The Kyrie Irving Toe Rehab Vigil

[devildeac]

But if we DID, we all know who would be the starting center (or hole set, if you want to sound cool!)

I don't know the water polo lingo, but I think we set the 'hole(s) right back where they belong yesterday, even with young Mr. Irving on the sidelines. But he would still be welcomed back playing at any time in the next 2-3 weeks.

[dukebluesincebirth]

Like someone mentioned yesterday, if we can continue to play as the team we played like on Sunday, Kyrie doesn't need to be a savior. If we could just use him to give Nolan a few breathers throughout the game without really losing anything, this is huge in the NCAA. Can you imagine a future #1 draft pick substituting for the ACC POY? We don't need Kyrie to play 38 minutes, but just a few could take us a long way.

[FerryFor50]

Like someone mentioned yesterday, if we can continue to play as the team we played like on Sunday, Kyrie doesn't need to be a savior. If we could just use him to give Nolan a few breathers throughout the game without really losing anything, this is huge in the NCAA. Can you imagine a future #1 draft pick substituting for the ACC POY? We don't need Kyrie to play 38 minutes, but just a few could take us a long way.

At the very least, he's extra depth, fresh legs, explosiveness and 5 more fouls to use.

At the best, he's a game changer needed against teams with strong guard play.

[OldPhiKap]

At the very least, he's extra depth, fresh legs, explosiveness and 5 more fouls to use.

At the best, he's a game changer needed against teams with strong guard play.

Don't forget, he showed some good defensive chops as well.

[FerryFor50]

Don't forget, he showed some good defensive chops as well.

Very true... implied with "game changer" comment. He was a game changer on offense AND defense.

[dukebluesincebirth]

Don't forget, he showed some good defensive chops as well.

Exactly. In fact, as good as he is offensively, I think the times I've found myself thinking about missing him the most this season has been defensively. He was an absolute hawk of an on-ball defender. If he can return to that defensive form, I feel for opposing point guards.

[-jk]

Trying to be logical in this, I'd be thinking along these lines: Practices Monday through Thursday and limited action Friday as a reserve (8-10 minutes) and then a few more minutes Sunday (if we win Friday), perhaps 10-15 minutes. This would be similar to the way K has done things in the past with the injuries to Hurley, Hill and Boozer. Putting them in reserve roles and then working them back into the rotation as re-conditioning occured, assuming there is no pain and recovery is near or at 100%. Let's see/hear what Kyrie, his father, K and the orthopedic guys have to say first.

Then again, there's always water polo. Oh, wait a minute, I don't think we have a water polo team.

-jk

[tux]

I first thought a natural progression may be for Kyrie to dress but not play, however knowing K, I think he probably doesn't dress unless he's ready to step on the court. So, I agree with the previous poster: if he's in uniform on Friday, I'd expect him to play light minutes.

Nolan has struggled offensively off the ball at times, so I think the big question mark as (and if) Duke moves deeper into the tournament is whether Duke can be *better* with Kyrie running the point and Nolan playing more of a scoring guard role. We could leave the ball in Nolan's hands and let Kyrie move off-point (i.e. take some of Curry/Dawkins minutes) --- not sure if that would work well or not.

I don't think you can use Kyrie to spell Nolan --- why take the ACC POY and possibly NPOY off the floor? Not sure how that can make the team better. Nolan's played big minutes all year; now we're hitting the stretch run --- IMO, crazy to reduce his minutes now...

[FerryFor50]

I first thought a natural progression may be for Kyrie to dress but not play, however knowing K, I think he probably doesn't dress unless he's ready to step on the court. So, I agree with the previous poster: if he's in uniform on Friday, I'd expect him to play light minutes.

Nolan has struggled offensively off the ball at times, so I think the big question mark as (and if) Duke moves deeper into the tournament is whether Duke can be *better* with Kyrie running the point and Nolan playing more of a scoring guard role. We could leave the ball in Nolan's hands and let Kyrie move off-point (i.e. take some of Curry/Dawkins minutes) --- not sure if that would work well or not.

I don't think you can use Kyrie to spell Nolan --- why take the ACC POY and possibly NPOY off the floor? Not sure how that can make the team better. Nolan's played big minutes all year; now we're hitting the stretch run --- IMO, crazy to reduce his minutes now...

Well there's foul trouble... and he's sat a few times before.

If anything, I think Kyrie's return means fewer minutes for Dawkins and maybe the bigs.

[PADukeMom]

5 -10 minutes of Kyrie is a good thing! I am still firmly in the he's coming back next year camp.

[wilson]

I Kyrie should return, I think a good place to look for some insights as to how the newly constituted team would function would be the 2000-01 team. Duhon and Williams functioned extremely well as a two-headed guard combo that season, especially down the stretch. Both alternately handled the point and 2-guard positions with aplomb, and their two-headed backcourt defense was devastating in much the same way that I think Nolan and Kyrie's could be.
The strategy and tactics employed during that tourney run could be even more instructive with regard to this year because, in light of Boozer's injury, K "went small" with the lineup for a while. I think Ferryfor50 is right that Dre and the bigs would give up most of the minutes that Kyrie would absorb, so some significant stretches with smallish lineups would seem to be likely.

[MChambers]

Exactly. In fact, as good as he is offensively, I think the times I've found myself thinking about missing him the most this season has been defensively. He was an absolute hawk of an on-ball defender. If he can return to that defensive form, I feel for opposing point guards.

I'm with you and OldPhiKap on this one. Seth and Andre are very good players offensively (not as good as Irving, when he's healthy, but who is?), but we lose some ability to pressure the ball with them in. In particular, Irving could spend some time hawking the other team's point, giving Nolan a break.

[OZZIE4DUKE]

If Kyrie does not play again for Duke and he has been medically cleared to do so, he has given up his chance to be a teenager and play for fun. I have to assume he's not coming back next year, lock out or not, so he'll be playing adult soon enough, with all the money and women and hangers-on and glitz and glamor and being under age in and adult's world. I really hope he gets to be a college player for another month. I'm pretty sure the even Kobe said he regrets never having played in the NCAA tournament.

[Class of '94]

I'm with you and OldPhiKap on this one. Seth and Andre are very good players offensively (not as good as Irving, when he's healthy, but who is?), but we lose some ability to pressure the ball with them in. In particular, Irving could spend some time hawking the other team's point, giving Nolan a break.

I love the idea of eventually (if possible) starting Kyrie and Nolan together and bringing Andre and Seth off the bench together. Those two played really well together the times that we did earlier in the season; and think about the kind of firepower off that bench that would be.

[UrinalCake]

Chris Collins on the David Glenn show... just said that Kyrie has been doing light things in the gym - dribbling, shooting - but has NOT practiced with the team. They won't even discuss the notion of him playing in a game until he is at the point that he is practicing with the team.

At the same time, he did not discount the notion that Kyrie could play in the NCAA's.

[OldPhiKap]

I love the idea of eventually (if possible) starting Kyrie and Nolan together and bringing Andre and Seth off the bench together. Those two played really well together the times that we did earlier in the season; and think about the kind of firepower off that bench that would be.

Remember, too, that Kyrie never really played much point until this year. So you could have Seth bringing the ball up, with Nolan and Kyrie on the wings.

Holy sliced defense, Batman!


Add Kyle and Ryan, and you have five guys who can hit from distance.

[dukebluesincebirth]

Chris Collins on the David Glenn show... just said that Kyrie has been doing light things in the gym - dribbling, shooting - but has NOT practiced with the team. They won't even discuss the notion of him playing in a game until he is at the point that he is practicing with the team.

At the same time, he did not discount the notion that Kyrie could play in the NCAA's.

Thanks for the up-to-the-minute updates! This really seems to be a day-to-day situation now. I'm not so sure about people saying he'll play a few minutes this weekend. I think we're looking more at a Sweet 16 comeback if anything. It sounds like Kyrie may have been a little over-excited with his "good chance" comments, but I'm still very hopeful.

[jtelander]

Chris Collins on the David Glenn show... just said that Kyrie has been doing light things in the gym - dribbling, shooting - but has NOT practiced with the team. They won't even discuss the notion of him playing in a game until he is at the point that he is practicing with the team.

This makes sense to me.

I also wonder if there is any concern that the overall quality of the team practice sessions might decrease while KI is working his way into shape and restoring his once-great but perhaps a bit rusty skill set. At this most important stage of the season, isn't the overall quality of the team's practice session more important than ever?

If he is able to practice, wouldn't his playing time need to be earned in practice...just as it is with all of his teamates?

[dukebluesincebirth]

This makes sense to me.

I also wonder if there is any concern that the overall quality of the team practice sessions might decrease while KI is working his way into shape and restoring his once-great but perhaps a bit rusty skill set. At this most important stage of the season, isn't the overall quality of the team's practice session more important than ever?

If he is able to practice, wouldn't his playing time need to be earned in practice...just as it is with all of his teamates?

I agree. You don't want guys "taking it easy" on Kyrie in practice because he's not quite at full game speed, because that causes them to not practice as hard. For this reason, I doubt they would put him into competitive, full-speed drills until he can go as hard as everyone else. The question is how long will this be????

[6th Man]

I was lucky enough to be at the game yesterday and I spent the entire time that Irving was working out watching him. They did some sideline to sideline drills where Kyrie would guard Nolan from sideline to sideline and then Kyrie would get the ball and go sideline to sideline. These were done very close to game speed. Kyrie looked like he was quick enough to beat Nolan off the dribble. The only thing I did not see him do much was get a lot of lift when he was jumping. Once he did go off 2 feet and smack the backboard on a layup. I was encouraged watching his routine thinking that it looked like he could play immediately.

I guess even though he was guarding Nolan and also dribbling against defenders, the one thing he wasn't doing was breaking them down and taking them to the rack. I would guess that is the next stage in his development and maybe for now they are letting him dribble at full speed, but maybe not wanting him to explode off of his foot taking it to the rim. The one thing that was obvious, he is painfully close to being ready if he is not there yet. At least that is how I felt while watching him.