The Duke Basketball Fish Bowl
Good news for Mr. Dawkins and Duke...everytime someone gets criticized...they step up...see Zoubs, Lance, the Plums, Kelly, etc., etc., etc.
The criticism of Dre is way out of line IMO. He has had a very, very good sophomore season and has been an important part of the team this season (including the second half against UVA and first half against State during his "slump"). I will acknoweldge that Andre has had a couple rough games defensively but he seemed to make great effort on defense last night (he had 6 points scored against him by my count -- on a 3 and an and one -- and saved a sure bucket with a great block). Also, credit to him for playing within the offense rather than forcing bad shots the last few games. Many players of his offensive ability would be unwilling to be a good teammate and play within the team structure when they aren't scoring to the extent they are used to. He is also actively cheering on his teammates when they make good plays...if you don't see that, you aren't watching.
The last few games, Dre has not had as many offensive opportunities as earlier in the season for a variety of reasons (1. Not being the top option, 2. A lot more defensive focus on him at the 3 point line, 3. Less minutes, etc.). Also, as much as Dre spoiled us with great shooting early in the season, even great shooters like him miss sometimes. Let's cut the guy some slack -- besides most of his shots are right on line and just missing by a bit.
Glad to see Curry step up, and he certainly earned the time he got last night. I expect that both Curry and Dawkins will step up for us down the stretch, and we will need them both to do so with or without Kyrie. Thank goodness we have so many great options...Kyle, Nolan, and Kyrie can't do it all, and they are not going to be "on" every game. I imagine Dre, Seth, the Plums, and Kelly would be primary scoring options on many ACC teams. They are sacrificing their own stat lines for the good of the team. Let's not lose sight of this and the larger picture in our haste to jump on what we perceive as a disappointing performance or two.