Very Early St. John’s Red Storm Players and Coach Report Card

Sir’Dominic Pointer

Yeah, yeah. I get it. I have knocked Pointer quite a bit this season. My only complaint about him is that he takes too many jumpers. Basically, that he is too athletic and too poor a shooter to do anything other than drive to the basket on offense. Although, if there’s one huge takeaway from the Gonzaga game it is that Sir’Dominic Pointer excels playing the high post. Like, humorously excels. Essentially making the Red Storm an even more dangerous team on that side of the ball.

The Positives

Defense. Defense. Defense. It is not a tippy-top secret that Pointer is one of the better defenders in the Big East. Despite a few early season hiccups, Sir’Dom is still a vital clog in the otherwise dreadful Red Storm defense. Lavin clearly relies upon he and Obekpa to do all of the dirty work on the defensive side of the ball. Luckily for the Johnnies Pointer has been up to the challenge.

Pointer has showed glimpses of offensive excellence. When he is not settling for forced jumpers Pointer is getting to the basket and creating contact with the best of them. It is his ability to finish while being contested that makes him such a huge part of potential Red Storm success.

He is also grabbing a surprising 8.6 boards per game. I can’t honestly pinpoint why he has more than doubled his rebounding rate from last year or say that it is an aberration more than it is who he is as a player, but hey — St. John’s will take it.

The Negatives

Someone please, for the love of everything holy in the world, stop letting Pointer take jumpers. He has slowed down from taking as many as he had in the earliest parts of the season, but he shouldn’t be shooting a basketball from outside of seven feet from the basket.

This is a weird consequence of having someone as athletic as Pointer be as aggressive as he is, but he is often finding himself in some form of foul trouble. With the depth issues that St. John’s has they can’t afford to lose someone as vital as Sir’Dom to foul trouble.

Overall Grade: B-

Had he not played more within himself I was ready to give him a C. However, Pointer has showed more of the way he should play basketball (NOT TAKING JUMPERS!) than he has of the guy I once thought of as being a detriment to the team (A GUY TAKING TOO MANY JUMPERS!). He has also excelled playing the high post. Hopefully Lavin not only noticed that, but makes it a part of the regular Red Storm offensive sets going forward. A Sir’Dom high post, Obekpa low post combo might be deadly.

Next: Phil Greene IV