Musings Of 2014-15 Starters & Rotation Players

[NSDukeFan]

No, what we actually say, and it comes true every time, is that Top 5 recruits start from Day 1 and play lots of minutes, fully in the rotation all year. Tyus and Jahlil are in that category. No way either of them do not start barring injury. Now Winlsow is not a Top 5 recruit, so debating him as a starter is quite natural and it could certainly go either way with him. If he "gets it from Day 1" like a Jon Scheyer did for example, then he will either start or play lots of minutes off the bench. It is also quite possible Winslow needs time to develop, and is a sub all year with fluctuating minutes. I do agree with Kedsy though that one of Winslow or Semi is going to almost have to be a rotation player to play the 4 when Amile is sitting. They are really the only two guys we have outside of Amile that can realistically play the 4 spot.

Right now I am leaning toward Winslow over Semi, but I could certainly see it going the other way if the light comes on for Semi. Uber talented kid with great size, hops, and excellent 3 point shot. I would love love love it if both of those kids, along with Matt Jones, play so well, they force K to play them a lot. Can you imagine the potential in a lineup with Matt at the 2, Winslow at the 3, Semi at the 4, Jahlil at the 5? If all 4 of those kids were playing at a high level that could be a scary good lineup in terms of defense, rebounding, fast breaking. That is a ton of size, length, agility, and strength at each position.

Now the odds are slim of that happening for sure, but I like the size and skill set of each of those kids. I do feel that Quinn will most likely play a lot of minutes and bring ball handling and great 3 Point shooting, as long as he does not pout about Tyus being the starting PG from Day 1. Nate needs to get in his ear about what happened in 2001 when Nate moved to 6th man to allow a freshman to start for the betterment of the team. Quinn needs to embrace that role this coming season.

I always enjoy the minutes discussions and have enjoyed the many good posts in this thread. The one question/ potential disagreement I have is about who could possibly play the 4 (if Duke had positions.). I agree with the consensus that Amile is the likely starter and if he can consistently play the way he did in some games this year, where many of us fans were absolutely giddy with the way he defended, rebounded and used his crafty moves around the hoop, he may be able to command 30 minutes. I also expect Justise and Semi to be perhaps the most likely candidates to play the 4 off he bench. My question is whether the team could also go big with MP3 as the 5 and Jahlil at the 4, similar to the original MPs and Zoubek combinations that had two big rim protectors on together. I would include Amile as a potential rim protector next year and would be excited at the potential to have many more inside shots contested. I think this would also give the offensively potent Rasheed, Quinn and Tyus lineups (that I hope to see often as I think they include the team's best 5 players) some size behind them to challenge penetration. Is this possible, likely, or why not?

[Saratoga2]

It looks like Tyus is a starting quality PG, based on his performance in several all star games.

The Weber State game did show how effective Quinn can be as he was determined not to lose.He carried the team but couldn't overcome our poor defensive showing. He is experienced, can handle the ball, can be a decent shooter. Perhaps his size and lack of lateral quickness hamper his defense, but he will be the most experienced guard. Rasheed also can do many things well on the court. He is quick, can penetrate, has a decent shot and defends well. Perhaps his weakness is trying to do too much. Its tough when a guy is trying so hard that he winds up making errors, but I would rather have one who cares enough to go all out. What I am saying is that while Tyus will likely start and get major minutes, both Quinn and Rasheed will also need to get solid minutes. If Matt or Grayson take some of their minutes, they will have to show a great deal in practice. Maybe Grayson is in training for the PG role in 2015/2016.

[Bob Green]

How do you see the Cook - TJones combo comparing defensively with the JWilliams - Duhon combo?

At this time, I would have to say Cook - TJones will not be as strong defensively as JWilliams - Duhon were. Williams was a tough minded defensive player so the bar is set pretty high. He could go take the ball away from an opponent. Williams recorded 235 steals over three seasons, while Quinn Cook has had 112 in his first three seasons.

[CDu]

At this time, I would have to say Cook - TJones will not be as strong defensively as JWilliams - Duhon were. Williams was a tough minded defensive player so the bar is set pretty high. He could go take the ball away from an opponent. Williams recorded 235 steals over three seasons, while Quinn Cook has had 112 in his first three seasons.

And Williams was the less skilled defender of the Williams/Duhon pairing.

[Kedsy]

At this time, I would have to say Cook - TJones will not be as strong defensively as JWilliams - Duhon were. Williams was a tough minded defensive player so the bar is set pretty high. He could go take the ball away from an opponent. Williams recorded 235 steals over three seasons, while Quinn Cook has had 112 in his first three seasons.

My recollection is that Jason Williams was a decent but not great defensive player. He did get a good amount of steals, but I'm not sure steals is the best indicator of how well you play defense.

Also, Quinn's ability to get steals is less than JWill, but in the same ballpark. Looking at Steals Pct, here's how some championship backcourts stack up:

STEALS PERCENTAGE

2014 Connecticut:
Napier: 3.1%
Boatright: 2.9%

2013 Louisville:
Siva: 4.3%
Smith: 4.1%

2012 Kentucky:
Teague: 1.7%
Lamb: 0.9%

2010 Duke:
Smith: 2.0%
Scheyer: 2.6%

2001 Duke:
JWilliams: 3.2%
Duhon: 3.6%

Last season, Quinn's steals pct was 2.7% and Rasheed's was 1.8%. That's in the same ballpark as Duke's 2010 backcourt and much better than Kentucky's 2012 backcourt. Quinn's 2.7% is not that much different from Boatright's 2.9%.

But it's all a bit misleading, I think. Steals are a combination of positioning, quick hands and, perhaps most importantly, defensive system. Duke's 2001 team was designed for steals, as was Louisville's 2013 team and Connecticut's 2014 team. Kentucky's 2012 team was designed to funnel people in to Davis, so the steal was a secondary concern. Assuming we're not going for havoc on D, Quinn's stealing ability should be just fine.

That said, the real problem with the defensive comparison between TJones/Quinn vs. JWill/Duhon is that Chris Duhon was an outstanding defensive player who gave opposing point guards fits. I don't know if Tyus is up to that standard, but maybe Rasheed can be? I don't think Rasheed has shown that level of defensive chops so far in his career, but the potential might be there.

[sagegrouse]

Here's some data from past starting freshmen centers. For the second number I'm only averaging minutes during games started.

Christian Laettner: season mpg: 16.9; 2nd half of season: 9 starts and 23.3 mpg in those starts.
Elton Brand: season mpg: 23.5; 2nd half of season: 7 starts and 24.9 mpg in those starts.
Carlos Boozer: season mpg: 23.7; 2nd half of season: 17 starts and 25.2 mpg in those starts.
Shelden Williams: season mpg: 19.2; 2nd half of season: 13 starts and 25.1 mpg in those starts.
Josh McRoberts: season mpg: 24.5; 2nd half of season: 16 starts and 27.7 mpg in those starts.

So I guess 27 is possible, since it happened to McBob, but 30 would seem unlikely. Most likely based on the above would be around 25.

I dunno, Kedsy. I think Okafor is further along than any of these as freshman. He could well average 30MPG -- except for one thing: Marshall Plumlee will probably get 15 MPG, and I doubt those two play much together.

Three of those listed -- Brand, Boozer and Shelden -- did not have a lot of competition for minutes. Laettner and McRoberts did have competition as freshmen, which makes their minutes even more impressive.

[SoCalDukeFan]

I dunno, Kedsy. I think Okafor is further along than any of these as freshman. He could well average 30MPG -- except for one thing: Marshall Plumlee will probably get 15 MPG, and I doubt those two play much together.

Three of those listed -- Brand, Boozer and Shelden -- did not have a lot of competition for minutes. Laettner and McRoberts did have competition as freshmen, which makes their minutes even more impressive.

I don't think we have "big" who consistently hits his outside shot, so no "Stretch 4." The offense will then need to be different from what K usually runs. Of course with a potential dominating inside player in Okafor the offense was going to be different than traditional anyway.

I see 3 obvious rotation players in the backcourt - T. Jones, Rasheed and Quinn.

If we essentially use Okafor as a center, then Plumlee backs him up.

Jefferson is in the rotation at one frontcourt spot. Winslow as well. Semi may get some play. Matt Jones more likely as the third frontcourt.

I guess we will see some experimentation prior to ACC play. Maybe we should just distill the essence of this thread, send it to the coaches, and save them a lot of time.

SoCal

[ACCBBallFan]

I like to look at these who starts threads with:

1. Who do they practice against daily?

2. Does that help the team develop? and

3. Can a guy play his way into the starting rotation?

So let's try that out on the dreaded small lineup that meets the criteria of best 5 proven players at moment regardless of position:

PG - Tyus Jones would be guarded by Grayson Allen who won't play a lot next year but develops backup PG skills for future years kind of like Curry did in redshirt year

Combo - Quinn Cook would be guarded by Matt Jones the presumed defensive specialist,or by Allen when K wants Tyus pressured.

3rd guard - Rasheed Sulaimon gets practice against a versatile defensive oriented and a bigger SF Justise Winslow

PF - Amile Jefferson pairs with Semi to get him ready for his reserve role, while Amile faces strength and athleticism

C - Jahlil Okafor pairs off with MP3 or Oni One

Realistically the only guys who can play their way into a starting job are Justise or Matt with Sheed moving to SG if that happens.

So daily, Matt goes head to head with Quinn to try and earn a spot, while Justise if he can dominate Sheed can also force Quinn into a 6th man role.

That's not all bad since Tyus then pairs off with an expereinced PG in Quinn.

Assuming Justise earns the SF role, Sheed then as a SG matches up with Grayson Allen or Matt Jones at SG, but then there are problems with not enough depth to guard both Justise and Amile with Semi guarding one, but then an extra guard and an extra center and one too few SF/PF.

By default I guess Matt has to guard Justise unless coach K wants to see how Jahlil can gaurd Amile at PF with MP3 and Obi squaring off.

Assuming Matt earns the SG by torching Quinn, then Quinn guards Tyus and vice versa while Grayson Allen guards Matt Jones and Justise/Sheed continue to do battle at SF, as do Amile/Semi and 3 centers alternate against each other to avoid tempers flaring too much.

As pointed out earlier different story of who is in at end of game situations if certain guys have probelms hitting a decent percentage at the line, but that's all guesswork until we get a history on college FT%.

Presumably it bodes well for more PT for Tyus, Quinn and Sheed for ball handling and FT shooting and plays into the who gets most PT portion of the thread.

[ncexnyc]

I’m somewhat surprised that everyone is handing the starting PF spot to Amile on a silver platter. While I’m extremely happy to see him playing his natural position instead of battling opposition centers, I’m not sure that he can co-exist with Okafor on the floor at the same time.

As is always the case, you have to ask yourself what does each kid bring to the table. I think Semi has displayed a nice outside shooting touch, which would definitely make it harder for teams to collapse on Jahlil. I do realize that Semi didn’t play much last year, but to sleep on someone with his physical skills and shooting touch would be foolish.

I’m also surprised to see some of you question whether Justise will be starting for us at the SF spot. The kid has size and can play defense. If you watched any of the all-star games you would have noticed that he was specifically inserted into the line-up in the end game situations just for the sole purpose of playing defense.

Matt is another player who will be interesting to watch next season. We know Coach K likes him for his defense, but the question we all want answered is whether or not Matt finds his shot during the off season.

[Newton_14]

I like to look at these who starts threads with:

1. Who do they practice against daily?

2. Does that help the team develop? and

3. Can a guy play his way into the starting rotation?

So let's try that out on the dreaded small lineup that meets the criteria of best 5 proven players at moment regardless of position:

PG - Tyus Jones would be guarded by Grayson Allen who won't play a lot next year but develops backup PG skills for future years kind of like Curry did in redshirt year

Combo - Quinn Cook would be guarded by Matt Jones the presumed defensive specialist,or by Allen when K wants Tyus pressured.

3rd guard - Rasheed Sulaimon gets practice against a versatile defensive oriented and a bigger SF Justise Winslow

PF - Amile Jefferson pairs with Semi to get him ready for his reserve role, while Amile faces strength and athleticism

C - Jahlil Okafor pairs off with MP3 or Oni One

Realistically the only guys who can play their way into a starting job are Justise or Matt with Sheed moving to SG if that happens.

So daily, Matt goes head to head with Quinn to try and earn a spot, while Justise if he can dominate Sheed can also force Quinn into a 6th man role.

That's not all bad since Tyus then pairs off with an expereinced PG in Quinn.

Assuming Justise earns the SF role, Sheed then as a SG matches up with Grayson Allen or Matt Jones at SG, but then there are problems with not enough depth to guard both Justise and Amile with Semi guarding one, but then an extra guard and an extra center and one too few SF/PF.

By default I guess Matt has to guard Justise unless coach K wants to see how Jahlil can gaurd Amile at PF with MP3 and Obi squaring off.

Assuming Matt earns the SG by torching Quinn, then Quinn guards Tyus and vice versa while Grayson Allen guards Matt Jones and Justise/Sheed continue to do battle at SF, as do Amile/Semi and 3 centers alternate against each other to avoid tempers flaring too much.

As pointed out earlier different story of who is in at end of game situations if certain guys have probelms hitting a decent percentage at the line, but that's all guesswork until we get a history on college FT%.

Presumably it bodes well for more PT for Tyus, Quinn and Sheed for ball handling and FT shooting and plays into the who gets most PT portion of the thread.

I hear what you are saying and agree in principle, but would like to point out that K and staff do a tremendous amount of switching during the 5 on 5 scrimmages. All of the matchups you list above will happen and many more. The center spot would be the most stable in terms of Blue team matchups and White team match ups, but with the 1 thru 4 spots, there will be numerous changes such that the guys are all defended by multiple players, as they migrate from Blue team to White team, dependent upon who K wants to see on the White team at that particular moment.

K's practices are really enjoyable to watch as well as educational. I would encourage anyone who has a chance to go to the open practice each year to go if they can work it out. Constant movements and drills almost like organized chaos. From 5 on 5 scrimmaging to breaking up into groups, sometimes bigs on one end, guards/wings on the other and sometimes a mix of the two on both ends with each end working on something entirely different. Fascinating to watch.

As you note though, competition in practice next season should be really interesting. Several subs will push for minutes in those practices. Outside of Grayson I would say all of them have a chance to earn minutes. Grayson just has too many guys in front of him next season imo.

[Bob Green]

I’m somewhat surprised that everyone is handing the starting PF spot to Amile on a silver platter. While I’m extremely happy to see him playing his natural position instead of battling opposition centers, I’m not sure that he can co-exist with Okafor on the floor at the same time.

Amile Jefferson's lack of a mid-range jump shot is concerning so I expect he will be working very hard over the off season to develop an 8-12 footer. However, we do not have to look very far into the past to find an example of a successful PF who didn't shoot jump shots. Lance Thomas was able to co-exist with Brian Zoubek on the floor at the same time during the second half of our 2010 National Championship season. If Jefferson plays defense, rebounds and scores opportunistic baskets he will be a starter. Jefferson will always be a "lunch pail" player.

[jv001]

Amile Jefferson's lack of a mid-range jump shot is concerning so I expect he will be working very hard over the off season to develop an 8-12 footer. However, we do not have to look very far into the past to find an example of a successful PF who didn't shoot jump shots. Lance Thomas was able to co-exist with Brian Zoubek on the floor at the same time during the second half of our 2010 National Championship season. If Jefferson plays defense, rebounds and scores opportunistic baskets he will be a starter. Jefferson will always be a "lunch pail" player.

You're correct Bob about Lance co-existing with Zoubs in 2010. But he did work on that jumper and was able to hit it that year. He really improved and I don't see why Amile cannot get better at it as well. Matter of fact, Matt Jones needs work on his shooting this summer as well. GoDuke!

[ACCBBallFan]

I hear what you are saying and agree in principle, but would like to point out that K and staff do a tremendous amount of switching during the 5 on 5 scrimmages. All of the matchups you list above will happen and many more. The center spot would be the most stable in terms of Blue team matchups and White team match ups, but with the 1 thru 4 spots, there will be numerous changes such that the guys are all defended by multiple players, as they migrate from Blue team to White team, dependent upon who K wants to see on the White team at that particular moment.

K's practices are really enjoyable to watch as well as educational. I would encourage anyone who has a chance to go to the open practice each year to go if they can work it out. Constant movements and drills almost like organized chaos. From 5 on 5 scrimmaging to breaking up into groups, sometimes bigs on one end, guards/wings on the other and sometimes a mix of the two on both ends with each end working on something entirely different. Fascinating to watch.

As you note though, competition in practice next season should be really interesting. Several subs will push for minutes in those practices. Outside of Grayson I would say all of them have a chance to earn minutes. Grayson just has too many guys in front of him next season imo.

Thanks Newton. Though I may never have the chance to attend one, I know that you are so right that a Duke practice is so much more than a 5 vs 5 scrimmage. Also even in the sets as listed, there is a lot of switching that goes on.

It's just from a flexibility standpoint, Duke only has 4.5 bigs and one of them is ineligible, not counting roles assumed by assistant coaches or others, versus 6.5 wing players on active roster. Usually the walk ons are also on the small side, with Todd Z an exception.

If as the prior poster postulates Semi is ready to displace Amile as starting PF, he will have every opportunity to do so.

Let's hope it is as obvious to Myles Turner on Apr 30 as it is to us that Duke could really use a guy with his skill set to complement what is already in place, someone deemed to be betwen Ryan Kelly and Kevin Durant in skill set being the missing piece.

Barring that, it does seem that from a play the best 5 standpoint as long as at least one is a PG that Tyus, Quinn, Rasheeed, Amile and Jahlil are well ahead of Allen, Matt, Justise, Semi,and MP3, in terms of Duke experience or HS rankings, with Matt and Justise being the two most ready to change that perception.

I would agree with what Newton alludes to, that it becomes somewhat of a self fulfilling prophecy that the guys paired on the first unit have much better chemistry than who is left, making it tough to play one's way onto that starting unit if not for the way coach K conducts the practices to compensate for that.

[_Gary]

Amile Jefferson's lack of a mid-range jump shot is concerning so I expect he will be working very hard over the off season to develop an 8-12 footer. However, we do not have to look very far into the past to find an example of a successful PF who didn't shoot jump shots. Lance Thomas was able to co-exist with Brian Zoubek on the floor at the same time during the second half of our 2010 National Championship season. If Jefferson plays defense, rebounds and scores opportunistic baskets he will be a starter. Jefferson will always be a "lunch pail" player.

This has been my point about lacking outside shooting and solid command of a dribble & drive from our forwards (both power and small) this year. Unfortunately we are losing two forwards who had these skills in spades and now, finally getting a true back to the basket big man, I'm concerned about our ability to space the floor and give him room to work down low. What I fear is that Okafor is going to see a ton of doubles because our forwards simply aren't going to scare too many opponents with their outside shooting. We wouldn't need both of them to do that. But we do need at least one of our 3/4 to be a legit threat from the outside to take full advantage of what our new center will bring.

This is why I think we might see a lot of Tyus, Quinn and Rasheed on the floor at the same time. It will give us solid outside shooting, but we'll be very small at the same time. So it's going to be interesting. If any one of Amile, Semi, or Justise can develop a solid outside shot that forces the opposing team to respect them, it will go a long way toward us being tough to beat. But if we aren't able to get one of those three to consistently hit jumpers, we'll probably be forced to play small with Rasheed and possibly Matt (if he can find his stroke) playing the 3. We can't only have two outside threats in the game and still use Okafor to the fullest. He'll see too many doubles and possibly triples if we can't get someone on the court at the 3/4 to relieve that. So our forwards really, really need to work on their shots this summer.

Just my two cents.

[Bob Green]

We can't only have two outside threats in the game and still use Okafor to the fullest. He'll see too many doubles and possibly triples if we can't get someone on the court at the 3/4 to relieve that. So our forwards really, really need to work on their shots this summer.

Just my two cents.

Semi Ojeleye demonstrated a nice jump shot during the minimum minutes he played as a freshman. The ability to use that jumper to create operating space down low for Okafor could be a path to increased playing time as a sophomore.

[_Gary]

Semi Ojeleye demonstrated a nice jump shot during the minimum minutes he played as a freshman. The ability to use that jumper to create operating space down low for Okafor could be a path to increased playing time as a sophomore.

Agreed. I remember those early games and him having a decent shot from 3. He also had the body and the hops to really bang the boards if given the chance.

[dcar1985]

Agreed. I remember those early games and him having a decent shot from 3. He also had the body and the hops to really bang the boards if given the chance.

He's clearly got the stroke to do it...evidence from last week https://twitter.com/dukeblueplanet/s...40263489253377

[gumbomoop]

Importing some tag quotes from the JBC thread, as my intent is to muse.

... my skepticism regarding Winslow comes mostly from seeing Gbinije ride the pine, who I see as a similar player to Winslow. The whole season we were dying for someone who could guard the big wings, yet Coach K continued to play three of Tyler, Quinn, Seth, and Rivers in the back court. Which makes me think that it is really hard for a defensive-only player to get minutes as a freshman.

While CDu and Kedsy responded over in the JBC thread to UC's concern with the important point that Winslow comes out of HS more highly rated than was Gbinije, I think there's another very important factor. Always perplexed, like UC, about why Gbinije played so little, it was only after he left that I came to understand just how quiet Gbinije was on the court. Although I don't think he was "defensive-only," he seemed more advanced on D than O, but still didn't play.

In retrospect, it seems closer to an established fact than to wild guess that his D-ficiency was that he was literally unable to communicate, to talk, much. In an article or two on his smoother transition to 'Cuse, we read about Gbinije's unusually quiet demeanor and personality.

I can't claim to have noticed enough about Justise's personality or communication skills, but he sure doesn't seem passive. Seems to be all over the court, a presence. Again, Gbinije was unusually quiet, unable to make himself learn the staff's emphasis on talking. Even if Justise is relatively quiet, Gbinije was off the charts.

We had it right; we just didn't know what it meant, nor how crucial: Silent G.

Discussions of Winslow -- of any and every player, actually -- tend by now to bleed into musings re rotation. And a major debate emerges: perimeter small-ball trio of Tyus/Rasheed/Quinn, and its effectiveness on O, with concomitant implications for relieving double-team pressure from Jahlil, versus its ineffectiveness on D.

We need a M. Jones or Winslow out there to help with the D. I'd be shocked if we started the ACC with Jones, Cook, and Sulaimon.

First, I prefer that, as FDD has done here, we muse about the rotation as we think things will play out by mid-season. Among other things, mpg for many players will fluctuate over the course of the season. I'd guess most of us think the staff will early experiment a fair amount with different combos, especially given 2 excellent freshmen, a third likely to play a lot, and a wild-card-long-shot fourth.

IMO it's highly likely that 6 guys [Tyus, Jahlil, Rasheed, Quinn, Amile, Justise] will get starter's minutes by start of ACC, and I sense that this is not my opinion alone. Similarly, no one has yet suggested that Marshall will be shut out; generally the view is that he'll get 12-15 mpg as backup. Concerns about how ready Justise actually will be, plus major concerns about a particular perimeter-small-ball combo, lead some to plump for big minutes for Matt.

But we need precision here, for if Matt is preferred to Justise at wing/3, that still means lots of perimeter-small-ball. The only way to avoid periemter-small-ball is to play Justise/Semi at wing/3, and only 2 of Tyus/Rasheed/Quinn/Matt at PG and wing/2. And at least a few posters have implied that playing Tyus and Quinn together, no matter who mans the wing/3, asks for trouble.

Although I earlier engaged in a mini-debate with CDu re Quinn's minutes, he and others have persuaded me that Quinn's minutes will not fall below 25 mpg. And as I have no doubt whatsoever that (1) Tyus is our PG and likely highest mpg guy, and (2) Rasheed will play starter's minutes, it seems likely that we'll see some perimeter-small-ball every half of every game, including after mid-season.

Don't know how much, after start of ACC. Depends on many factors: Are Rasheed and Quinn both hitting good % of 3-bombs? Does Matt move ahead of Justise at wing/3? Does Semi play any wing/3? Does Semi play any stretch-4? Does Grayson play at all?

On D, the biggest question is whether we'll get killed with any, i.e., every small-ball combo?

On O, biggest might be, if no emergence of Semi as dependable stretch-4 shooter, and no dependable 10-12-foot shot from Amile, will the specific small-ball combo that includes Quinn and Rasheed -- on the floor at the same time -- be essential to relieve Jahlil from double-teaming?

[ncexnyc]

Amile Jefferson's lack of a mid-range jump shot is concerning so I expect he will be working very hard over the off season to develop an 8-12 footer. However, we do not have to look very far into the past to find an example of a successful PF who didn't shoot jump shots. Lance Thomas was able to co-exist with Brian Zoubek on the floor at the same time during the second half of our 2010 National Championship season. If Jefferson plays defense, rebounds and scores opportunistic baskets he will be a starter. Jefferson will always be a "lunch pail" player.

You're absolutely right about Zoubek and Thomas playing side by side, however that scenario was completely different.

Supposedly our offense is going to revolve around getting Okafor the ball down low. That means we need to keep the paint as open as possible so the kid has room to work his magic. If Amile can't keep defenses honest that could be a problem for us.

The practices should be very interesting and the battle between "The Eel" and "The Man-Thing" should be quite a show.

As it was last year, the talent is there. The question is whether it can all gel into a cohesive unit.

[jipops]

Based on comments in this thread and the jordan brand thread, I think people are really under estimating Quinn in his senior season. I feel certain he's going to start along with Tyus for at least most of the season, would be shocked if he doesn't.

Quinn had a rather forgettable junior year but people forget how effective he was the season before that. Unlike last season he played with a major post presence the year before. This may have a lot to do with the difference.