Paulus and the Saints

[1Devil]

Looking at this completely objectively, what attributes as a player did Paulus bring that would make him a good coach? He certainly did not excel as a player, getting steadily worse through his career. You can attribute that to:

• injuries
• lack of good/mature players around him
• lack of talent

It did seem that he had a great attitude and was trying hard (despite results). Is that all it takes to be on the staff? How about knowing how to succeed against all odds?

I will always wish the best for Paulus, but I think there may be better candidates for the coaching staff.

[Bluedog]

Looking at this completely objectively, what attributes as a player did Paulus bring that would make him a good coach? He certainly did not excel as a player, getting steadily worse through his career. You can attribute that to:

• injuries
• lack of good/mature players around him
• lack of talent

It did seem that he had a great attitude and was trying hard (despite results). Is that all it takes to be on the staff? How about knowing how to succeed against all odds?

I will always wish the best for Paulus, but I think there may be better candidates for the coaching staff.

There are many qualities that Paulus exhibits that would make him a good coach. First of all, leadership. Even when Paulus' minutes dwindled his senior year, he was still a very vocal leader as a captain, and teammates and coaches commented on his leadership skills. Secondly, recruiting. Apparently, Paulus was key in getting a few guys to commit to Duke with his likeable personality and hospitality when they visited. Thirdly, intelligence. Paulus is a smart dude; learned Syracuse playbook quickly and has exhibited a knack for understanding defenses and seeing schemes well.

The "getting steadily worse throughout his career" I think is slightly unfair. When he was a freshman, there was no other true PG on the team so he didn't have any competition at the spot, and could constantly feed JJ and Shelden. When you've got two dominating players like that alongside you, it's easy to look good. Later on, there was more competition at the point and not All-Americans to dish to. It makes life on the PG a lot harder and we required a PG that could create off the dribble more. Having said that, Paulus was key in many games in his career. The nailing of multiple 3s against UNC in Chapel Hill his senior year comes to mind. We don't win that game without him. He also came up big vs. Miami (I think we won in OT) his senior year, so even though his stats went down, he was still clutch in several games and didn't wallow in self-pity like many players would do. He gave it his all and contributed when he was called upon to do so.

Personally, I think Paulus would make a great coach. But best of luck to him with the Saints tryouts! We're wishing you well Greg!

Edit:

He certainly did not excel as a player

Paulus wasn't a super star, but he was a serviceable player in his four years at Duke. He averaged 8.6 PPG, 3.4 APG, shot 42% from the field and 40% from three point land, and 78% from the free throw stripe. Those are certainly solid numbers. I'd also almost guarantee you Paulus was a better player than Coach K was at Army, and Coach K has turned out all right. Bob Knight in interviews constantly says he "told Mike not to shoot. That wasn't his role and he understood it better than any other player I've ever coached" (slightly paraphrasing...)

[northernduke]

Looking at this completely objectively, what attributes as a player did Paulus bring that would make him a good coach? He certainly did not excel as a player, getting steadily worse through his career. You can attribute that to:

• injuries
• lack of good/mature players around him
• lack of talent

It did seem that he had a great attitude and was trying hard (despite results). Is that all it takes to be on the staff? How about knowing how to succeed against all odds?

I will always wish the best for Paulus, but I think there may be better candidates for the coaching staff.

I don't think succeeding as a player is necessarily indicative of being a good coach - at least in the way you phrased your opinion. Playing the game is both physical and mental. If the player is physically incapable of succeeding but demonstrates mental strength and intuition necessary to be great then that player very well could be a good coach. Additionally it comes down to a player's ability to command respect, which is another crucial aspect to a coach's success.

[ElSid]

Looking at this completely objectively, what attributes as a player did Paulus bring that would make him a good coach? He certainly did not excel as a player, getting steadily worse through his career. You can attribute that to:

• injuries
• lack of good/mature players around him
• lack of talent

It did seem that he had a great attitude and was trying hard (despite results). Is that all it takes to be on the staff? How about knowing how to succeed against all odds?

I will always wish the best for Paulus, but I think there may be better candidates for the coaching staff.

Agreed on all fronts. Outwardly, Paulus had a great attitude. He didn't complain when he was relegated to the bench. But, I never got the sense that other players loved playing with him. Team chemistry in the Paulus years was not at a high point. Not pinning all of that on him...just some of it.

[ElSid]

Paulus wasn't a super star, but he was a serviceable player in his four years at Duke. He averaged 8.6 PPG, 3.4 APG, shot 42% from the field and 40% from three point land, and 78% from the free throw stripe. Those are certainly solid numbers. I'd also almost guarantee you Paulus was a better player than Coach K was at Army, and Coach K has turned out all right. Bob Knight in interviews constantly says he "told Mike not to shoot. That wasn't his role and he understood it better than any other player I've ever coached" (slightly paraphrasing...)

Paulus was also a glaring defensive liability. Undersized, slow, no hops. His shooting wasn't terrible. When he didn't have JJ and Shelden to throw the ball to, he wasn't that great at passing. I defended this guy during his playing days vehemently because I want to root for Duke, but in hindsight, I just don't think he was great for the program.

[formerdukeathlete]

This is a joke, right, the negative, Paulus was not good for the Program posts?

As to his level of success, and whether he in fact was a successful player at Duke, it is misleading to quote career points, statistics rather than analyzing these year to year. Focus on the sophomore and junior seasons, that he started as a freshman, that in his 2 and 3rd years,

http://goduke.statsgeek.com/basketba...p?playerid=497

where he averaged just shy of 12 points per game, mostly 3 pointers, with a hit percentage of well over 40%. Over 5 assists per game as a freshman. Playing time peaked as a sophomore, but even as a junior he played over 3 / 4 ths of the minutes per game.

The judgmental negative posts are the sort of thing that K so strongly dislikes. Judging players negatively when in fact they have come to Duke worked hard under his system and delivered.

Watch the linked interview. Greg Paulus really looks the Football player now.

The innane negative is even more inappropriate considering the sacrifice Greg made in coming to Duke, forgoing Football at least through his freshman and sophomore years. He did this to play for K, yes, but Miami, Notre Dame, Syracuse and just about every other top program were ok with both sports. Had Greg gone out for Football his junior year, based on how well he did at Syracuse with a couple of months of preparation and the improvements he made later in the season, Ted Roof might have kept his job. And, we might be further on our way to recruiting other 5 star QBs to Duke.

Lets hope if Greg ends up in college basketball coaching it will be at Duke. His intelligence, toughness, competitiveness are very much like K's.

[Tappan Zee Devil]

This is a joke, right, the negative, Paulus was not good for the Program posts?

As to his level of success, and whether he in fact was a successful player at Duke, it is misleading to quote career points, statistics rather than analyzing these year to year. Focus on the sophomore and junior seasons, that he started as a freshman, that in his 2 and 3rd years,

http://goduke.statsgeek.com/basketba...p?playerid=497

where he averaged just shy of 12 points per game, mostly 3 pointers, with a hit percentage of well over 40%. Over 5 assists per game as a freshman. Playing time peaked as a sophomore, but even as a junior he played over 3 / 4 ths of the minutes per game.

The judgmental negative posts are the sort of thing that K so strongly dislikes. Judging players negatively when in fact they have come to Duke worked hard under his system and delivered.

Watch the linked interview. Greg Paulus really looks the Football player now.

The innane negative is even more inappropriate considering the sacrifice Greg made in coming to Duke, forgoing Football at least through his freshman and sophomore years. He did this to play for K, yes, but Miami, Notre Dame, Syracuse and just about every other top program were ok with both sports. Had Greg gone out for Football his junior year, based on how well he did at Syracuse with a couple of months of preparation and the improvements he made later in the season, Ted Roof might have kept his job. And, we might be further on our way to recruiting other 5 star QBs to Duke.

Lets hope if Greg ends up in college basketball coaching it will be at Duke. His intelligence, toughness, competitiveness are very much like K's.

FDA

I normally agree with very few of your points. But here you are right on. Greg bled Duke basketball. Whether or not we succeeded to the extent that people wanted with him as PG, he gave it his all (which was actually pretty good) and represented our University well. Some of the posts above are just embarassing.

[formerdukeathlete]

with 3 of 5 practices completed, Coach Payton said:

"Early on, he’s (Greg's) done a good job of making decisions and locating the ball. He’s pretty interesting."

Payton also says some things about 7th round pick Sean Canfield and QBs in general:

“Yes. I like when you are in a setting like this, you really begin to look at new faces and you try to go in and really evaluate what you see. Sean (Canfield) was a guy we’ve seen some good things from and there are some things we liked that he did and is doing well. These other guys are here in good physical shape and ready for the opportunity. That’s been impressive, watching them operate, getting in and out of the huddle. Those are some of the more difficult things, can you get the play out of the huddle, can you get to the line of scrimmage with the proper snap count and all the other things that go into the mental aspect of getting the snap from center and running a play.”

http://www2.wjtv.com/jtv/sports/prof...nicamp/142108/

'Canfield and former Syracuse quarterback Greg Paulus - who was coached by former Saints offensive coordinator Doug Marrone - are among those scrapping to get their chance to back up Brees.

It's a situation we'll explore a little more in Tuesday's Times-Picayune.'

http://www.nola.com/saints/index.ssf...oking_for.html

This a guess, Paulus looks good so far and may look better than Canfield. Could lead to an invite to camp.

[moonpie23]

i would wager that anyone with negative comments about greg paulus has never met him...


i defend him like a brother ....

"greg is a pure dukie through and through"

..........sam hodgin

[ElSid]

Ha. You guys are hilarious.
Can't state an opinion that doesn't laud Greg Paulus without being called "inane" and "embarrassing"? I'm a Duke homer, but I'm also not an automaton. I just didn't love his style of play, thought he was a bad defensive match up for a lot of teams, and I simply wished we'd had a better point guard. Not questioning the guy's character. He was "fine" as a player but I don't think he was amazing and I doubt he'd be a great coach for Duke University. Of course, I could be completely wrong. It's a personal opinion.

I don't think he was outwardly bad for the program, but I just think we lacked "swag", as Austin Rivers puts it. Duke had its "swag" back this year. I recognize that rebuilding swag takes time. I thought our senior and junior leaders were just much better players. I think that translates to recruiting momentum.

Is this really a board where you can't question anything about Duke basketball without being name called?

[JBDuke]

...Is this really a board where you can't question anything about Duke basketball without being name called?

No, but it is a board where, if you choose to denigrate the talents and/or contributions of a Duke player, you better bring a lot of evidence or have some very solid reasons why board readers should respect your opinion. Otherwise, you will get questioned and/or slammed yourself.

[Big Pappa]

Paulus was also a glaring defensive liability. Undersized, slow, no hops. His shooting wasn't terrible. When he didn't have JJ and Shelden to throw the ball to, he wasn't that great at passing. I defended this guy during his playing days vehemently because I want to root for Duke, but in hindsight, I just don't think he was great for the program.

Is this really a board where you can't question anything about Duke basketball without being name called?

He shot 45% and 42% from 3 his so. and junior years and averaged in double digits both years. He was a career 77.5% from the line. His junior year he led the ACC with a 2:1 assist to turnover ratio and almost had more steals than turnovers (50 to 55). He was a second team Freshman All-American in 05'-06' and third team all ACC in 07'-08' and a 3 time Academic All-American.

It has nothing to do with "questioning" Duke basketball it has to do with being blatantly wrong with your facts. He was a good player and he was good for the program. Your opinions about him are not only insensitive about a guy who gave everything he had to Duke for 4 years, they are completely and utterly wrong.

[Newton_14]

This is a joke, right, the negative, Paulus was not good for the Program posts?

As to his level of success, and whether he in fact was a successful player at Duke, it is misleading to quote career points, statistics rather than analyzing these year to year. Focus on the sophomore and junior seasons, that he started as a freshman, that in his 2 and 3rd years,

http://goduke.statsgeek.com/basketba...p?playerid=497

where he averaged just shy of 12 points per game, mostly 3 pointers, with a hit percentage of well over 40%. Over 5 assists per game as a freshman. Playing time peaked as a sophomore, but even as a junior he played over 3 / 4 ths of the minutes per game.

The judgmental negative posts are the sort of thing that K so strongly dislikes. Judging players negatively when in fact they have come to Duke worked hard under his system and delivered.

Watch the linked interview. Greg Paulus really looks the Football player now.

The innane negative is even more inappropriate considering the sacrifice Greg made in coming to Duke, forgoing Football at least through his freshman and sophomore years. He did this to play for K, yes, but Miami, Notre Dame, Syracuse and just about every other top program were ok with both sports. Had Greg gone out for Football his junior year, based on how well he did at Syracuse with a couple of months of preparation and the improvements he made later in the season, Ted Roof might have kept his job. And, we might be further on our way to recruiting other 5 star QBs to Duke.

Lets hope if Greg ends up in college basketball coaching it will be at Duke. His intelligence, toughness, competitiveness are very much like K's.

Well said. FDA. I must have watched a different player for 4 years than some of the other posters. This isn't TDD or IC, and the personal attacks on Greg's playing ability, contributions, and character are out of line and not appropriate on this board.

The guy played hurt, absorbed being the poster boy of hate, and yet through it all battled like a champion. People are quick to forget that he played his entire sophomore year on a bum foot, and got hurt again in preseason of his Senior year and never recovered from it. Had he been healthy his senior year he would have played a bigger role.

Was he the greatest player ever? No, and no one is saying he was. But he made a lot of contributions over his 4 years and represented Duke well. And he does not deserve the shots being thrown his way in this thread.

[BD80]

Paulus was also a glaring defensive liability. Undersized, slow, no hops. ... he wasn't that great at passing. ... I just don't think he was great for the program.

Ha. You guys are hilarious.
Can't state an opinion that doesn't laud Greg Paulus without being called "inane" and "embarrassing"? ... thought he was a bad defensive match up for a lot of teams, and I simply wished we'd had a better point guard. Not questioning the guy's character. He was "fine" as a player but I don't think he was amazing and I doubt he'd be a great coach for Duke University. Of course, I could be completely wrong. It's a personal opinion. ...

Is this really a board where you can't question anything about Duke basketball without being name called?

This is a Duke board. Why would you WANT to make such negative comments about a former player?

Seriously. Why?

The discussion was about Greg as a potential coach. How does taking pot shots at his playing abilities contribute to the discussion regarding his potential as a coach?

[LSanders]

Well said. FDA. I must have watched a different player for 4 years than some of the other posters. This isn't TDD or IC, and the personal attacks on Greg's playing ability, contributions, and character are out of line and not appropriate on this board.

The guy played hurt, absorbed being the poster boy of hate, and yet through it all battled like a champion. People are quick to forget that he played his entire sophomore year on a bum foot, and got hurt again in preseason of his Senior year and never recovered from it. Had he been healthy his senior year he would have played a bigger role.

Was he the greatest player ever? No, and no one is saying he was. But he made a lot of contributions over his 4 years and represented Duke well. And he does not deserve the shots being thrown his way in this thread.

Yes!! I thought I was joining a thread containing news and opinions about Greg's NFL shot and was mightily disturbed to read all the Greg-bashing posts.

Duke has been blessed to have many, many players who played with courage, passion, and intelligence over the years ... Traits displayed and celebrated by K and staff. Greg virtually always played with as much heart and competitive fire as anyone I've seen in royal blue. The guy is a winner and would, IMO, be an asset to the playing field or the sidelines of any team lucky enough to have him.

So ... Thanks to all the posters who effectively and thoughtfully told the "other side" of Greg's story.

No, but it is a board where, if you choose to denigrate the talents and/or contributions of a Duke player, you better bring a lot of evidence or have some very solid reasons why board readers should respect your opinion. Otherwise, you will get questioned and/or slammed yourself.

Thank God!!

[ElSid]

y'all circled the wagons effectively. zheesh.
i'm pro duke so it's no use arguing. greg was part of the program for 4 years of a decade when it won more games than any other.
i hope he gets a look at the saints and makes us all proud.

[Indoor66]

y'all circled the wagons effectively. zheesh.
i'm pro duke so it's no use arguing. greg was part of the program for 4 years of a decade when it won more games than any other.
i hope he gets a look at the saints and makes us all proud.

The previous posts were not circling the wagons. They were pointing out where you failed to support your assertions and provided the facts that refute your assertions. Maybe your finger-pointing should be reversed.

Paulus was a valuable contributor during his career. Have there been better players at Duke? Yes. Have there been worse? Yes. Have there been more dedicated players? Darn few.

[ElSid]

The previous posts were not circling the wagons. They were pointing out where you failed to support your assertions and provided the facts that refute your assertions. Maybe your finger-pointing should be reversed.

Ok. Got it! Go Greg!

[formerdukeathlete]

http://www.neworleanssaints.com/phot...e-34551d20ce04

pics of Greg Paulus at his NFL audition, on the Saints website.

[Bluedog]

So, what's the Saints QB situation like and how many do they expect to sign? This is simply a minicamp, and then they eventually get invited to camp, then potentially pre-season, and then get signed. So, there are still like 3 rounds of cuts. Let me see if I got this straight...

Obvious starter: Drew Brees

Chase Daniel (2nd year in NFL; was with Saints last season) - Missouri
Sean Canfield (Selected in 7th round) - Oregon State

Brought in for rookie minicamp:
A.J. McKenna - Albany State
Greg Paulus - Syracuse

Mark Brunell (17-year veteran, played with Saints last yr; could re-sign)

Others possible via free agency:
Patrick Ramsey (9-yr veteran; played with Lions last yr)
Josh McCown (9-yr veteran; played with Panthers last yr)

Most teams have, what, three QBs on a roster? So, it appears that it's still an uphill battle for Paulus and he'd have to have a great workout to have a chance. But he's proven that he's capable of surprising people in the past. I wish him the best!