Add a Dukie to this year's team

[Carlos]

OK, if you could add one former Dukie in their prime to this year's team who would it have been and why?

[dgoore97]

duhon

[dukeblue4ever]

Probably Jason Williams or maybe a Shane Battier. Those positions were our two biggest gaps, and we needed them filled. Really any of our famous big men or point guards would work for me.

[jv001]

Christian no doubt. He just refused to lose. Great inside outside play. Only problem would be not having Bobby Hurley(2nd choice) to get him the ball. Go Duke!

[Billy Dat]

I agree with Laettner...our point guard by committee would have been able to get him the ball and he would have given us a inside threat and shot blocking presence...the Landlord wouldn't have been too shabby either.

[CameronBornAndBred]

We need Elton in the post!

[jacone21]

Hurley, Duhon or J-will would have helped the team, but this team was an Elton Brand type player away from being a championship team.

[Smitty1911]

Brand -- no doubt! A rich man's DeJuan Blair.

[Classof06]

Elton Brand by a wide margin.

I realize Duke also needs 1) a true PG to distribute the ball and 2) players that can create their own shot off the dribble and get into the lane.

But Duke needs a post presence even more than that.

[jv001]

Christian Laettner...2
Elton Brand...0
Carlos Boozer...1

I like Elton but he was not Christian Laettner. Go Duke!

[mr. synellinden]

Rebounding and post defense was not a problem for us this year. We needed and still need a ball handling guard who could break down a defense, finish at the rim, get to the foul line and score in bunches. Williams is the best duke has had in that role. Dawkins would be choice 1A.

[CameronBornAndBred]

Christian Laettner...2
Elton Brand...0
Carlos Boozer...1

I like Elton but he was not Christian Laettner. Go Duke!

Elton Brand also did not have Bobby Hurley and Grant Hill on his team. All 3 of those guys are in the rafters. If Laettner were on this year's team, who would you bench in his place? I don't think you can put him solely in the post like you can with Brand.

[Duke79UNLV77]

Hurley

[quickgtp]

Rebounding and post defense was not a problem for us this year. We needed and still need a ball handling guard who could break down a defense, finish at the rim, get to the foul line and score in bunches. Williams is the best duke has had in that role. Dawkins would be choice 1A.

I second this post!!

[OZZIE4DUKE]

If Laettner were on this year's team, who would you bench in his place? I don't think you can put him solely in the post like you can with Brand.

Oh, jeez, that's a layup! Lance Thomas!

I'd take a low post star. Laettner, Brand, Boozer or the original G-man, Mike Gminski! With any one of these guys on the team, we'd be playing this weekend, and most likely be the #1 seed by a wide margin. And hanging a new banner at the end of Cameron. I voted for Elton Brand.

[mr. synellinden]

Elton Brand also did not have Bobby Hurley and Grant Hill on his team. All 3 of those guys are in the rafters. If Laettner were on this year's team, who would you bench in his place? I don't think you can put him solely in the post like you can with Brand.

Was this meant as a joke? Brand only had Battier Langdon Avery Maggette and Nate. All of them would start on this year's team. In 98 you can add Wojo and McLoed.

Who would I bench to put Laettner in this year's lineup? Uh ... Everyone.

[Troublemaker]

Hurley

I'd add the all-time assist king, too. He'd make everyone around him better.

[NYDukie]

Have to go with Elton. He would have provided the big, athletic frontcourt player needed to complement Singler with his post presence. Elton's ability to put the ball on the floor and get to the rim and more importantly, provide a last line of defense with his shot blocking ability would have masked much of the teams glaring deficiencies. Elton would make up for whatever defensive defencies our guards had in stopping the opposing guards when getting in the lane.

Knowing that just picking one of those players would still leave some needs, I think Elton would provide not only help our inside needs but help our perimeter play in total.

At the end of the day though, I would take any one of them in a heartbeat!

[CameronBornAndBred]

Was this meant as a joke? Brand only had Battier Langdon Avery Maggette and Nate. All of them would start on this year's team. In 98 you can add Wojo and McLoed.

Never said he didn't have stars around him, I am saying that he didn't have enough around him to win it. Laettner did. Twice. Laettner was a threat from anywhere, but this years team has plenty of outside threats, we don't have one inside. That's why I have Brand as my guy.

[mph]

I'll take Williams. His ability to break his defender down and get to the rim would have made everyone else much better. Our perimeter guys would have had more open looks in rhythm and we'd have had even better offensive rebounding numbers.