Five and Five, my take on playing time 2009

[Constantstrain 81]

First of all - the one certainty - I'm not getting any minutes this year.

I see us with five backcourt players:

Paulus
Henderson
Scheyer
Smith
Williams

I see us with five frontcourt players:

Singler
Zoubek
Thomas
Plumlee
OC

(I see Marty and Dave getting minutes early, but falling out of this top ten)

I think there are two definite backcourt positions and two definite backcourt positions. I think the swingman/small forward will end up with the group of five with the most talent and the best defense. In general, that would be, IMHO, the backcourt group. There may be circumstances and situations where that is out the window (as well as blowouts and easy games), but I think K will have the backcourt five getting the minutes for three positions and the frontcourt five getting the minutes for two positions. Of the frontcourt five, Singler will certainly take one (in big games, I see him playing big minutes).

Starting?

Paulus, Henderson, Singler.

Scheyer would be the next logical choice, but will K convince him of another 6th man year? That would help the team, but may not be relished by Jon. If not Jon, then Nolan Smith would start.

The other frontcourt starter? Typically, this has been Thomas' play. I think that Zoubek may take that spot. A Zoubek "break-out" year (which would still probably only be three rotations and about 15-18 minutes a game this year) is in order. Lance may be forced to fight for Singler's minutes, particulary with Plumlee now there to pick up post minutes. OC? Total wild card. 5 minutes a game and leads the ACC in charges? ACC rookie of the year and the number draft pick for the NBA? Who knows?

My money is on:

Paulus, Scheyer, Henderson, Singler, Zoubek

Serious minutes for E. Williams, Smith

Smaller minutes for Thomas, Plumlee, OC

Wild Card difference makers:

Henderson's growth into stardom
Singler's ability to last the season
Zoubek's progress
ACC-quality play from Williams, Smith
Someone from Thomas, Plumlee, OC stepping up unexpectedly

just my summer thoughts

[micah75]

Starting?

Paulus, Henderson, Singler.

Scheyer would be the next logical choice, but will K convince him of another 6th man year? That would help the team, but may not be relished by Jon. If not Jon, then Nolan Smith would start.

This was discussed fairly heavily a couple of months back, with Jumbo leading the charge that there is no way that Jon doesn't start. Barring injuries, of course.


The other frontcourt starter? Typically, this has been Thomas' play. I think that Zoubek may take that spot. A Zoubek "break-out" year (which would still probably only be three rotations and about 15-18 minutes a game this year) is in order. Lance may be forced to fight for Singler's minutes, particulary with Plumlee now there to pick up post minutes. OC? Total wild card. 5 minutes a game and leads the ACC in charges? ACC rookie of the year and the number draft pick for the NBA? Who knows?

Yeah, I'd like to see Brian have a break-out year, as well. If he doesn't have one, it's comforting to know that there are 3 other big guys on the team pushing him for the 5 spot.

[cb15]

A better question might be, "Who finishes games." My money then is on Paulus, Smith, Scheyer, Henderson, and Singler, who I expect to be easily the best 5 on the team.

[mgtr]

For starters, I will definitely buy into Paulus, Scheyer, Henderson, Singler, Zoubek. For finishers, I think there are just too many possible situations. I can see the game ending with Paulus, Smith, Scheyer, Henderson, and Singler, however.

[DevilDan]

I'll buy into cb15 & mgtr's take on the best guys to finish the game. My "fervent wish" (translation: PRAYER) is still that Zoubek/Olek/Thomas/Williams/Plumlee and a couple of others will have given us great minutes here and there during the games, so that our thoroughbreads can lay the wood to 'em in the final 3-5 minutes.

It all that happens we will be tough in March (and April). Go DUKE !

[quickgtp]

it will probably be:

paulus
williams
henderson
singler
thomas

smith will get minutes at the pg with scheyer coming off the bench at the 2/3. zoubek is not ready to start. he will probably continue to be a 10-15 minute player this year, but hopefully he gets better with more pt through the season.

i bet czyz gets the 2nd pt for freshmen, while miles plays 3-5 minutes a game to absorb fouls.

[mgtr]

Thomas/Zoubek choice is tough. Neither has done much, but Zoubek has been injured. I would assume they will share minutes, with both Plumlee and Czyz getting some time there.
I don't know how good Williams is, but I have a pretty good idea how good Scheyer is. I would like to see him start, at least until we have some evidence about how good the new players are. Could he reprise his role as sixth man? Sure, and that may be how it shakes out, but he brings a lot of intangibles tto the game. For sure, he will be there at the end.

[unexpected]

How does williams, a freshman who we've never seen play a single minute, start over scheyer?

Starting 5 is going to be:

Paulus
Henderson
Scheyer
Singler
Whomever emerges amongst the big men.

[jimbonelson]

How does williams, a freshman who we've never seen play a single minute, start over scheyer?

Starting 5 is going to be:

Paulus
Henderson
Scheyer
Singler
Whomever emerges amongst the big men.

what he said:)

[gw67]

The starting perimeter players this past season (Nelson, Paulus and Henderson) averaged 85 mpg with Scheyer getting 28 mpg and Smith getting about 15 mpg. I expect Scheyer to move into the starting line-up, Smith to be an excellent 6th man and Williams to back up Henderson. Based on last year this would work out to about 85 minutes for the starters, 24 mpg for Smith and about 12 mpg for Williams.

gw67

[quickgtp]

Scheyer did very well in the 6th man role last year and K may keep it that way. Williams will not have an issue starting in the ACC as a freshman. Obviously Scheyer is capable of, and could very well start. I just have a hunch that K keeps it the same way as last year with Williams filling DMarc's role. Nolan will continue to be the 2nd pg. They will keep grooming him for starting pg in 09-10.

If Williams plays less than 18 minutes a game then either he is a serious bust or something is wrong with the rotation!

[ForeverBlowingBubbles]

The most fun team to watch would have to be...

PG - Smith
SG - E. Williams
SF - G. Henderson
PF - Singler
C - OC

[BLUEDEVILS]

Somehow, i would like to see Jon Scheyer coming off the bench again this year. He did very well last year as the sixth man. But the thing that would so great about last year was we could start Lance Thomas and then bring in a starter off the bench in Scheyer.

Starters:
PG- Greg Paulus
SG- Elliot Williams
SF- Gerald Henderson
PF- Kyle Singler
C- Lance Thomas

Bench-
6. SG Jon Scheyer
7. PG Nolan Smith
8. C Brian Zoubek
9. SF Marty Pocius
10. C Miles Plumlee
11. F David McClure
12. G Jordan Davidson

[RainingThrees]

I'd put O.C ahead of jordan davidson I think.

[BLUEDEVILS]

I forgot about Czyz. :(

[ice-9]

I'm surprised people keep thinking of Thomas at the 5 -- he seems much better suited at the 4 than the 5. Thomas doesn't have much of a post game and doesn't have the size to overpower opposing 5s but he's quick, athletic, has height and a decent short-range game; in other words, the prototypical 4. (Singler of course is more of the Duke 4 than the prototypical 4).

I predict Thomas will back Singler at the 4 and Miles will back Zoubek at the 5.

[Bob Green]

I'm surprised people keep thinking of Thomas at the 5 -- he seems much better suited at the 4 than the 5.

The 5 or the 4 is all semantics. The bottom line is that Lance Thomas has played in 63 games and started 46 times since arriving at Duke. Thomas is the odds on favorite to be a starter again as a junior, but Zoubek will be battling hard to secure a slot in the starting frontcourt alongside Singler.

[FireOgilvie]

The 5 or the 4 is all semantics. The bottom line is that Lance Thomas has played in 63 games and started 46 times since arriving at Duke. Thomas is the odds on favorite to be a starter again as a junior, but Zoubek will be battling hard to secure a slot in the starting frontcourt alongside Singler.


I think a healthy Zoubek starts over Thomas. Zoubek has shown in the past to be a much better rebounder and more of a threat on offense. Here's hoping they both improve their games for next year... especially their free throw percentages.

[ForeverBlowingBubbles]

Somehow, i would like to see Jon Scheyer coming off the bench again this year. He did very well last year as the sixth man. But the thing that would so great about last year was we could start Lance Thomas and then bring in a starter off the bench in Scheyer.

Starters:
PG- Greg Paulus
SG- Elliot Williams
SF- Gerald Henderson
PF- Kyle Singler
C- Lance Thomas

Bench-
6. SG Jon Scheyer
7. PG Nolan Smith
8. C Brian Zoubek
9. SF Marty Pocius
10. C Miles Plumlee
11. F David McClure
12. G Jordan Davidson

It's safe to say there is no way E-mail will be starting over Scheyer to start off the year... E-mail may push Scheyer to have to increase his scoring per game (which I don't think he did between year 1 and 2) and his overall offensive consistency. Even if he doesn't, however, Scheyer is one of our best defenders and he will probably not only be starting but also playing 30 mpg.

[BLUEDEVILS]

^But if Scheyer comes off the bench, we can finish all of our games like this:

1- Greg Paulus
2- Jon Scheyer
3- Elliot Williams
4- Gerald Henderson
5- Kyle Singler

[jipops]

We have no depth.

[quickgtp]

How is it "safe to say" that EMail will not start? That's a bold statement....

[Wags]

I personally think Czyz is going to have a bigger impact Williams....simply because we are so deep in the backcourt. I think Czyz will become a solid defender and rebounder. He is stronger than Lance and Plumlee and more athletic than Zoubek. I don't think he will start, but I think he will get significant minutes.

[DevilDan]

Props to Wags.... I want OLEK to show his stuff. He's got the hops, the touch, and the "nose-to-rim" mentality that can give us a dynamic that we haven't had for a couple of years.

I get the idea that he will bust his butt to get on the court -- if he earns minutes, he will give the rest of the guys a lift when they see his relentlessness. Art Heyman had it, Christian brought it; to a certain extent, Kenny Dennard and Dan Meagher showed it -- I want to see it again.

A typical OLEK game might include 8 points, 5 boards, 2 charges, 4 fouls, 2 steals, 2 blocks, and a play that nobody else on the court can pull off. I want to SEE IT ... ! I just think this guy could be the REAL DEAL . . .

[RainingThrees]

olek will play great in the fast break games but tourney time when everything slowes down we need zoubek and lance to step up.

[BLUEDEVILS]

Can someone tell me why we should start Zoubek? Im not trying to be mean to Zoub but can someone explain why they think we should start him.

[dkbaseball]

Can someone tell me why we should start Zoubek? Im not trying to be mean to Zoub but can someone explain why they think we should start him.

He's a 7-1 space eater who can practically drop the ball in the bucket standing on his tiptoes. Potentially a major low post offensive presence and solid rebounder. I do think that if they're going to play Zoubs they've got to change the defense a little while he's in there. He can't be taking multiple trips between the perimeter and the paint.

But I'm an Olek guy, and expect him to be starting by mid-season.

[ForeverBlowingBubbles]

^But if Scheyer comes off the bench, we can finish all of our games like this:

1- Greg Paulus
2- Jon Scheyer
3- Elliot Williams
4- Gerald Henderson
5- Kyle Singler

Sorry if I can't help but asking why we can't start Scheyer and finish with Scheyer. We should start our best players.

What you said has nothing to do with what I said.

[ForeverBlowingBubbles]

How is it "safe to say" that EMail will not start? That's a bold statement....

There is a great reason... Jon Scheyer

Why is that a reason?

1) He is Duke's 2nd returning leader in minutes played (and was 2nd as a freshmen as well)
2) He is Duke's 2nd returning leader in assists
3) He is Duke's 3rd returning leader in points scored
4) He is Duke's best returning off-ball defender (and an excellent on-ball defender as well)
5) He is Duke's 2nd returning leader in 3 point %.
6) He is our best free throw shooter
7) He posts our best Assist/ Turnover ratio.
8) He's one of our leaders
9) Demarcus is gone and what do you know... Scheyer played the same position...

Some good reasons why Elliot Williams will start over Scheyer in the first game of the season are...

[Abraxas]

Mass substitutions.

Do you remember when K used 5 subs at once as a regular strategy?

Play forward to 2008-9! However, I think Scheyer will lead the 2nd unit, but finish the game with the 1st unit.

[SupaDave]

^But if Scheyer comes off the bench, we can finish all of our games like this:

1- Greg Paulus
2- Jon Scheyer
3- Elliot Williams
4- Gerald Henderson
5- Kyle Singler


Did you read what you wrote? Who's gonna get rebounds? Somebody has got to get rebounds. This is like saying the rest of the ACC is 6'4.

Who checks Tyler? Do we want Singler doing that while Henderson has to muscle up with Deion Thompson? Meanwhile Danny Green is throwing around Elliott Williams while Paulus is being shadowed by Lawson. Ellington vs. Scheyer is no mis/match.

Assuming an end game line-up as such is hoping for a LOT of big wins. Unfortunately this team will be pushed by a number of teams - and we will require some girth at the end of games.

[quickgtp]

Foreverblowingbubbles......i will try to say this as politely as possible, but you lost a ton of credit IMO when you stated simply that our 5 best players should play. I guess positioning, size, etc. don't mean anything anymore? Wow. Is that what you meant?

All of those Scheyer stats are great but he may continue to thrive as the 6th man. Elliot Williams is more than capable to start in ACC play. I know this because I have seen him live 7 different times (both good and bad.) Didn't Scheyer get more PT and start more games than Henderson their freshman year? What happened last season? GH started and Jon played 6th man where he thrived like Danny Green @ UNC.

If Czyz has a better season than Williams then he will be downright nasty. Olek is a human highlight reel, but I think some of us need to take a deep breath and remember all of those games that he is tearing it up in have nearly no defense. Olek will be a great spark off the bench, but starting by mid season? Nope, not gonna happen.

[BLUEDEVILS]

He's a 7-1 space eater who can practically drop the ball in the bucket standing on his tiptoes. Potentially a major low post offensive presence and solid rebounder. I do think that if they're going to play Zoubs they've got to change the defense a little while he's in there. He can't be taking multiple trips between the perimeter and the paint.

But I'm an Olek guy, and expect him to be starting by mid-season.

You just named what Zoubek can be. He hasnt done any of ^that for us yet. Im not faulting him, because he was a project player, but unless he steps up in a big way, he will be a non-factor.

But im not saying we should totally throw him out of the picture. When we play the Tar Heels he can try to disrupt Tyler Hansbrough as much as he can. He everything we asked him to do last year against the Tar Heels. And he's only gona get better.

Back to Scheyer, SupaDave you made a great point on that lineup when we play North Carolina. Not anyone that we will play next year will be as tall/loaded as them. But for the sake of argument, when we play the tar heels we have to still get those guys in. Paulus has to play. In key defensive situations we would put Nolan Smith in.

1- Paulus/Smith.....Lawson/Frasor
2- Scheyer/Williams.....Ellington/Ginyard
3- Henderson.....Green
4- Singler/Thomas/Czyz.....Thompson/Davis
5- Zoubek/Plumlee.....Hansbrough/Zeller

[skitelz]

yes, scheyer started more games than henderson their freshman season. why? because henderson had asthma (or was out of shape) and couldnt contribute like scheyer could.

yes, henderson started more games this year than scheyer. why? because henderson got over his problems and was ready to be a star. it was not because scheyer got worse. henderson was always better and is a potential superstar. there was no way that Coach K would start scheyer over two year starter and senior leader demarcus nelson. so, he asked scheyer to take one for the team and anchor the second unit as sixth man. he probably even pointed to nate james as what scheyer would accomplish as a sixth man.

now that demarcus is gone, there is no one standing in the way of jon starting. and the weakness we had last year (offense for the second team) is not a weakness anymore. nolan proved last year that he can more than take over jon's role as instant offense sixth man. as good as elliot could be, we have no way of knowing if he could handle a starting role in the acc and outplay a excellent junior and potentially great sophomore for that starting role. if he was to start this season, it would most likely not be until much later in the season after he has proved himself.

[whereinthehellami]

A lineup with Paulus and Scheyer in the backcourt has some serious lateral quickness issues in Duke's defensive scheme. Throw in Zoubek and that lineup has some alot of holes on the defensive end. Unless Zoubek plays a matchup zone and hangs out in the key. Otherwise he gets dragged out of the key by his man and Paulus's and Scheyer's man trys to blow by them every chance they get.

[devilish]

Hopefully we can finish most of our games with a lineup of walkons and benchwarmers because were up 35 points!

[BLUEDEVILS]

^Both of those last two posts were very true. I understand why Scheyer should start but lets face the facts, him and Paulus arent that quick and cant handle a whole game of Lawson/Ellington. So i guess this is where Nolan Smith and Elliot Williams come in. They are both quicker and very good defensive players.

Maybe we should just go back to Marty ball! With him and Olek on the court at the same time, we are unstoppable. :)

[ice-9]

Hmm, I agree re: Paulus but not sure I do re: Scheyer. Scheyer is a pretty good perimeter defender and has the length to bother most guards.

Assuming Zoubek scales up the curve like most of us are hoping, I think a Zoubek and Paulus/Scheyer inside-outside attack (with Singler and Henderson slashing to the basket) can be quite potent in the half court.

[quickgtp]

actually it was said that henderson did not have asthma so that argument goes out the window. scheyer started because he simply was ready for the game and fit the role well. he thrived last year as a 6th man and don't be shocked if it stays that way. what is all this talk of smith being the "6th man?" smith and paulus will probably never play on the court at the same time barring injury or foul issues. smith is the back up pg at this point and shouldn't be considered the 6th man IMO. williams is long and much quicker than scheyer so there is a good chance that he starts over jon. if we start paulus, scheyer, henderson, singler, and zoubek then teams will start out stronger simply off of athleticism. we have to have another athletic player on the court with that set.

[Scoring Point]

How about Paulus as the 6th man? With Nolan as the starting point, taking over D Marc's role as the primary on the ball perimeter defender and giving better penetration and, hopefully, creation offensively from the PG spot. Paulus backs up at PG and plays some on the wing as well, serving as a deep shooter/zone buster, high energy, change of pace guy off the bench. I think Greg is much better suited to this type of role than that of starting PG on a team with Final Four aspirations. But this scenario assumes that Nolan grows much more comfortable in a lead guard role, which is far from a given.

I think E-Will's role on this squad is hard to peg. While I have not seen him play, I certainly like what I hear about his game. At the same time, the fact that he is rated the 15th or so best player in a HS class generally considered to be mediocre if not weak makes me a bit skeptical that he's ready to challenge for a starting spot right out of the box.

[RainingThrees]

It wouldn't be good to have your senior captain who has started all previous years coming off the bench. If he wasn't a senior I would agree.

[Scoring Point]

Agree it's a longshot, but there is a precedent of sorts, with our newest assistant coach no less

[unexpected]

This thread is ridiculous.

Just because Scheyer is white, does not make him slow. Scheyer will start. As it's been said before, he's our best defender.

It makes absolutely no sense for E-Will to start over him. If E-Will was an OJ Mayo level recruit, yeah, then maybe, we can talk about it- but he's not.

He's never played a second for us. He's never been at UNC, in the Dean Dome. He hasn't learned what it's like to play Duke defense.

I'm sorry, but for you to suggest that he starts just places totally unrealistic expectations on the kid. You should read the other thread on exactly this topic, where this exact scenario was discussed ad nauseum.

It's amazing the expectations we have of our incoming recruits.

[Bob Green]

It wouldn't be good to have your senior captain who has started all previous years coming off the bench. If he wasn't a senior I would agree.

Did I miss something? I do not believe the team captain for 08-09 has been announced. It is presumptuous to assume Paulus will be the team captain.

[mgtr]

Did I miss something? I do not believe the team captain for 08-09 has been announced. It is presumptuous to assume Paulus will be the team captain.

I disagree. I would be shocked if Paulus were not the captain, or at least co-captain. I believe that if there were a Las Vegas line on our team captain, Paulus would be at least 5 to 1.

[RainingThrees]

I couldn't imagine ayone else being captain. He is the vocal leader of the team and like Dave McClure he sets an example by scraping and fighting for every loose ball.

[skitelz]

actually it was said that henderson did not have asthma so that argument goes out the window. scheyer started because he simply was ready for the game and fit the role well. he thrived last year as a 6th man and don't be shocked if it stays that way. what is all this talk of smith being the "6th man?" smith and paulus will probably never play on the court at the same time barring injury or foul issues. smith is the back up pg at this point and shouldn't be considered the 6th man IMO. williams is long and much quicker than scheyer so there is a good chance that he starts over jon. if we start paulus, scheyer, henderson, singler, and zoubek then teams will start out stronger simply off of athleticism. we have to have another athletic player on the court with that set.

did you actually read my post or just skim it? some have said that henderson had asthma that year and henderson himself said he was out of shape. that is the only reason that scheyer started his freshman year. henderson is a superstar just waiting to pop out and he would have started over jon their freshman year if not for his problems getting up and down the floor. argument flies back through window.

jon filled a need last year in second unit scoring. coach k gave him that role and he accepted it for one year. the only reason that the scenario for him to be the sixth man became available was because of demarcus's stranglehold of the one wing spot and henderson getting over his problems. now, demarcus is gone and jon is poised in his minutes, scoring averages, rebounds, hustle, leadership, experience, and defensive presence to slide into the place demarcus vacated without their being any slip in skill level or production.

why is it wrong for nolan to be the sixth man? it seems to me he perfectly poised to become jon jr. a perfect sixth man can play multiple positions, be a good defender, bring some instant offense off the bench, be experienced enough to handle anything that happens in the game like a starter could, and can make good decisions. nolan is all of these things and more. he can play both point and wing. we have all seen how he can potentially be a game changer on both ends of the floor. he, as a sophomore, has learned from his mistakes from a year ago and understands the game in a way that he couldnt have his freshman year. while email might be these things, we cannot know because he has yet to play a game in duke blue. plus, nolan's experience and maturity in game situations is much better than elliot's could be at this stage of the game. and how do you know that elliot is so much longer and quicker than jon? it seems to me that they are roughly the same size. and no one has seen them play together in a game situation, so no one could compare if one is quicker than the other. maybe email's competition was that much more slower than the college game. until the seaspn starts, there is no way you can say that because their is no proof to show you are correct.

[Bob Green]

I would be shocked if Paulus were not the captain, or at least co-captain.

Just like people were shocked that Paulus wasn't a captain last year after being one of the tri-captains as a sophomore.

I agree that Paulus is probably one of the main candidates, but I believe we would all be better served by waiting for the press release rather than assuming the results.

[quickgtp]

unexpected......what does jon scheyer being white have to do with anything? don't continue down that road for everyone's sake here. jon is not nearly as athletic as someone such as ewill or henderson or czyz. no big deal. thats not my issue with him anyway. actually, wait, i don't have an issue with jon in the first place. it is just that he played well as a 6th man last year, and may continue that route. unrealistic expectation? come on, this would be unrealistic for miles or czyz, not email (16th) or singler (6th) (which it wasnt last year.)

skitelz....so wait, henderson did or did not have asthma? it had nothing to do with jon simply being the better player overall out of HS? i guess you know GH on a personal level so you know for a fact it was asthma, even though it has been confirmed that it was not? right back out the window my friend. please clarify. did jon sign a contractual agreement to play as the 6th man for one year and one year only? where was that in the news? seriously, you need to understand that jon thrived in the 6th man role, and there is a decent chance that he stays there next year. you have not seen elliot williams play in person and you are going simply off of HS rankings. have you not learned how off those rankings can be? i am not saying this is a definite, but i think theres a good chance. you on the other hand appear to be sure of your argument. funny, what other inside scoops can you give us?

elliot not as fast as jon? no proof? no, i havent seen them both in person. elliot is much more explosive and is faster than jon. he also can break opponents down and get to the rim better than jon can. jon is a better pure shooter, and probably a better overall defender at this point. Email has faster hands though and will become the better defender in K's system.

nolan as the main 6th man? wow, where do i begin? i guess jon will go back to being the backup pg? i guess there is not need to groom nolan for the pg position in 09 because we definitely are getting kenny? come on man.

[ForeverBlowingBubbles]

you need to understand that jon thrived in the 6th man role

He scored the same amount per game when he was a sixth man/sophmore as he did when he was a freshmen/starter.

He thrived as as starter too...

[quickgtp]

sure did with an average of 5 minutes less pg......so i ask.....your point?

again, jon thrived in the 6th man role. last year he didnt have to focus on being the 2nd pg (and sometimes starting pg while greg was out.)

[RainingThrees]

Although we worry now the best player will asert themselves in practice and will start. Whether that be Nolan, Elliot or Jon we have three great options who could all start at other schools.

[Bob Green]

last year he didnt have to focus on being the 2nd pg (and sometimes starting pg while greg was out.)

Some of our best offensive sets were run with Jon handling the ball up top. I'd like to see Jon play more point guard.

Is the shift key broke on your computer?

[quickgtp]

Some of our best offensive sets were run with Jon handling the ball up top. I'd like to see Jon play more point guard.

Is the shift key broke on your computer?

LOL Bob, no it is not. It was just late and I was tired!

I guess only time will settle this debate. Again, I state that there is a good chance, not a definite....

[quickgtp]

I hear Mike Patrick every time I see your postings/name Raining Threes. I absolutely love that name my friend!

[Constantstrain 81]

My original thought on Scheyer was this: He is the obvious (in my opinion) choice as starter. The question is whether K believes it to be better for Scheyer to play the 6th man role again. If he does, then the question turns to who is the other starter? EWill or Nolan Smith are the general choices, in my mind. However, I believe that Scheyer will start.

[RainingThrees]

I hear Mike Patrick every time I see your postings/name Raining Threes. I absolutely love that name my friend!

thanks man I was watching that youtube video of the highlights right before I joined.

[mgtr]

Gee whiz, folks! Here we are only three months from the start of the season, and everybody is asleep! Where are all the threads on whether Paulus or Smith will start? Whether Scheyer is potentially better than JJ? When Hendo will go pro? How many points Marty will make in the exhibition games? Will Olek Czyz (aka the Czyzle) ignite the Cameron Crazies? What if Olek and Marty are on the floor at the same time -- will there be a mass swoon, a la Obama and Gorbachev?
These are all questions which need to be debated prior to the start of the season -- and if we don't do it, who will? C'mon mods, lets get in the game and jack up some of the players. I think too many people are worried about the Olympics, gas prices, the mortgage fiasco, wars around the world and other trivial matters. Lets focus on what really matters -- Duke Basketball!!!!!!

[devilirium]

I think Cutcliffe's recruiting efforts, conditioning, and folksy demeanor have derailed basketball a little bit. I still attend the games at Central, and love to see those guys play, but football has been an equally welcome distraction.

[3rd Dukie]

I don't know any of the answers, but I LOVE your priorities!! At least your head is screwed on straight.