MBB: Duke 88, Delaware 50 Post-Game Thread

[CDu]

How good can Rasheed Sulaimon become? Really. How good can this kid ultimately be? The rate at which he is progressing is scary.

I said last spring that I felt like he was probably somewhere between the sophomore year and junior year versions of Nolan Smith. He seems to be inching closer to junior year Smith with each passing game. He's just a terrific player. He can score from anywhere. He knows how to play off the ball and score (an undervalued art). He can create for others. He loves defense. He's tough. As you can probably tell, I'm a big, BIG fan. I can only selfishly hope we get to see him for another year at Duke. But you just never know.

The emergence of Cook, Sulaimon, and Plumlee has been amazing to see. Cook and Sulaimon are so dynamic with the ball in their hands. The two of them, combined with Curry, give us three guards who are very capable of creating points off the dribble. That's a weapon that cannot be undersold. Add to that the dominance of Mason inside and Kelly's versatility, and you have something potentially really special. Toss in a tough-nosed, unselfish defender in Thornton, 3 more freshmen who could just get better and better as the season progresses, and a junior big man who is not afraid to do the dirty work, and the sky is the limit.

But back to Sulaimon. I just love a player who can be a presence in so many different ways. He's an absolute keeper.

[OldPhiKap]

I said last spring that I felt like he was probably somewhere between the sophomore year and junior year versions of Nolan Smith. He seems to be inching closer to junior year Smith with each passing game. He's just a terrific player. He can score from anywhere. He knows how to play off the ball and score (an undervalued art). He can create for others. He loves defense. He's tough. As you can probably tell, I'm a big, BIG fan. I can only selfishly hope we get to see him for another year at Duke. But you just never know.

The emergence of Cook, Sulaimon, and Plumlee has been amazing to see. Cook and Sulaimon are so dynamic with the ball in their hands. The two of them, combined with Curry, give us three guards who are very capable of creating points off the dribble. That's a weapon that cannot be undersold. Add to that the dominance of Mason inside and Kelly's versatility, and you have something potentially really special. Toss in a tough-nosed, unselfish defender in Thornton, 3 more freshmen who could just get better and better as the season progresses, and a junior big man who is not afraid to do the dirty work, and the sky is the limit.

But back to Sulaimon. I just love a player who can be a presence in so many different ways. He's an absolute keeper.

Hard to argue that Cook/Curry/Sulaimon is not one of the five best backcourts in the country.

Hard to argue that Mason/Ryan are not one of the five best front courts in the country.

Hard to argue that our coaching staff is not one of the top five in the country.

And they are all meshing well.

[ArkieDukie]

I was ecstatic to see Alex play well today.

If Jefferson can put on about 20 lbs. of muscle, he will be a monster.

He feasted on roasted chicken today. Maybe that will help him put on some weight.

[jipops]

I was ecstatic to see Alex play well today.

If Jefferson can put on about 20 lbs. of muscle, he will be a monster.

More likely he'll be 20lbs heavier. But the kid shows potential. He seems to have good hands and very long arms.

[uh_no]

More likely he'll be 20lbs heavier. But the kid shows potential. He seems to have good hands and very long arms.

and we all know, you can't teach long arms...but then again, duke med IS best in the world...i wonder if the basketball team is funding longer-arms research

[jipops]

I said last spring that I felt like he was probably somewhere between the sophomore year and junior year versions of Nolan Smith. He seems to be inching closer to junior year Smith with each passing game. He's just a terrific player. He can score from anywhere. He knows how to play off the ball and score (an undervalued art). He can create for others. He loves defense. He's tough. As you can probably tell, I'm a big, BIG fan. I can only selfishly hope we get to see him for another year at Duke. But you just never know.

The emergence of Cook, Sulaimon, and Plumlee has been amazing to see. Cook and Sulaimon are so dynamic with the ball in their hands. The two of them, combined with Curry, give us three guards who are very capable of creating points off the dribble. That's a weapon that cannot be undersold. Add to that the dominance of Mason inside and Kelly's versatility, and you have something potentially really special. Toss in a tough-nosed, unselfish defender in Thornton, 3 more freshmen who could just get better and better as the season progresses, and a junior big man who is not afraid to do the dirty work, and the sky is the limit.

But back to Sulaimon. I just love a player who can be a presence in so many different ways. He's an absolute keeper.

Can't really single out just one aspect of this team that is a big difference from last season but Rasheed certainly is a major difference maker. It's not just his overall guard skills but the way he keeps the ball moving on offense. He's not just a guard that drives to finish or get fouled, he's also driving to create offense. There's also spotting up off a curl or shooting off the bounce, a very dynamic player this kid. It's just not something we're used to seeing from a freshman guard, especially one who isn't the designated point guard. As you mentioned, actually having multiple guys to break down a defense is huge for us, and something we haven't seen on a Duke team in what seems like a long, long time.

[Newton_14]

Hey, Kedsy, how did you and your son enjoy the Cameron experience?

I mean other than meeting Newton?

Well, on my end, it was great to finally meet "The Master" in person!

On to the game. I did not expect a laugher based on the win at UVA, and Delaware projected to perform well in their league. Our guys were dominant from the gate though. The kid in the middle for Delaware could easily play in the ACC, but Mason got him in foul trouble early and he ended up being a non-factor. Very solid player though. I was not impressed with their guard that had been lighting other teams up.

Mason was a beast again, and Kelly had a breakout game. If Kelly maintains that level of play, take the notch up yet another level for this team. I am going to keep saying we have the best front-line in the country until I see somebody prove me wrong. Mason and Ryan are just darn strong as a tandem. Add to that the dynamic guard play we are now getting from Rasheed and Quinn, along with Seth when healthy and it is just a great mix. Agree with most of the comments about Rasheed. He is becoming a stud right before our eyes. Today he showed he can easily run the point if needed. Just so good in so many facets of the game. Tyler brings the toughness and defensive specialist, slash dirty work, slash disrupter, slash get in the head of the opponent factors that every great team needs. I was shocked at the 10 assists so that is a bonus. Josh brings toughness, defense, and rebounding, but just needs to cut down on the fouls. Can hit the jumper and get garbage buckets as well.

Nice to see Amile and Alex take advantage of the extended minutes as well. I thought both guys reaching double figures was huge for their confidence, and hey, 13 boards between them is promising for a poor rebounding team. I said it in the MOTM thread, but Alex seeing the ball go through the hoop, loosened him up. He needs to stay aggressive and attack. That is when he is at his best and what I saw in him in high school. He can't be just a spot up shooter. So, I will officially dub him "The Attacker".

Which leads me to the kid I have been calling The Finisher. Amile Jefferson. The guy just has a special gift. His first basket today was a thing of beauty. He caught it and quickly went right to the hoop, and used positioning and his length to make it impossible for the defender to challenge the shot and he drew the foul. Despite the lack of size and strength, he uses his craftiness to find angles to get the ball in the basket in a variety of ways, making holes where there appear not to be any. Very quick off his feet too, much like a young Antawn Jamison. Once he bulks up the guy will be hard to stop in the paint.

I love this team. Still a work in progress, and Amile and Alex still need much development. The top 7 guys will get the major minutes, but I do think Amile and Alex can develop such that they can contribute as the year progresses. Quinn, Rasheed, and Seth make for a very strong perimeter, and as I said, Mason/Ryan = one of if not the best frontline in the country. Very strong team. Defense today was suffocating on the perimeter.

Now they get a week of much needed rest, along with practice time to work on getting better. Going to be a fun team to watch develop. They will hit some bumps along the way, and the health of Curry is a concern, but lots and lots of potential with this group.

Bring on Temple for the next revenge game!

[papa whiskey]

More likely he'll be 20lbs heavier. But the kid shows potential. He seems to have good hands and very long arms.

I really hope he does not just get heavier. He is quick and athletic. If he can gain the "right" weight the "right" way and keep his dexterity and quickness, he will be special. Lebron James is the same height and weight as many power forwards in the NBA. What makes him amazing is everything else he can do while still being 6'8" and 260 lbs.

[Kedsy]

Hey, Kedsy, how did you and your son enjoy the Cameron experience?

I mean other than meeting Newton?

Well, meeting Newton was the highlight of my week, to be sure. My son's comment was "THIS IS AWESOME," in all caps, followed by, like, a hundred fifty exclamation points. Said it was the greatest basketball experience he'd ever had, and that includes the 2010 Final Four. So, I think he enjoyed it OK...

[dukelifer]

I said last spring that I felt like he was probably somewhere between the sophomore year and junior year versions of Nolan Smith. He seems to be inching closer to junior year Smith with each passing game. He's just a terrific player. He can score from anywhere. He knows how to play off the ball and score (an undervalued art). He can create for others. He loves defense. He's tough. As you can probably tell, I'm a big, BIG fan. I can only selfishly hope we get to see him for another year at Duke. But you just never know.

The emergence of Cook, Sulaimon, and Plumlee has been amazing to see. Cook and Sulaimon are so dynamic with the ball in their hands. The two of them, combined with Curry, give us three guards who are very capable of creating points off the dribble. That's a weapon that cannot be undersold. Add to that the dominance of Mason inside and Kelly's versatility, and you have something potentially really special. Toss in a tough-nosed, unselfish defender in Thornton, 3 more freshmen who could just get better and better as the season progresses, and a junior big man who is not afraid to do the dirty work, and the sky is the limit.

But back to Sulaimon. I just love a player who can be a presence in so many different ways. He's an absolute keeper.

This team is also passing very well. The creators are also sharing and this has been absent in the Duke Offense. We saw glimpses when Kyrie was healthy- but Nolan had pretty limited vision. At times this team may pass too much- but they are looking for each other. We are also seeing more defensive pressure by the guards leading to fast break points- we have not seen that as well for some time. Sulaimon and Cook are both pretty fast and Mason will out run most big guys. This should lead to a number of easy baskets.

Murphy is an above average rebounder and he needs to play inside out. He may have the ability to hang on the wing- but if he can get some easy junk baskets and bound- he can be very effective for this team. This team is looking very solid. Need to see how they do in a hostile arena in a real road game - but right now- Duke is a very confident team.

[dukebballcamper90-91]

Sheed can really dish the ball well and he is quick. I think he could see some time at pg this year.

[ricks68]

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Couldn't watch the game, but loved seeing the reserves not only do well, but add greatly to the lead after the starters left. Good show guys.

You can watch the replay on ESPN3.

ricks

[billy]

and we all know, you can't teach long arms...but then again, duke med IS best in the world...i wonder if the basketball team is funding longer-arms research

Hey, it's been done before... http://www.ilizarov.org/ll.pdf

[Greg_Newton]

You can watch the replay on ESPN3.

ricks

BTW, Fox Sports South (646 DTV) is replaying the game at midnight (as in 8 minutes) if anyone missed it.

[azzefkram]

Can't really single out just one aspect of this team that is a big difference from last season...

Quinn Cook is more mature and/or healthy. We had no one last year who could consistently run the offense, especially against tougher competition. We lacked pressure at the point of attack as well. Quinn is worlds better at D then he was last year.

That being said, Sheed is impressive. He is what I expected Austin to be last year.

[Biscuitboy]

I don't think anyone who participates in this board would have predicted the achievement this team has delivered so far this year to date. Wow.

Rasheed is the real deal. So quick, aggresive, and smart.

Mason has blossomed into a dominating post player who can covert on the foul line as well as the low block. His awareness and confidence has caught up with his athleticism. Absolutely magnificent. His transformation is fairly radical. To what do we attribute his growth?

I believe having Quinn Cook perform as a consumate classic point guard has a lot to do with it. Cook feeds his teamates in the right place at the right time.
I was not able to watch the Delaware game. I'd like to watch to see what Thornton's ten assists were like. Cook has also undergone a fairly radical transformation as well. He is playing point at a high level, from assists to rebounds to defense to scoring. When was the last time Duke had a point guard functioning as well as he has? Scheyer? Duhon? What will be really exciting is to witness his progress and performance heading into conference play. If he continues to play at the level he's reached, or better, look out!

Ryan Kelly has morphed and adjusted to suit the needs of this team. I was disappointed in his overall contribution last year. He has stepped it up a notch or two. His defense is better by a long shot. He should record 2-3 blocks a game. I think he will continue to improve on defense. He plays more aggresively and that's good. I want to see his overall savvy translate into more assists and more points. I want him to record 6-8 rebounds a game. Ohio State owned the boards in the first half of that game. What was that? Mason came back and commanded the paint in the second half. I wanted Kelly more and he was there. It looks like he had a stellar game against Delaware. Great. More Ryan when the going gets tough. He has disappeared in tough games in the past. I hope his moxie and skills allow him to be in the thick of things when it matters as we head into conference.

Seth Curry is a player. He's smooth and heady. I know he's challenged with his legs/ankle. I thought he was pretty damn gutty against OSU. It feels like the guard situation is providing him with some freedom that is unique. Cook is handling and distributing the basketball. Sulaimon is scoring the basketball. That lets Seth fill in where the team needs help. I hope he can manage his health to the extent that when we need him to score he can deliver. That he can steady and inspire his teamates when necessary. We will need his presence and skills in tough games.

Supporting cast: Josh Hairston has done fine. I want him to be Lance Thomas. They have different body types and games. I want Hairston to devour rebounding opportunities and challenge whoever he is defending. He has shown a modest flair for scoring. I want him to blend better defensively and provide an edge. Lance Thomas was aggresive and fierce. I would like to see a little more reckless abandon and physicality from Josh.

Amile is in the embryonic phase of his career at Duke. I'd like to see him play 6-10 minutes and score 4 points with 2-4 rebounds. I'm happy with that.

Alex is a bit of an enigma. Obviously, K deems that Alex's progress will happpen at a fairly slow rate. Maybe that's just his performance, not Coach. I want our team to develop more depth so that if there's foul trouble we can handle that. Alex seems to play small for his size whereas Amile (and Rasheed) play long. I'm not sure what his proper position should be. It's certainly not the 4 spot.

Marshall Plumlee is rehabbing from a foot injury. 5-7 minutes of rebounds and fouls would be an adequate contribution. Mason and Ryan are playing big minutes. Having another body to throw into the mix will help. Marshall is a completely different option than Josh.

Fnally, coaching.
I believe that the coaching staff has absolutley killed this season to date. State of the art classic Duke: smart, hard-nosed, successful strategy. The players that needed to evolve and step up have. The team is playing as a team. I LOVE the assist totals relative to last year. K has his program achieving brilliantly. 3 seniors with strong backcourt play wins. Bravo Coach! I am so excited for the rest of this season. So far, it's been fantastic!

[uh_no]

I don't think anyone who participates in this board would have predicted the achievement this team has delivered so far this year to date. Wow.

I think ozzie and I (at least) serve as exceptions to your assertion

[MChambers]

After yesterday's game, Duke defense is now up to #14 in Pomeroy. This game was the first in a long time where our defense absolutely disrupted the other team's offense, to the point that just getting into an offensive set was an adventure. I don't remember a team being so thoroughly flummoxed on offense since, we'll, since the last home game in the 2009-2010 season, if you remember that one. To me, our defense was the biggest news yesterday.

Like everyone else, I was tremendously impressed by Rasheed. His offense is improving by leaps and bounds. His determination to create on offense took a major leap in the second half against tOSU and continued against Delaware.

I was very happy to see Murphy loosen up in the second half. I agree with whoever said that his offense isn't there yet. His drives with the ball were pretty ugly. His jumpshot looked fine, however, and his reverse layup brought back memories of Kyle. (Sorry, couldn't resist the comparison. It's really not fair -- Murphy doesn't have Kyle's confident and fearless style of play.)

Jefferson will have a fine career at Duke. I liked someone's Cornbread Maxwell comparisons nod the Jamison comparison also makes some sense.

[Indoor66]

I think ozzie and I (at least) serve as exceptions to your assertion

Me three. I have said this several times, but I REALLY like this team. The future is very bright,

[davekay1971]

Hard to argue that Cook/Curry/Sulaimon is not one of the five best backcourts in the country.

Hard to argue that Mason/Ryan are not one of the five best front courts in the country.

Hard to argue that our coaching staff is not one of the top five in the country.

And they are all meshing well.

And suddenly the bench of Hairston, Thornton, Jefferson, Murphy, and (coming soon to a basketball court near you) Marshall Plumlee look like they could become one of the top benches in the country.

We already knew that Hairston and Thornton were very capable guys who were not just able to come off the bench and provide energy, minutes, defense, and spot offensive production, but were very happy with that role. Jefferson has been consistent in coming in with energy and enthusiasm. Murphy, it appears, has been lacking nothing but confidence and an understanding of how to contribute. We'll see what Marshall has to offer, but the preseason statements from the coaches seemed to indicate they thought he would be capable of providing valuable minutes backing up his big brother.

Things are looking good in every way for this team. I will now start obsessively worrying about Seth's injuries.