Syracuse, N.Y. – Buddy Boeheim did not see a Syracuse basketball game in person last season. It was the first time in his life, he said, that an entire SU season passed without him in attendance at a single game.
Boeheim, of course, left the area after four seasons at SU, where he emerged as one of the program’s most prolific scorers and shooters.
He spent the last two seasons with Detroit and/or its G League affiliate. About a month after the organization underwent a front office overhaul (former SU assistant coach Troy Weaver was out as general manager), the Pistons waived Boeheim from his two-way contract.
He surfaced in the Oklahoma City organization, where he signed an Exhibit 10 contract and played for the Thunder in the NBA Summer League.
Boeheim, 24, was in town last week when he and his older brother Jimmy held a three-day basketball camp at the Fayetteville YMCA.
We talked for a bit after Friday’s session. Here is that conversation:
Donna Ditota: Give me some perspective about your time in Detroit.
Buddy Boeheim: Detroit was great. Obviously very thankful for that. To be in one spot for two years, as crazy as it sounds, it’s not easy to do at any level, G League or NBA. My first year I was able to get better as the year went along. I knew early on kind of similar to Syracuse that it was going to take some time, I wasn’t quite ready and that’s always humbling. It’s just like a reset. But having that feeling already was helpful for me. I got a lot better as the year went on and then had a really good summer. I think that’s where I took a turn – last summer – being in Detroit, working out with Cade, Isaiah, all the roster guys – that was big for me.
Going into the season on an E10 (Exhibit 10 contract), I was hungry, probably a lot hungrier than last year to get back to where I was, be back with the Pistons. So from training camp on, I really felt more confident, more comfortable. Then in December, I had a couple big games in the G League and kind of realized that I could score a lot of points in the G League when I’m given a chance and given my spots. Had some great players that really helped me out. After a month or two, got the two-way. And had my best game in the NBA yet against the Pelicans. So I’m very thankful for my time there.
DD: How nerve-wracking is it every year to have to recalibrate where you are and where you want to be and what situations are best for you?
BB: I think you have to realize that it’s a business first. I talked to Cole (Swider) a lot in Vegas. He’s shocked because he had such a good year with the Heat and was in a good position but with the Heat roster it didn’t work out with the guys they had with Duncan (Robinson) and Tyler Herro and other shooters. So even if you play great, the thing I’ve realized is you might not be there the next year. In Detroit, I felt like I had a great year, played well at the end of the year. They made changes top to bottom and you go from expecting to be there next year on the deal and you’re waived after draft night. So then it’s who believes in you as a player, who wants you and luckily the Thunder was that team. Now it kind of feels like I’m restarting a little.
DD: One of the things that I’ve admired about your game is the quickness with which you get your shot off. Is that something you’ve particularly worked on over the years?
BB: Yeah, that’s probably honestly besides defense, strength and conditioning and quickness, that’s probably the biggest skill thing I’ve worked on. Being able to get my shot off quick. Being able to catch it above my eyesight and shoot it. ‘Catch high, keep high’ is what we call it. Honestly since I first got to Detroit that’s the one thing we worked on every day. Sprinting to the corner, being able to catch it and shoot it without dipping the ball down. That’s something I worked on right away. In games last year, I would catch it and shoot it really fast. I’d get it off every time but I wasn’t consistent in making it. It was just a matter of time and that took reps. But once I figured out, I can get my shot whenever I shoot this way, it’s just a matter of perfecting it. If you can get the ball off quick, it’s really hard with the space on an NBA court to close out and block it. You can pump fake and you’re probably going to get the guy to jump by.
DD: You mentioned defense. I’m assuming that was one of your more difficult transitions. Because of the athleticism in the league, are you trying to figure out shortcuts to mitigate the difference?
BB: Definitely. People say all the time, ‘Oh, you played zone.’ It’s really not that. These guys are so good that even the good defenders, they can’t guard these guys. It’s really just a matter of being serviceable. When I first got to Detroit, they said, ‘Hey, If you can not get blown by and if you can cut a guy off and turn him or take a couple dribbles and get in the paint, that’s fine. We’ll have help.’ The biggest thing for me is not having guys go straight by me – two dribbles at he’s at the rim. That’s been my biggest focus. Honestly I’ve gotten a lot better. When I first got to Detroit, every game I’d get called in a pick and roll and probably get blown by every time. And that was probably the toughest thing I had to deal with, being able to take that challenge. Honestly this whole year, maybe one or two games I got called in pick and rolls. I usually get a stop now. That’s probably the biggest reward is seeing that type of growth for me. If I’m getting stops and am not a liability on defense, obviously I can be on the court with my shooting.
DD: You can’t really take a step back to compensate for the athleticism because all these guys can shoot too. So how do you do it?
BB: One thing a coach told me this year was I was hopping into my closeouts, so I was leaving my feet at once. And when I did that, the guy was already by me before I could even react. So I’ve been really focused on stepping toward my guy, running at him. Not really chopping but a long chop so I can react quicker. That’s been one thing that has really helped a lot. And then just getting reps up. I spent a lot of time in the summer just guarding guys, keeping them in front. Little drills and then knowing at what distance to close out at. Knowing if he’s a shooter, still be up there but not being too far up where he could just go right by me. Teams are somewhat OK if you’re in the gap and you get out there. They’re OK with guys getting in the paint and getting by as long as you’re stopping the ball. And help defense, they kind of value that a lot. With Oklahoma City I’ve noticed that if you’re up and don’t let him shoot in your face, there’s gonna be help there. Closing out is the hardest thing in basketball.
DD: Well, you have a skill that is the most important skill in basketball. And if you’re going to have one skill, I’d imagine that’s a good one to have. Have you learned that that’s what’s keeping you in the conversation?
BB: Yes. That’s the biggest thing I’ve heard since I’ve been in the league. I have an NBA skill. And that’s shooting. Every team needs shooting. I remember Scott Brooks told me at a workout in pre-draft, ‘don’t dribble, don’t worry about anything else – just shoot the ball.’ That’s kind of been how it goes. If you can shoot 40% (from 3) in the G League, you’re gonna get a two-way, a 10-day. Every guy that shoots efficiently and makes a lot of 3s in the G League I’ve noticed, gets a contract. There are guys who are 27, 28-years old scoring a lot of points a game in the G League, but they can’t shoot it well. They can do everything else and they can’t get the same chance as other guys because you have guys in the NBA that can all score 25, 30 points. So who’s gonna complement Luka (Doncic), who’s gonna complement Shai (Gilgeous-Alexander), Cade Cunningham, who’s gonna space the floor? You need to be able to guard and rebound for your position, but if you can shoot you’re probably going to find a way.
DD: How has it changed for you in the way you approach it? Do you take more shots, are you more mindful of the shots you take, what does it look like for you?
BB: Coming from Syracuse I was aggressive. I knew that for us to be successful on offense I was going to have to take some tough shots and be aggressive on offense. But now percentage does matter a lot. And I never really looked at percentage. But being efficient is really important. Being able to shoot 40% from 3 is really important. I still take tough shots but I’m a little more mindful and a little more maybe pump fake and get in the lane a little more, especially in the G League. My role expanded a lot as the season went along. I was able to get in the lane, make my pullups. My rookie year they said shoot 10 3s a game and sometimes five of them were rushed shots because I felt like I had to shoot 10 and I wasn’t efficient. I wasn’t quite as adjusted to the speed yet so I wasn’t making a high percentage. So I kind of learned the spots I was going to get shots at. There’s different actions, the Spain action, the guard-to-guard screens, stuff I never did in college.
DD: You’re gonna need to explain the Spain action.
BB: Pick and roll with the big and small. I’m starting under the basket and I back-screen the big. Either the point guard gets a lane to the rim, the center gets a lob or (defenders) go to the guard and the big and I slip out to the corner. Cole Swider hit a 3 on that to tie the Summer League championship. That’s what they ran in fourth quarter overtime for him.
DD: You’ve mentioned that you thought it took a couple years at Syracuse to feel like you belonged. Where are you on your NBA trajectory?
BB: I think I’m close. I think I’m as close as I’ve ever been. Coming off last year was big for me. I think I showed that I can make shots. It’s easier to get 3s up in the NBA than in the G League because they’re not as worried about guys like us coming off the bench. They’re worried about Cade Cunningham and the star guys that they load up for and send everybody for. There’s a lot of games that for the little time I got, they were very good shots. I almost missed some because I was so open. Some guys also want to test you. You’re a young guy, let’s see if you can make an open one after missing your first two. It’s a lot more mind games in the NBA. It’s really just about getting an opportunity, being consistent and making my shots. But getting into the NBA is the hardest thing to do. Once you’re in, guys stick around.
DD: What was it about the Thunder that appealed to you? That’s a young, dynamic team.
BB: Great young team for sure. Got to play with them in Vegas for a day and it was awesome. They had interest in the past. Last year they were one of the teams who reached out and was interested. They were interested for a two-way spot. I knew that they still liked me. My agent was down there and talked to Presti. He said he was interested. And when you hear Sam Presti is interested, it’s kind of a no-brainer. Just being around them already, he’s the best of the best. It’s such a well-run organization. Everything from top to bottom is so professional.
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