MBB: UNC 101 - Duke 87 Post-Game Thread

[Wheat/"/"/"]

Sorry I wasn't very clear back there.. When I wrote:
"As good as this UNC team is. I find it a frustrating team to watch. They have yet to play a game at the level I think they are capable of. (MD was close as its been that I've seen.) Sub par game from Ellington, Green and TH and still scored 100+ against a good defensive team...that's what is scary about this team"

I was thinking about offensive performance. You're right, The "Matador D" was not very attractive against MD.

[Saratoga2]

I bit the bullet and re-watched the game on ESPN360. I was trying to determine where everything went wrong on offense and defense. I also took notes on basically every breakdown involving Ty Lawson in the 2nd half. What I found out was that Nolan more or less contained him and Lawson only outscored him (roughly...) 12 - 7 in the 2nd half when Nolan was in the game. On one play, Lawson made an impressive step-back and got past Nolan and made a floater over Zoubek (however, on the next play, Nolan drove the length of the court and made a jumpshot). Otherwise, Lawson's points from dribble penetration came on a Duke defensive switch. He drove past and scored on Singler, McClure, and Thomas. He also scored on a couple free throws when Nolan bumped into him going for a tipped ball near halfcourt. Nolan forced at least one turnover on Lawson and only let him get by him 1 time.

Paulus had a tough time with Lawson one-on-one. It seemed like Lawson got by him at will, and drove by him at least 4 times. Lawson also got by McClure and scored. Paulus ended up picking up 2 fouls to make up for Lawson getting by him. The run where Lawson created 6 straight points to go up 80-71 basically ended the game for Duke. Paulus had 0 second half points.

On offense, Duke settled for early 3 pointers way too many times. Our inability to hit any of those really killed us. We shot 2-15 from 3 in the 2nd half. We needed to attempt to drive to the basket more, where we had great success basically all game.

In the next UNC game I want to see Nolan on Lawson throughout. Paulus should not be allowed to guard him for any stretch, especially without Zoubek/Plumlee (shot-blockers) planted firmly in the post. Paulus is perfectly fine matching up with Frasor. I believe Plumlee can be VERY effective against UNC as long as he plays with Singler and the other starters. Singler and McClure provide very little inside defensive presence, and Plumlee would be perfect to alter shots. The key is to teach Plumlee to keep his hands straight up against Hansbrough. Singler and McClure got burned time after time against UNC down low. Lance Thomas consistently provides zero to no inside defense (or defensive rebounding). On offense, we need to ATTACK THE BASKET. We were very successful at this, and we didn't even look to do it many times before taking a quick 3. Even in the 2nd half, UNC's defense was very suspect. High screens on Lawson allowed Nolan to penetrate against Hansbrough very effectively. Hansbrough is an absolutely horrible shot-blocker, so this could work. The game was very close until Lawson (with Paulus on him) put the game away with 6 or so minutes to go. Duke can definitely win the next one.

Thanks for your input, it is tough to get a clear picure when reviewing the game at actual speed.

My impressions of Thomas during the game is that he played aggressively and hard. I have noticed in the game and in the past that he runs at people and they get by him. I see his help defense as being weak, not through lack of trying, but just being out of position. He also doesn't box out very well.

Zoubek on the other hand lacks mobility but can guard the inside if playing zone. When moving away from the basket to defend he becomes a liability.

McClure is very good defenively, goes to the ball well, boxes out well but has little offensive ability and he is not the answer guarding really quick opponent guards. That said, almost no one can guard Lawson one on one. He also can get pushed around by bigger stronger opponents.

With those observations, it is still an open question to me as to why Plumlee saw no PT. He has a size advantage over McClure and Thomas, is more mobile than Zoubek, has some offensive ability. Yes, he will make some freshman mistakes, but are they really worse than the limitations of the others playing in front of him?

[pfrduke]

pfrduke said:
"Duke went on a 16-5 run in the middle of the first half. For the first 2-0, the lineup for UNC was Lawson, Frasor, Green, Thompson, and Hansbrough. For the next 14-5, sub Ellington for Green. It's not correct to say that Duke's run came against the UNC bench"

Sorry to disagree, but a big part of the run did come against UNC's bench it looks like.

My curiosity got the best of me so I tracked down the play by play. I haven't seen a game replay and was not sure who was on the floor or when exactly. Here is a link to the play by play.
My earlier point was I thought that Duke's great run came with mainly Duke starters on the floor, and UNC subbing liberally with bench players.
In this game. that accounted for Duke not being as fresh for the second half as UNC starters were.
I maintain the run took a lot out of the Duke starters. After looking at the Play by play of the first half, I think I could be right.

Starting at the 10:54 mark of the first half, UNC leads 29-18 after a Frasor 3. UNC subs in freshmen Davis and Drew along with Green to go with Ellington and TH. While Duke brought in starters Scheyer, Paulus, Singler, to go with starter Thomas and McClure. The run began.

The rest of the way it looks like UNC subbed pretty liberally while Duke kept 4 starters on the floor most of the time.

Interesting to note is that every Duke point during that span came from a starter, with the exception of the nice spin move layup by Smith on the sub Frasor.

At the 4:11 mark, TH sat for the rest of the half and UNC even brought in Copeland along side Davis and Drew for about a two minute stretch while Duke stayed with 4 starters.

I think it's pretty clear UNC starters got more rest than Duke starters did in the half and that was the only point I wanted to make.

G in particular seemed to get his legs taken away after the run.

UNC's starters 1st half minutes:
Ellington - 18
Lawson - 16
Hansbrough - 14
Thompson - 14
Green - 12
Total - 74

Duke's starters 1st half minutes:
Henderson - 16
Singler - 16
Scheyer - 15
Paulus - 15
Thomas - 11
Total - 73

I really don't think tired legs had much to do with this one, particularly when you're talking a first half run.

[Wheat/"/"/"]

To be clear...I thought the emotional, come from behind run, in the first half took a lot of energy from Duke for the second half.
You showed me the starters total minutes basically equal in the half. Good counter point.
But could this be one of those times where the Stats don't tell the real story?
If you don't buy into the arguement that Duke looked tired/slower at times in the second half, then we'll just have to agree to disagree...It's all good.

If you do, the next explanation would have to be UNC was in better shape.

[Reddevil]

The reason Lawson was nearly unstoppable in the second half was because Roy made a change in the offense that Duke never really did counter.

Normally, whichever post player comes up and sets the high ball screen, immediately rolls into the lane. In the second half, Roy had the posts float to the wings after high screens, which left the lane open for Ty to drive and made it very difficult for Duke's posts to rotate in time to give help.

This is fantastic analysis! I know Coach K does not like to play zone, but sometimes...

[grossbus]

"If you don't buy into the arguement that Duke looked tired/slower at times in the second half"

i agree completely. harbinger of things to come...again?

[captmojo]

Everyone, to this point, has had good observations. My feelings have been held in reserve to this point by first reading them all before offering any insight of my own. Before today's contest, which could result is something similar due to Rice's abilities, now is the time to let it loose...here goes.

First, a non-transformational defensive strategy on Lawson was a big letdown for me. It's certainly OK to try some things early, but after he has proven himself to be able to break that effort, the strategy must change. Overplay of passing lanes is good if you have the quick hands to react and/or height presence on the inside to back up the outside guys. Overplay to one side or the other was not working and Duke failed to adapt.

To beat a player (or at least neutralize him) with the skills of Lawson, you must take away his advantages, right? Clearly his top advantages are his ball handling, speed and basket drives. The way you beat that is to revert to the fundamentals of defensive posture. Stay in a straight line between him and the basket with never more than a step-and-a-half distance between you and him. The hips do not lie! If your man is going to move right, his belt buckle tells on him. If he's going left, the same holds true. If he's going up, the buckle level rises. When you give him just the slightest of openings by cheating off left or right, he's smart enough to see it and he's fast enough to go right past you. You have to make a completely perimeter player of him. If he beats you with the jumper, tip your hat because you were whipped at keeping him furthest away from the easier shot, the lay-up. When Paulus was lifted late in the game, Nolan did this for the next few unc possessions and it worked. Then he reverted to the old and got whupped. From all I could see, good defense was played by every position with this exception.

Second, stamina was lost at halftime. This is a lack of conditioning for the elements. The university spent a large amount of money for a fancy new scoreboard and sound system in Cameron yet cannot seem to get a reasonable climate control working in the place. Yes, I understand those who believe it to be traditional, but get real. The lack of adequate oxygen levels in there is dangerous to fans and players alike and is a contributing factor in performance. If you disagree, start recruiting smokers because they simply have a nice looking jump shot. The combination of heat, humidity, recovery effort before the end of the first half and the halftime momentum break, are a direct precursor to what was seen in the second half letdown. Fix the A/C now. For this reason, you will see a tighter, more proficient team effort in the smith center.

Third, I've seen a lot of hand wringing over the technical foul. Contact should have stopped with the sounding of the whistle. Nothing intentional was done, other than to wrestle away control of the ball, by Singler. What was attempted to be done was to spin away the ball by sliding the hand under it and quickly sliding the hand out, imparting a spin on the ball, leading it away from whathisname. This play, as holds true for any one play, does not decide the outcome.

Most importantly is the change in defensive posture against a quicker guard than what you put against him. The defense, when working properly, looks like a one-on-one zone, holding the offensive guy on the outside.


fini

[eddiehaskell]

I'm starting to wonder if Duke will make the tourney with anything higher than a 5 seed. If that's the case we could be a one and done.