Syracuse Basketball: Perhaps a Different Approach with Boeheim 2.0
Syracuse men’s Basketball Coach Jim Boeheim has found himself in quite a few headlines in recent months with the emergence of molestation allegations against his long-time (and now former) assistant coach, Bernie Fine.
Boeheim’s reaction was, at first, aggressively defiant. Then he cautiously apologized, but he was still unsure of the circumstances. Now, Boeheim seems completely contrite and accepting, albeit shell-shocked by what may have transpired under his watch since the early ‘80s.
Some in the media have called for his ouster, while most seem somewhat satisfied with the most recent phase of Boeheim’s stance on the matter and have forgiven his original statements.
An interesting piece of information that has come out is Boeheim’s tendency to stay out of his coaches’ personal lives. He expects them to do a job, act in a professional manner and not to do anything to embarrass the program. He expects the same from his players, and if you’ve ever seen one of his sideline conversations with players in his doghouse, you understand what I’m talking about.
As someone who’s been and will continue to be a big fan of Boeheim’s, I’d like to suggest that a different approach may be in order. I won’t presume to think I know better than a man who is 30 years my senior, but sometimes a different outlook can help in delicate situations.
Advice is worth what it costs to dispense, but I offer this:
I believe in striking while the iron is hot.
Boeheim is in a perfect position to have unity and togetherness and to get involved in the lives of everyone around him. He’s been very active, along with his wife Juli, in raising money for all sorts of charities, including those aimed at helped abused children and promoting cancer research, but lending your name is different than lending yourself.
I would hope that Coach Boeheim sees this terrible scandal as a moment to endear himself to those close to him and to bring himself closer to those who work and play for him. A change in outlook could make a world of difference for all involved, plus it’s probably prudent to avoid any major hiccups in the immediate future.
Perhaps a “Come to Jesus” meeting is in order, as it were. Ol’ Pop Boeheim can become the wise old sage we always knew he could be and his assistants and players can enjoy more of a warm relationship than a professional one.
After all, a coach’s job is not just to win games, but to also mold young men and prepare them for life outside of school.
Jim Boeheim and the Syracuse family are going through a tough time. It’s nothing compared to the angst the accusers of Bernie Fine are going through, but it is trying nonetheless. Sometimes crises can present unique opportunities. As the saying goes, when a door closes, a window opens.
Perhaps Boeheim 2.0 is waiting in the wings, all warm and fuzzy-like. Well, maybe not fuzzy, but definitely more involved.
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NBA sides approach deadline without deal (AP)
Derek Fisher left a meeting with NBA officials and, as he has all summer, reported no breakthrough on a new labor deal. Do that again Monday, and the start of the season is expected to be called off. Negotiators for owners and players will meet again Monday, the deadline Commissioner David Stern set for when there must be a deal to avoid canceling the first two weeks of the regular season,…
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Kobe Bryant Must Change His Approach to the Game for Lakers to Win Another Title
Undoubtedly, Kobe Bryant is one of the most highly-criticized athletes in sports.
When the Los Angeles Lakers lose, critics rush to blame Bryant. If he scores 30-plus points, critics say that he should’ve been more submissive. On the other hand, if he scores less, critics believe he should’ve been more aggressive.
The same criticism continued in the 2011 NBA Playoffs, when the Lakers were ruthlessly swept by the Dallas Mavericks.
Bryant, who averaged a mere 23.3 PPG and 22.7 percent from the three-point line, was disparaged for his underwhelming and passive performance.
However, his performance against the Dallas Mavericks displayed anything but passiveness. It was apparent that Bryant was trying to be his team’s alpha dog—he did, in fact, average 21 field goal attempts per game.
Clearly, Bryant’s physical deterioration, especially with his style of play, limited him from single-handedly carrying his team, although his mental toughness is still very much present.
Thus, Bryant must adjust his approach to the game if he wants his Lakers to continue their winning tradition. Bryant must channel his mental toughness into motivating others in addition to becoming, ironically, a more passive scorer.
The Los Angeles Lakers have a variety of other offensive options, including Lamar Odom and Ron Artest, and the most advantageous and intimidating, other than Bryant himself, is Andrew Bynum and All-Star power forward Pau Gasol.
Mike Brown, the Lakers’ new head coach, believes Bynum and Gasol can be utilized like Duncan and Robinson of the Spurs of the late ’90s to early 2000s.
With teams getting smaller, Bynum and Gasol have the potential of dominating in the low post.
But how can the Lakers rely more heavily on players who didn’t show up in the playoffs?
Bryant, the leader of team, will have to embody the role of the ultimate motivator. He has to let Bynum and Gasol know that the team relies on the success of the two big men, and that he will not be physically capable of carrying them for the entire season.
In order for this to work, however, Bryant must trust his teammates and accept a new role as a passive scorer.
Surely, Bryant is going to get his touches in Mike Brown’s new offensive system.
Nonetheless, every one of his touches should be utilized with calculated risk. Bryant must discover when it’s appropriate for him to score and when it’s right for him to exploit the team’s advantage—their arsenal of offensive weapons—and create for others, particularly Bynum and Gasol.
After years of being an aggressive attacker of defenses, it will definitely be difficult for Bryant to adjust into a new role.
However, if he does so, the Lakers will become an even more formidable and well-rounded team, as other players will be used to their highest potential.
Thus, there is no doubt in my mind that the Los Angeles Lakers will be the champions of the world once again in the near future, but their hopes hinge on Bryant’s ability to adjust.
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LeBron James Video: Watch King James Give High Dive 4th Quarter Approach
If LeBron James can’t jump off a high dive, how is he going to be able to lead the Miami Heat to an NBA championship? James needed to be coaxed off by hundreds of cheering fans; in a basketball game, he’s going to be booed by thousands when he’s thinking about shooting. And in the fourth quarter, he won’t shoot because he didn’t do it in the 2011 NBA Finals and he couldn’t do it in Barcelona on the high dive, so he won’t do it when the lockout finally ends.
OK, not really. LeBron’s freezing up on the high dive means absolutely nothing basketball wise; it just shows he’s a little afraid of heights. As James showed in the Finals repeatedly, opponents should be more terrified when the Akron Hammer takes flight than LeBron himself; right, Ian Mahinmi, Tyson Chandler and Jason Kidd?
Now, I could be asking why in the world James is chilling in Barcelona. He just got done telling Hoops Hype that he went into a depression after the loss to the Dallas Mavericks, saying that the week after was the worst of his life and that he did absolutely nothing. Of course, no one expected James to live in the gym, but he is getting some impressive work done this offseason.
Yahoo! reported in early August that LeBron has been taking post lessons from Hakeem Olajuwon, the same legend that Kobe Bryant also went to for help in years past. Besides becoming shy in crunch time, James’ biggest weakness has been his post game; he couldn’t even take a 38-year-old Jason Kidd in the post this past June. Eliminate that weakness, and the man called by many to be the best all-around player in the game just got more well-rounded.
With the current progress on the NBA’s new CBA, James has time to jump off that high dive about 17 thousand more times before he actually has to get back in the gym.
David Daniels is a Featured Columnist at Bleacher Report and a Syndicated Writer. Follow him on Twitter.
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Celtics May Have to Take Wait-and-See Approach With Jeff Green to Determine His Future in Boston
The jury is still out on Celtics forward Jeff Green. Superb athleticism, nice stroke. But the 24-year-old, who is inconsistent, even indifferent at times, struggled to pick up Boston’s complex defensive system and hasn’t learned to take initiative on offense. Given what the C’s expended to land him (Kendrick Perkins, Nate Robinson — and what many feel was a legitimate shot at the 2011 title), Danny Ainge and Co. are staying on this message: Give him a full training camp and more minutes, and this kid will become a franchise player. Yet, with the NBA lockout looming, the Boston brass…
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As Heat approach title, will NBA teams follow their model?
The Miami Heat are on the verge of completing a season’s journey from a trio of stars to NBA champions. Will other clubs follow suit?
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76ers Take on Bucks Tonight, Trying to Stay Consistent as Playoffs Approach
The Philadelphia 76ers will look to tie a season-high 4 game winning streak tonight, in Milwaukee where they’ll face the Bucks. The Sixers not only looking to build upon their recent success, but also enter Saturdays game looking for a measure of revenge against Milwaukee.
The Sixers defeated the Bucks in their first two meetings, but were blown out by the Bucks 102-74 back on March 12th.
The Bucks have seen their playoff hopes dashed a bit, after impressively making the post season last year. They trail the 8th seeded Indiana Pacers by 4 games with 7 games remaining for Milwaukee.
After clinching the playoffs last night in a beat-down of the New Jersey Nets, 115-90, the Sixers will looking to keep that momentum going tonight in Milwaukee.
While the Bucks must pretty much win out the rest of their games, the game is important for the 76ers as well. They’d certainly like to improve their playoffs spot, trailing the Hawks by 5 games. However, most importantly, they wa…
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Colorado changes approach after NCAA tournament snub
Still dealing with what he considered a snub from the NCAA committee, Colorado coach Tad Boyle said he will change the way he schedules non-conference …
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Drew takes wait-and-see approach on Dunn (AP)
Baylor coach Scott Drew says he is not making any new plans for his team after guard LaceDarius Dunn was arrested this week after allegedly hitting his girlfriend. Dunn was suspended Tuesday after he was charged with aggravated assault. Dunn’s girlfriend, Lacharlesla Edwards, denies that Dunn hit her last week.
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Tom Izzo shows concern over Michigan State injuries as fall workouts approach
Michigan State’s basketball team is coming off yet another trip to the Final Four and are expected by most to make a similar push this year under …
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