Nolan Smith - Greg Paulus

[CameronBornAndBred]

It seems to me that Greg is working well past his injuries, and has been very productive while on the floor. In the last few games I'd say he has done a better job than Nolan. Or at least done SOME of the PG duties better than Nolan, they will always have strengths and weaknesses. Just wondering what other people are seeing on the floor with these two. Right now, with the game tight and us needing points, I'd rather have GP3 in there, and if he keeps up his improvement, it will not surprise me if he gets the starter job back before the end of the year. He's always going to be slower than Nolan, but he's a better scorer, and has been running the team well while he is out there.

[Oriole Way]

He looked much better offensively yesterday, so hopefully he's finally getting over his injuries. But he is still a liability on defense, to the point that teams can focus their entire offense on exploiting him. There were several plays where Paulus getting beat by his man lead directly to a field goal for GT. I wish I could compile a highlight reel of clips to illustrate how many defensive breakdowns are caused by him being on the floor.

I'm really concerned that Nolan is fighting through an injury as well, since he seems very hesitant to drive the the basket. Something just seems off with him. As long as Nolan can control his turnovers, I would still much rather have him on the floor instead of Paulus for defensive purposes.

If we can figure out how to get better play from our PG position and from Zoubek and Thomas, we can become a much better team. I hope we can figure it out soon, with the schedule getting increasingly tough.

[Houston]

Right now, with the game tight and us needing points, I'd rather have GP3 in there, and if he keeps up his improvement, it will not surprise me if he gets the starter job back before the end of the year. He's always going to be slower than Nolan, but he's a better scorer, and has been running the team well while he is out there.

If it aint broke, don't fix it. Since Duke does not get many easy baskets and suffers through offensive lapses, a premium needs to be place on defense. While we did not see this last night, NS has the ability to penentrate and create easy shots for teammates. GP3 is a better shoter, but NS is a better scorer. As the team is constructed we have the ability to go with the hot hand at the point. GP3 had the hot hand against Tech and NS provided a nice blend of offense and defense against FSU. In K we trust!

[Huh?]

Please red Jumbo's cumulative plus/minus chart. Nolan is far and away more productive than Paulus....almost 3 times more. Paulus did help us out BIGGTIME last night, but Nolan is just a better player by far. Check out these stats, Nolan blows Paulus out of the water when it comes to production. I know you can't measure the importance of leadership and all that, but when it comes down to it you have to produce.

Here are some stats to chew on:



MPG FG% FT% 3FG% OR-DR Ast Turn Stl PPG
Smith 22.1 .460 .909 .341 10-26 32 26 16 10.6
Paulus 19.2 .345 .684 .313 0-22 23 14 13 5.1

[RepoMan]

Right now, with the game tight and us needing points, I'd rather have GP3 in there, and if he keeps up his improvement, it will not surprise me if he gets the starter job back before the end of the year.

I would be very surprised. Check out the postgame comments from players and coach. This team is establishing a defense first identity. The players have bought into it. Nolan is a far superior defender.

Also, look at Jumbo's stats. Last time I looked, they pretty clearly suggest that the team performs better with Nolan in the game, which confirms what my eyes see.

It was great to see Greg come in and play well. The team needs that. He is great in relief of Nolan, and if he can maintain his shot from outside, he will be an asset for sure. But, I would be really surprised to see him start (barring injury)

[Kedsy]

It seems to me that Greg is working well past his injuries, and has been very productive while on the floor. In the last few games I'd say he has done a better job than Nolan. Or at least done SOME of the PG duties better than Nolan, they will always have strengths and weaknesses. Just wondering what other people are seeing on the floor with these two. Right now, with the game tight and us needing points, I'd rather have GP3 in there, and if he keeps up his improvement, it will not surprise me if he gets the starter job back before the end of the year. He's always going to be slower than Nolan, but he's a better scorer, and has been running the team well while he is out there.

IMO, Nolan's play is the primary reason that this is the best defensive team Duke has seen in years. Greg brings a lot to the table, but his defensive limitations were a big contributor to some of the team's painful losses over the past three years. So the way I see it, unless Nolan starts turning the ball over in Georgia Techesque fashion, he should continue to see the lion's share of the PG minutes. For this team, defense trumps offense.

If Greg keeps shooting better I can envision the two of them playing together under the right circumstances.

[Huh?]

yeah my little catagory line didn't come out right, but yall get the point.

[CameronBornAndBred]

Please red Jumbo's cumulative plus/minus chart.
The only problem with that is I'm focusing on recent play, and the cumulative covers the season, including while GP was more banged up. How do the numbers stack up the last 3 games?
And I agree with everyone's comments on the defense. Like I said, strengths and weaknesses.

[elvis14]

The only problem with that is I'm focusing on recent play, and the cumulative covers the season, including while GP was more banged up. How do the numbers stack up the last 3 games?
And I agree with everyone's comments on the defense. Like I said, strengths and weaknesses.

So Nolan has a couple of off games and you want to throw him under the bus?

[Billy Dat]

I decided to use Jumbo's +/-s to look at line-ups where Smith/Paulus is the only swap (through FSU game):

Smith-Scheyer-Henderson-Singler-Zoubek (x40) 266-163 (+103)
Paulus-Scheyer-Henderson-Singler-Zoubek (x7) 17-10 (+7)

Smith-Scheyer-Henderson-Singler-Thomas (x40) 141-126 (+15)
Paulus-Scheyer-Henderson-Singler-Thomas (x12) 40-37 (+3)

Smith-Scheyer-Henderson-McClure-Singler (x19) 54-42 (+12)
Paulus-Scheyer-Henderson-McClure-Singler (x5) 12-16 (-4)

Paulus-Scheyer-McClure-Singler-Zoubek (x7) 20-8 (+12)
Smith-Scheyer-McClure-Singler-Zoubek (x4) 7-10 (-3)

Paulus-Scheyer-Henderson-McClure-Zoubek (x4) 16-9 (+7)
Smith-Scheyer-Henderson-McClure-Zoubek 2-0 (+2)

Smith-Scheyer-McClure-Singler-Thomas (x11) 30-24 (+6)
Paulus-Scheyer-McClure-Singler-Thomas (x13) 33-37 (-4)

Smith-Henderson-McClure-Singler-Zoubek (x2) 7-1 (+6)
Paulus-Henderson-McClure-Singler-Zoubek 1-0 (+1)

Paulus-Henderson-McClure-Singler-Thomas (x6) 12-7 (+5)
Smith-Henderson-McClure-Singler-Thomas (x3) 3-1 (+2)

Paulus-Scheyer-Henderson-McClure-Thomas (x2) 4-2 (+2)
Smith-Scheyer-Henderson-McClure-Thomas (x3) 5-9 (-4)

The numbers are interesting, but hard to draw any real conclusions from. My gut says that our identity is defense and we are a better defensive team with Nolan on the floor - case closed.

[Duvall]

The only problem with that is I'm focusing on recent play, and the cumulative covers the season, including while GP was more banged up. How do the numbers stack up the last 3 games?
And I agree with everyone's comments on the defense. Like I said, strengths and weaknesses.

Last three games? As I recall, Paulus struggled pretty badly against Davidson and Florida State.

[Jumbo]

Last three games? As I recall, Paulus was struggled pretty badly against Davidson and Florida State.

And Virginia Tech. The only difference was that he hit a couple of jump shots against Georgia Tech. We all agree about the stark difference between the two players on defense -- that, alone, is reason enough to make this debate moot. But there's also a notion that Paulus is somehow more of a pure point guard than Smith, and I don't necessarily agree with that. It's not that Smith has mastered the position -- far from it. It's just that I don't see Paulus as a pure point either.

Here's a little exercise for people to watch next game. When Smith is in, watch how he moves the ball to the wing, cuts through and essentially plays off the ball. He lets Duke's playmakers -- Scheyer, Singler and Henderson -- orchestrate the offense.

By contrast, watch how much more time Greg spends with the ball in his hands on offense. But a lot of that time is spent dribbling without actually going anywhere, or directing traffic in places that it doesn't really need to go. He could move the ball a lot quicker and set up as a spot-up shooter, but instead, by keeping the ball, he disrupts the flow of the offense. Since I think we all agree that Scheyer is the most natural distributor on the team, and that Singler and Henderson can also make plays for themselves as well as teammates, we want the ball in their hands as much as possible.

The plus/minus stats are all updated through the Georgia Tech game now, btw.

[BlueintheFace]

The truth of the matter is this:

Paulus is the better player on offense. He runs set plays and organizes the court better than Nolan and is far more vocal. Heeven found his stroke a bit last game. Great!

Nolan Smith has really struggled a lot in the half court offense and has gotten a lot of his points from the ft line in the bonus or on broken plays/ fast breaks. We thought he was going to be a pg who attacked and penetrated... he's not. He's passive and attempts to penetrate 0-1 times/game. He is even having trouble not turning the ball over.

HOWEVER, this does not matter as much because he has played very good defense all year long (the kind of defense that Greg just cannot play due to athletic limitations). This team is having consistent offensive problems, but are IMO, the best defensive team in the nation (Georgetown, UCLA, and Purdue might have claims as well). This team's identity is stemming from defense and Nolan is a big part of that so I don't expect much to change.

Greg's shot needs to become consistent again

Nolan needs to turn the ball over less and become more confident, so

both players need to be better on offense for Duke to be better, but Nolan is great on Defense right now so no changes are in order in terms of rotation IMO

[I_am_a_Blue_Devil]

To win a National Title, which this team is capeable of, will require the services of Greg and Nolan. There is no way around that.

[Cavlaw]

And Virginia Tech. The only difference was that he hit a couple of jump shots against Georgia Tech. We all agree about the stark difference between the two players on defense -- that, alone, is reason enough to make this debate moot. But there's also a notion that Paulus is somehow more of a pure point guard than Smith, and I don't necessarily agree with that. It's not that Smith has mastered the position -- far from it. It's just that I don't see Paulus as a pure point either.

Here's a little exercise for people to watch next game. When Smith is in, watch how he moves the ball to the wing, cuts through and essentially plays off the ball. He lets Duke's playmakers -- Scheyer, Singler and Henderson -- orchestrate the offense.

By contrast, watch how much more time Greg spends with the ball in his hands on offense. But a lot of that time is spent dribbling without actually going anywhere, or directing traffic in places that it doesn't really need to go. He could move the ball a lot quicker and set up as a spot-up shooter, but instead, by keeping the ball, he disrupts the flow of the offense. Since I think we all agree that Scheyer is the most natural distributor on the team, and that Singler and Henderson can also make plays for themselves as well as teammates, we want the ball in their hands as much as possible.

The plus/minus stats are all updated through the Georgia Tech game now, btw.
I agree with this.

I've been saying for a couple of years that I think Greg is better suited to be a shooting guard than a point. I've also felt his court vision has narrowed because he has trouble protecting the ball, which limits his ability to make some of the terrific assists we saw from him as a freshman. I believe based on past conversations that Jumbo disagrees with me on the reason for that last point, but the ultimate effect - too much dribbling without purpose - is I think what we both view as a difficulty even if we disagree on the reason.

Don't get me wrong, I like Greg a lot as a player. I hope his shots start falling again and I think he is a terrific asset for the team. He is a fierce competitor and a great kid. But if he starts hitting his 3s more regularly I don't think that's a compelling argument to have him run the offense in place of Nolan for the majority of the game.

[CameronBornAndBred]

Here's a little exercise for people to watch next game. When Smith is in, watch how he moves the ball to the wing, cuts through and essentially plays off the ball. He lets Duke's playmakers -- Scheyer, Singler and Henderson -- orchestrate the offense.

By contrast, watch how much more time Greg spends with the ball in his hands on offense. But a lot of that time is spent dribbling without actually going anywhere, or directing traffic in places that it doesn't really need to go. He could move the ball a lot quicker and set up as a spot-up shooter, but instead, by keeping the ball, he disrupts the flow of the offense.
Sounds like a plan. Sometimes it helps to have something definite to watch for when focusing on players.

[Huh?]

And Virginia Tech. The only difference was that he hit a couple of jump shots against Georgia Tech. We all agree about the stark difference between the two players on defense -- that, alone, is reason enough to make this debate moot. But there's also a notion that Paulus is somehow more of a pure point guard than Smith, and I don't necessarily agree with that. It's not that Smith has mastered the position -- far from it. It's just that I don't see Paulus as a pure point either.

Here's a little exercise for people to watch next game. When Smith is in, watch how he moves the ball to the wing, cuts through and essentially plays off the ball. He lets Duke's playmakers -- Scheyer, Singler and Henderson -- orchestrate the offense.

By contrast, watch how much more time Greg spends with the ball in his hands on offense. But a lot of that time is spent dribbling without actually going anywhere, or directing traffic in places that it doesn't really need to go. He could move the ball a lot quicker and set up as a spot-up shooter, but instead, by keeping the ball, he disrupts the flow of the offense. Since I think we all agree that Scheyer is the most natural distributor on the team, and that Singler and Henderson can also make plays for themselves as well as teammates, we want the ball in their hands as much as possible.

The plus/minus stats are all updated through the Georgia Tech game now, btw.


I could not agree more about Paulus pounding the ball and directing traffic, the coaches have to tell him to GO sometimes. Man, it drives me crazy!

[mike88]

The truth of the matter is this:

Paulus is the better player on offense. He runs set plays and organizes the court better than Nolan and is far more vocal. He even found his stroke a bit last game. Great!

Nolan Smith has really struggled a lot in the half court offense and has gotten a lot of his points from the ft line in the bonus or on broken plays/ fast breaks. We thought he was going to be a pg who attacked and penetrated... he's not. He's passive and attempts to penetrate 0-1 times/game. He is even having trouble not turning the ball over.



I think you are confusing process with outcome. I made this point in another thread, and Jumbo essentially says the same thing above: Compare when Nolan is at the point vs. when Greg is at the point- The offense is usually much more fluid with Nolan. Greg does a lot of directing traffic and dribbling, but I don't see that it results in better ball movement. And for this team, ball movement and cutting are absolutely key.

I do agree that Nolan gets many of his points in transition or off fouls - those are good things!

Duke's offense (as currently configured) is not designed to run through point guard penetration- we will see more of the driving opportunities created for Kyle, Jon, and Gerald. As Nolan gets more experience, we may see more of the high-ball screen (LA) play that Jason Williams ran over and over.

[BlueintheFace]

I think you are confusing process with outcome. I made this point in another thread, and Jumbo essentially says the same thing above: Compare when Nolan is at the point vs. when Greg is at the point- The offense is usually much more fluid with Nolan. Greg does a lot of directing traffic and dribbling, but I don't see that it results in better ball movement. And for this team, ball movement and cutting are absolutely key.

I think that the direction is needed at times, especially after a string of bad plays on offense. I believe this is normally when Paulus does it. Sometimes he just hands it off to Scheyer and lets him bring it across the timeline, so it isn't like it happens every time. I suppose this is a subjective thing, but I think that when our O has been struggling for a few possessions I DON'T want fluidity. I want the O to organize take a breath, and run a play. It seems like it usually works to me.


I do agree that Nolan gets many of his points in transition or off fouls - those are good things!

You are confused. I never said it was a bad thing. I think it is a good thing. I just said that he has struggled in the half-court set (where the team has struggled) and hasn't penetrated so that is where his points are coming from.


Duke's offense (as currently configured) is not designed to run through point guard penetration- we will see more of the driving opportunities created for Kyle, Jon, and Gerald. As Nolan gets more experience, we may see more of the high-ball screen (LA) play that Jason Williams ran over and over.

No, it is not meant to run through pg penetration. I recognize that, but there are a number of sets that DO run the pg off a high post screen looking for the ball back on the perimeter to shoot or drive (EX: pass to Kyle at the 3pt line, motion to his opposite side using him and his defender as a screen.)

Plus, how many times last season and this season have we had the shot clock running down and the pg with the ball in his hands on the perimeter, wishing that he could hit the three OR penetrate. You see, it is the opponent's respect for a pg's ability to do either that makes that pg effective. If he believes you won't drive, then he will rightly overplay the jumpshot... which is what happens with Greg AND now Nolan.

I don't think Paulus is that much better than Nolan in the halfcourt set, but I think it is close and I give Paulus the edge for not turning the ball over as much and for his control over the game when it is needed.

[mgtr]

Billy Dat-
I liked your analysis -- very clever. I had wondered about the same thing, but I was just too lazy to pursue it. Thanks for doing the work.

I also agree that we need both players on the team. They bring different skill sets, and both are valuable.

[Billy Dat]

Billy Dat-
I liked your analysis -- very clever. I had wondered about the same thing, but I was just too lazy to pursue it. Thanks for doing the work.

I also agree that we need both players on the team. They bring different skill sets, and both are valuable.

You're welcome - it beats actually doing my job.

Another quick glance through those numbers seems to indicate that the Paulus line-ups do better then the Smith line-ups when Scheyer and Singler are not involved - which to me simply suggests that Greg is better at picking up the scoring slack then Nolan...which I don't think would surprise anyone. However, I'd venture to guess that if Singler and Scheyer are both sitting, there must be some serious foul trouble or we must have a decent lead. But, I'll echo the sentiment of Jumbo and others that it is to this team's advantage to have the ball in the hands of Scheyer and Singler a lot of the time, which makes the traditional role of the point guard on offense less important. What's most important, and makes us dangerous, is having 4 solid ball handlers on the floor at any given time.

[greybeard]

Very interesting and informed debate about Paulus and Nolan and how they fit or not in the half court. I am not trying to be cute here, but the debate about that subject is all the more interesting in my opinion because of what it leaves out.

I think that the half court offense as a whole is terrifically ambivolent with regard to what it is trying to accomplish and how. If you aren't clear where you want to go, what is the chance that you will get there?

I think that Nolan has been playing quite well and that his defense as everyone else says is key. Paulus' ability to step up for big shots is extremely valuable--when you score does not show up in statistics. I agree about his occupying the ball with the dribble, and find it interesting that the posted numbers (on one of the posts on this board) seem to indicate that he does his best when Z and McClure are on the floor. Perhaps his overoccupation of the ball has something to do with my perspectives expressed in the second paragraph? Perhaps also what I said in the second paragraph relates to what I alluded to in the first--that is, that there was something missing from the discussion. It might even be pivitol; it's so hard to decide. ;)

[Cavlaw]

Very interesting and informed debate about Paulus and Nolan and how they fit or not in the half court. I am not trying to be cute here, but the debate about that subject is all the more interesting in my opinion because of what it leaves out.

I think that the half court offense as a whole is terrifically ambivolent with regard to what it is trying to accomplish and how. If you aren't clear where you want to go, what is the chance that you will get there?

I think that Nolan has been playing quite well and that his defense as everyone else says is key. Paulus' ability to step up for big shots is extremely valuable--when you score does not show up in statistics. I agree about his occupying the ball with the dribble, and find it interesting that the posted numbers (on one of the posts on this board) seem to indicate that he does his best when Z and McClure are on the floor. Perhaps his overoccupation of the ball has something to do with my perspectives expressed in the second paragraph? Perhaps also what I said in the second paragraph relates to what I alluded to in the first--that is, that there was something missing from the discussion. It might even be pivitol; it's so hard to decide. ;)
I strongly disagree with the assessment that the half court offense doesn't know what it's trying to accomplish. The best rebuttal is probably Coach Knight's breakdown of how the team sets up spacing to create open shots and driving opportunities - you can't do that by accident.

[elvis14]

Here's a little exercise for people to watch next game. When Smith is in, watch how he moves the ball to the wing, cuts through and essentially plays off the ball. He lets Duke's playmakers -- Scheyer, Singler and Henderson -- orchestrate the offense.

By contrast, watch how much more time Greg spends with the ball in his hands on offense. But a lot of that time is spent dribbling without actually going anywhere, or directing traffic in places that it doesn't really need to go. He could move the ball a lot quicker and set up as a spot-up shooter, but instead, by keeping the ball, he disrupts the flow of the offense. Since I think we all agree that Scheyer is the most natural distributor on the team, and that Singler and Henderson can also make plays for themselves as well as teammates, we want the ball in their hands as much as possible.

The plus/minus stats are all updated through the Georgia Tech game now, btw.

I don't need to watch the next game to see this. It's been bothering me for almost 4 years now. Paulus gets the ball and pounds it into the ground with his back to the basket trying to make THE pass. My biggest complaint on the offensive end is that the flow of the offense stops when the ball gets to Paulus.


The truth of the matter is this:

Paulus is the better player on offense. He runs set plays and organizes the court better than Nolan and is far more vocal. Heeven found his stroke a bit last game. Great!

This is where you and I disagree. All season long people have said that we are trading defense for offense by giving more minutes to Nolan and fewer to Greg. It's just not true, Paulus is the better shooter but he is not the better player on offense and the offense does not flow very well when he's in there. And that's not even discussing the defensive issues.

I'm trying really hard to be positive about Nolan and not just negative about Greg (so I didn't get into the defensive issues). Nolan has had a couple of sub-par games. I'm not going to label him ineffective that quickly. Didn't G have a few off games in a row this year? How are things working out for him now? Nolan has a lot of talent a good coaching staff teaching him how to play better. I think he has enough talent to continue to improve over this year and the next several years. We need to foster that, not bench in favor of Greg.

BTW, here's a post of mine from from 11/5/2007 that holds true today :-)
http://www.dukebasketballreport.com/forums/showthread.php?p=58600#post58600

[Classof06]

This team is going to need both Paulus and Smith if it's going to reach its ceiling. Nolan has some growth to do, there's no doubt about that. But what he brings on defense is good enough to the point where he should probably start. And while Paulus is the better shooter, I do not agree that he is the better offensive player. Not at all. Nolan has a better mid-range game and is a better penetrator; Paulus is no more than a good 3-point shooter (which in itself is a valuable skill, no doubt).

Paulus still isn't 100% healthy, so if there is any silver lining in this, it's that both players should progress as the year goes on. As Nolan gets more comfortable, this team will improve accordingly.

[greybeard]

I strongly disagree with the assessment that the half court offense doesn't know what it's trying to accomplish. The best rebuttal is probably Coach Knight's breakdown of how the team sets up spacing to create open shots and driving opportunities - you can't do that by accident.

Just a paraphrase of what Singler said in an interview immediately following the Davidson win. He said that they are playing a motion offense this year, as opposed to last year when it was mostly set plays, and that they are still feeling their way and getting comfortable with the decision-making the new offense entails.

The issue I think all perimeter players struggle with is their ambivalence about when and how to involve the 5th player on the court. If there is widespread fence sitting about that, and I think there is, I don't see how you can have any consistency of where you want the motion offense to go. Let me put it this way, suppose the ball is in Scheyer's hands. Singler sees the court and knows Scheyer, knows what types of things he sees and where the percentages are and is reacting before Scheyer acts on his choice. The timing is impecable. But, now, suppose the way things are aligned, the smart play is to throw it inside to Zoubek immediately, without considering other options. Just get the ball inside. Only Scheyer, smart as he is and knowing that that is otherwise "the right" play, decides to look for options. At that point, it doesn't matter what Scheyer does; the offense lacks direction, a coalescing imperative.

For now, the operative imperative might well be, "Do not go inside to Zoubek unless he has got a guy sealed the way Jumbo would like." The aim might be to make Zoubek grow. But, playing four on five most of the time and not making the smart play leaves the offense literally directionless. What, everybody has to think, "Oh, I see the right play, but, oh no, he can't throw that pass, so what would the next best play be." Wow, bring your calculators, sportsfans.

[jv001]

Nolan was playing very well until he sufferred a bad knee bruise and since then he looks hesitant to drive the ball hard to the basket. I believe that he will regain the confidence he had and this will go away. I agree 100% that when Greg is in the game he dribbles the ball way too much. Our offense just stalls. he is much more effective when he plays the #2 spot. In fact the offense runs the best when the ball is in Jon's hands. Against GT he did not shoot the ball like he normally does, but he had 5 assists to 0 turnovers. The numbers speak for themselves. Greg is best used coming off the bench and not being our primary ball handler. Go Duke!

[SupaDave]

He looked much better offensively yesterday, so hopefully he's finally getting over his injuries. But he is still a liability on defense, to the point that teams can focus their entire offense on exploiting him. There were several plays where Paulus getting beat by his man lead directly to a field goal for GT. I wish I could compile a highlight reel of clips to illustrate how many defensive breakdowns are caused by him being on the floor.

But would you do one for all the good plays he makes as well?

[DisplacedBlueDevil]

I have been totally impressed with how Paulus has handled his bench role in his Senior year - total class - no sulking, moping or side-chewing his mouthguard. He has shown great maturity, which in turn has boosted the team's overall chemistry and helped given Smith new confidence. Paulus' biggest contribution will be his 3-point shooting on a team that, right now, needs a boost. He was huge in the win last year at Chapel Hill and he'll need to find that stroke in the big games ahead. C'mon Greg, heat things up - it's cccccccold outside!!

[speedevil2001]

It seems to me that Greg is working well past his injuries, and has been very productive while on the floor. In the last few games I'd say he has done a better job than Nolan. Or at least done SOME of the PG duties better than Nolan, they will always have strengths and weaknesses. Just wondering what other people are seeing on the floor with these two. Right now, with the game tight and us needing points, I'd rather have GP3 in there, and if he keeps up his improvement, it will not surprise me if he gets the starter job back before the end of the year. He's always going to be slower than Nolan, but he's a better scorer, and has been running the team well while he is out there.

Greg is shooting very well and is one of the top 3 point shooters on the team. I agree with you in that he is running the team well right now, but the 1 reason why Nolan is starting because of the defensive pressure Nolan puts on the other pgs. Which is key to Duke's defense. I see Greg picking up lots of cheap hand check fouls when he is tryin to stay in front of players. I would like to see both Nolan and Greg in the backcourt playing together more when either Scheyer or Henderson is on the bench ala Williams and Duhon.

[dukestheheat]

I see Nolan as more effective at the PG and I'm factoring in his athleticism, speed and his defense. Yes, Paulus had a good game in helping with the shooting and clearly that is where he benefits Duke the most.

However, if the opponent has a speedy PG, Nolan is in to slow him down and Duke is much more competitive with Nolan on the floor in that situation.

dukestheheat.

[DukeBlood]

Greg is shooting very well and is one of the top 3 point shooters on the team. I agree with you in that he is running the team well right now, but the 1 reason why Nolan is starting because of the defensive pressure Nolan puts on the other pgs. Which is key to Duke's defense. I see Greg picking up lots of cheap hand check fouls when he is tryin to stay in front of players. I would like to see both Nolan and Greg in the backcourt playing together more when either Scheyer or Henderson is on the bench ala Williams and Duhon.

While Greg was one of the best shooters in the ACC last year, he has yet to perform at that level. As of this year he ranks 5th as far as 3% is concerned at 32% on the Duke team. Although I don't think 1/3 from McClure should really be considered, so lets say 4th.

Greg is 4/13(30%) in his last 5 games from beyond the arc. Greg has been injured and I have to believe his stroke will return. On the other hand Nolan WAS shooting 39% from 3 before he injured his knee's against Loyola. Since then he is 1/11(9%) from 3 dropping his average to 31%.

Does anyone else believe Nolan's injury has caused his shot to be off?

Anyway, As everyone else has said "This is a Defensive team". I'm not quite sure who said it but they said This is one of the best Defensive(Duke) teams in recent years(or something like that). I must say I agree, and alot of starts with Nolan and Jon.

Also, Gerald has improved his D. He still tries to do too much and sometimes gets burned on it, but he is starting to look real impressive on both ends of the floor. I only see this team getting BETTER.

[jv001]

I have been totally impressed with how Paulus has handled his bench role in his Senior year - total class - no sulking, moping or side-chewing his mouthguard. He has shown great maturity, which in turn has boosted the team's overall chemistry and helped given Smith new confidence. Paulus' biggest contribution will be his 3-point shooting on a team that, right now, needs a boost. He was huge in the win last year at Chapel Hill and he'll need to find that stroke in the big games ahead. C'mon Greg, heat things up - it's cccccccold outside!!

You make a great point in that Greg has accepted his role as 6th man very well. He is a team player and does what he can to help the team. He has been injured for a good part of the year and I think he lost some confidence. Last year he did not hesitate to shoot but this year he has. I believe he's close to getting healthy and that means he will shoot better. A good tough young man. Go Duke!

[CameronBornAndBred]

Paulus' biggest contribution will be his 3-point shooting on a team that, right now, needs a boost.
To an extent that says very well why I see GP starting this season. I don't see Paulus going into either tourney as our starter, but as I said I will not be suprised if he starts this season. It will not be so much of a promotion to Paulus but a signal to Nolan. K has done similar before, the benching that stands out most to me is Elton Brand. K didn't see Brand playing to his potential, and let him watch the beginning of play from the pine. I can see having Greg in the game at the start fire up the team as a whole, plus Nolan, and show that offense needs to be a priority as well as the great defense they have been playing.

[DukieInBrasil]

against GTown, both Nolan and Greg played well. In fact both played substantially better than in any other recent game for either of them. GP canned a couple of nice 3s and Nolan started the game 3-3 FGs and both provided something positive in the game.
It will be very important for the team that they elevate their play from here on out.

[geraldsneighbor]

I like both!

[CameronBornAndBred]

against GTown, both Nolan and Greg played well. In fact both played substantially better than in any other recent game for either of them.
Amen. And Duke as a team looked much better for it. Congrats on a good game for both.

[devildeac]

I like them both (combined or individually) for about 15-20 PPG, 6-8 A, 2-3 TO and a couple steals each. Jon can hit the boards from the other backcourt spot, in addition to his usual contributions on the court.

[speedevil2001]

Greg is shooting very well and is one of the top 3 point shooters on the team. I agree with you in that he is running the team well right now, but the 1 reason why Nolan is starting because of the defensive pressure Nolan puts on the other pgs. Which is key to Duke's defense. I see Greg picking up lots of cheap hand check fouls when he is tryin to stay in front of players. I would like to see both Nolan and Greg in the backcourt playing together more when either Scheyer or Henderson is on the bench ala Williams and Duhon.

How you guys like that call?

[Scorp4me]

Nolan may be faster and more athletic, may show better +/-, plays better defense, but if I'm playing I want Paulus running the point. But that's just me.

[Oriole Way]

Nolan may be faster and more athletic, may show better +/-, plays better defense, but if I'm playing I want Paulus running the point. But that's just me.

Everything you said up until "... but if I'm playing" are some of the main reasons I want Smith playing the point a vast majority of the time. I really like Paulus coming off the bench, especially if he can score as effectively as he did last season.

[I_am_a_Blue_Devil]

Ive been a strong supporter of Greg, and have knocked on Nolan a little in the past, mainly stemming from my admiration of Greg, not because of anyhting Nolan has done wrong. Greg has handled the "sixth man" thing well, externally. But I feel as though some of the early struggles have been a combination of injury, and internal lack of confidence. He just didnt look like the same guy, even when he verbaly expressed his support of what was going on.

That being said, I think that he has since turned a corner. In the past couple of games he has shown that fire and intesity that has made him high on my list of favorite Duke players. Hustle, heart, and a few made baskets and he is back on the right track as far as confidence goes.

I think that Nolan is doing an excellent job as well. He continues to develop, and i feel like he will be great for us down the stretch. No one is perfect by any means, and he has things to work on like every one else. (Injury may be one thing holding him back right now as well)

And now to sum this up. The greatest thing I have seen from our beloved Blue Devils thus far, was the 2 guard attack with Greg and Nolan on the floor together. I loved it and felt like it can bring shades of Duhon and Jwill (to a lesser degree no doubt, but you get the idea) Each has strengths, each weaknesses, but together on the floor can help cover each other. I liked this look alot, and hope to see more over it the rest of the way. I think we will continue to improve as the season progresses, and that without either one of these guys, we will struggle. So lets just celebrate both, and realize that they are completely different pieces of the puzzle, without which the 08-09 basketball team wouldn't be complete.

[Cameron]

I loved it and felt like it can bring shades of Duhon and Jwill


Ah, Jason Williams and Chris Duhon. Beautiful they were.

I'll never forget our game against Wake in Cameron back in 2002, back when the Deacons were still sporting those awful cut off jerseys. The game was fairly close with about five minutes left in the first half, and then Jason Williams and Chris Duhon started to play horse from near mid court.

Jason comes down first, passes the ball off to Chris on the wing, runs through the offense on a cut down the middle, comes back out front, catches 30 feet away, rises and fires. Swish.

Two or three possessions later, Chris Duhon pushes the ball down court and, totally unexpectedly (even to Blue Devils fans who knew Chris' transition three game so well), pops up a three ten feet behind the semi-circle. The ball falls clean. He shot that from Raleigh, he shot that from Raleigh, shouts Dicky V.

Wake meets patented Duke run, the most beautiful thing on Earth. The Met in Manhattan needs an exhibit of such artwork. It really does.