Tony Parker to UCLA

[JNort]

Valid points Chillin. But that's only half (if even that much) of the formula. In addition to the player's skills/abilities there is the very large issue of the team he's stepping on to. So, a three-star HS Center stepping onto a College squad that has little interior presence would almost certainly get more playing time than a 4-star kid joining a squad with three All-ACC caliber frontline players. (Think of the 5-star Frosh Forward at Carolina this year, even though he started to play more as the season progressed.) So, team positional/skill needs are very important. I would also point out that chemistry and team make-up are important (the sort of thing where the TEAM may play better, for whatever reason, with TP on the floor alongside a Mason or RK or whatever, for the effect (freeing up) he'll empower in them).

There's no question that Duke will have some need for interior presence help, even with MP2 (thank Gawd!!) returning. I recognize that freshmen don't typically get handed tons on minutes in D1, but TP does have a unique skill set that this team could readily take advantage of.


.

What how do you figure? Unless you mean after this year then I disagree wholeheartedly. First we got Mason whose mins you would expect to rise this year (my guess is closer around 30), Ryan who I expect to play center when Alex is at the 4 and Mason needs a breather, Marshall who I would definitely take over Tony at this point because he is more of a fiery guy and has been in the system a year. That right there would be 3 guys taking mins at the 5 defensively.

[Devilsfan]

Josh seems undersized to play a dominate role inside, maybe why he has a shoot first characteristic and Marshall wasn't ready this year to play with the big boys so we really need more quality bigs to spell Ryan and Mason, IMHO. Go Devils!

[ThePublisher]

After his recent interview on the selection show when Parker was asked what a top deciding factor was for him to choose a school he said 'I want it to feel like a family if I were to go far away from home'. That screams UCLA to me as GA to Durham isn't really that far... Even though Duke is THE basketball family to be a part of.
Bazz also said that hopefully Parker would be joining him right after his announcement.

[sporthenry]

Josh seems undersized to play a dominate role inside, maybe why he has a shoot first characteristic and Marshall wasn't ready this year to play with the big boys so we really need more quality bigs to spell Ryan and Mason, IMHO. Go Devils!

Miles Plumlee went from 6.9 minutes a game, 1.8 points and 1.4 boards to 16.4 minutes, 5.2 points and 4.9 boards. And was it really Marshall wasn't ready or more that it would be a waste to use him sparingly and waste a year of eligibility. When Miles came in, he was needed as our roster consisted of Thomas, Zoubek, and McClure down low. I think that was the year that Singler played some center (or I may be completely wrong) but regardless, Miles was needed especially with Zoubek's inconsistency.

This year, we had MP1 and MP2 along with Ryan and Josh. Together MP1, MP2 and Ryan averaged 74.8 minutes/game and I don't think MP3 would have played over them b/c he isn't as good as two juniors and a senior. Perhaps I'm playing semantics in terms of not being ready to play but I took Marshall red-shirting as a good thing. Remember he was a McD AA so again it seems that people on here seem to overvalue players we don't have or have never seen but happen to be McD AA as better than what we have.

We have Mason who will get 30+ minutes at the 5, Ryan who can play the 5, Josh who could get 15 minutes and Murphy who can play the 4. Josh is fine for a 4 man and reminds many of LT perhaps a less defensive stopper, more offensive, and seems to be more of a banger. TP would be nice but not sure how much time he would actually get this year but next year he could play a pivotal role when we lose both our bigs.

[Devilsfan]

Josh isn't a Dave McClure, IMO. Seems like a nice person that gives everything he's got but I don't see him down low guarding and rebounding with the elite bigs of the ACC. Just my opinion and I truly hope it's wrong. Go Devils!

[Dukeface88]

TP would be nice but not sure how much time he would actually get this year but next year he could play a pivotal role when we lose both our bigs.

This sums up my impression as well. I'm confident in Marshall's ability to hold down the fort for the 5 or 10 minutes Mason isn't in the game next year. Playing 40 minutes in 2013, not so much. Of course that still gives us an entire recruiting class to find a center if Parker doesn't come, so I don't think we really need to be in crisis mode just yet.

[MCFinARL]

Not exactly "news," but a Tony Parker diary from the Jordan Brand Classic has been published in which he says he is still considering all of the schools on his list--Duke, UCLA, Kansas, Memphis, Georgetown, Ohio State, and Georgia. FWIW, Duke and UCLA are the first two listed, but no indication from Tony of where he might be leaning or why. And he doesn't sound like a decision is imminent.
http://www.slamonline.com/online/col...assic-diary-3/

[dukedoc]

Not exactly "news," but a Tony Parker diary from the Jordan Brand Classic has been published in which he says he is still considering all of the schools on his list--Duke, UCLA, Kansas, Memphis, Georgetown, Ohio State, and Georgia. FWIW, Duke and UCLA are the first two listed, but no indication from Tony of where he might be leaning or why. And he doesn't sound like a decision is imminent.
http://www.slamonline.com/online/col...assic-diary-3/

If he's truly not moving towards a decision this week, I'd say that's good news. In the wake of Bazz's commitment, the only school that has probably made gains this week is UCLA. If Tony is going to wait to decide, that's probably a good thing from our perspective. Let these all star festivities finish and fade, and then make a decision in your living room with your loving parents and Bazz et al. thousands of miles away.

[sporthenry]

This sums up my impression as well. I'm confident in Marshall's ability to hold down the fort for the 5 or 10 minutes Mason isn't in the game next year. Playing 40 minutes in 2013, not so much. Of course that still gives us an entire recruiting class to find a center if Parker doesn't come, so I don't think we really need to be in crisis mode just yet.

I think Marshall will be relied upon closer to that 10 minute mark. We have to replace 20.5 minutes from Miles. Mason was already at 28.9 minutes. I suspect what we'll see is Marshall will spell Mason during the first half for breaks/foul trouble but during the 2nd half (depending upon maturity and match-ups), we'll see Kelly play the 5 with Josh at the 4 for those minutes. Of course this is a lot of speculation but both Plumlees made huge jumps from freshmen to sophomore year in terms of physical maturity and with him not worrying about playing this year, he obviously could work on strength training that much more so I think he'll be fine next year.

As far as the year after, we will obviously need to add another post player and while it is early, I don't see us involved with any 2013 guys. I think Marshall can shoulder the load at C but we would need to add another PF to the mix who can add an offensive threat. That is why I think Amile or TP would be ideal for the situation although it appears we'll get neither. That would more than likely press Murphy to play some 4 and rely on a freshmen center to play a decent amount and there really aren't many elite big guys next year.

[sporthenry]

Josh isn't a Dave McClure, IMO. Seems like a nice person that gives everything he's got but I don't see him down low guarding and rebounding with the elite bigs of the ACC. Just my opinion and I truly hope it's wrong. Go Devils!

Well I don't see him as a 5 but I see no reason why he can't be a McClure type. He won't have Thomas' versatility but he is bigger than McClure was and he showed some grit to get after boards throughout the season. I think offensively, he likes to take jump shots but other than that, he likes to get in the trenches for rebounds. Hairston averaged 6.6 boards per 40 minutes compared to McClure his junior year who averaged 8.5 boards per 40 without the competition of Plumlees and Kelly. I think Josh fits right into that Duke PF mold of the last few years who weren't as talented as the Henson's of the world but made up for it with the small stuff.

[Devilsfan]

McClure had more instinctive basketball ability IMO. Josh seems like he can't elevate and again while he gets an A for effort it's more mid-major type talent I see in games. Just one fans opinion. Go Devils!

[Steven43]

McClure had more instinctive basketball ability IMO. Josh seems like he can't elevate and again while he gets an A for effort it's more mid-major type talent I see in games. Just one fans opinion. Go Devils!

Although I thought Dave McClure gave good effort and was tough and resilient, he wasn't very athletic and not really a difference-maker. And that's fine. You need guys like that, but they should only be seventh or eighth off the bench and getting at most 10-15 mpg. I put both Tyler and Josh in that category. If they are getting more minutes than that, we're not going to be a team that can go far in the NCAA's. While Tyler is playing at about the level I thought he would after seeing him as a freshman, it has been surprising to find that Josh--who was ranked in the top 35 nationally--appears to be at roughly that same level or below. I guess sometimes it just works out that way. The thing is, though, I really like both of them. Their demeanor, both on-court and off, appears to be exemplary.

[Newton_14]

I agree that we've collectively evolved our perception of Tony and only part of that evolution was actually borne out of reality. I'm as guilty as anyone of making perhaps unfair assumptions about him.

I think part of it emerges from reading here and there that he liked Kansas (until Manning left) because of what they did with Thomas Robinson, and that he liked tOSU because of what they did with Sullinger. The implication being that he fancied himself a part of this elite big man lineage. He didn't say it like that, but those comparisons could easily be interpreted that way.

Then he goes and draws out his recruitment until the cows come home, all the while adding and subtracting schools in a confusing manner. Granted, this is the most important and most complicated decision of his life, but we fans can't be bothered with those practicalities. What we see is someone who is either frustratingly indecisive, or worse yet, overly picky. We assume he is looking for the perfect place for himself where he'll get maximal burn from day 1. We assume he envisions himself as "the man" and therefore is waiting until the absolute perfect opportunity presents itself. Combine these unfair assumptions with his apparent apathy/stoicism towards Duke despite K's almost embarrassingly committed pursuit of him, and you're left with a very warped and perhaps unfair conception of Tony.

I think your comments are excellent and give pause to our self-centered imaginations. I hope you're right about him and that our imaginations have truly gotten the best of us.

Good post and thanks for the comments.

Good point. I may have been guilty of that based on what I had heard from others rather than direct quotes from Tony, and I apologize for that. The best I could find was the following:


http://espn.go.com/high-school/boys-...ing-roundtable

So, perhaps it's his coach that's setting the bar very high. I don't think it's true that Tony would get starter minutes no matter where he goes...but Tony himself says it's not the most important thing, although it's something to certainly consider.

Thanks for the link. The coach certainly set the bar high, but I would be interested to see what his coach thinks after watching the Nike Hoop Summit. The US Bigs in that game, except maybe Noel, found the going tough, as all of them will come next October when they start practicing and playing against kids their own size and strength. It can be humbling.

At this point, I am more worried about Tony being unable to eliminate schools from his list, than I am about him having an over inflated ego. Really strange that he is still listing so many schools this late in the game. Duke is still very much in the running, and in reality, unless he shocks the world and picks Georgia, I have to believe he chooses between Duke, Kansas, UCLA, and Ohio St.

I still love the fact that mom and dad favor Duke. Given his hesitancy to eliminate & choose, Mom and Dad may just win him over to Duke in the end.

[Edouble]

McClure had more instinctive basketball ability IMO. Josh seems like he can't elevate and again while he gets an A for effort it's more mid-major type talent I see in games. Just one fans opinion. Go Devils!

I'm not sure what "mid-major type talent" even means anymore.

[SupaDave]

I'm not sure what "mid-major type talent" even means anymore.

It used to apply to schools with smaller recruiting budgets who didn't have access to the top talent. AAU has since changed all of that. The BUSINESS of amateur athletics...

[-bdbd]

"There's no question that Duke will have some need for interior presence help even with ...MP2 returning."

What how do you figure? Unless you mean after this year then I disagree wholeheartedly. First we got Mason whose mins you would expect to rise this year (my guess is closer around 30), Ryan who I expect to play center when Alex is at the 4 and Mason needs a breather, Marshall who I would definitely take over Tony at this point because he is more of a fiery guy and has been in the system a year. That right there would be 3 guys taking mins at the 5 defensively.

JNort,
I have no interest in reopening a can of worms, but to address your questions: First, I just said "interior presence help," not starter or star or anything like that. Second, there will obviously be games when MP2 is having a bad night or gets into foul issues, etc. and more help is needed. And (3rd) the streotypical 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 line-up has TWO players who represent "interior presence" -- the 5 and the 4. You're only looking at the 5, but there's 80 minutes in question that need coverage for "interior presence," not just 40. If/when Duke plays teams with strong interior capabilities, such as in the NCAAT, they are likely to see some squads with two big interior guys (think Kerlina last year). Who covers the second for 40 minutes? Yes, MP2 is one body, but as you point out he won't play 40 minutes a game (much less 80), due to rests, fouls, injurues, situational needs, etc. RK is an awesome player but he's not what most would call a interior-oriented banger." AM and MP3 are inexperienced RSF's. So the clearly will be times, against the better opponents, where more interior depth will be in demand.

I have zero doubt that there will be some critical games next year where posters will come on DBR in droves post-game screaming bloody murder about the need for greater interior depth/recruiting, as we get badly outrebounded. Are there trade-offs? Certainly. Will K and staff be able to develop ways to cover up and work around a lack of interior depth? For sure. But it WILL be an issue in some games, and I don't see any analysts in 2012-13 regularly pointing to the interior positions as Duke's "strength," at least not as we are currently configured.

Hoping that we land at least one of the remaining (interior-capable) bigs - TP or AJ. It would certainly HELP to have that added depth in the 4/5-spots rotation...

[Saratoga2]

"There's no question that Duke will have some need for interior presence help even with ...MP2 returning."



JNort,
I have no interest in reopening a can of worms, but to address your questions: First, I just said "interior presence help," not starter or star or anything like that. Second, there will obviously be games when MP2 is having a bad night or gets into foul issues, etc. and more help is needed. And (3rd) the streotypical 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 line-up has TWO players who represent "interior presence" -- the 5 and the 4. You're only looking at the 5, but there's 80 minutes in question that need coverage for "interior presence," not just 40. If/when Duke plays teams with strong interior capabilities, such as in the NCAAT, they are likely to see some squads with two big interior guys (think Kerlina last year). Who covers the second for 40 minutes? Yes, MP2 is one body, but as you point out he won't play 40 minutes a game (much less 80), due to rests, fouls, injurues, situational needs, etc. RK is an awesome player but he's not what most would call a interior-oriented banger." AM and MP3 are inexperienced RSF's. So the clearly will be times, against the better opponents, where more interior depth will be in demand.

I have zero doubt that there will be some critical games next year where posters will come on DBR in droves post-game screaming bloody murder about the need for greater interior depth/recruiting, as we get badly outrebounded. Are there trade-offs? Certainly. Will K and staff be able to develop ways to cover up and work around a lack of interior depth? For sure. But it WILL be an issue in some games, and I don't see any analysts in 2012-13 regularly pointing to the interior positions as Duke's "strength," at least not as we are currently configured.

Hoping that we land at least one of the remaining (interior-capable) bigs - TP or AJ. It would certainly HELP to have that added depth in the 4/5-spots rotation...

Alex is an unknown at this time. We hear he is bigger and stronger, but is he really a 4/5 talent? Who that has been following the team really knows? Watzone? With Mason playing about 30 minutes and Ryan about 25, we will need other bodies to fill in the other minutes. As you point out, there will be foul issues, potential injuries and sickness to deal with, and situational needs where we play against 2 bigs and will have trouble with a 6'7" PF/C. Having another big man is excellent insurance against those possibilities. Since Tony needs to get his body ready for the rigors of a fast paced college game, a 10-15 minute role for him might be the most he can do until he hones his body for endurance. It is a good fit.


One thing you didn't mention is the need to develop an inside player for the inevitable loss of both RYan and Mason at the end of next season. With a talent like TP, we could have Marshall, Tony, Josh and possibly Alex for inside along with any new talent we could recruit in that year. That would be an excellent transition for Duke basketball and Tony would be experienced and physically able to deal with 25 to 30 minutes a game.

[dukedoc]

LINK

"Tony Parker, a 6-9 center from Miller Grove High in Lithonia, Ga., told the Charlotte Observer he will choose a school during a ceremony Thursday at his high school. He has a final list of KU, Duke, Georgia, UCLA, Ohio State, Georgetown and Memphis. He plans on cutting his list to five, then announcing his choice by donning a hat of the winning school."

[BlueDevilBrowns]

A tweet from BDN/Watson this afternoon:




BlueDevilNation: "Count me as one who thinks Tony Parker would let it be known he is going to UCLA without a PC. I will speak with him this evening."

Maybe we'll know a little more later tonight?

[MCFinARL]

LINK

"Tony Parker, a 6-9 center from Miller Grove High in Lithonia, Ga., told the Charlotte Observer he will choose a school during a ceremony Thursday at his high school. He has a final list of KU, Duke, Georgia, UCLA, Ohio State, Georgetown and Memphis. He plans on cutting his list to five, then announcing his choice by donning a hat of the winning school."

The funniest part is where he says he wants to cut down his list because the hats cost $30 a piece. If he wants to choose a hat, that's fine--that's the image kids get of how these things are done--but I can't help but think that behind this "tradition," like so many others (think weddings for a quick example), is somebody who wanted to sell something (in this case, some hats).