I'll admit I hated the way PGIV played the game. Long 2's are something I can't stand, which is also why I didn't care to see Jakarr leave. Phil has found a role as a spot shooter/one bounce shooter from the outside. This is something we as a fan base have been clamoring for for years. He is perhaps the biggest reason we are successful this year behind Dom's emergence. Proud of Phil for sure
Phil Greene
- Thread starter jalba07
- Start date
It's interesting to see the praise PGIV gets now. Many posters, myself included, used to rant about PGIV's shot selection and ball handling/hogging. Yet Lavin stuck with him, over many of our objections. Well, at least my objections.
So, I guess Lavin gets credit for seeing in PGIV what many of us didn't at the beginning. Right?
So, I guess Lavin gets credit for seeing in PGIV what many of us didn't at the beginning. Right?
Sampson moved Dom to the wing, cost us Amir Garret--a less talented player that would do anything for his team and likely Rico Gathers. He shot the ball whenever he pleased and was extremely unhappy with his role--the same role Dom has now. 10-0 drought, 20 seconds on the shot clock? Work the ball...set some screens? No...Sampson 20 footer with no rebounders.
The fact is we would have been exponentially better off without him in spite of all his talent. Ask yourself this, would we be a better team this season with Isaiah Whitehead? I think the answer is obvious.
PGIV and Harrison felt like they had to shoot shots because they weren't getting those opportunities again.
No.
Phil Greene is a good off the ball scorer. We knew that four years ago.
But somebody who wears the coaches whistle thought that it was a good idea to have him play point guard.
To the extent that Lavin was forced to use Phil at the point, because other players transferred or didn't pan out - I can forgive that. You have to go to battle with you have.
But, to the extent that he did it voluntarily after we had Branch and then Jordan on the team; that is inexcusable.
Truthfully, for all the crap Phil has received, he's been playing much better lately. And him, more so than anybody else on the team, benefits from good ball movement and good vision from Dom, Rysheed, Dangelo, and Jamal. That's what has changed his game.
I also think he had hip injuries that were more severe than he led on.
prjohnnies
Member
Phil is a good example of the type of 4 year kids we should try to get in every class. We need our share of top 50/75 kids, and then we need some Phils.
Whitehead is a huge talent, in the hands of someone (Willard) who is allowing him to chuck up an absurd amount of poor shots. That would not be happening if he was playing under Jay Wright. But by your rationale, it would be happening at SJU, because according to you, Sampson was also given free reign to "shoot the ball whenever he pleased."
Phil Greene was not a good off the ball scorer as a freshman nor did we have ANY OTHER OPTION. Norm didn't leave us will Daryll Showtime Hill (and Lamont Hamilton)...not even Andre Stanley. He left Lavin with an completely empty roster--less than any coach who has EVER coached in the Big East has received...EVER.
Greene shot a combined 25% from three and 37% from the field. You just absolutely refuse to give Lavin any kind of credit, huh?
But you give Sampson all the credit in the world and haved mocked my "addition by subtraction" comment mercilessly while telling me that we would suck this season. Well, you are wrong on both accounts, my friend. We are dancing, like I've maintained all along, and we are doing so because Dom Pointer is playing out of his mind in the same role that Sampson couldn't be bothered to embrace last season. We are winning because Dom doesn't COMPETE without our guards for touches and shoot whenever he feels like it...he actually COMPLEMENTS our guards.
We were bigger, deeper, and more talented last season and we blew in a weak league. This year we have already matched the win total in a much stronger league with a brutal schedule. Just give it up and admit when you are wrong.
Did you just not read the sentence where I said I discount the times when Lavin had to use Phil as a pg?? Because that's entirely understandable, I would have done the same thing (use phil at the point that is, the not reading thing is pretty inexcusable)
And no, we are not better because Jakarr Sampson is in the NBA. Did he take ill advised shots at times? Yes, but so do most D1 players. Your argument would carry alot more weight if Sampson didn't shoot a good % and turned the ball over a lot. He didn't.
He was not perfect, but he wasn't the ball hog and black hole you have made him out to be.
And we are only better the last month or so, and it's because we have exceptional seniors. We are the 9th or 10th most experienced team in the country.
I have given credit to coach several times this season, he is screwing things up less than he did last season. Happy? He's behaved like an average basketball coach.
Also specifically in regards to Phil, yes it was obvious 4 years ago that he had the ability to score off the ball. He looked lost as a point guard but displayed a very advanced midrange game. His foul shooting was the best it's been in his entire career. Over time he has certainly improved his long range shooting, no doubt about that.
But yes, it was obvious he had the ability to score. It was also obvious he was not a point guard.
But yes, it was obvious he had the ability to score. It was also obvious he was not a point guard.
Des,
Anyone who reads this board understands how you feel about Lavin. You make sure to bring it up at every opportunity on any thread you can. We get it. May I respectfully (truly!) request that you refrain at least until the season is over. Folks - myself included - feel compelled to answer - and it's a distraction and an annoyance when all we want to do is celebrate what is turning out to be a wonderful season. There will be plenty of time during the off season to make your points.
Again, I ask this with all due respect, as I've come to respect you as a poster.
Anyone who reads this board understands how you feel about Lavin. You make sure to bring it up at every opportunity on any thread you can. We get it. May I respectfully (truly!) request that you refrain at least until the season is over. Folks - myself included - feel compelled to answer - and it's a distraction and an annoyance when all we want to do is celebrate what is turning out to be a wonderful season. There will be plenty of time during the off season to make your points.
Again, I ask this with all due respect, as I've come to respect you as a poster.
beast of the east
Active member
Lavin likes to start his two best guards, and not waste a lesser talent at point. That's why PG4 played point and Harrison the 2. The same strategy put Hardy at the point 4 years ago, and that was the same brilliant move you refused to give Lavin credit for then but are calling him an idiot for now.
The truth is that so few teams press well in college basketball to waste a no offense guard at the point is burning a source of offense. At least I believe that is Lavin's strategy.
Amazing. Simply amazing. One thing I have to say about you; you are consistent in your assessment of Lavin. Just glad you are not the one making the decision about Lavin's future here.
2 points: is Marillac talking about the same Sir Dom that he was calling for and hoping would transfer before the season? and PG!V yes is a good four year player and I am happy that we have had him but he benefited tremendously by starting and playing major minutes for 4 years because he came to a team that graduated their entire roster. How many players of Phil talent get that chance to improve so much probably mainly because in was afforded major playing time for all 4 years.
These seniors have come together nicely, Phil included. Reminds me of the 2011 squad, easy to root for.
If you think about Sampson as a lesser Dominique Wilkins you can understand his impact. As a Celtic fan I always anticipated Nique scoring with great panache and skill against us in the first quarter, still doing very well in the second and third quarter, and by end of the game crunch time throwing up third and fourth option shots while there was zero movement without the ball by any of his teammates who knew that once Nique touched it the ball was not coming back, except to a Celtic leading the break the other way.
jumbo_peanuts
Active member
I hate to break it to ya, but yes, we are better because Jakarr is in the NBA. We are 20-9 right now and more than likely will be dancing. That alone makes us better than last year. You can say that that may not be entirely because of Jakarr, I understand how much the team misses God's Gift, but Jakarr is the absolute biggest difference between this year's team and last year's team. So yea, we are definitely better because Jakarr is in the NBA.
As far as your comment that Lavin is screwing things up less than he did last season.....really??
What is it going to take for you to say that Lavin has done a good job? If we won a national championship, you would still be saying that Lavin is just an average coach. Like seriously!! It seems that for whatever reason, you are just a downright miserable person! You could win $250million in the lottery tomorrow, and you would probably be mad that it wasn't $251million.
I feel bad for people like you, who are just so unhappy with their lives that they can never see any of the good in it, and are always looking at the negative side of things....