Syracuse basketball senior power forward/center Marek Dolezaj is tough as nails, unbelievably selfish and the ultimate glue-guy, which is why he’s one of my favorite Orange players of all-time.
He does pretty much everything well on the court, whether it’s passing, rebounding, shooting a high percentage from the field and the free-throw line, taking charges, and not backing down from opponents’ big men, despite them often weighing dozens of pounds more than the 6-foot-10 Dolezaj.
The issue with Dolezaj, if we can call it that, is that he’s too unselfish. He’ll sometimes pass up an open look to try and get a teammate an even better look.
That’s admirable, however, Dolezaj has to be more assertive in trying to score himself, as head coach Jim Boeheim put it in a Zoom call with media members following the ‘Cuse six-point setback at North Carolina earlier this week.
Versus the Tar Heels, for example, Dolezaj did pick up two early fouls, which made things more challenging for him to get going. But he still suited up for about 35 minutes and only took a couple of shots.
Syracuse basketball senior big man Marek Dolezaj could easily average 15 points a game.
To date in the 2020-21 campaign, Dolezaj is logging 35.3 minutes, 11.4 points, 5.7 rebounds and 3.8 assists per contest, while hitting on 56.2 percent from the field and 84.2 percent from the charity stripe. His free-throw shooting percentage, as of Jan. 14, was No. 4 in the Atlantic Coast Conference.
I respect that Dolezaj is a pass-first player, his court vision is exquisite, and he rarely hoists up a bad shot. Yet if he gets a bit more aggressive in terms of his scoring mentality, Dolezaj could definitely tally 15 or more points per affair.
As the Orange prepares to travel to Pittsburgh (6-2) on Saturday afternoon for a rematch with the Panthers, the ‘Cuse is 7-3. Not a tremendous record, but not awful, either.
On his radio show this past Thursday night, Boeheim said of Dolezaj, “We’d be lost without him,” according to a report from Donna Ditota of Syracuse.com.
Senior Bourama Sidibe, the team’s starting center, got injured in the Orange’s season-opening game against Bryant. Since then, Dolezaj has served as the ‘Cuse primary center.
"Boeheim said Dolezaj should be attempting a few more shots a game. “We want him to shoot. But he’s gotta feel comfortable. He’s gotta feel comfortable that he’s getting good shots. He’s valuable for his defense, his rebounding and his passing. That’s what his value is to our team. We’d be lost without him. He handles the ball, he makes plays, he’s really invaluable for our team. There is no better passer at 6-10 in the country. None. I don’t think there’s anybody close.”"
I wholeheartedly agree with Coach B.