hear all the criticisms that will surely follow.[/quote]

good tempering of expectations, paul. Porter and Harvey... such a nice backcourt. Remember Porter could take it right at the big guys, straight down the center of the lane, and throw it down over them. Amazing. Harvey overall was a smooth, more talented guard.
 
Paul Massell wrote: usguard wrote: He shoots better than Simon plays D would not be surprised if he shares time with Simon and eventually get a star over him because of his offense

IMHO Simon is the most important player on the team because he can and does guard 1-3 and is athletic and disciplined on offense so that he does not disrupt it with the exception of his free throw shooting. Mentally he played near perfect basketball this past season. IF Figueroa is even close to Simon defensively and assuming what you say is true about shooting I would not consider these two as either/or. We need Simon to play.

+1000. As a reminder, Simon was 5th in BE in rebounding, 2nd in assists and 1st in steals, while shooting 42% from three and 47% overall. No one is going to take his starting job away. Expect his 66% FT shooting to improve this year. His value to our team cannot be overstated.
 
[quote="Beast of the East" post=293760][quote="Paul Massell" post=293756]Big numbers and high ratings as a high schooler are impressive. But we've been there and done that before. Even guys that came in an ititially underperformed to expectations (James Scott for example) can take time to adjust. Scott ended up being a very good player and a lot better than he got credit for but it took time. Or guys that were actually phenomenal but maybe lacked maturity or some other issue was missing to make them a good team player (Michael Porter could have been one of the all time greats).
What makes me optimistic about Figueroa is the comments about him playing team ball (and that panther2 was so impressed by him). To me that is a good sign of maturity and that he can be an addition to team chemistry rather than another guy trying to get his numbers. But even so, I think it is VERY rare for a JUCO to come in an be an immediate impact player in a high major conference so I'd rather not set the bar too high immediately and then hear all the criticisms that will surely follow.[/quote]

good tempering of expectations, paul. Porter and Harvey... such a nice backcourt. Remember Porter could take it right at the big guys, straight down the center of the lane, and throw it down over them. Amazing. Harvey overall was a smooth, more talented guard.[/quote]

I’m sold on Figueroa from the game clips I’ve seen and that has been reinforced by panther’s comments about his play in workouts.
That said, I also love Simon and think Figueroa will have to ‘fit in’ to the rhythm of the game, but I see him doing that.
Also, Simon is not a shooting threat at key moments. We’ve seen teams back off of him and overplay Ponds and others. Figgy negates that weakness.
I also think CM will play 3 - 4 guards often next season to exploit other teams’ weaknesses and create havoc.
We shall see.
All-in-all, it’s a very good problem to have a surplus of very talented guards/wings.
 
[quote="Beast of the East" post=293760]
good tempering of expectations, paul. Porter and Harvey... such a nice backcourt. Remember Porter could take it right at the big guys, straight down the center of the lane, and throw it down over them. Amazing. Harvey overall was a smooth, more talented guard.[/quote]

Harvey was fantastic and made a habit of hitting big shots. One of my all time favorite players. He definitely had a better career and more important for us - better player yes but I don't agree that Harvey was more talented than Porter. Porter's ceiling was unlimited. The way he jumped you could almost say that literally.
 
[quote="Paul Massell" post=293756]Big numbers and high ratings as a high schooler are impressive. But we've been there and done that before. Even guys that came in an ititially underperformed to expectations (James Scott for example) can take time to adjust. Scott ended up being a very good player and a lot better than he got credit for but it took time. Or guys that were actually phenomenal but maybe lacked maturity or some other issue was missing to make them a good team player (Michael Porter could have been one of the all time greats).
What makes me optimistic about Figueroa is the comments about him playing team ball (and that panther2 was so impressed by him). To me that is a good sign of maturity and that he can be an addition to team chemistry rather than another guy trying to get his numbers. But even so, I think it is VERY rare for a JUCO to come in an be an immediate impact player in a high major conference so I'd rather not set the bar too high immediately and then hear all the criticisms that will surely follow.[/quote]

James Scott wasn't that memorable. He emerged in the second half of his senior season on one of the most-selfish SJU teams I've ever seen. Showed zero leadership. Saw Felipe as competition and treated him as such.
 
[quote="Paul Massell" post=293767][quote="Beast of the East" post=293760]
good tempering of expectations, paul. Porter and Harvey... such a nice backcourt. Remember Porter could take it right at the big guys, straight down the center of the lane, and throw it down over them. Amazing. Harvey overall was a smooth, more talented guard.[/quote]

Harvey was fantastic and made a habit of hitting big shots. One of my all time favorite players. He definitely had a better career and more important for us - better player yes but I don't agree that Harvey was more talented than Porter. Porter's ceiling was unlimited. The way he jumped you could almost say that literally.[/quote]

Marcus Hatten and Bootsy Thornton did ok right out of JC as I recall. Hardy was poised to have a strong year as well but Norm Roberts inexplicably held him back.
 
[quote="Paul Massell" post=293767][quote="Beast of the East" post=293760]
good tempering of expectations, paul. Porter and Harvey... such a nice backcourt. Remember Porter could take it right at the big guys, straight down the center of the lane, and throw it down over them. Amazing. Harvey overall was a smooth, more talented guard.[/quote]

Harvey was fantastic and made a habit of hitting big shots. One of my all time favorite players. He definitely had a better career and more important for us - better player yes but I don't agree that Harvey was more talented than Porter. Porter's ceiling was unlimited. The way he jumped you could almost say that literally.[/quote]

Don't mean to harp on your favorite players. Porter was exciting but he was useless beyond 15 feet. He would hit a three pointer once every five games.
[URL][URL]https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/players/mike-porter-1.html[/URL][/URL]
 
[quote="MainMan" post=293769][
James Scott wasn't that memorable. He emerged in the second half of his senior season on one of the most-selfish SJU teams I've ever seen. Showed zero leadership. Saw Felipe as competition and treated him as such.[/quote]

the point was that Scott came in super hyped and like you said, didn't emerge as expected. He got reamed by fans but played solid and became a good defender too. With less hype and expectations maybe it would not have taken as long and maybe you'd have a better opinion of him...
And same could be said of Felipe though of course he was not a juco. He got hyped to a ridiculous level and had a good career overall but many "fans" still delight in belitting him. I remember Alan Iverson saying something about Felipe like "he's a lot better than I expected" This based upon all the negative stuff around him that followed the hype. All the negative stuff and people chiming in to make themselves sound more intelligent and knowlegible has real repercussions.
 
[quote="MainMan" post=293773][quote="Paul Massell" post=293767][quote="Beast of the East" post=293760]
good tempering of expectations, paul. Porter and Harvey... such a nice backcourt. Remember Porter could take it right at the big guys, straight down the center of the lane, and throw it down over them. Amazing. Harvey overall was a smooth, more talented guard.[/quote]

Harvey was fantastic and made a habit of hitting big shots. One of my all time favorite players. He definitely had a better career and more important for us - better player yes but I don't agree that Harvey was more talented than Porter. Porter's ceiling was unlimited. The way he jumped you could almost say that literally.[/quote]

Don't mean to harp on your favorite players. Porter was exciting but he was useless beyond 15 feet. He would hit a three pointer once every five games.
[URL][URL]https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/players/mike-porter-1.html[/URL][/URL][/quote]

Never said he was my favorite player. Not even close. My favorite players are team builders. Chemistry guys. Porter was not. Talent wise however he could have been great if he got his head together.
 
[quote="Chicago Days" post=293765][quote="Beast of the East" post=293760][quote="Paul Massell" post=293756]Big numbers and high ratings as a high schooler are impressive. But we've been there and done that before. Even guys that came in an ititially underperformed to expectations (James Scott for example) can take time to adjust. Scott ended up being a very good player and a lot better than he got credit for but it took time. Or guys that were actually phenomenal but maybe lacked maturity or some other issue was missing to make them a good team player (Michael Porter could have been one of the all time greats).
What makes me optimistic about Figueroa is the comments about him playing team ball (and that panther2 was so impressed by him). To me that is a good sign of maturity and that he can be an addition to team chemistry rather than another guy trying to get his numbers. But even so, I think it is VERY rare for a JUCO to come in an be an immediate impact player in a high major conference so I'd rather not set the bar too high immediately and then hear all the criticisms that will surely follow.[/quote]

good tempering of expectations, paul. Porter and Harvey... such a nice backcourt. Remember Porter could take it right at the big guys, straight down the center of the lane, and throw it down over them. Amazing. Harvey overall was a smooth, more talented guard.[/quote]

I’m sold on Figueroa from the game clips I’ve seen and that has been reinforced by panther’s comments about his play in workouts.
That said, I also love Simon and think Figueroa will have to ‘fit in’ to the rhythm of the game, but I see him doing that.
Also, Simon is not a shooting threat at key moments. We’ve seen teams back off of him and overplay Ponds and others. Figgy negates that weakness.
I also think CM will play 3 - 4 guards often next season to exploit other teams’ weaknesses and create havoc.
We shall see.
All-in-all, it’s a very good problem to have a surplus of very talented guards/wings.[/quote]

I thought Simon came through in key moments last season on an undermanned team. The problem was more about Ponds missing games on top of Lovett missing the season. Simon was a warrior on both sides of the floor and made plenty of baskets at key times
 
No one is more valuable to our program than Matt.

Wish we had a more diversified portfolio.
 
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[quote="OLV72" post=293828][quote="Chicago Days" post=293765][quote="Beast of the East" post=293760][quote="Paul Massell" post=293756]Big numbers and high ratings as a high schooler are impressive. But we've been there and done that before. Even guys that came in an ititially underperformed to expectations (James Scott for example) can take time to adjust. Scott ended up being a very good player and a lot better than he got credit for but it took time. Or guys that were actually phenomenal but maybe lacked maturity or some other issue was missing to make them a good team player (Michael Porter could have been one of the all time greats).
What makes me optimistic about Figueroa is the comments about him playing team ball (and that panther2 was so impressed by him). To me that is a good sign of maturity and that he can be an addition to team chemistry rather than another guy trying to get his numbers. But even so, I think it is VERY rare for a JUCO to come in an be an immediate impact player in a high major conference so I'd rather not set the bar too high immediately and then hear all the criticisms that will surely follow.[/quote]

good tempering of expectations, paul. Porter and Harvey... such a nice backcourt. Remember Porter could take it right at the big guys, straight down the center of the lane, and throw it down over them. Amazing. Harvey overall was a smooth, more talented guard.[/quote]

I’m sold on Figueroa from the game clips I’ve seen and that has been reinforced by panther’s comments about his play in workouts.
That said, I also love Simon and think Figueroa will have to ‘fit in’ to the rhythm of the game, but I see him doing that.
Also, Simon is not a shooting threat at key moments. We’ve seen teams back off of him and overplay Ponds and others. Figgy negates that weakness.
I also think CM will play 3 - 4 guards often next season to exploit other teams’ weaknesses and create havoc.
We shall see.
All-in-all, it’s a very good problem to have a surplus of very talented guards/wings.[/quote]

I thought Simon came through in key moments last season on an undermanned team. The problem was more about Ponds missing games on top of Lovett missing the season. Simon was a warrior on both sides of the floor and made plenty of baskets at key times[/quote]

Not arguing that Simon is not one of our best players and a multi-dimensional talent. Just saying that his outside shooting—while statistically fine—was not viewed as a keen threat by other BEC teams. They backed off him and double-teamed Ponds, and/or jammed underneath to get rebounds.
That said, I expect Simon worked hard in the offseason on his outside shot, the ability to ‘finish’, and his FT form.
He’ll be a force this season, and is a primary reason I’m more optimistic than most on how good the 2018-19 season may evolve for St. John’s.
The swarm of Ponds, Simon, Heron, Figueroa, and Dixon, will be too much for most teams to cope with. Add Clark’s and Keita’s skills, plus a bench of Trimble and Williams, and the team should be a feast for long-starved fans.
 
[quote="Chicago Days" post=294445][quote="OLV72" post=293828][quote="Chicago Days" post=293765][quote="Beast of the East" post=293760][quote="Paul Massell" post=293756]Big numbers and high ratings as a high schooler are impressive. But we've been there and done that before. Even guys that came in an ititially underperformed to expectations (James Scott for example) can take time to adjust. Scott ended up being a very good player and a lot better than he got credit for but it took time. Or guys that were actually phenomenal but maybe lacked maturity or some other issue was missing to make them a good team player (Michael Porter could have been one of the all time greats).
What makes me optimistic about Figueroa is the comments about him playing team ball (and that panther2 was so impressed by him). To me that is a good sign of maturity and that he can be an addition to team chemistry rather than another guy trying to get his numbers. But even so, I think it is VERY rare for a JUCO to come in an be an immediate impact player in a high major conference so I'd rather not set the bar too high immediately and then hear all the criticisms that will surely follow.[/quote]

good tempering of expectations, paul. Porter and Harvey... such a nice backcourt. Remember Porter could take it right at the big guys, straight down the center of the lane, and throw it down over them. Amazing. Harvey overall was a smooth, more talented guard.[/quote]

I’m sold on Figueroa from the game clips I’ve seen and that has been reinforced by panther’s comments about his play in workouts.
That said, I also love Simon and think Figueroa will have to ‘fit in’ to the rhythm of the game, but I see him doing that.
Also, Simon is not a shooting threat at key moments. We’ve seen teams back off of him and overplay Ponds and others. Figgy negates that weakness.
I also think CM will play 3 - 4 guards often next season to exploit other teams’ weaknesses and create havoc.
We shall see.
All-in-all, it’s a very good problem to have a surplus of very talented guards/wings.[/quote]

I thought Simon came through in key moments last season on an undermanned team. The problem was more about Ponds missing games on top of Lovett missing the season. Simon was a warrior on both sides of the floor and made plenty of baskets at key times[/quote]

Not arguing that Simon is not one of our best players and a multi-dimensional talent. Just saying that his outside shooting—while statistically fine—was not viewed as a keen threat by other BEC teams. They backed off him and double-teamed Ponds, and/or jammed underneath to get rebounds.
That said, I expect Simon worked hard in the offseason on his outside shot, the ability to ‘finish’, and his FT form.
He’ll be a force this season, and is a primary reason I’m more optimistic than most on how good the 2018-19 season may evolve for St. John’s.
The swarm of Ponds, Simon, Heron, Figueroa, and Dixon, will be too much for most teams to cope with. Add Clark’s and Keita’s skills, plus a bench of Trimble and Williams, and the team should be a feast for long-starved fans.[/quote]

They didn't back off Simon to double team Ponds in the 25% of the BE games that Ponds missed last season. Simon thrived last year - from November to March. Teams that did that usually paid a price for it.

It will be interesting to see how Simon does in his second season playing with the many new players. He's going to log less minutes. The chemistry will be new. I am fairly certain we will see him on the court at the end of games scoring and stopping the opposition.
 
[quote="OLV72" post=294458][quote="Chicago Days" post=294445][quote="OLV72" post=293828][quote="Chicago Days" post=293765][quote="Beast of the East" post=293760][quote="Paul Massell" post=293756]Big numbers and high ratings as a high schooler are impressive. But we've been there and done that before. Even guys that came in an ititially underperformed to expectations (James Scott for example) can take time to adjust. Scott ended up being a very good player and a lot better than he got credit for but it took time. Or guys that were actually phenomenal but maybe lacked maturity or some other issue was missing to make them a good team player (Michael Porter could have been one of the all time greats).
What makes me optimistic about Figueroa is the comments about him playing team ball (and that panther2 was so impressed by him). To me that is a good sign of maturity and that he can be an addition to team chemistry rather than another guy trying to get his numbers. But even so, I think it is VERY rare for a JUCO to come in an be an immediate impact player in a high major conference so I'd rather not set the bar too high immediately and then hear all the criticisms that will surely follow.[/quote]

good tempering of expectations, paul. Porter and Harvey... such a nice backcourt. Remember Porter could take it right at the big guys, straight down the center of the lane, and throw it down over them. Amazing. Harvey overall was a smooth, more talented guard.[/quote]

I’m sold on Figueroa from the game clips I’ve seen and that has been reinforced by panther’s comments about his play in workouts.
That said, I also love Simon and think Figueroa will have to ‘fit in’ to the rhythm of the game, but I see him doing that.
Also, Simon is not a shooting threat at key moments. We’ve seen teams back off of him and overplay Ponds and others. Figgy negates that weakness.
I also think CM will play 3 - 4 guards often next season to exploit other teams’ weaknesses and create havoc.
We shall see.
All-in-all, it’s a very good problem to have a surplus of very talented guards/wings.[/quote]

I thought Simon came through in key moments last season on an undermanned team. The problem was more about Ponds missing games on top of Lovett missing the season. Simon was a warrior on both sides of the floor and made plenty of baskets at key times[/quote]

Not arguing that Simon is not one of our best players and a multi-dimensional talent. Just saying that his outside shooting—while statistically fine—was not viewed as a keen threat by other BEC teams. They backed off him and double-teamed Ponds, and/or jammed underneath to get rebounds.
That said, I expect Simon worked hard in the offseason on his outside shot, the ability to ‘finish’, and his FT form.
He’ll be a force this season, and is a primary reason I’m more optimistic than most on how good the 2018-19 season may evolve for St. John’s.
The swarm of Ponds, Simon, Heron, Figueroa, and Dixon, will be too much for most teams to cope with. Add Clark’s and Keita’s skills, plus a bench of Trimble and Williams, and the team should be a feast for long-starved fans.[/quote]

They didn't back off Simon to double team Ponds in the 25% of the BE games that Ponds missed last season. Simon thrived last year - from November to March. Teams that did that usually paid a price for it.

It will be interesting to see how Simon does in his second season playing with the many new players. He's going to log less minutes. The chemistry will be new. I am fairly certain we will see him on the court at the end of games scoring and stopping the opposition.[/quote]

I luv the kid and hope he stays for his last year.
But, I think it very possible, if he shows off a legit shot and becomes a distinct scoring threat, he'll be in the NBA and maybe sooner than later.
Let the games begin.
 
[quote="Chicago Days" post=293765][quote="Beast of the East" post=293760][quote="Paul Massell" post=293756]Big numbers and high ratings as a high schooler are impressive. But we've been there and done that before. Even guys that came in an ititially underperformed to expectations (James Scott for example) can take time to adjust. Scott ended up being a very good player and a lot better than he got credit for but it took time. Or guys that were actually phenomenal but maybe lacked maturity or some other issue was missing to make them a good team player (Michael Porter could have been one of the all time greats).
What makes me optimistic about Figueroa is the comments about him playing team ball (and that panther2 was so impressed by him). To me that is a good sign of maturity and that he can be an addition to team chemistry rather than another guy trying to get his numbers. But even so, I think it is VERY rare for a JUCO to come in an be an immediate impact player in a high major conference so I'd rather not set the bar too high immediately and then hear all the criticisms that will surely follow.[/quote]

good tempering of expectations, paul. Porter and Harvey... such a nice backcourt. Remember Porter could take it right at the big guys, straight down the center of the lane, and throw it down over them. Amazing. Harvey overall was a smooth, more talented guard.[/quote]

I’m sold on Figueroa from the game clips I’ve seen and that has been reinforced by panther’s comments about his play in workouts.
That said, I also love Simon and think Figueroa will have to ‘fit in’ to the rhythm of the game, but I see him doing that.
Also, Simon is not a shooting threat at key moments. We’ve seen teams back off of him and overplay Ponds and others. Figgy negates that weakness.
I also think CM will play 3 - 4 guards often next season to exploit other teams’ weaknesses and create havoc.
We shall see.
All-in-all, it’s a very good problem to have a surplus of very talented guards/wings.[/quote]
I believe the 5 out lineup will finish out most games. Ponds, Simon, Heron, Figueroa, Clark will be a deadly lineup. SP, JS, MH are plus rebounding guards. LF should be one too and Clark can give us just enough to make it all work as a "5". Good luck stopping that lineup if they don't settle for bad shots, and move the ball.
 
[quote="OLV72" post=294458][quote="Chicago Days" post=294445][quote="OLV72" post=293828][quote="Chicago Days" post=293765][quote="Beast of the East" post=293760][quote="Paul Massell" post=293756]Big numbers and high ratings as a high schooler are impressive. But we've been there and done that before. Even guys that came in an ititially underperformed to expectations (James Scott for example) can take time to adjust. Scott ended up being a very good player and a lot better than he got credit for but it took time. Or guys that were actually phenomenal but maybe lacked maturity or some other issue was missing to make them a good team player (Michael Porter could have been one of the all time greats).
What makes me optimistic about Figueroa is the comments about him playing team ball (and that panther2 was so impressed by him). To me that is a good sign of maturity and that he can be an addition to team chemistry rather than another guy trying to get his numbers. But even so, I think it is VERY rare for a JUCO to come in an be an immediate impact player in a high major conference so I'd rather not set the bar too high immediately and then hear all the criticisms that will surely follow.[/quote]

good tempering of expectations, paul. Porter and Harvey... such a nice backcourt. Remember Porter could take it right at the big guys, straight down the center of the lane, and throw it down over them. Amazing. Harvey overall was a smooth, more talented guard.[/quote]

I’m sold on Figueroa from the game clips I’ve seen and that has been reinforced by panther’s comments about his play in workouts.
That said, I also love Simon and think Figueroa will have to ‘fit in’ to the rhythm of the game, but I see him doing that.
Also, Simon is not a shooting threat at key moments. We’ve seen teams back off of him and overplay Ponds and others. Figgy negates that weakness.
I also think CM will play 3 - 4 guards often next season to exploit other teams’ weaknesses and create havoc.
We shall see.
All-in-all, it’s a very good problem to have a surplus of very talented guards/wings.[/quote]

I thought Simon came through in key moments last season on an undermanned team. The problem was more about Ponds missing games on top of Lovett missing the season. Simon was a warrior on both sides of the floor and made plenty of baskets at key times[/quote]

Not arguing that Simon is not one of our best players and a multi-dimensional talent. Just saying that his outside shooting—while statistically fine—was not viewed as a keen threat by other BEC teams. They backed off him and double-teamed Ponds, and/or jammed underneath to get rebounds.
That said, I expect Simon worked hard in the offseason on his outside shot, the ability to ‘finish’, and his FT form.
He’ll be a force this season, and is a primary reason I’m more optimistic than most on how good the 2018-19 season may evolve for St. John’s.
The swarm of Ponds, Simon, Heron, Figueroa, and Dixon, will be too much for most teams to cope with. Add Clark’s and Keita’s skills, plus a bench of Trimble and Williams, and the team should be a feast for long-starved fans.[/quote]

They didn't back off Simon to double team Ponds in the 25% of the BE games that Ponds missed last season. Simon thrived last year - from November to March. Teams that did that usually paid a price for it.

It will be interesting to see how Simon does in his second season playing with the many new players. He's going to log less minutes. The chemistry will be new. I am fairly certain we will see him on the court at the end of games scoring and stopping the opposition.[/quote]

Ponds getting double teamed especially when yakwe and amar were no offensive threats underscores what the loss of lovett meant. All these new offensive weapons should reduce this dramatically and should make each more effective so long as they play team ball
 
[quote="Chicago Days" post=294459][quote="OLV72" post=294458][quote="Chicago Days" post=294445][quote="OLV72" post=293828][quote="Chicago Days" post=293765][quote="Beast of the East" post=293760][quote="Paul Massell" post=293756]Big numbers and high ratings as a high schooler are impressive. But we've been there and done that before. Even guys that came in an ititially underperformed to expectations (James Scott for example) can take time to adjust. Scott ended up being a very good player and a lot better than he got credit for but it took time. Or guys that were actually phenomenal but maybe lacked maturity or some other issue was missing to make them a good team player (Michael Porter could have been one of the all time greats).
What makes me optimistic about Figueroa is the comments about him playing team ball (and that panther2 was so impressed by him). To me that is a good sign of maturity and that he can be an addition to team chemistry rather than another guy trying to get his numbers. But even so, I think it is VERY rare for a JUCO to come in an be an immediate impact player in a high major conference so I'd rather not set the bar too high immediately and then hear all the criticisms that will surely follow.[/quote]

good tempering of expectations, paul. Porter and Harvey... such a nice backcourt. Remember Porter could take it right at the big guys, straight down the center of the lane, and throw it down over them. Amazing. Harvey overall was a smooth, more talented guard.[/quote]

I’m sold on Figueroa from the game clips I’ve seen and that has been reinforced by panther’s comments about his play in workouts.
That said, I also love Simon and think Figueroa will have to ‘fit in’ to the rhythm of the game, but I see him doing that.
Also, Simon is not a shooting threat at key moments. We’ve seen teams back off of him and overplay Ponds and others. Figgy negates that weakness.
I also think CM will play 3 - 4 guards often next season to exploit other teams’ weaknesses and create havoc.
We shall see.
All-in-all, it’s a very good problem to have a surplus of very talented guards/wings.[/quote]

I thought Simon came through in key moments last season on an undermanned team. The problem was more about Ponds missing games on top of Lovett missing the season. Simon was a warrior on both sides of the floor and made plenty of baskets at key times[/quote]

Not arguing that Simon is not one of our best players and a multi-dimensional talent. Just saying that his outside shooting—while statistically fine—was not viewed as a keen threat by other BEC teams. They backed off him and double-teamed Ponds, and/or jammed underneath to get rebounds.
That said, I expect Simon worked hard in the offseason on his outside shot, the ability to ‘finish’, and his FT form.
He’ll be a force this season, and is a primary reason I’m more optimistic than most on how good the 2018-19 season may evolve for St. John’s.
The swarm of Ponds, Simon, Heron, Figueroa, and Dixon, will be too much for most teams to cope with. Add Clark’s and Keita’s skills, plus a bench of Trimble and Williams, and the team should be a feast for long-starved fans.[/quote]

They didn't back off Simon to double team Ponds in the 25% of the BE games that Ponds missed last season. Simon thrived last year - from November to March. Teams that did that usually paid a price for it.

It will be interesting to see how Simon does in his second season playing with the many new players. He's going to log less minutes. The chemistry will be new. I am fairly certain we will see him on the court at the end of games scoring and stopping the opposition.[/quote]

I luv the kid and hope he stays for his last year.
But, I think it very possible, if he shows off a legit shot and becomes a distinct scoring threat, he'll be in the NBA and maybe sooner than later.
Let the games begin.[/quote]

Every preseason we have this discussion about someone, sometimes 2 or 3 players. I hope as many as possible leave early for the nba. Which will mean they had a great season here
 
[quote="OLV72" post=294458][quote="Chicago Days" post=294445][quote="OLV72" post=293828][quote="Chicago Days" post=293765][quote="Beast of the East" post=293760][quote="Paul Massell" post=293756]Big numbers and high ratings as a high schooler are impressive. But we've been there and done that before. Even guys that came in an ititially underperformed to expectations (James Scott for example) can take time to adjust. Scott ended up being a very good player and a lot better than he got credit for but it took time. Or guys that were actually phenomenal but maybe lacked maturity or some other issue was missing to make them a good team player (Michael Porter could have been one of the all time greats).
What makes me optimistic about Figueroa is the comments about him playing team ball (and that panther2 was so impressed by him). To me that is a good sign of maturity and that he can be an addition to team chemistry rather than another guy trying to get his numbers. But even so, I think it is VERY rare for a JUCO to come in an be an immediate impact player in a high major conference so I'd rather not set the bar too high immediately and then hear all the criticisms that will surely follow.[/quote]

good tempering of expectations, paul. Porter and Harvey... such a nice backcourt. Remember Porter could take it right at the big guys, straight down the center of the lane, and throw it down over them. Amazing. Harvey overall was a smooth, more talented guard.[/quote]

I’m sold on Figueroa from the game clips I’ve seen and that has been reinforced by panther’s comments about his play in workouts.
That said, I also love Simon and think Figueroa will have to ‘fit in’ to the rhythm of the game, but I see him doing that.
Also, Simon is not a shooting threat at key moments. We’ve seen teams back off of him and overplay Ponds and others. Figgy negates that weakness.
I also think CM will play 3 - 4 guards often next season to exploit other teams’ weaknesses and create havoc.
We shall see.
All-in-all, it’s a very good problem to have a surplus of very talented guards/wings.[/quote]

I thought Simon came through in key moments last season on an undermanned team. The problem was more about Ponds missing games on top of Lovett missing the season. Simon was a warrior on both sides of the floor and made plenty of baskets at key times[/quote]

Not arguing that Simon is not one of our best players and a multi-dimensional talent. Just saying that his outside shooting—while statistically fine—was not viewed as a keen threat by other BEC teams. They backed off him and double-teamed Ponds, and/or jammed underneath to get rebounds.
That said, I expect Simon worked hard in the offseason on his outside shot, the ability to ‘finish’, and his FT form.
He’ll be a force this season, and is a primary reason I’m more optimistic than most on how good the 2018-19 season may evolve for St. John’s.
The swarm of Ponds, Simon, Heron, Figueroa, and Dixon, will be too much for most teams to cope with. Add Clark’s and Keita’s skills, plus a bench of Trimble and Williams, and the team should be a feast for long-starved fans.[/quote]

They didn't back off Simon to double team Ponds in the 25% of the BE games that Ponds missed last season. Simon thrived last year - from November to March. Teams that did that usually paid a price for it.

It will be interesting to see how Simon does in his second season playing with the many new players. He's going to log less minutes. The chemistry will be new. I am fairly certain we will see him on the court at the end of games scoring and stopping the opposition.[/quote]

The only time Simon isn't on the floor is if he needs a rest or is in foul trouble. He's the Swiss Army knife of the team.
 
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