Page 1 of 6 123 ... LastLast
Results 1 to 20 of 103

Thread: Andre?

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Location
    Greensboro, NC

    Andre?

    What's going on with Andre?

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Location
    Atlanta, GA
    He's suffered a dip in his confidence, owing primarily to some cold shooting, which has in turn led him to bring less than 100% effort and focus on every possession and at both ends of the floor. He has allowed a few bad calls and other moments of frustration to affect his demeanor way too much.
    This, as we know, is the easiest route to Coach K's (temporary) doghouse. Long-term, he will be fine, but for now, he's (probably rightfully) sitting and thinking a little bit, while watching others (namely, Seth Curry) parlay solid practice and continuous resolve into starter's minutes and strong contributions to the team.

  3. #3
    What's wrong? He's young. He's susceptible to mood swings in his game. I have faith in what we've seen of his character and Coach K's ability to motivate kids that he will find his shooting touch again and work hard on other parts of his game, too.

    People who've watched Duke for three years or more may remember similar crises in confidence of its guards in their freshman or sophomore years, including our current NPOY candidate.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Location
    Greensboro, NC
    Rudy, I agree with you. I'm not worried about his shot at all. IMO he just has not seemed happy all year. I could be, and probably am wrong, but I worry about his confidence and hope the fire is burning hot within.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Aug 2007
    He don't move without the ball. He stands on the wing and waits for a pass. He needs to watch Kyle and start moving to get open.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Apr 2010
    Location
    Arlington, VA
    I only know what I see on TV, but Andre didn't look all that unhappy before the last week or two, when things were going well--in fact, he usually looked excited and focused.
    The shooting problems seemed to start in the NC State game--where he came out blazing, going 4-4 in the first half and providing a lot of our early points. But the foul trouble he got into seemed to slow his momentum, and he went 0-4 after coming back in from the bench. In the two games since then he has seemed less effective on the court and played many fewer minutes.
    Whatever he is working through, I hope he figures it out soon (with the help of the coaching staff). His height means he can do some things, and guard some people, that Seth can't, and we will need both of them to be playing well as we head toward the postseason. And he seems like a good, likeable kid--so I'd like things to work out well for him as well as for Duke.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Nov 2009
    Before the season I correctly predicted that Curry not Dawkins would be the key factor.

    Dawkins has a problem in that he has very short arms and he is very slow laterally for a guard his size. This is not a good combination for defense. Also he appears to have problems dribbling the ball.

    Curry is a Dawkins with much longer arms and better ball handling skills.

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Location
    NC
    Quote Originally Posted by MCFinARL View Post
    I only know what I see on TV, but Andre didn't look all that unhappy before the last week or two, when things were going well--in fact, he usually looked excited and focused.
    The shooting problems seemed to start in the NC State game--where he came out blazing, going 4-4 in the first half and providing a lot of our early points. But the foul trouble he got into seemed to slow his momentum, and he went 0-4 after coming back in from the bench. In the two games since then he has seemed less effective on the court and played many fewer minutes.
    Whatever he is working through, I hope he figures it out soon (with the help of the coaching staff). His height means he can do some things, and guard some people, that Seth can't, and we will need both of them to be playing well as we head toward the postseason. And he seems like a good, likeable kid--so I'd like things to work out well for him as well as for Duke.
    I'd say that the problems may have started before that - with the FSU game in which he went 1-8 from 3. Prior to that, he'd not had a particularly bad shooting game all season. He then hit a couple of big shots in the second half of the UVa game, and had some early buckets in the NC State game. But including the FSU game, he's gone 5-24 in his last 5 games (with 3 of those makes coming in the UVa game).

    He's still developing as a player, and I don't think he's yet expanded his game to the point where he's effective offensively if the outside shot isn't falling. And since the outside shot isn't falling right now, he's probably struggling with confidence. It's completely understandable that he looks frustrated. I'd be frustrated too if I had a beautiful shot like his that just wasn't falling.

    I agree with you that I hope his shot returns and that he's able to regain that positive energy that he showed earlier in the season. I'd like to see him get stronger with the ball too. He had some trouble with this against FSU, and hasn't looked as aggressive against pressure defense since then.

    Hopefully, he bounces back soon. As long as we don't have Irving, we need him and Curry to be factors at the wing spot to take pressure off of Singler and Smith and provide another weapon on the floor.

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Dec 2008
    Location
    Raleigh, NC

    Dre

    Lets not forget a few facts here. Dre came to Duke early, he sped up the education process, it's a stretch to just assume he did the same for both his physical growth and mental growth. Had Elliot Williams not left he would probably have just joined the squad as a freshman. Add that to the fact that I'm sure on some level he is still dealing with the tragic loss of his sister. He is still a very young player, but we forget that sometimes as he received considerable PT on a national championship team.

    Curry, on the other hand, has had a "similarly opposite" experience. Curry experienced a year of college level competition, and while he sat out for a year and couldn't even practice, again it would be a stretch to assume that he did not grow physically and mentally. Had he stayed at Liberty he would now be a junior.

    While they are both sophomores as far as their eligibility is concerned, in any other circumstance one would be a freshman and the other a junior and there is obviously a big difference between them, both mentally and physically.

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Location
    Durham, NC
    Quote Originally Posted by epoulsen View Post
    Lets not forget a few facts here. Dre came to Duke early, he sped up the education process, it's a stretch to just assume he did the same for both his physical growth and mental growth. Had Elliot Williams not left he would probably have just joined the squad as a freshman. Add that to the fact that I'm sure on some level he is still dealing with the tragic loss of his sister. He is still a very young player, but we forget that sometimes as he received considerable PT on a national championship team.

    Curry, on the other hand, has had a "similarly opposite" experience. Curry experienced a year of college level competition, and while he sat out for a year and couldn't even practice, again it would be a stretch to assume that he did not grow physically and mentally. Had he stayed at Liberty he would now be a junior.

    While they are both sophomores as far as their eligibility is concerned, in any other circumstance one would be a freshman and the other a junior and there is obviously a big difference between them, both mentally and physically.
    I believe Curry was able to practice with the team last year.

  11. #11
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Location
    Atlanta, GA
    Quote Originally Posted by 94duke View Post
    I believe Curry was able to practice with the team last year.
    He did. The other players talked a lot about his contributions and hustle during practice, and K has repeatedly cited this in decrying the fact that Seth was barred from receiving a championship ring.

  12. #12
    Join Date
    Jan 2009
    Location
    Chicago, IL
    Quote Originally Posted by CDu View Post
    I'd say that the problems may have started before that - with the FSU game in which he went 1-8 from 3. Prior to that, he'd not had a particularly bad shooting game all season. He then hit a couple of big shots in the second half of the UVa game, and had some early buckets in the NC State game. But including the FSU game, he's gone 5-24 in his last 5 games (with 3 of those makes coming in the UVa game).

    He's still developing as a player, and I don't think he's yet expanded his game to the point where he's effective offensively if the outside shot isn't falling. And since the outside shot isn't falling right now, he's probably struggling with confidence. It's completely understandable that he looks frustrated. I'd be frustrated too if I had a beautiful shot like his that just wasn't falling.

    I agree with you that I hope his shot returns and that he's able to regain that positive energy that he showed earlier in the season. I'd like to see him get stronger with the ball too. He had some trouble with this against FSU, and hasn't looked as aggressive against pressure defense since then.

    Hopefully, he bounces back soon. As long as we don't have Irving, we need him and Curry to be factors at the wing spot to take pressure off of Singler and Smith and provide another weapon on the floor.

    I agree with you on the most part, but as long as we have Ryan Kelly playing the way he's playing right now, I think we'll be just fine

    Dre is still the type of player that if he's not shooting well, it affects the rest of his game because his frustration gets the best of him. I was the same way in high school and most other kids were like that as well. He's young, but he'll get it eventually.
    Last edited by Bob Green; 01-28-2011 at 02:22 PM. Reason: Fix quote tag

  13. #13
    Quote Originally Posted by Cockabeau View Post
    Before the season I correctly predicted that Curry not Dawkins would be the key factor.

    Dawkins has a problem in that he has very short arms and he is very slow laterally for a guard his size. This is not a good combination for defense. Also he appears to have problems dribbling the ball.

    Curry is a Dawkins with much longer arms and better ball handling skills.
    Let's not forget that a month ago people were saying Dawkins has "it", while Curry was off. Things sure can flip flop in a hurry. I think the lesson is that all players go through slumps. He is still making some good plays and certainly will have the opporunity to get back in great form. Andre is shooting nearly 53% for the season. That's not too shabby. By the way, Curry is shooting second-worst on the team (above only Hairston) at 39%. I'm not saying Curry is playing badly, but I wouldn't say he has solidly outperformed Andre. I also wouldn't say he has longer arms - does he really? I'd say Curry has quicker hands for sure though. He's averaging 1.4 steals per game, only 0.1 behind the Nolan who plays 12 minutes more per game. By the way, Kyle is shooting 43.9%. I don't think any of us would say he's playing poorly, but that's not a great percentage. It's the third worst on the team. I realize shooting percentage is a small picture, but even in that regard I expect Kyle to turn it up a notch. Even Kyle has gone through some shooting slumps (although he contributes in many other ways).

  14. #14
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Location
    Norfolk, VA
    Quote Originally Posted by epoulsen View Post
    Lets not forget a few facts here. Dre came to Duke early, he sped up the education process, it's a stretch to just assume he did the same for both his physical growth and mental growth.
    This is a bit of a misnomer. Dawkins reclassified when he transferred to Atlantic Shores Christian Academy so even though he came to Duke after his junior year of high school he still spent four years in high school: freshman, reclassify, freshman, sophomore, junior.

    I'm a huge Dawkins fan and extremely confident he is going to bounce back and drop 20 points on a team again this season. At a minimum, Dawkins will hit some key baskets down the stretch just like he did as a freshman against Baylor in the Elite Eight. He's in a temporary slump.
    Bob Green

  15. #15
    Join Date
    Nov 2009
    Location
    Carrboro, NC
    Quote Originally Posted by Cockabeau View Post
    Before the season I correctly predicted that Curry not Dawkins would be the key factor.

    Dawkins has a problem in that he has very short arms and he is very slow laterally for a guard his size. This is not a good combination for defense. Also he appears to have problems dribbling the ball.

    Curry is a Dawkins with much longer arms and better ball handling skills.
    I think it's a little early to toot your own horn on this one. For stretches this year Andre has been more effective than Seth and for stretches Seth has been more effective than Dre. In fact, barring last night's awesome performance from Seth, their numbers are pretty comparable over the last 5 or so games.

    In terms of size and arm length. They are two different sized players (Dre has a couple inches and 20 lbs on Seth) and two different types of athletes (Dre has explosive leaping ability and Seth is obviously quicker.) They won't necessarily be guarding the same players and won't necessarily have the same defenders matched up against them. I think it's possible that the opponent might dictate which player is more effective in a given game.

    Remember, it was only a few games ago when Andre helped spark a nice Duke run that helped put Virginia away. The following game against NCSU saw both players with so-so performances although Andre was important in the first half. Seth got more minutes against Wake but neither player was setting the world on fire. Then last night Seth catches fire which is great but not necessarily a sure sign that he is now more important than Dre. We've got two incredibly streaky shooters on our team with amazing form. If Seth continues to shoot lights out over the course of the year then I will be happy to give you props on your correct prediction but until then, let's hold off on declaring one more important than the other. Up until this point I would say that they've been equally as important with Andre maybe having a slightly better year. I mean he's played 70 more minutes and has about 60 more points than Seth...

  16. #16
    I'll say that he looked better last night than he did in the second halves against State and Wake. In both of those games, his reactions to adversity seemed to be the problem, not his shooting touch. His attitude seemed better against BC, even if his PT didn't go up.

    Shooters go through slumps, he'll be fine. I also think whatever else is going on will get fixed, our coaches are too excellent not to correct it.
    "Something in my vicinity is Carolina blue and this offends me." - HPR

  17. #17
    Quote Originally Posted by Cockabeau View Post
    Before the season I correctly predicted that Curry not Dawkins would be the key factor.

    Dawkins has a problem in that he has very short arms and he is very slow laterally for a guard his size. This is not a good combination for defense. Also he appears to have problems dribbling the ball.

    Curry is a Dawkins with much longer arms and better ball handling skills.
    I disagree with this. Strongly. Dre has tremendous raw athleticism to go with his great shooting form. It's true he doesn't have a great handle yet (again though I'd draw analogies to Nolan earlier in his career). But I think his getting beat on D has a lot more to do with footwork, positioning, and focus than quickness or body type. I actually thought it was Seth who looked very slow laterally at the beginning of the season (he compenated somewhat by being able to poke the ball out from behind). Anyway I think Seth and Dre's recent relative performance has a lot more to do with mental strength and limitations rather than physical ones.

  18. #18
    Quote Originally Posted by Cockabeau View Post
    Before the season I correctly predicted that Curry not Dawkins would be the key factor.
    Correctly predicted? Apart from the last two games, Dawkins has contributed to the team as much as, and often more than Curry. It's a little early to be patting yourself on the back for your "predictions."

  19. #19

    DRE

    Run the tapes of the last two games and watch his defense. Right now the difference in Curry's time and Dre's is defense. It has been K's belief for a hundred years, that good defense leads to good offense. Simply put, play defense... you play more minutes.

  20. #20
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Location
    NC
    Quote Originally Posted by Cockabeau View Post
    Before the season I correctly predicted that Curry not Dawkins would be the key factor.

    Dawkins has a problem in that he has very short arms and he is very slow laterally for a guard his size. This is not a good combination for defense. Also he appears to have problems dribbling the ball.
    I find this amusing. You've been silent over the past several weeks on this matter, given that Curry had indeed not been the key factor. In fact, until last night, it was looking like Curry might have been overtaken by both Dawkins AND Thornton.

    You had even started taking credit for Dawkins as part of your "small lineup" argument when it looked like Dawkins was emerging and Curry was not going to be the key guy.

    Quote Originally Posted by Cockabeau View Post
    Curry is a Dawkins with much longer arms and better ball handling skills.
    He's also substantially shorter, slighter, and has less of a vertical. And he's not that much better a ballhandler.

    In short, both players are streaky, and both rely heavily on their 3pt shot. A few weeks ago, it looked like Dawkins was an emerging star and everyone was questioning Curry. Prior to last night, people were questioning both players. Today, Curry is back in favor. I'd wait a few more weeks before patting yourself on the back on this one.

Similar Threads

  1. Does Andre have a nickname now?
    By fitimi1 in forum Elizabeth King Forum
    Replies: 58
    Last Post: 01-19-2011, 10:39 PM
  2. Andre gets 6th man of the week award.
    By Duke: A Dynasty in forum Elizabeth King Forum
    Replies: 5
    Last Post: 12-30-2010, 07:05 AM
  3. Andre Dawkins
    By Osiagledknarf in forum Elizabeth King Forum
    Replies: 144
    Last Post: 09-07-2010, 06:41 PM
  4. Andre Dawkins interview
    By watzone in forum Elizabeth King Forum
    Replies: 12
    Last Post: 07-01-2010, 01:11 PM
  5. Andre Dawkins
    By roywhite in forum Elizabeth King Forum
    Replies: 56
    Last Post: 12-03-2009, 07:11 PM

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •