6th Man of St. John's Basketball
St. John's Red Storm => In The Jungle... => Topic started by: paultzman on October 18, 2017, 09:23:23 AM
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http://www.redstormsports.com/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/101817aaa.html
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12 votes behind 5th place Creighton, a few votes ahead of Marquette and Butler. Shamorie and Marcus 2nd Team All BE, I'll take it.
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http://dalydoseofhoops.blogspot.com/2017/10/seton-hall-picked-2nd-in-big-east.html
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Let's exceed expectations this year and finish in the Top 5 :)
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Sounds about right. If we improve every year , we will get to where we want to be.
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Evan Daniels
St. John’s Chris Mullin said Justin Simon gives them versatility. Allows him to move Ponds & Lovett off the ball. All 3 will play together.
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YESSSSSS:
Shamorie Ponds on the open runs with Melo: “I told him we beat Syracuse by 33. He didn’t like that.” #sjubb
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@DalyDoseOfHoops
Ed Cooley: "Thank God for our presidents for getting rid of the football schools and becoming basketball-centric. I think we have the best schools, the best coaches. We sell the Big East." #pcbb #BEmediaday
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"They can expect a show coming soon" - Marcus when I asked what fans can expect to see this year
The full story here: http://dalydoseofhoops.blogspot.com/2017/10/despite-mid-pack-predictions-st-johns.html
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One thing I am confident of...we will lead the Big East in alley-oops.
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One thing I am confident of...we will lead the Big East in alley-oops.
To who?
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One thing I am confident of...we will lead the Big East in alley-oops.
To who?
Yeah I am thinking the same thing. I don't see a ton of scoring from our frontcourt.
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One thing I am confident of...we will lead the Big East in alley-oops.
To who?
Yeah I am thinking the same thing. I don't see a ton of scoring from our frontcourt.
Owens is perfect recipient for an alley when guards draw his man. Yakwe and Simon good targets as well.
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One thing I am confident of...we will lead the Big East in alley-oops.
To who?
Owens, Clark, and Yakwe to lead the way and Bash and Simon right behind them. Ponds has perfect touch on those passes too.
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2 things we did not see much of last year were alley- oops and easy inside baskets.
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2 things we did not see much of last year were alley- oops and easy inside baskets.
Easy baskets at all. That was a big problem because we gave away a ton of easy baskets.
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We need to box out defensively if we want to see a lot of alley oops.
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2 things we did not see much of last year were alley- oops and easy inside baskets.
We need meat and potatoes and strong "D"...not Washington Nationals/Globetrotter crap.
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Agreed, basic basketball was sorely missing in recent years. Good luck considering AAU influence.....this is a problem everywhere
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2 things we did not see much of last year were alley- oops and easy inside baskets.
Easy baskets at all. That was a big problem because we gave away a ton of easy baskets.
Degree of difficulty throwing alley oop to Yakwe is about 100.
Maybe a handoff and oop
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2 things we did not see much of last year were alley- oops and easy inside baskets.
We need meat and potatoes and strong "D"...not Washington Nationals/Globetrotter crap.
I don't think the two are mutually exclusive. I also don't think the alley-oop is showboating. It has a very practical purpose if used right and it's really hard to defend. I believe in forcing the other team to defend everything and worry about multiple threats. Other than maybe Clark, we don't really have a post up game so the points inside from bigs will have to come off drive and dumps, putbacks, and alley-oops. I'm not talking about 30 ft heaves...I'm talking about Shamorie getting in the lane, drawing the help, reading it, and floating it up with his touch.
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Evan Daniels
St. John’s Chris Mullin said Justin Simon gives them versatility. Allows him to move Ponds & Lovett off the ball. All 3 will play together.
Weird. A certain poster has been swearing up and down that Simon wouldn't be a point guard. Now the coach is saying he will be handling the ball so others can play "off the ball". Sounds like a point guard to me.
Which would make sense. Thats was his position in HS when he was a 5* recuit. And that was also his position at Arizona.
It's nice that he has some size. But Simon is still a lead guard... not a forward. Our offense will run through him.
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Listened to big east shoot around podcast today . They had really good interview with Simon and Clarke . Both players commented that the big east is moving towards postionless basketball. Simon said that many players will handle the ball.
You guys should check it out. Both Guys seem very likeable. They are also very happy to be here.
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Evan Daniels
St. John’s Chris Mullin said Justin Simon gives them versatility. Allows him to move Ponds & Lovett off the ball. All 3 will play together.
Weird. A certain poster has been swearing up and down that Simon wouldn't be a point guard. Now the coach is saying he will be handling the ball so others can play "off the ball". Sounds like a point guard to me.
Which would make sense. Thats was his position in HS when he was a 5* recuit. And that was also his position at Arizona.
It's nice that he has some size. But Simon is still a lead guard... not a forward. Our offense will run through him.
Talk to me in January.
Simon didn't play a single minute of PG or SG at Arizona so I'm not sure why you felt the need to add that bit. We run a lot of weave with 3-4 guys taking turns handling the ball so I don't think it's groundbreaking that our SF, who can't shoot, would be setting up our two best shooters who happen to be our best ball-handlers as well.
Elijah Ingram was rated a 5* McDonald's All-American PG and he was a SG through and through.
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Listened to big east shoot around podcast today . They had really good interview with Simon and Clarke . Both players commented that the big east is moving towards postionless basketball. Simon said that many players will handle the ball.
You guys should check it out. Both Guys seem very likeable. They are also very happy to be here.
Kind of like the Artest teams. Bootsy, Ron, Lavor, Barkley, Ty Grant. Jessie. Chudney-guys who could all bring it up, shoot and rebound. Artest could play anywhere from the 1 to the 5. Just athletic guys who could play tough basketball.
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Evan Daniels
St. John’s Chris Mullin said Justin Simon gives them versatility. Allows him to move Ponds & Lovett off the ball. All 3 will play together.
Weird. A certain poster has been swearing up and down that Simon wouldn't be a point guard. Now the coach is saying he will be handling the ball so others can play "off the ball". Sounds like a point guard to me.
Which would make sense. Thats was his position in HS when he was a 5* recuit. And that was also his position at Arizona.
It's nice that he has some size. But Simon is still a lead guard... not a forward. Our offense will run through him.
Talk to me in January.
Simon didn't play a single minute of PG or SG at Arizona so I'm not sure why you felt the need to add that bit. We run a lot of weave with 3-4 guys taking turns handling the ball so I don't think it's groundbreaking that our SF, who can't shoot, would be setting up our two best shooters who happen to be our best ball-handlers as well.
Elijah Ingram was rated a 5* McDonald's All-American PG and he was a SG through and through.
Based on feedback from friend who has attended several practices, I agree with Marillac. Simon may run the point at times, but not dominantly. He is more of a wing, no matter his HS rating.
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Mullin did say Lovett, Ponds and Simon will play together and Lovett and Ponds will be playing off the ball. I originally thought Simon would be playing the 3 due to his size, Lovett andPonds size and ball handling skills. But they are also better shooters than Simon. , As Marillac said,, the probability is all 3 will be handling the ball.
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Mullin did say Lovett, Ponds and Simon will play together and Lovett and Ponds will be playing off the ball. I originally thought Simon would be playing the 3 due to his size, Lovett andPonds size and ball handling skills. But they are also better shooters than Simon. , As Marillac said,, the probability is all 3 will be handling the ball.
If all 3 are on the court at the same time I expect Lovett and Simon to split ball handling duties since Ponds is better suited off the ball anyway. On the defensive end I'd like the see Ponds guarding the primary ball handler, Simon on the opposing team's best wing player and Lovett denying the other wing player
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Mullin did say Lovett, Ponds and Simon will play together and Lovett and Ponds will be playing off the ball. I originally thought Simon would be playing the 3 due to his size, Lovett andPonds size and ball handling skills. But they are also better shooters than Simon. , As Marillac said,, the probability is all 3 will be handling the ball.
If all 3 are on the court at the same time I expect Lovett and Simon to split ball handling duties since Ponds is better suited off the ball anyway. On the defensive end I'd like the see Ponds guarding the primary ball handler, Simon on the opposing team's best wing player and Lovett denying the other wing player
I agree. Except Lovett is only 5 11. May be better off having him guard the pg.
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Evan Daniels
St. John’s Chris Mullin said Justin Simon gives them versatility. Allows him to move Ponds & Lovett off the ball. All 3 will play together.
Weird. A certain poster has been swearing up and down that Simon wouldn't be a point guard. Now the coach is saying he will be handling the ball so others can play "off the ball". Sounds like a point guard to me.
Which would make sense. Thats was his position in HS when he was a 5* recuit. And that was also his position at Arizona.
It's nice that he has some size. But Simon is still a lead guard... not a forward. Our offense will run through him.
Talk to me in January.
Simon didn't play a single minute of PG or SG at Arizona so I'm not sure why you felt the need to add that bit. We run a lot of weave with 3-4 guys taking turns handling the ball so I don't think it's groundbreaking that our SF, who can't shoot, would be setting up our two best shooters who happen to be our best ball-handlers as well.
Elijah Ingram was rated a 5* McDonald's All-American PG and he was a SG through and through.
Based on feedback from friend who has attended several practices, I agree with Marillac. Simon may run the point at times, but not dominantly. He is more of a wing, no matter his HS rating.
Brazillier just tweeted :
"Plan seems to be to have Justin Simon run the team. Free up Lovett and Ponds
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Evan Daniels
St. John’s Chris Mullin said Justin Simon gives them versatility. Allows him to move Ponds & Lovett off the ball. All 3 will play together.
Weird. A certain poster has been swearing up and down that Simon wouldn't be a point guard. Now the coach is saying he will be handling the ball so others can play "off the ball". Sounds like a point guard to me.
Which would make sense. Thats was his position in HS when he was a 5* recuit. And that was also his position at Arizona.
It's nice that he has some size. But Simon is still a lead guard... not a forward. Our offense will run through him.
Talk to me in January.
Simon didn't play a single minute of PG or SG at Arizona so I'm not sure why you felt the need to add that bit. We run a lot of weave with 3-4 guys taking turns handling the ball so I don't think it's groundbreaking that our SF, who can't shoot, would be setting up our two best shooters who happen to be our best ball-handlers as well.
Elijah Ingram was rated a 5* McDonald's All-American PG and he was a SG through and through.
Based on feedback from friend who has attended several practices, I agree with Marillac. Simon may run the point at times, but not dominantly. He is more of a wing, no matter his HS rating.
Brazillier just tweeted :
"Plan seems to be to have Justin Simon run the team. Free up Lovett and Ponds
I like this idea.
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Evan Daniels
St. John’s Chris Mullin said Justin Simon gives them versatility. Allows him to move Ponds & Lovett off the ball. All 3 will play together.
Weird. A certain poster has been swearing up and down that Simon wouldn't be a point guard. Now the coach is saying he will be handling the ball so others can play "off the ball". Sounds like a point guard to me.
Which would make sense. Thats was his position in HS when he was a 5* recuit. And that was also his position at Arizona.
It's nice that he has some size. But Simon is still a lead guard... not a forward. Our offense will run through him.
Talk to me in January.
Simon didn't play a single minute of PG or SG at Arizona so I'm not sure why you felt the need to add that bit. We run a lot of weave with 3-4 guys taking turns handling the ball so I don't think it's groundbreaking that our SF, who can't shoot, would be setting up our two best shooters who happen to be our best ball-handlers as well.
Elijah Ingram was rated a 5* McDonald's All-American PG and he was a SG through and through.
Based on feedback from friend who has attended several practices, I agree with Marillac. Simon may run the point at times, but not dominantly. He is more of a wing, no matter his HS rating.
Brazillier just tweeted :
"Plan seems to be to have Justin Simon run the team. Free up Lovett and Ponds
That sounds like he's going to be our point guard but somebody said he wasn't even close to being a point guard.
Anyway, sounds interesting. The important thing will be that the coaches make sure Lovett and Ponds are moving enough without the ball. If they are just standing on the wing waiting to catch it and then go one on one like last year this won't mean much. If they devise a solid enough offensive scheme that has these guys running wild without the ball and Simon can feed them then this has huge potential.
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Chris Mullin has complete trust in this St. John’s transfer | New York Post
http://nypost.com/2017/10/26/chris-mullin-has-complete-trust-in-this-st-johns-transfer/
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That sounds like he's going to be our point guard.
Yeah, not really
"Chris Mullin thinks so highly of Justin Simon, the St. John’s coach is planning to take the ball out of his two leading scorers’ hands on occasion, and put it in Simon’s ... Mullin isn’t necessarily going to just give Simon the keys to his offense. He envisions the three being interchangeable"
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Evan Daniels
St. John’s Chris Mullin said Justin Simon gives them versatility. Allows him to move Ponds & Lovett off the ball. All 3 will play together.
Weird. A certain poster has been swearing up and down that Simon wouldn't be a point guard. Now the coach is saying he will be handling the ball so others can play "off the ball". Sounds like a point guard to me.
Which would make sense. Thats was his position in HS when he was a 5* recuit. And that was also his position at Arizona.
It's nice that he has some size. But Simon is still a lead guard... not a forward. Our offense will run through him.
Talk to me in January.
Simon didn't play a single minute of PG or SG at Arizona so I'm not sure why you felt the need to add that bit. We run a lot of weave with 3-4 guys taking turns handling the ball so I don't think it's groundbreaking that our SF, who can't shoot, would be setting up our two best shooters who happen to be our best ball-handlers as well.
Elijah Ingram was rated a 5* McDonald's All-American PG and he was a SG through and through.
Based on feedback from friend who has attended several practices, I agree with Marillac. Simon may run the point at times, but not dominantly. He is more of a wing, no matter his HS rating.
Brazillier just tweeted :
"Plan seems to be to have Justin Simon run the team. Free up Lovett and Ponds
Really, this is the line in the sand you want to draw? Why don't you just wait to see him play one game? Braziller said he hasn't even seen him play yet. Mullin said that Simon would set them up "on occasion." Isn't that pretty much what every SF does? Do you remember DJ Kennedy? Do you remember the Dom Pointer point-forward talk every preseason? Ellison last year?
Simon is a SG that can't shoot. Ponds is a PG that can shoot. Lovett is a PG that can shoot. It's not rocket science to think Simon will have to contribute in other ways in the half court to make up for his bad shooting.
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We've been no stranger to the point guard by committee approach for quite some time now.
Ever since Nurideen missed that game tying/winning? free throw and felt so bad about it that it made him immediately quit the team mid-season and that other shooting guard forced to play point, I can't recall his name, struggled at the one we've used it extensively.
I guess this season will be like that.
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We've been no stranger to the point guard by committee approach for quite some time now.
Ever since Nurideen missed that game tying/winning? free throw and felt so bad about it that it made him immediately quit the team mid-season and that other shooting guard forced to play point, I can't recall his name, struggled at the one we've used it extensively.
I guess this season will be like that.
The difference is, in the past, we usually played PG by committee with guys who had the height of a 1, but were really undersized 2's.
Now we actually have multiple PGs. Should make for a much more entertaining, and better, product on the court.
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I dont think its talked about enough how good of passers Lovett and Ponds are. Ponds especially has great vision and touch. Lovett is as good as any guard in the country while playing at top speed whereas ponds can play with any guard at seemingly any pace. Im hoping ML learns to play at that lower gear this year.
I say all that knowing that if either of ML or SP brought nothing to the table aside from their ability to shoot, they would still get minutes. Thankfully they do just about everything well and are only going to get better
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Thankfully they do just about everything well and are only going to get better
They don't do everything well but hopefully they are only going to get better in that glaring area of deficiency for them.
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Thankfully they do just about everything well and are only going to get better
They don't do everything well but hopefully they are only going to get better in that glaring area of deficiency for them.
Offensivly*
And I’m on record saying Ponds will win a BE defensive poy at some point.
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I dont think its talked about enough how good of passers Lovett and Ponds are. Ponds especially has great vision and touch. Lovett is as good as any guard in the country while playing at top speed whereas ponds can play with any guard at seemingly any pace. Im hoping ML learns to play at that lower gear this year.
I say all that knowing that if either of ML or SP brought nothing to the table aside from their ability to shoot, they would still get minutes. Thankfully they do just about everything well and are only going to get better
It blows my mind the lack of respect Ponds gets as a PG by the same people that are so desperate to label a 6'5 215 wing one. Ponds has the best touch I've ever see from a St. John's guard ever. He also has a tight handle and superb vision. If Simon was able to hit 40% from three he'd live in the corner like Jalen Lindsey, but he can't.
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If I were Ponds I would be begging to play the point. He is too small for an NBA 2. IMO his NBA stock would be higher as a pg due to his size. That said ,W Lovett here , he maybe more helpful to us as a 2. The odds are Lovett won’t be around next year and the PG position seems to Ponds for next year.
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I dont think its talked about enough how good of passers Lovett and Ponds are. Ponds especially has great vision and touch. Lovett is as good as any guard in the country while playing at top speed whereas ponds can play with any guard at seemingly any pace. Im hoping ML learns to play at that lower gear this year.
I say all that knowing that if either of ML or SP brought nothing to the table aside from their ability to shoot, they would still get minutes. Thankfully they do just about everything well and are only going to get better
It blows my mind the lack of respect Ponds gets as a PG by the same people that are so desperate to label a 6'5 215 wing one. Ponds has the best touch I've ever see from a St. John's guard ever. He also has a tight handle and superb vision. If Simon was able to hit 40% from three he'd live in the corner like Jalen Lindsey, but he can't.
Why are you infatuated with the fact that a 6'5 kid can't be a PG because he's 6'5. Simon's size has absolutely no impact on if he can play PG or not.
Also, lets put aside the argument of if Simon is actually a PG for a second. Wouldn't the team be far better off if Simon could be a solid PG? Having a solid pass-first PG that could get Lovett and Ponds the ball in easier scoring situations would do wonders for our offensive efficiency.
What I don't get is it seems like you are rooting for Simon not to be a PG. Nobody that hasn't been inside SJU practices in the past couple years knows for sure whether or not Simon can play PG for us, including you and me. But I sure hope he can be a PG and you should too
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If I were Ponds I would be begging to play the point. He is too small for an NBA 2. IMO his NBA stock would be higher as a pg due to his size. That said ,W Lovett here , he maybe more helpful to us as a 2. The odds are Lovett won’t be around next year and the PG position seems to Ponds for next year.
What about Mikey Dixon, is he a combo or more a PG or SG? Seems like these guys are more like basketball players than pure PG or SG these days.
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I think Dixon is a 2. Also undersized. But, supposedly an excellent shooter. It certainly is not a given that Ponds will be the pg next year. If he’s a much better shooter than Simon and both are on the floor at the same time, who plays the 1 and who plays the 2? But, let’s enjoy this year first.
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Too many unknowns for next year guard roster. Need to see how they perform this year. For all we know, Lovett stays & Ponds gets drafted or both leave or both stay.
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If both stay next year, we should be loaded and have a shot of top 25......with additions already on campus plus Roberts.
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The only reason why Ponds or LoVett should consider leaving after this season is if they believe that will not play in the league. If you know you're not an NBA player, leaving for Italy or France at 19 or 20 isn't so crazy.
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The only reason why Ponds or LoVett should consider leaving after this season is if they believe that will not play in the league. If you know you're not an NBA player, leaving for Italy or France at 19 or 20 isn't so crazy.
or 22 yrs old (Lovett's age at season's end)
If they make big improvement, I really hope he stays at least one more year to see how far we can go, and also he'd be able to finish his degree.
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I think the obsession with who is a 1 or a 2 is absurd. They are all excellent guards who can penetrate and dish and Ponds and Lovett are good shooters whereas I see Simon as a slasher. The fact that all 3 can dish will give other teams problems and a rotating point will cause confusion to the opposition. Pass and move off the ball should be very effective for all 3.
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Thankfully they do just about everything well and are only going to get better
They don't do everything well but hopefully they are only going to get better in that glaring area of deficiency for them.
Offensivly*
And I’m on record saying Ponds will win a BE defensive poy at some point.
Bingo.
The second thing is a bold prediction considering where he was at (or should I say wasn't at) as a freshmen.
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I dont think its talked about enough how good of passers Lovett and Ponds are. Ponds especially has great vision and touch. Lovett is as good as any guard in the country while playing at top speed whereas ponds can play with any guard at seemingly any pace. Im hoping ML learns to play at that lower gear this year.
I say all that knowing that if either of ML or SP brought nothing to the table aside from their ability to shoot, they would still get minutes. Thankfully they do just about everything well and are only going to get better
It blows my mind the lack of respect Ponds gets as a PG by the same people that are so desperate to label a 6'5 215 wing one. Ponds has the best touch I've ever see from a St. John's guard ever. He also has a tight handle and superb vision. If Simon was able to hit 40% from three he'd live in the corner like Jalen Lindsey, but he can't.
You crazy. Sham gets nothing but respect on this board, in the BE, in the tri-state area and nationally.
He's invited to play on these collegiate all-star teams; makes all these national player to watch lists and gets asked to run with Carmelo. Kid gets nothing but respect.
Love it - not as much.
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You crazy. Sham gets nothing but respect on this board, in the BE, in the tri-state area and nationally.
He's invited to play on these collegiate all-star teams; makes all these national player to watch lists and gets asked to run with Carmelo. Kid gets nothing but respect..
Is Golden State or another NBA team available to practice at St Johns this year. That's another good exposure.
This is the longest Marcus has stayed in a long time. I would be really surprised if he stayed after this year. He has Europe in his future.
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I dont think its talked about enough how good of passers Lovett and Ponds are. Ponds especially has great vision and touch. Lovett is as good as any guard in the country while playing at top speed whereas ponds can play with any guard at seemingly any pace. Im hoping ML learns to play at that lower gear this year.
I say all that knowing that if either of ML or SP brought nothing to the table aside from their ability to shoot, they would still get minutes. Thankfully they do just about everything well and are only going to get better
It blows my mind the lack of respect Ponds gets as a PG by the same people that are so desperate to label a 6'5 215 wing one. Ponds has the best touch I've ever see from a St. John's guard ever. He also has a tight handle and superb vision. If Simon was able to hit 40% from three he'd live in the corner like Jalen Lindsey, but he can't.
Why are you infatuated with the fact that a 6'5 kid can't be a PG because he's 6'5. Simon's size has absolutely no impact on if he can play PG or not.
Also, lets put aside the argument of if Simon is actually a PG for a second. Wouldn't the team be far better off if Simon could be a solid PG? Having a solid pass-first PG that could get Lovett and Ponds the ball in easier scoring situations would do wonders for our offensive efficiency.
What I don't get is it seems like you are rooting for Simon not to be a PG. Nobody that hasn't been inside SJU practices in the past couple years knows for sure whether or not Simon can play PG for us, including you and me. But I sure hope he can be a PG and you should too
Very easy answer: we need a bouncy wing that will play hard defense and rebound like a mad man and not another kid that wants to be a PG. Ponds is an NBA PG and Lovett is a top college PG. I despise bigger players trying to force themselves down the position latter. I'm perfectly fine with a SF playing some point-forward or taking people off the bounce when he has the mismatch. I'm also perfectly fine when a PF like Bash or Clark (or Brownlee) does the same in a small lineup mismatch. If someone told me right now that Simon averaged 3 offensive boards per game and was one of the best defenders in the conference I'd guarantee an NCAA appearance. If someone told me averaged 4-5 assists...I'd think we won 14-16 games.
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I dont think its talked about enough how good of passers Lovett and Ponds are. Ponds especially has great vision and touch. Lovett is as good as any guard in the country while playing at top speed whereas ponds can play with any guard at seemingly any pace. Im hoping ML learns to play at that lower gear this year.
I say all that knowing that if either of ML or SP brought nothing to the table aside from their ability to shoot, they would still get minutes. Thankfully they do just about everything well and are only going to get better
It blows my mind the lack of respect Ponds gets as a PG by the same people that are so desperate to label a 6'5 215 wing one. Ponds has the best touch I've ever see from a St. John's guard ever. He also has a tight handle and superb vision. If Simon was able to hit 40% from three he'd live in the corner like Jalen Lindsey, but he can't.
Why are you infatuated with the fact that a 6'5 kid can't be a PG because he's 6'5. Simon's size has absolutely no impact on if he can play PG or not.
Also, lets put aside the argument of if Simon is actually a PG for a second. Wouldn't the team be far better off if Simon could be a solid PG? Having a solid pass-first PG that could get Lovett and Ponds the ball in easier scoring situations would do wonders for our offensive efficiency.
What I don't get is it seems like you are rooting for Simon not to be a PG. Nobody that hasn't been inside SJU practices in the past couple years knows for sure whether or not Simon can play PG for us, including you and me. But I sure hope he can be a PG and you should too
Very easy answer: we need a bouncy wing that will play hard defense and rebound like a mad man and not another kid that wants to be a PG. Ponds is an NBA PG and Lovett is a top college PG. I despise bigger players trying to force themselves down the position latter. I'm perfectly fine with a SF playing some point-forward or taking people off the bounce when he has the mismatch. I'm also perfectly fine when a PF like Bash or Clark (or Brownlee) does the same in a small lineup mismatch. If someone told me right now that Simon averaged 3 offensive boards per game and was one of the best defenders in the conference I'd guarantee an NCAA appearance. If someone told me averaged 4-5 assists...I'd think we won 14-16 games.
What? He can't rebound or play hard nosed defense if he's a PG? That makes absolutely no sense whatsoever
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I dont think its talked about enough how good of passers Lovett and Ponds are. Ponds especially has great vision and touch. Lovett is as good as any guard in the country while playing at top speed whereas ponds can play with any guard at seemingly any pace. Im hoping ML learns to play at that lower gear this year.
I say all that knowing that if either of ML or SP brought nothing to the table aside from their ability to shoot, they would still get minutes. Thankfully they do just about everything well and are only going to get better
It blows my mind the lack of respect Ponds gets as a PG by the same people that are so desperate to label a 6'5 215 wing one. Ponds has the best touch I've ever see from a St. John's guard ever. He also has a tight handle and superb vision. If Simon was able to hit 40% from three he'd live in the corner like Jalen Lindsey, but he can't.
Why are you infatuated with the fact that a 6'5 kid can't be a PG because he's 6'5. Simon's size has absolutely no impact on if he can play PG or not.
Also, lets put aside the argument of if Simon is actually a PG for a second. Wouldn't the team be far better off if Simon could be a solid PG? Having a solid pass-first PG that could get Lovett and Ponds the ball in easier scoring situations would do wonders for our offensive efficiency.
What I don't get is it seems like you are rooting for Simon not to be a PG. Nobody that hasn't been inside SJU practices in the past couple years knows for sure whether or not Simon can play PG for us, including you and me. But I sure hope he can be a PG and you should too
Very easy answer: we need a bouncy wing that will play hard defense and rebound like a mad man and not another kid that wants to be a PG. Ponds is an NBA PG and Lovett is a top college PG. I despise bigger players trying to force themselves down the position latter. I'm perfectly fine with a SF playing some point-forward or taking people off the bounce when he has the mismatch. I'm also perfectly fine when a PF like Bash or Clark (or Brownlee) does the same in a small lineup mismatch. If someone told me right now that Simon averaged 3 offensive boards per game and was one of the best defenders in the conference I'd guarantee an NCAA appearance. If someone told me averaged 4-5 assists...I'd think we won 14-16 games.
What? He can't rebound or play hard nosed defense if he's a PG? That makes absolutely no sense whatsoever
WE DONT NEED A POINT GUARD!!! Do you get that? We have two preseason all Big East point guards. We need a nasty wing player to pound the offensive glass, start transition that leads to easy points, and dunk all over people. Simon dribbles the ball way too high and CLEARLY lacks the handle to be a primary ball handler for any decent team. I'm sure there will be a few games early where he picks up 6-7 assists, but he's not a PG. This ongoing debate is absurd. He didn't play a single minute of PG or SG at Arizona and he was not asked to handle the ball. He was asked to defend and rebound.
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I dont think its talked about enough how good of passers Lovett and Ponds are. Ponds especially has great vision and touch. Lovett is as good as any guard in the country while playing at top speed whereas ponds can play with any guard at seemingly any pace. Im hoping ML learns to play at that lower gear this year.
I say all that knowing that if either of ML or SP brought nothing to the table aside from their ability to shoot, they would still get minutes. Thankfully they do just about everything well and are only going to get better
It blows my mind the lack of respect Ponds gets as a PG by the same people that are so desperate to label a 6'5 215 wing one. Ponds has the best touch I've ever see from a St. John's guard ever. He also has a tight handle and superb vision. If Simon was able to hit 40% from three he'd live in the corner like Jalen Lindsey, but he can't.
Why are you infatuated with the fact that a 6'5 kid can't be a PG because he's 6'5. Simon's size has absolutely no impact on if he can play PG or not.
Also, lets put aside the argument of if Simon is actually a PG for a second. Wouldn't the team be far better off if Simon could be a solid PG? Having a solid pass-first PG that could get Lovett and Ponds the ball in easier scoring situations would do wonders for our offensive efficiency.
What I don't get is it seems like you are rooting for Simon not to be a PG. Nobody that hasn't been inside SJU practices in the past couple years knows for sure whether or not Simon can play PG for us, including you and me. But I sure hope he can be a PG and you should too
Very easy answer: we need a bouncy wing that will play hard defense and rebound like a mad man and not another kid that wants to be a PG. Ponds is an NBA PG and Lovett is a top college PG. I despise bigger players trying to force themselves down the position latter. I'm perfectly fine with a SF playing some point-forward or taking people off the bounce when he has the mismatch. I'm also perfectly fine when a PF like Bash or Clark (or Brownlee) does the same in a small lineup mismatch. If someone told me right now that Simon averaged 3 offensive boards per game and was one of the best defenders in the conference I'd guarantee an NCAA appearance. If someone told me averaged 4-5 assists...I'd think we won 14-16 games.
What? He can't rebound or play hard nosed defense if he's a PG? That makes absolutely no sense whatsoever
WE DONT NEED A POINT GUARD!!! Do you get that? We have two preseason all Big East point guards. We need a nasty wing player to pound the offensive glass, start transition that leads to easy points, and dunk all over people. Simon dribbles the ball way too high and CLEARLY lacks the handle to be a primary ball handler for any decent team. I'm sure there will be a few games early where he picks up 6-7 assists, but he's not a PG. This ongoing debate is absurd. He didn't play a single minute of PG or SG at Arizona and he was not asked to handle the ball. He was asked to defend and rebound.
But again please explain to me why he can't rebound or play defense if he was a PG?
You've never seen him play more than 3 minutes of a college basketball game but you act like you've seen every dribble he's taken since he was 12 years old. He is going to play some point this year because he has point guard skills. So will Lovett and so will Ponds. If he is playing point he will still be able to rebound and defend as if he was playing the 2 or the 3.
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I dont think its talked about enough how good of passers Lovett and Ponds are. Ponds especially has great vision and touch. Lovett is as good as any guard in the country while playing at top speed whereas ponds can play with any guard at seemingly any pace. Im hoping ML learns to play at that lower gear this year.
I say all that knowing that if either of ML or SP brought nothing to the table aside from their ability to shoot, they would still get minutes. Thankfully they do just about everything well and are only going to get better
It blows my mind the lack of respect Ponds gets as a PG by the same people that are so desperate to label a 6'5 215 wing one. Ponds has the best touch I've ever see from a St. John's guard ever. He also has a tight handle and superb vision. If Simon was able to hit 40% from three he'd live in the corner like Jalen Lindsey, but he can't.
Why are you infatuated with the fact that a 6'5 kid can't be a PG because he's 6'5. Simon's size has absolutely no impact on if he can play PG or not.
Also, lets put aside the argument of if Simon is actually a PG for a second. Wouldn't the team be far better off if Simon could be a solid PG? Having a solid pass-first PG that could get Lovett and Ponds the ball in easier scoring situations would do wonders for our offensive efficiency.
What I don't get is it seems like you are rooting for Simon not to be a PG. Nobody that hasn't been inside SJU practices in the past couple years knows for sure whether or not Simon can play PG for us, including you and me. But I sure hope he can be a PG and you should too
Very easy answer: we need a bouncy wing that will play hard defense and rebound like a mad man and not another kid that wants to be a PG. Ponds is an NBA PG and Lovett is a top college PG. I despise bigger players trying to force themselves down the position latter. I'm perfectly fine with a SF playing some point-forward or taking people off the bounce when he has the mismatch. I'm also perfectly fine when a PF like Bash or Clark (or Brownlee) does the same in a small lineup mismatch. If someone told me right now that Simon averaged 3 offensive boards per game and was one of the best defenders in the conference I'd guarantee an NCAA appearance. If someone told me averaged 4-5 assists...I'd think we won 14-16 games.
What? He can't rebound or play hard nosed defense if he's a PG? That makes absolutely no sense whatsoever
WE DONT NEED A POINT GUARD!!! Do you get that? We have two preseason all Big East point guards. We need a nasty wing player to pound the offensive glass, start transition that leads to easy points, and dunk all over people. Simon dribbles the ball way too high and CLEARLY lacks the handle to be a primary ball handler for any decent team. I'm sure there will be a few games early where he picks up 6-7 assists, but he's not a PG. This ongoing debate is absurd. He didn't play a single minute of PG or SG at Arizona and he was not asked to handle the ball. He was asked to defend and rebound.
But again please explain to me why he can't rebound or play defense if he was a PG?
You've never seen him play more than 3 minutes of a college basketball game but you act like you've seen every dribble he's taken since he was 12 years old. He is going to play some point this year because he has point guard skills. So will Lovett and so will Ponds. If he is playing point he will still be able to rebound and defend as if he was playing the 2 or the 3.
The one thing this team doesn't need is another PG. We need to own the 1-4 positions and play even at the 5. I want Simon in a position where he is ready to strike on every shot on offense like Postell and his 3.5 offensive rebounds per game. If I'm making Dom Pointer junior year posts about having 2 offensive boards over 6-7 games, the season is over. I believe the best statistical indicator for the season would be Simon leading the team in rebounds ala Postell.
Artest averaged 4.2 assists per game as a soph. Ellison averaged 3.3 last year as a soph. Kennedy averaged 3.0 assists as a soph. Pointer averaged 2.8 assists as a soph. Being a secondary ball-handler and distributer is part of the job description of a SF!