Dec 2016 and into 2017 optimist thread

[MarkD83]

So, over the past few days there is lots of negative news we are discussing. I will include the UNC 2nd ANOA in this since it is inherently "negative issue" (UNC taking advantage of student-athletes).

For a change of pace and to make things more positive here is a list of optimistic things related to Duke basketball:

1. Matt and Amile are doing great things as upper class captains, including consistently providing what the team needs to win ball games.
2. Despite injuries and the flux it causes with the rotation Duke is 12-1, with the only loss coming after Frank hit a clutch 3 and Kansas responding in the last possession of the game.
3. Everyone is healthy and has been on the court. They are in different stages of being game ready, but I was happy to see a smile on Harry's face. After a two year ordeal I am sure he is happy to be out on the court again.
4. Luke has stepped up. Even the commentators last night mentioned that over the summer he dedicated himself to get better so that he would be in the rotation. The commentators mentioned that he could have sulked and then transferred but instead is perhaps the best player on the court for Duke.
5. Chase has also stepped up. His improvement is not as noticeable as Luke's but he is being brought in as a viable replacement in the front court. There were actually a few plays in the past few games where he aggressively went after offensive rebounds and got the put backs. They did not show up in the box score because a foul was called on the shot before the rebound. Nonetheless, he does not look at all tentative on the court.
6. Jayson is only 5 games back from an injury and shows signs of dominating on the court. It was mentioned in the Elon thread that he has the tendency of getting the ball and not passing it, but that is easily correctable in the next 10 days. Once that is fixed, he IS the unguardable stretch 4 that Coach K always likes to have to create offensive and defensive mis-matches.
7. Frank is also showing flashes of not being a freshman. He has been hitting some clutch shots (see point 2 up above) and is able to handle the ball to get the offense going.
8. Marques is also healthy and like Harry, big men take the longest time to adjust to college basketball.

Feel free to add to the optimism thread (and no I do not have and will not get a 39-1 tattoo.)

[DavidBenAkiva]

So, over the past few days there is lots of negative news we are discussing. I will include the UNC 2nd ANOA in this since it is inherently "negative issue" (UNC taking advantage of student-athletes).

For a change of pace and to make things more positive here is a list of optimistic things related to Duke basketball:

1. Matt and Amile are doing great things as upper class captains, including consistently providing what the team needs to win ball games.
2. Despite injuries and the flux it causes with the rotation Duke is 12-1, with the only loss coming after Frank hit a clutch 3 and Kansas responding in the last possession of the game.
3. Everyone is healthy and has been on the court. They are in different stages of being game ready, but I was happy to see a smile on Harry's face. After a two year ordeal I am sure he is happy to be out on the court again.
4. Luke has stepped up. Even the commentators last night mentioned that over the summer he dedicated himself to get better so that he would be in the rotation. The commentators mentioned that he could have sulked and then transferred but instead is perhaps the best player on the court for Duke.
5. Chase has also stepped up. His improvement is not as noticeable as Luke's but he is being brought in as a viable replacement in the front court. There were actually a few plays in the past few games where he aggressively went after offensive rebounds and got the put backs. They did not show up in the box score because a foul was called on the shot before the rebound. Nonetheless, he does not look at all tentative on the court.
6. Jayson is only 5 games back from an injury and shows signs of dominating on the court. It was mentioned in the Elon thread that he has the tendency of getting the ball and not passing it, but that is easily correctable in the next 10 days. Once that is fixed, he IS the unguardable stretch 4 that Coach K always likes to have to create offensive and defensive mis-matches.
7. Frank is also showing flashes of not being a freshman. He has been hitting some clutch shots (see point 2 up above) and is able to handle the ball to get the offense going.
8. Marques is also healthy and like Harry, big men take the longest time to adjust to college basketball.

Feel free to add to the optimism thread (and no I do not have and will not get a 39-1 tattoo.)

Thanks for getting this thread started. Can we talk about Jayson Tatum's defense yet? Holy hell he is a force on the basketball court. He gets blocks, rebounds, steals, and serves as a general disruptive force on that end of the court. Between Jefferson and Tatum, the interior defense is really picking up. In fact, Duke has, even despite recent struggles against Tennessee State and Elon, steadily improved its defensive efficiency. The team is now in the top 10 for KenPom adjusted defensive efficiency. I think this is largely attributable to Tatum. A lineup featuring Jackson, Jones, Tatum, Jefferson, and either of Bolden or Giles could be awfully difficult to score against.

[Doria]

Yeah, adding on to what DavidBenAkiva said, I'm actually pleasantly surprised by our defense right now. Is it where I want it to be in March? Obviously not, but I see a lot of potential in, and have a lot of optimism for, our defense, and that's something I feel like I haven't been able to say since 2015.

Also, yes, thanks for starting this thread. It's nice to have a place for positivity, as we approach Christmas (or insert other holiday of choice!).

[jv001]

Thanks for getting this thread started. Can we talk about Jayson Tatum's defense yet? Holy hell he is a force on the basketball court. He gets blocks, rebounds, steals, and serves as a general disruptive force on that end of the court. Between Jefferson and Tatum, the interior defense is really picking up. In fact, Duke has, even despite recent struggles against Tennessee State and Elon, steadily improved its defensive efficiency. The team is now in the top 10 for KenPom adjusted defensive efficiency. I think this is largely attributable to Tatum. A lineup featuring Jackson, Jones, Tatum, Jefferson, and either of Bolden or Giles could be awfully difficult to score against.

Your lineup will not get that many minutes without Kennard. I know he's not the best defender, but he has to get 35-40 minutes until Grayson returns. GoDuke!

[Mtn.Devil.91.92.01.10.15]

We have so many weapons, our offense will be positively explosive at times in the next three months.

I can see us simply outscoring teams with our options once we get the ball movement where it needs to be.

[theschwartz]

I can't wait to see Giles once he's healthy and confident. It was great for him to get some action these last couple games. I think he's gonna work extremely hard these next 9 days to get himself in great shape by the time ACC play rolls around.

[OldPhiKap]

We are Duke.

We have Coach K.

I am optimistic about how this team grows, bumps and all, into our March tourney team.

[BD80]

...
4. Luke has stepped up. Even the commentators last night mentioned that over the summer he dedicated himself to get better so that he would be in the rotation. The commentators mentioned that he could have sulked and then transferred but instead is perhaps the best player on the court for Duke.
...
6. Jayson is only 5 games back from an injury and shows signs of dominating on the court. It was mentioned in the Elon thread that he has the tendency of getting the ball and not passing it, but that is easily correctable in the next 10 days. Once that is fixed, he IS the unguardable stretch 4 that Coach K always likes to have to create offensive and defensive mis-matches.
7. Frank is also showing flashes of not being a freshman. He has been hitting some clutch shots (see point 2 up above) and is able to handle the ball to get the offense going.
8. Marques is also healthy and like Harry, big men take the longest time to adjust to college basketball. ...

In a sense, Grayson's suspension could mark a sea change for this team. Grayson was the pre-season POY candidate, and the focus of the team. Last year, Grayson was effective as the "go to" guy, but there were limitations. With Luke playing so well in a similar role, reliance on Grayson is not as important, and it appears that Tatum will nicely fill the role Ingram occupied so effectively, plus we have Amile and Giles to add scoring in the post.

I get the feeling that Grayson's return from suspension will require the acceptance of the rest of the team. This will be a bonding experience as well as a humbling experience for Grayson. Grayson will not come back as the "go to guy," but as a guy that has to work to regain the trust of his teammates and his coaches.

Having Grayson knocked down a peg or so will allow him to occupy more of the role he had in our championship year, a heat seeking missile fired from the flank, rather than as the focal point of the offense. Making Grayson work his way back into the starting line-up will give the team the "next-man up" attitude, giving Tatum and Kennard the reins to become team leaders, and giving Giles the opportunity to earn a starting role.

In all, Grayson's punishment reinforces the coaches' confidence in the rest of the team and the principle that no one player is more important than the team.

[richardjackson199]

What happened last night was absolutely the last thing anybody wanted. BUT... Coach K has an uncanny way of using adversity to bond a group of great players together into a team. I can definitely see that happening again here. The individuals will all improve personally and professionally, and the team will become incredible.

[6th Man]

I'm really pulling for Giles to get it going. Not just for the team, but he seems like a great kid. In a time where NBA players are resting, college football stars are skipping bowl games, it is refreshing to see Giles attitude of wanting to just play the game.

[DukieTiger]

Don't look now, but Duke has the #8 defense in KenPom. The offense has actually, shockingly, been the issue this week. Have to think that will work itself out.

[UrinalCake]

Agree with BD80 that Luke has essentially replaced what we thought we would get from Grayson so far this season. Relative to what I thought heading into this season, I would say that Luke, Amile, and Jayson are performing above where I thought they would be. Frank started out above but has since drawn about even. Matt, Chase, Javin are about where I expected, while Grayson and Bolden are below, though injuries have of course played a huge role. Our defense overall is better than I had expected, while our offense is about even or maybe a tad below after the last two games.

So if we are able to get everyone fully healthy and Grayson can get his head on straight and not be distracted by the negative attention that will follow him the rest of the season, we have the potential to be an even better team that I expected coming into the season. And I expected that we would be the best team in the country by a lot. With that said, several other teams have also looked better than I expected - UCLA, Villanova, Kentucky - but I think we have the potential to made some huge improvements over the next three months.

[dukelifer]

Agree with BD80 that Luke has essentially replaced what we thought we would get from Grayson so far this season. Relative to what I thought heading into this season, I would say that Luke, Amile, and Jayson are performing above where I thought they would be. Frank started out above but has since drawn about even. Matt, Chase, Javin are about where I expected, while Grayson and Bolden are below, though injuries have of course played a huge role. Our defense overall is better than I had expected, while our offense is about even or maybe a tad below after the last two games.

So if we are able to get everyone fully healthy and Grayson can get his head on straight and not be distracted by the negative attention that will follow him the rest of the season, we have the potential to be an even better team that I expected coming into the season. And I expected that we would be the best team in the country by a lot. With that said, several other teams have also looked better than I expected - UCLA, Villanova, Kentucky - but I think we have the potential to made some huge improvements over the next three months.

UCLA is certainly a surprise. They could be a very tough out in March.

[Saratoga2]

At least for the time being, Frank will get more minutes and perhaps his overall game will show improvement. He is a very athletic and strong kid who can score. Playing with some of the starters on the floor can help him understand his defensive assignments better.

I expect a major effort by coach K to find a big man to play aside of Amile. Jayson could then be used more as a 3. We have Harry, Margues and Chase to choose from. If any of them starts to look like a force on the court, that will give the team another dimension. if 2 of them step forward, so much the better.

Grayson should return when his he meets coach K's requirements.

The combinations if everything goes well will be very hard to beat. Keep your fingers crossed.

[Mtn.Devil.91.92.01.10.15]

The combinations if everything goes well will be very hard to beat. Keep your fingers crossed.

yes! Find opportunity in challenges.

[Spanarkel]

I can't wait to see Giles once he's healthy and confident. It was great for him to get some action these last couple games. I think he's gonna work extremely hard these next 9 days to get himself in great shape by the time ACC play rolls around.

Wholeheartedly agree! I love the picture on GoDuke.com of Harry shooting his jump hook against Elon(3rd picture from the beginning.

[Volunteer Duke]

Checking in. I am very optimistic. We have the pieces to win number 6. Just need some time to get the kinks worked out.

[Mtn.Devil.91.92.01.10.15]

Checking in. I am very optimistic. We have the pieces to win number 6. Just need some time to get the kinks worked out.

Win #6? Heck, we've already won 12! I think we have an excellent shot at getting to at least 15, possibly 18!

[NYBri]

And I am optimistic about more opportunities to say:

9F!!!!

[GLTBD]

Bump; would anyone like to post some positives? I could use some.