Syracuse basketball has so many offensive weapons, it’s almost unfair

I’m not much of a betting man myself, but one thing that I’d feel pretty confident in laying down some money on is that Syracuse basketball shouldn’t have an issue scoring the ball during the 2021-22 campaign.

In fact, I really think that the Orange could average better than 85 points per game in the upcoming stanza, provided that the ‘Cuse doesn’t go through long dry spells from the perimeter and the team makes a concerted effort to have some balance on offense.

What I mean by that is, yes, Syracuse basketball has an array of sharp-shooters in 2021-22 who can knock down 3-pointers in bunches, led by senior shooting guard Buddy Boeheim, senior forward Cole Swider and junior point guard Joe Girard III.

I can’t imagine that there will be too many games when all three of them are off from deep, however, it’s important that the Orange gets consistent scoring around the rim and in the mid-range, to supplement its points from beyond the arc.

Syracuse basketball should be lethal on offense this coming term.

Exhibition games are, well, exhibition games, so let’s all take them with the proverbial grain of salt. But Boeheim has already shown what he can do, Girard was excellent against Le Moyne, and Swider was stellar versus Le Moyne and, prior to that, Pace.

What’s more, Girard is looking to get the ball into big men via pick-and-rolls, Swider and Boeheim aren’t just relying on 3-point shots, and other guys are driving the lane effectively, including graduate student forward Jimmy Boeheim, freshman forward Benny Williams and junior guard Symir Torrence.

Plus, I foresee junior center Jesse Edwards averaging around eight to 10 points a game, and Frank Anselem, the athletic sophomore center, should be good for a few buckets per contest as well (hopefully).

We’ll have to see how the roster shakes out as the 2021-22 regular season gets underway, but from an offensive point of view, this ‘Cuse line-up is loaded.

Between the perimeter shooting, mid-range abilities and presumed capacity for the Orange to score in the interior, Syracuse basketball will be really tough to stop when it has the ball on offense.

Additionally, and this is the best part to me, these ‘Cuse players are unselfish. At least to date, they’re showing that they will pass up good shots for great ones.

If Syracuse basketball is connecting at a credible clip from the field, it will produce a boatload of assists in 2021-22. After the Orange crushed Le Moyne, head coach Jim Boeheim praised his roster for sharing the ball well and looking for open shooters.

The ‘Cuse will make its regular-stanza debut when it hosts Lafayette on Tuesday, Nov. 9. Boeheim, after the Le Moyne victory, said in his post-game press conference that his team, as it enters the official 2021-22 campaign, is in a “good position.”