Dukies in the NBA 2014-15 Edition

[grad_devil]

As a reminder, I host a simple page that posts the stats from the previous night's games for our Devils in the NBA. It's not updated in real time, but after all of the games for that night have finished.

Out of 12 Devils playing last night, raise your hand if you thought you'd see Lance Thomas at the top of the ratings list? Anyone? Anyone? Bueller?

Congratulations to Lance - here's to many more!

[91_92_01_10_15]

As a reminder, I host a simple page that posts the stats from the previous night's games for our Devils in the NBA. It's not updated in real time, but after all of the games for that night have finished.

Out of 12 Devils playing last night, raise your hand if you thought you'd see Lance Thomas at the top of the ratings list? Anyone? Anyone? Bueller?

Congratulations to Lance - here's to many more!

Ahhh. There you are. The link changed from mhc.edu to mhu.edu. Thanks for posting! I check your page several times per week and was freaking out a little.

[elvis14]

As a reminder, I host a simple page that posts the stats from the previous night's games for our Devils in the NBA. It's not updated in real time, but after all of the games for that night have finished.

Out of 12 Devils playing last night, raise your hand if you thought you'd see Lance Thomas at the top of the ratings list? Anyone? Anyone? Bueller?

Congratulations to Lance - here's to many more!

I didn't see much of the game but looking at the stats from last night I can't help but wonder how Mike Dunlevy managed to play 31 minutes in a blowout and not score a single point! I also wonder if Lance's 14 points were a career high.

I did see some of the Hornets/Bucks game. Was hoping to see more of Jabari and Gerald Henderson. Hendo didn't get very many minutes. Jabari played OK from what I saw. I was in and out and seemed like most of the time when I'd tune in Jabari was subbed out.

[yancem]

As a reminder, I host a simple page that posts the stats from the previous night's games for our Devils in the NBA. It's not updated in real time, but after all of the games for that night have finished.

Out of 12 Devils playing last night, raise your hand if you thought you'd see Lance Thomas at the top of the ratings list? Anyone? Anyone? Bueller?

Congratulations to Lance - here's to many more!

Lance has to be on of the best success stories in Duke basketball history. Very few people though he had any real shot at making the nba and while he hasn't been a star by any means, he has carved out s very solid career (and made quite a bit of money). I think that there is always (or at least should be) room for a high energy/hustle/glue guy who plays solid defense and aggressively goes after loose balls. Hopefully, Jefferson is taking notes because he could fill a similar role with even more of an offensive game. Especially if he can develop a consistent 12-15 shot.

Also, thanks for putting together the box score aggregation cite, I've been viewing it for years. Much easier than sifting through a dozen box scores on espn.

[NashvilleDevil]

I didn't see much of the game but looking at the stats from last night I can't help but wonder how Mike Dunlevy managed to play 31 minutes in a blowout and not score a single point! I also wonder if Lance's 14 points were a career high.

I did see some of the Hornets/Bucks game. Was hoping to see more of Jabari and Gerald Henderson. Hendo didn't get very many minutes. Jabari played OK from what I saw. I was in and out and seemed like most of the time when I'd tune in Jabari was subbed out.

Jabari is on a team that has a lot of guys that want to shoot. Brandon Knight took 17 shots, Middleton took 15, and OJ took 10. Jabari was next with 9 and made 3

[Nosbleuatu]

I didn't see much of the game but looking at the stats from last night I can't help but wonder how Mike Dunlevy managed to play 31 minutes in a blowout and not score a single point!

There's a nice writeup from Wilbon talking about Dunleavy (LINK).

The relevant part:

Left one-on-one with one of the NBA's three best scorers in a manner that he would have considered a nightmare in his younger years, Dunleavy harassed Anthony into missing 8-of-13 shots -- and obvious frustration. Dunleavy said afterward, "I've got a whole new appreciation for guys who are asked to do that all the time." Dunleavy knew his offensive numbers would suffer. "The physicality of trying to guard him, just chasing him around. ... With where I am in my career now, I don't care about any of that. I want to contribute in any way I'm asked."

[elvis14]

There's a nice writeup from Wilbon talking about Dunleavy (LINK).

The relevant part:

That's a good answer. I guess spending all your energy trying to guard Carmelo (and doing a fine job) can have a negative effect on your offense. Dunleavy was basically playing team ball (wonder where he could have learned such a thing).

[CDu]

That's a good answer. I guess spending all your energy trying to guard Carmelo (and doing a fine job) can have a negative effect on your offense. Dunleavy was basically playing team ball (wonder where he could have learned such a thing).

Yeah, the announcers definitely did not fail to notice Dunleavy's work. Van Gundy was effusive in praise for Dunleavy's play on Carmelo. He was terrific.

To be completely fair, Dunleavy almost always had help. Whenever Anthony tried to get near the rim, he ran into the help defense of Noah and Gibson (to of the very best defensive bigs in the game). That rarely worked out well. So when Anthony couldn't bully his way through Dunleavy, he settled for contested jumpers. Sometimes, that's enough for him (he's as good an iso scorer as there is in the league, and his step-back jumper is a big part of that). But kudos to Dunleavy for forcing Anthony to continue to settle for contested mid-range jumpers. It was easily the best defensive effort I've seen from him. Great game even without hitting a field goal.

[luvdahops]

Yeah, the announcers definitely did not fail to notice Dunleavy's work. Van Gundy was effusive in praise for Dunleavy's play on Carmelo. He was terrific.

To be completely fair, Dunleavy almost always had help. Whenever Anthony tried to get near the rim, he ran into the help defense of Noah and Gibson (to of the very best defensive bigs in the game). That rarely worked out well. So when Anthony couldn't bully his way through Dunleavy, he settled for contested jumpers. Sometimes, that's enough for him (he's as good an iso scorer as there is in the league, and his step-back jumper is a big part of that). But kudos to Dunleavy for forcing Anthony to continue to settle for contested mid-range jumpers. It was easily the best defensive effort I've seen from him. Great game even without hitting a field goal.

Also reflective of Thibs' abilities as a coach to improve almost any player's individual defense and ability to operate within the Bulls' team D concepts.

[CDu]

Also reflective of Thibs' abilities as a coach to improve almost any player's individual defense and ability to operate within the Bulls' team D concepts.

Yeah, I am almost convinced that Thibs could coach a JV team to the playoffs.

[kAzE]

Lance has to be on of the best success stories in Duke basketball history. Very few people though he had any real shot at making the nba and while he hasn't been a star by any means, he has carved out s very solid career (and made quite a bit of money). I think that there is always (or at least should be) room for a high energy/hustle/glue guy who plays solid defense and aggressively goes after loose balls. Hopefully, Jefferson is taking notes because he could fill a similar role with even more of an offensive game. Especially if he can develop a consistent 12-15 shot.

Also, thanks for putting together the box score aggregation cite, I've been viewing it for years. Much easier than sifting through a dozen box scores on espn.

You know, I could see why you would consider Jefferson and Thomas similar players, but I honestly think Amile is going to be drafted after his senior year. He has the length and the motor to make an impact in the NBA. The only thing he's been missing is the strength to bang down low. Of course, he lacks the high-end athleticism to become a star in the NBA, but he seems to have packed on a considerable amount of muscle over this offseason. I could see him having a terrific final 2 years at Duke and getting drafted late first, early second round and making a roster. Guys like him usually find their way on to rosters in the league. Amile is much more talented than Lance, and he's got all the same intangibles.

[flyingdutchdevil]

You know, I could see why you would consider Jefferson and Thomas similar players, but I honestly think Amile is going to be drafted after his senior year. He has the length and the motor to make an impact in the NBA. The only thing he's been missing is the strength to bang down low. Of course, he lacks the high-end athleticism to become a star in the NBA, but he seems to have packed on a considerable amount of muscle over this offseason. I could see him having a terrific final 2 years at Duke and getting drafted late first, early second round and making a roster. Guys like him usually find their way on to rosters in the league. Amile is much more talented than Lance, and he's got all the same intangibles.

Lance was a defensive stub; the kind of player who can shut down a 3-5 in college. Amile hasn't shown 10% of the defensive effectiveness that Lance did (a portion of this is not being physically ready to play the 4 his freshman year and not physically ready to play the 5 last year). I really think you're selling Lance way short here. He is the one player that gets virtually no credit for our natty. And while he didn't score like the S-clan or rebound like Zoubs, he played exceptional team and individual defense.

Amile may end up being a good defender, but I haven't seen it thus far.

[kAzE]

Lance was a defensive stub; the kind of player who can shut down a 3-5 in college. Amile hasn't shown 10% of the defensive effectiveness that Lance did (a portion of this is not being physically ready to play the 4 his freshman year and not physically ready to play the 5 last year). I really think you're selling Lance way short here. He is the one player that gets virtually no credit for our natty. And while he didn't score like the S-clan or rebound like Zoubs, he played exceptional team and individual defense.

Amile may end up being a good defender, but I haven't seen it thus far.

You're right, Lance was a better defender. I'd attribute Amile's perceived weaknesses on defense to his lack of strength the last 2 years. Again, he seems to have worked very hard on that, so we will see. But has he really been that bad? I thought Amile was our best defensive player last year . . . obviously, it was a horrendous defensive team, but he was one of the few guys who wasn't a complete turnstile on that end of the court. After all, he had to cover for Jabari's man as well most of the time. I think his natural length, added muscle, and the addition of Okafor in the paint are going to result in a huge improvement for Amile defensively. He was just never cut out to be a center. I see him getting a ton of blocks this year as a help defender.

[flyingdutchdevil]

You're right, Lance was a better defender. I'd attribute Amile's perceived weaknesses on defense to his lack of strength the last 2 years. Again, he seems to have worked very hard on that, so we will see. But has he really been that bad? I thought Amile was our best defensive player last year . . . obviously, it was a horrendous defensive team, but he was one of the few guys who wasn't a complete turnstile on that end of the court. I think his natural length, added muscle, and the addition of Okafor in the paint are going to result in a huge improvement for Amile defensively. He was just never cut out to be a center. I see him getting a ton of blocks this year as a help defender.

You may be right, but I haven't seen anything in the last two years to keep me optimistic (other than hope and Amile playing his natural position with added weight).

Amile wasn't much of a help defender because his man often boxed him in, leaving the penetrator to do whatever he wanted. Amile was decent as an on-ball defender, provided that he wasn't getting posted up the whole time.

Last year was really incredible, from a defensive standpoint. Cook has never been a defender, and I thought he was going to be the only liability. I couldn't be more wrong. Sulaimon regressed defensively, Hood lost defensive concentration at least twice a game, Thornton was too slow to guard guards, Dawkins was improved as a defender but that isn't saying much, MP3 wasn't ready, Hairston was too short and too slow, and Jabari - well, has there ever been a Duke freshman who was that bad awful at defense? I mean, it was the perfect storm from a defensive standpoint. No coach, including an HoFer and potential GOAT, could fix this problem. Unbelievable.

[luvdahops]

You're right, Lance was a better defender. I'd attribute Amile's perceived weaknesses on defense to his lack of strength the last 2 years. Again, he seems to have worked very hard on that, so we will see. But has he really been that bad? I thought Amile was our best defensive player last year . . . obviously, it was a horrendous defensive team, but he was one of the few guys who wasn't a complete turnstile on that end of the court. I think his natural length, added muscle, and the addition of Okafor in the paint are going to result in a huge improvement for Amile defensively. He was just never cut out to be a center. I see him getting a ton of blocks this year as a help defender.

Agreed. Amile has the length, mobility and anticipation to be a very good help and face-up defender, and his improved strength should help him hold his own more inside this year. He had to play more true post defense than is ideal last year, but his role should be very different and a much better fit this year. Amile could also be very effective if/when we do press full court.

FWIW, I would say Lance was very effective defending 2s thru 4s, but like Amile, was much less effective defending true low post players. As noted previously in this thread, he was exceptionally good with switching onto smaller players. I do see similar potential in Amile, though I can't argue it has been realized yet.

[kAzE]

Agreed. Amile has the length, mobility and anticipation to be a very good help and face-up defender, and his improved strength should help him hold his own more inside this year. He had to play more true post defense than is ideal last year, but his role should be very different and a much better fit this year. Amile could also be very effective if/when we do press full court.

FWIW, I would say Lance was very effective defending 2s thru 4s, but like Amile, was much less effective defending true low post players. As noted previously in this thread, he was exceptionally good with switching onto smaller players. I do see similar potential in Amile, though I can't argue it has been realized yet.

And aside from his physical attributes, Amile is just a smart player. It's easy to see that he has a high basketball IQ. He almost never takes bad shots, and is rarely the wrong place on defense. He's one of those guys who will always get a few more rebounds a game just because he's at the right spot at the right time. Guys like him usually become good defensive players once their body matures. Ryan Kelly was like that. (Albeit with a very different skill set)

[Trey21]

And aside from his physical attributes, Amile is just a smart player. It's easy to see that he has a high basketball IQ. He almost never takes bad shots, and is rarely the wrong place on defense. He's one of those guys who will always get a few more rebounds a game just because he's at the right spot at the right time. Guys like him usually become good defensive players once their body matures. Ryan Kelly was like that. (Albeit with a very different skill set)

Totally agreed. Trying not to look past this exciting season, but Sheed and Amile will be excellent seniors if they both stay. Amile is already a superb leader and Sheed's maturity coming into this year is encouraging. They're right in the middle of their Duke careers and I expect big things from them this year and next. Excited to watch their growth this year.

Lance was really great in the first quarter last night. If he continues to play at a high level given his opportunities I think he'll eventually become a consistent rotation player in the league. He might not get rotation minutes once OKC gets healthy, but he can prove his worth to the rest of the league these next few months. Still maybe he can surprise me. If he becomes a true lock down defender I think there are minutes for him in OKC.

He's 26 right now and this is probably the best opportunity he has been given thus far in his NBA career.

[kAzE]

Totally agreed. Trying not to look past this exciting season, but Sheed and Amile will be excellent seniors if they both stay. Amile is already a superb leader and Sheed's maturity coming into this year is encouraging. They're right in the middle of their Duke careers and I expect big things from them this year and next. Excited to watch their growth this year.

Lance was really great in the first quarter last night. If he continues to play at a high level given his opportunities I think he'll eventually become a consistent rotation player in the league. He might not get rotation minutes once OKC gets healthy, but he can prove his worth to the rest of the league these next few months. Still maybe he can surprise me. If he becomes a true lock down defender I think there are minutes for him in OKC.

He's 26 right now and this is probably the best opportunity he has been given thus far in his NBA career.

Lance is currently 12.5% of the entire active roster . . . he didn't play as well last night (some bad turnovers), but they can't afford to let him go. Just a nightmare season thus far for OKC.

[zoroaster]

Not sure if this has been posted, but Jabari gave Halloween candy out to trick-or-treaters at his (?) house dressed as a Blues Brother -- very adorable, and reminds of him generously giving out Jabari Bars to the Crazies last year.

[AIRFORCEDUKIE]

Miami Blue Devils update...I mean Miami Heat update. Andre made the trip to Philly as did McRoberts. Andre got some garbage time minutes and McBob got his feet wet in limited minutes. Loul Deng was all around good as always. HEAT WIN!!!!