The Kris Joseph Game
When KJ hit the game-winning three with half a minute to go in overtime Wednesday, three thoughts went through my head.
Still, there is so much to like about KJ. Like most above-average shooters, he is streaky from long-range, but when he gets it going from deep there is no better shooter on the team. At this moment, he's also the best on the team at driving to the hoop. At this moment. (I said "At this moment," Dion supporters! Didn't you watch the Georgetown game? Dion was flummoxed by the Hoya zone.) He's attempted 28 more free throws and made 27 more than the next highest guy (Dion, who is 50 of 72 from the line). He has as many rebounds as New Melo and only six fewer than Josh Pace Redux.
But Kris Joseph is not dominant. He never will be. Can SU hope for a game or two like this in the tournament? Absolutely. Can SU hope that KJ will carry us through the tournament, that he'll be the dominant player every championship team needs? No. Dion is the only Orange with that sort of ceiling.
It kills me to kill KJ. There is so much to love about the guy. I'll remember him as much for the way he played on either side of the loss to Notre Dame as for The Kris Joseph Game. Versus Pittsburgh, he and Scoop kicked it into an extra gear; it felt like there was no way those seniors were going to graduate without having a win against Pittsburgh. And the Cincinnati game was the beginning of his mini-shooting slump, but otherwise it was vintage KJ. 6 boards and 17 points on 8 for 11 shooting; he missed nothing inside the arc. And he got to the line 5 times... which is not enough, but KJ never gets to the line enough for me. I'd love it if he got there 10 times a game, but he hasn't attempted 10 FTs all season.
At this level, (and probably not at the next) the guy is just devastating off the dribble. That's what I'll remember most about his game. He's not flashy like Dion. KJ isn't a slasher. KJ is a skier. He slides to the hoop. He's skiing the slalom. He's Alberto Tomba. Watch that clip. Doesn't that feel like the way KJ drives to the basket? The speed is subtle. The style is understated. There's some grace, some confidence. It's smooth and easy. It's hips and strength. The only difference is while Tomba keeps turning side to side, KJ soon rises. I like that there's no music to it, too. KJ's the silent guy on the floor.
Also, I wouldn't be surprised if KJ's fate is a long and successful career in Italy. And yes, that comes out backhanded. This whole post is coming out backhanded. But I don't mean to be cruel. As KJ's career winds down, I just want to appreciate who he is.
* * *
Oh, and KJ is durable. He played all 45 minutes Wednesday! Which reminds me - it's time to update the Horn Companies Big East MPG Challenge!
There was a lot of chatter around town about Brandon Triche riding the bench down the stretch against Georgetown, especially after the final play of regulation ended up being Scoop and Dion passing it back and forth erratically until Dion took a horrible shot from three point range. Boeheim himself said he thought Scoop played horrible in the first half but much better in the second once he stopped trying to score and started setting up the offense. Boeheim also says, (paraphrased from memory) "Scoop gets us into our sets on offense. That's something the other guards can't do." Rather than watch 1000 basketball games to acquire the vision to see what he means, I'll take Boeheim at his word, but...ewww! Gross! I just heard the sound of half the city of Syracuse rolling their eyes simultaneously!
Dion led the guards in minutes against Georgetown with 35, even though he was flummoxed into a 3 for 12 day shooting. That was the third highest minutes played on the team. Do you know who was second? I'll give you a hint...it wasn't CJ...
...
It was Fab Melo, playing a remarkable 39 minutes that, without looking, must be his career high. (OK, I looked. It is. The only other time he passed the half hour mark was this year against Stanford.)
Meanwhile, CJ's recent slump has taken him off his high pace from earlier in the season, giving KJ a comfortable lead. In third place is...well, I'll let the numbers speak for themselves:
Minutes Per Game in Big East Conference Games Presented by Horn Companies
KJ - 32.8
CJ - 28
Scoop - 24.8
Dion - 24.5
Melo - 24
Triche - 23.6
Southerland - 16.2
Keita - 12.8
Christmas - 12.2
McDubs - 9.22
- This is the best Kris Joseph game ever. Years from now, when someone mentions, "The Kris Joseph game," I will know what they're talking about.
- Don't jinx it. There's still 29 seconds left...
- Wait...what does it say about KJ's career that there's only been one "The Kris Joseph Game?"
Still, there is so much to like about KJ. Like most above-average shooters, he is streaky from long-range, but when he gets it going from deep there is no better shooter on the team. At this moment, he's also the best on the team at driving to the hoop. At this moment. (I said "At this moment," Dion supporters! Didn't you watch the Georgetown game? Dion was flummoxed by the Hoya zone.) He's attempted 28 more free throws and made 27 more than the next highest guy (Dion, who is 50 of 72 from the line). He has as many rebounds as New Melo and only six fewer than Josh Pace Redux.
But Kris Joseph is not dominant. He never will be. Can SU hope for a game or two like this in the tournament? Absolutely. Can SU hope that KJ will carry us through the tournament, that he'll be the dominant player every championship team needs? No. Dion is the only Orange with that sort of ceiling.
It kills me to kill KJ. There is so much to love about the guy. I'll remember him as much for the way he played on either side of the loss to Notre Dame as for The Kris Joseph Game. Versus Pittsburgh, he and Scoop kicked it into an extra gear; it felt like there was no way those seniors were going to graduate without having a win against Pittsburgh. And the Cincinnati game was the beginning of his mini-shooting slump, but otherwise it was vintage KJ. 6 boards and 17 points on 8 for 11 shooting; he missed nothing inside the arc. And he got to the line 5 times... which is not enough, but KJ never gets to the line enough for me. I'd love it if he got there 10 times a game, but he hasn't attempted 10 FTs all season.
At this level, (and probably not at the next) the guy is just devastating off the dribble. That's what I'll remember most about his game. He's not flashy like Dion. KJ isn't a slasher. KJ is a skier. He slides to the hoop. He's skiing the slalom. He's Alberto Tomba. Watch that clip. Doesn't that feel like the way KJ drives to the basket? The speed is subtle. The style is understated. There's some grace, some confidence. It's smooth and easy. It's hips and strength. The only difference is while Tomba keeps turning side to side, KJ soon rises. I like that there's no music to it, too. KJ's the silent guy on the floor.
Also, I wouldn't be surprised if KJ's fate is a long and successful career in Italy. And yes, that comes out backhanded. This whole post is coming out backhanded. But I don't mean to be cruel. As KJ's career winds down, I just want to appreciate who he is.
* * *
Oh, and KJ is durable. He played all 45 minutes Wednesday! Which reminds me - it's time to update the Horn Companies Big East MPG Challenge!
There was a lot of chatter around town about Brandon Triche riding the bench down the stretch against Georgetown, especially after the final play of regulation ended up being Scoop and Dion passing it back and forth erratically until Dion took a horrible shot from three point range. Boeheim himself said he thought Scoop played horrible in the first half but much better in the second once he stopped trying to score and started setting up the offense. Boeheim also says, (paraphrased from memory) "Scoop gets us into our sets on offense. That's something the other guards can't do." Rather than watch 1000 basketball games to acquire the vision to see what he means, I'll take Boeheim at his word, but...ewww! Gross! I just heard the sound of half the city of Syracuse rolling their eyes simultaneously!
Dion led the guards in minutes against Georgetown with 35, even though he was flummoxed into a 3 for 12 day shooting. That was the third highest minutes played on the team. Do you know who was second? I'll give you a hint...it wasn't CJ...
...
It was Fab Melo, playing a remarkable 39 minutes that, without looking, must be his career high. (OK, I looked. It is. The only other time he passed the half hour mark was this year against Stanford.)
Meanwhile, CJ's recent slump has taken him off his high pace from earlier in the season, giving KJ a comfortable lead. In third place is...well, I'll let the numbers speak for themselves:
Minutes Per Game in Big East Conference Games Presented by Horn Companies
KJ - 32.8
CJ - 28
Scoop - 24.8
Dion - 24.5
Melo - 24
Triche - 23.6
Southerland - 16.2
Keita - 12.8
Christmas - 12.2
McDubs - 9.22
posted by Prof. A at 5:01 PM
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