Syracuse Basketball: Isolation Orange offense falls flat vs Cavaliers

The Syracuse basketball offense leaned on isolation play vs Virginia. Here’s why it failed miserably and how the Orange can fix it moving forward.

The Syracuse basketball team returned to the Carrier Dome to kick off the 2019 season. Unlike years past the Orange didn’t face off with the Detroit Mercy or Cornells of the college basketball world, instead, they opened vs the defending National Champion Virginia Cavaliers.

With a team, that many thought was built on offense faced off against a juggernaut of a defense. Syracuse a team built on pick-and-rolls in the past all but abandoned the strategy in the opener.

In the past, the offense seemed to struggle because of double-teams off the ball screens.  A change of philosophy and an added wrinkle to the offense.

Bourama Sidibe was the main Cuse player to set ball screens but struggled to stay on the floor after defensive mishaps and foul trouble. After Sidibe went out, the Orange went with dribble hand-offs to initiate their offense but Virginia’s versatility and discipline defensively help neutralize this adjustment.

Without causing much confusion with handoffs against the Cavs, Syracuse resorted to many tough looks after isolations became the only offense available. Players like Buddy Boeheim, Jalen Carey, and Joe Girard III had to then attempt to break down an elite defense.

Combined the trio of Boeheim, Carey, and Girard III shot 5-of-24 from the floor and 2-of-12 from three-point territory. Elijah Hughes; the man expected to carry the offensive load this year, wasn’t immune to the inefficiency on offense going 4-of-14 from the field.

Virginia was able to impede the Orange offense forcing them into numerous threes that clanged, clanked and ricocheted off the mark for the deep threats on the Orange.

Preventing good looks on the perimeter and attempts inside stymied the Orange. Syracuse showed no resistance when they were inside only converting 8-of-26 from inside the arc and seven free throw attempts. Five by Hughes with the only three makes.

While frustration is easy after one game and questioning head coach Jim Boeheim and the staff might come easy, this is the worst-case for Syracuse to initiate so many new faces.

There are things to build on as the offense can only get better.

Something to watch is the use of Marek Dolezaj. He was the only member of Syracuse to routinely push the ball after defensive rebounds.

That’s a sign that Syracuse will look to run when the ball can get to someone they trust off of defensive stops. Dolezaj, going into Wednesday night was clearly a guy coach Boeheim trusted.

That trust was rewarded with mixed results; such as when Dolezaj rifled a pass over both Boeheim’s and the Cuse bench for a turnover. Dolezaj, however, was not afraid to use his court vision to put pressure on the defense and was the most consistent Syracuse player looking to move the ball with the pass on the offensive end.

One game down; 30 to go. One of the top teams is off the schedule with only one more matchup with Virginia in their remaining 19 ACC games. Even with this loss, 20 wins and an NCAA Tournament bid is possible, but getting off what feels like a deserted island of offensive ineptitude will be key to any future success.