In Reply to: I am not a fan or name calling or bashing posted by mikeo on January 09, 2025 at 12:48:23
Stephen A Smith actually had a good take on this - Cronin is actually calling on the team to hold themselves accountable and to play to win, both players and coaches. (Of course, Stephen A likes it.) Someone needs to step up to call out other guys and show grit when things get tough. He wouldn't say this if the team's talent is poor, rather the contrary, he believes the gap is related to their attitude/mental state.
Agree with others on the board that Cronin may take things too far, but at the same time, he is driven to win a championship. His offense isn't great, and he needs strong offensive players like Juzang or Jaquez to carry him through his micromanagement / ISO ball on offense. Perhaps that's one big gap on this team - someone who can truly step up and create for other guys. Bilodeau and Mack are the closest, but both have different limitations. And Mara will be awesome next year. I think though if the players come together, humble themselves, and win, they will appreciate Cronin's antics and his desire to see them succeed. I don't think we are close to our potential yet, but Cronin does need to figure out how to get more offensively out of guys like Clark, Kobe, Laz more consistently.
Practically, I think our best lineup is five out of Clark, Kobe, Laz, Dailey, Bilodeau, and Mack. Andrews should sit, but Cronin probably doesn't want to completely ruin his confidence. But at this point, Clark has shown more flashes of running the team than Andrews. I'm not sure if Andrews will break out of his slump this season - seems like a confidence issue where he needs to play through his mistakes, which can't happen if we aspire to be even a Sweet Sixteen team.