Orange Nation’s hopes of being a preseason Final Four favorite crashed with the early departure of Jonny Flynn to the NBA Draft.
Smart move by Jonny Ice – he ended up being the 6th overall pick to Minnesota – but maybe life after-Jonny does exist. Syracuse has looked dynamic while vaulting to a #9 ranking.
But after his heroics in the 6-OT Classic last March against UConn and engineering a Sweet 16 appearance, Flynn will always be an SU icon.
“Ever since you’re young you always dream about getting drafted, hearing your name called, shaking David Stern’s hand. And when that night came t was surprising to be drafted as I as I was, but it was a great feeling. It hasn’t felt like I’ve even worked a day yet.”
A lot of the suprise came from his being drafted right after Ricky Rubio. And while Flynn does love his situation, it’s not easy – he’s gone from Jim Boeheim’s free-wheeling motion offense to the strict and difficult triangle system employed by Kurt Rambis.
“It’s definitely tough, it’s one of the hardest things I’ve probably faced in my short basketball life. I think Coach Boeheim kinda spoiled me a lot up at Syracuse, giving me the ball and letting me really freelance a lot. It’s gonna come, it’s just gonna take time.”
What does he miss about his days on the Hill?
“Just being around 15,000 people at Syracuse around the same age as you. In the NBA you’ve got guys who have wives and kids and you can’t really hang out with them. Being around everybody at one time. Syracuse will always be a part of me.”
So does he get hazed as a rookie? He said it hasn’t been bad, but he’s fetched breakfast for the team sometimes, while getting players drinks.
“It really hasn’t been that bad. No bookbags, no silly costumes. The most I have to do on gamedays is go get donuts and orange juice, get some drinks for the veterans, but I’ll do that with a smile on my face.”
‘Cuse fans loved Jonny during his time on the Hill and he still feels a special connection to the school. With Triche and Scoop playing so well, it looks like any visit he has back to the Dome will be better then, say, Donte Greene.
But how about the break-up of the Dynamic Duo? Jonny’s BFF Paul Harris is plying his trade for the Maine Red Claws of the NBDL.
“I thought Minnesota was gonna pick him up after Summer League. We kinda broke our separate days, but I can’t wait until the day when he’s in the NBA – and it’s gonna be soon and it’s gonna be sooner than people think because of all the hard work he puts in.”
On the year, Flynn is playing well in Minnesota, too. He’s putting in around 13 points a game with three rebounds and three assists. Flynn’s another reminder of what Jim Boeheim’s system can do for you on the next level- even though Flynn is playing within the parameters of a very structured system, he’s still getting his.
We leave you with Jonny’s words:¬†“I always rep Syracuse.”XX Jonny breaks down the current Orange squad, playing inside the history of MSG and life as a rookie. How was it being a Top-10 pick?
“Ever since you’re young you always dream about getting drafted, hearing your name called, shaking David Stern’s hand. And when that night came t was surprising to be drafted as I as I was, but it was a great feeling. It hasn’t felt like I’ve even worked a day yet.”
A lot of the suprise came from his being drafted right after Ricky Rubio. And while Flynn does love his situation, it’s not easy – he’s gone from Jim Boeheim’s free-wheeling motion offense to the strict and difficult triangle system employed by Kurt Rambis.
“It’s definitely tough, it’s one of the hardest things I’ve probably faced in my short basketball life. I think Coach Boeheim kinda spoiled me a lot up at Syracuse, giving me the ball and letting me really freelance a lot. It’s gonna come, it’s just gonna take time.”
What does he miss about his days on the Hill?
“Just being around 15,000 people at Syracuse around the same age as you. In the NBA you’ve got guys who have wives and kids and you can’t really hang out with them. Being around everybody at one time. Syracuse will always be a part of me.”
So does he get hazed as a rookie? He said it hasn’t been bad, but he’s fetched breakfast for the team sometimes, while getting players drinks.
“It really hasn’t been that bad. No bookbags, no silly costumes. The most I have to do on gamedays is go get donuts and orange juice, get some drinks for the veterans, but I’ll do that with a smile on my face.”
‘Cuse fans loved Jonny during his time on the Hill and he still feels a special connection to the school. With Triche and Scoop playing so well, it looks like any visit he has back to the Dome will be better then, say, Donte Greene.
But how about the break-up of the Dynamic Duo? Jonny’s BFF Paul Harris is plying his trade for the Maine Red Claws of the NBDL.
“I thought Minnesota was gonna pick him up after Summer League. We kinda broke our separate days, but I can’t wait until the day when he’s in the NBA – and it’s gonna be soon and it’s gonna be sooner than people think because of all the hard work he puts in.”
On the year, Flynn is playing well in Minnesota, too. He’s putting in around 13 points a game with three rebounds and three assists. Flynn’s another reminder of what Jim Boeheim’s system can do for you on the next level- even though Flynn is playing within the parameters of a very structured system, he’s still getting his.
We leave you with Jonny’s words:¬†“I always rep Syracuse.”
