If you could add one former Duke player..

[Troublemaker]

I think you are half-joking, but I would choose Miles or Mason Plumlee over all the answers listed here so far (Elton Brand technically fits the criteria listed in the OP but I think violates it in spirit, so I'm excluding him from consideration).

I'm more confident that some combination of Luke, Grayson, Matt, and Frank will provide good point guard play than I am in our interior defensive abilities. We're Duke - we ALWAYS have great guard play. The worry about not having a "true PG" strikes me as very similar to the same worry for 2010, and I think it will resolve itself similarly. But our defense and rebounding has been a relative weak point in many recent seasons. I'd rather team up Amile Jefferson with a Plumlee and give Duke a super rebounding duo with shot blocking added in to go along with what is guaranteed to be a great offense.

Once again, it's strange how differently two fans can view things. Here, I'm wondering why we would need rebounding and shotblocking from Plumlees when we already have those areas covered by Jefferson, Giles, Bolden, and Jeter.

I would agree that the odds are in our favor that the committee will produce good PG play. But adding a senior Amaker or Duhon makes it a lock that we'll get great PG play. With rebounding and rim protection, I think we're already close to a lock to be great at those with the current roster. I think the value-added of Amaker is greater.

[Mtn.Devil.91.92.01.10.15]

From another thread... Justise would be a very nice piece on this team... and is even age appropriate!

[killerleft]

Tommy Amaker is the guy everybody would want once they saw him practice with our present players. He was a coach on the floor, and I truly believe Coach K would pick him, too (at least within the rules set forth here).

His defense was a very big reason that Johnny Dawkins could exercise the freedom of movement on offense that was his hallmark. What a pair! Johnny played some excellent defense, too.

[RPS]

Per the rules, I choose Amaker. In spite of being a Yuge Verga fan, I still would not pick him, however. I watched him play up close during his entire varsity years, and not only was his position not at point, but defense was mostly a stranger to him. With Vacendak as his back court partner, his job was to just plain shoot------which he successfully did over and over and over again. (I believe, along with many others, that he would have had anywhere from a 4 to 7 point increase in his scoring average had the 3 point line existed during his tenure at Duke.) Since I brought up Steve Vacendak, maybe that's the guy that also should be considered: Outstanding leader, superb defender, remarkable ball handler, and excellent scorer when needed. He had quite a few 20+ point games to go along with his All-ACC and MVP awards.

I can't argue against Amaker and Vacendak would be a great choice too even though I think you're making a point guard/off-guard distinction with Vacendak and Verga that didn't really exist at the time (at least as I recall). Those teams didn't have a clearly defined point guard role (again, as I recall -- and there aren't statistical or video records sufficient to establish a clearer answer). In picking Verga I was also thinking of his fine playmaking in the pros and I may have conflated those games with those in Durham.

Excellent addition to the commentary.

[nmduke2001]

..to this year's team, who would it be? To make things more interesting, let's exclude one and dones as well as players who have their numbers in the rafters.

In case people are not reading the original post, there were some rules (see above)...Those rules would exclude Tyus, Shane, Grant, Justise, Jason, Dawkins and a several others that people are putting as obvious choices.

[chrishoke]

David Henderson. Great sixth man, defender, Mr. Clutch.

[rasputin]

Under the thread rules, it has to be Tommy.

[flyingdutchdevil]

Under the thread rules, it has to be Tommy.

On this team, Amaker does make sense. He gives this team what it most certainly lacks (elite ball stopper on defense) and most likely what it lacks (passing PG). Also, Amaker was a mediocre scorer, and this team doesn't need scoring in the slightest.

I like Amaker, but I'd still take Duhon. Duhon could mesh with any team right away. His freshman and senior teams were so different yet Duhon made it work. Me likes Duhon.

[Channing]

I haven't seen the name mentioned, and not sure I would pick him, but with the talent on this team, Greg Paulus would be an interesting option. I know he has defensive limitations, but hopefully the back end of the defense can cover. As a freshman, with huge talent around him, he was an assist machine. With this team, as an upper class man, I think he would run the show beautifully.

[duke4ever19]

Christian Laettner. A proven winner that would give the whole team a baptism of fire in what it means to compete and leave it all on the floor. He and Grayson would be a great duo.

[Olympic Fan]

I can't argue against Amaker and Vacendak would be a great choice too even though I think you're making a point guard/off-guard distinction with Vacendak and Verga that didn't really exist at the time (at least as I recall). Those teams didn't have a clearly defined point guard role (again, as I recall -- and there aren't statistical or video records sufficient to establish a clearer answer). In picking Verga I was also thinking of his fine playmaking in the pros and I may have conflated those games with those in Durham.

Excellent addition to the commentary.

Let me second that. Vacendak was no more a point guard than Grayson Allen or Nolan Smith. In fact, I would suggest that for his era, his game was a lot like Nolan's.

He actually played as much small forward as guard early in his career. On the great 1965 team (when Vacendak was a junior), Denny Ferguson played guard alongside Verga and Vacendak played forward (no one called it a three-guard set in those days). In 1966, Bubas went smaller and Vacendak played guard alongside Verga (with Marin, Riedy and Lewis up front). We don't have assist totals from that year, but in my memory, Verga and Vacendak shared the playmaking role. Vacendak averaged 13.3 ppg, so he certainly got his share of shots.

Vacendak had an interesting career in that he never made first-team All-ACC. As a senior, he finished second-team and was the ninth-leading vote-getter in the league.

Then he stepped up big in the ACC Tournament (an event Duke had to win to get an NCAA bid) and when the vote was taken for ACC Player of the Year the week after the tournament, Vacendak was voted as ACC Player of the Year as Marin, Verga and UNC's Bob Lewis (who led the league in scoring by a wide margin) split the vote.

He's still the only player to be voted ACC Player of the Year without making first-team All-ACC.

[ipatent]

On this team, Amaker does make sense. He gives this team what it most certainly lacks (elite ball stopper on defense) and most likely what it lacks (passing PG). Also, Amaker was a mediocre scorer, and this team doesn't need scoring in the slightest.

I like Amaker, but I'd still take Duhon. Duhon could mesh with any team right away. His freshman and senior teams were so different yet Duhon made it work. Me likes Duhon.

Amaker's scoring increased significantly his senior year, when it had to with Dawkins and Alarie gone. He was a team player, and probably a bit better defensively than Duhon.

[BluDvlsN1]

Fun thread…really good insights on a wide range of great players, who could disagree.
For me considering this team we have to enjoy this year, I would consider Mike Dunleavy.

He was recruited as a point guard, and grew multiple inches (6 or 8) as I recall, before
showed up on campus.

He could fit a range of positions on this team, was a good team player, saw the court and passed well.
He could even potentially play some point on this team.

[crf30]

Everyone has done a good job of pointing out this team's biggest needs: on-ball stopper and a point guard.
It kinds of sucks to know that Derryck could address both of those needs.

[killerleft]

Everyone has done a good job of pointing out this team's biggest needs: on-ball stopper and a point guard.
It kinds of sucks to know that Derryck could address both of those needs.

Agreed.

[Wander]

With rebounding and rim protection, I think we're already close to a lock to be great at those with the current roster.

I guess this is my disagreement. It is fairly difficult for me to imagine our point guard situation not working out. Though I think the scenario I'm about to describe is not especially likely, it's not as difficult for me to imagine that Giles doesn't really return to his best form after a serious injury, Bolden doesn't play with a ton of defensive intensity in his first year (something that's been mentioned in scouting reports), and Jeter continues to not be able to crack the rotation. Jefferson I have confidence in, but one good - or even elite - rebounder doesn't necessarily imply a good rebounding team overall.

[Indoor66]

I hope you don't injure yourself getting into bed tonight.

[Olympic Fan]

Agreed.

I disagree ... Derryck did have promise to be a better on-the-ball defender than anyone left on the roster (although not in a class with Amaker or Duhon).

But his playmaking skills left a LOT to be desired. A year ago, Grayson and Matt were better playmakers. He had potential as a scorer -- but Grayson, Luke and Jackson all appear to be better suited for that role.

I think one of the reasons that Derryck bolted was because he could see himself getting squeezed out of the perimeter rotation.

I think his departure does little to hurt this year's team.

I do think he would have come into his own in 2017-18 however. I think a junior Thornton would be a better player than a freshman Matt Coleman-of-Quade Green.

[ipatent]

I think one of the reasons that Derryck bolted was because he could see himself getting squeezed out of the perimeter rotation.

I suspect his Dad wanted a guarantee, which wasn't forthcoming for previously stated reasons, but he could have played his way to the starting PG position. He walked away from a supporting cast that could have made him look very good, that's for sure.

[Bob Green]

..to this year's team, who would it be? To make things more interesting, let's exclude one and dones as well as players who have their numbers in the rafters.

Tommy Amaker. He was really, really good. A lock down defender and pass first point guard who could score.