MBB: Duke vs. Shaw: Pre-Game & In-Game Thread

[ChillinDuke]

Hey Folks,

Never done one of these before, but didn't see it up and wanted to post in case anyone is curious.

There are no real "Shaw Basketball Preview 2011" web write-ups out there that I could find. That should adjust your expectations accordingly for the rest of this post. So all of this information was pulled from the Shaw Athletics site.

The D-II Shaw Bears return a whopping total of three players from last year's team:

Devon Mclendon - 6'4" Sr. SG
Derrick Hunter - 6'4" So. PG
Tony Smith - 6'5" Sr. PG

Last Year's Stats:


No. Name Yr Pos gp min fg pct 3pt 3pt pct ft pct off def rpg ast to stl blk pts ppg
1 Devon Mclendon Jr F 24 643 42.4 25-88 28.4 69.0 36 105 5.9 50 49 28 8 285 11.9
3 Derrick Hunter Fr G 25 252 27.9 0-1 0.0 75.7 8 21 1.2 18 27 8 3 52 2.1
20 Tony Smith Jr G 31 1133 46.7 53-127 41.7 62.2 23 166 6.1 180 99 52 3 388 12.5

Respectively, Smith and Mclendon ranked last year on the team as 2nd and 3rd in both total points and PPG, 1st and 2nd in RPG, and 1st and 3rd in total assists.

Shaw finished 23-9 last year and 11-6 in conference, the mighty CIAA (Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association). They made the D-II NCAAT as a 4-seed and lost in the 2nd round to West Liberty (a 1-seed) 98-93.

This year they list a roster including 4 seniors, 6 juniors, and 5 sophomores (yet again, return only three players...is there a lot of transferring in D-II?). They have 7 players listed 6'6" or taller, while their tallest stands 6'9" (and he is Soph center Gregory Fisher).

Hope this whets a few basketball appetites around here. Any more information on Shaw would be much appreciated.

Last Year's Stats:
http://www.shawbears.com/sports/mbkb/2010-11/teams/shaw?view=lineup

This Year's Roster:
http://www.shawbears.com/sports/mbkb/2011-12/roster

- Chillin

[Newton_14]

Great job Chillin! Thanks for getting this thread up and for pumping out a quality write up! I tweaked the title slightly just to follow normal protocol.

Looking forward to seeing the guys in action again. Interested to see what 5 K will trot out there for the opening tip.

[ACCBBallFan]

Here's the recap from their October 27 scrimmage game against Athletes In Action

http://www.shawbears.com/sports/mbkb/2011-12/releases/20111027g5sacq

Excerpts from the roster shows they have some size:

No. Name Pos. Cl. Ht. Wt.

20 Antonio Smith "Tony" PG Sr. 6' 05" 185 17
32 Junius Chaney F Jr. 6' 08" 260 15
00 Latrail McCoy G Jr. 6' 02" 205 12
01 Devon Mclendon G Sr. 6' 04" 215 11.9 last year
34 Gregory Fisher C So. 6' 09" 263

25 Eddie Dawson G Sr. 6' 02" 185
02 Malik Alvin PG Sr. 6' 00" 180
13 Karron Johnson SF Jr. 6' 08" 240
05 Mohammed Abdur-Rahim F Jr. 6' 06" 230
41 Jamin Shumate F Jr. 6' 07" 225
12 Keith Mitchell F Jr. 6' 06" 215
50 Daniel Pitter F/C So. 6' 08" 215
23 Curtis Hines G So. 6' 04" 215
03 Derrick Hunter PG So. 6' 04" 170 2.1 last year
04 Gabriel McNeal G So. 6' 02" 170

[weezie]

All I can add is that its' great to see the "Next Up" on the front page on game day again. :)

[OldPhiKap]

Interested to see what 5 K will trot out there for the opening tip.

Well, he's getting close to 1 K -- not sure we can call him 5 K yet.


( ;>) )

[COYS]

Well, he's getting close to 1 K -- not sure we can call him 5 K yet.


( ;>) )

Let's hope the Duke medical staff is figuring out a way to make sure he can coach long enough that we can give him the 5 K monicker. That is a record that will never be broken =).

As for the game, I'm interested to see how much offense the defense can create. Against an over-matched opponent, points should be pretty easy to come by, but I think it will be a good sign if the defense asserts itself and sparks the offense. This team has the potential to be very disruptive on defense. Whether or not we can get their consistently will probably have more to do with how far we go in March than scoring.

[CDu]

It looks like Shaw has more size than Bellarmine, though probably isn't as good. It'll be interesting to see who starts tonight. I'd expect the rotations to again be deeper than they will be once the real season gets going, but it'll still be interesting to track who is that 5th starter.

[J4Kop99]

It looks like Shaw has more size than Bellarmine, though probably isn't as good. It'll be interesting to see who starts tonight. I'd expect the rotations to again be deeper than they will be once the real season gets going, but it'll still be interesting to track who is that 5th starter.

Definitely. Anybody taking bets? Ill throw my money on Dawkins.

Dawks: 2:1
Kelly: 3:1
TT: 4:1
Murphy: 5:1
Cook: 7:1
Gbinije: 10-1

[uh_no]

Definitely. Anybody taking bets? Ill throw my money on Dawkins.

Dawks: 2:1
Kelly: 3:1
TT: 4:1
Murphy: 5:1
Cook: 7:1
Gbinije: 10-1

Man....i got suckered into dawkins when he was 3:2...darn

[devildeac]

Definitely. Anybody taking bets? Ill throw my money on Dawkins.

Dawks: 2:1
Kelly: 3:1
TT: 4:1
Murphy: 5:1
Cook: 7:1
Gbinije: 10-1
My guess: TT, SC, AR, RK and MP1 with AD and MP2 off the bench early and often. K will do that just to keep the fans guessing and DBR hoppin'.(jk with the 2nd sentence)

I suspect we'll see substitutions quite frequently with QC garnering a few more minutes than MG, AM and JH. Still curious/wondering what will be done with MP3...

[mgtr]

Definitely. Anybody taking bets? Ill throw my money on Dawkins.

Dawks: 2:1
Kelly: 3:1
TT: 4:1
Murphy: 5:1
Cook: 7:1
Gbinije: 10-1

Based upon what I saw with Bellarmine, I would have to take TT at even money, followed by Murphy and Dawkins, both at 5:1. I don't see Kelly starting as a third big at any price. Cook and Gbinje are fine at 7:1 and 10:1 respectively. However, none of us has been privy to the practices (probably) and we don't know who may have emerged from the pack in the last few days.
Along with many others, I am excited that we are back in BB season.

[CDu]

Definitely. Anybody taking bets? Ill throw my money on Dawkins.

Dawks: 2:1
Kelly: 3:1
TT: 4:1
Murphy: 5:1
Cook: 7:1
Gbinije: 10-1

To clarify, I was referring to the third wing as the "fifth" starter." I see virtually no way Kelly starts at the wing unless all other options are out. He might start as one of the two bigs (displacing a Plumlee). But as of now I'm thinking of Kelly and the older Plumlees as three starters for two spots (so whoever doesn't start is merely the "sixth starter."

So in this hypothetical odds exercise, I'd put Kelly at something like 1000:1 odds. [caveat: this is lazy math on my part]

[elvis14]

Since this is an 'exhibition' what'll be different than a regular game? I have tix (section 2, look for the guy in the blue Duke shirt!) but don't know that I've been to an exhibition before so I'm wondering what to expect. Parking easier? Food vendors still there at halftime? Crazies still crazy?

[mkline09]

Since this is an 'exhibition' what'll be different than a regular game? I have tix (section 2, look for the guy in the blue Duke shirt!) but don't know that I've been to an exhibition before so I'm wondering what to expect. Parking easier? Food vendors still there at halftime? Crazies still crazy?

I've been to a few exhibitions and to me a Duke game in Cameron is a Duke game in Cameron. It may not be as electric as say when UNC comes to town but it is always exciting. The parking, concessions I find to be pretty much the same as any other game. Others can correct me if I'm wrong. The crazies, depending on if any big recruits are in town, may not be as crazy but they are getting warmed up for the regular season too. I always compare my trips to Cameron like the scene in Rudy where Rudy's dad walks into ND stadium and declares it the most beautiful thing he has ever seen. Never mind his wife is standing right there. But yeah I feel something like that each and every time. Enjoy.

[Greg_Newton]

Since this is an 'exhibition' what'll be different than a regular game? I have tix (section 2, look for the guy in the blue Duke shirt!) but don't know that I've been to an exhibition before so I'm wondering what to expect. Parking easier? Food vendors still there at halftime? Crazies still crazy?

1) Parking is a nightmare... I'd just do the garage. They basically quarantine off a 10-mile radius around the stadium this year, it's absurd.

2) Food vendors are there.

3) Atmosphere is still fun, but much quieter. IMO, this is especially true this year because the administration a) forced season ticket holders to buy exhibition tickets, for the first time (resulting in a ton of empty seats), and b) jacket up the prices of the tickets (resulting in even more empty seats).

Seems like an inexplicably stupid and petty policy to me; why not drop prices for exhibitions a little and not force season ticket holders to buy them? Wouldn't it be better to sell out the place to thousands of fans who might not otherwise get to see a game than to add a couple thousand dollars (maybe) to your bottom line by forcing tickets sales on people who are already giving you thousands of dollars every year and don't want them in the first place? Haven't we learned anything from the success of CTC?

Okay, rant over. ;)

[dukebluesincebirth]

I know this info is probably somewhere on the site, but can someone let me know where to watch this game online. I missed the last one and really want to watch tonight. Pumped for the new season!:D

[riverside6]

You can follow live stats for the game here...

http://www.scacchoops.com/ViewHDGame.asp?hSchedule=10650

Starters for Duke: Thornton, Curry, Rivers, and Mason and Miles Plumlee

[dcar1985]

I know this info is probably somewhere on the site, but can someone let me know where to watch this game online. I missed the last one and really want to watch tonight. Pumped for the new season!:D

GoDuke.com....subscription service tho, 10 bucks will get u in

[Cameron]

Any chance that this game will be picked up by ATHDE.net? (Actually, I'm not even sure that site even exists anymore. I think it might have been re-named, but I forget what that name is.) My guess would be no, but it's worth a shot in case somebody knows otherwise.

It looks like I'll be turning down the lights and listening to the velvety notes of Bob Harris. Let's go Duke!

[SilkyJ]

anybody watching on goduke.com and getting 2 simultaneous audio feeds coming through?

[Cameron]

Does anyone have a stream that's picking up the game? I'm perusing through a lengthy list of online streams that was provided by a poster before the Bellarmine game, but I haven't been able to locate the right one yet.

[Billy Dat]

Starting 5 - Thornton, Curry, Rivers, MP1&2

[MCFinARL]

This is a little less basketball related, but I just wanted to say props to DBR for highlighting the respect and goodwill Shaw deserves tonight after what they have been through, regardless of what happens in the basketball game.

[uh_no]

Definitely. Anybody taking bets? Ill throw my money on Dawkins.

Dawks: 2:1
Kelly: 3:1
TT: 4:1
Murphy: 5:1
Cook: 7:1
Gbinije: 10-1

looks like you lost out on this one....

[Cameron]

For those searching for an audio feed, click on the link below and then select the connection for Soul 104.5 (WCCG) out of Fayetteville. And then Bob Harris will serenade you.

http://tunein.com/radio/stations/Duke-Blue-Devils-Radio-Stations-a37610/

[Billy Dat]

Rivers a couple of lay-ups early, Curry a 3 and a runner, Miles with a dunk on a nice feed from Mason on the break. Shaw hit a bunch of shots and I feel like our D lost its intensity, some easy Shaw baskets that seemed due to bad communication on picks. They also jacked and hit a 25 footer. K just subbed all 5 ...tied at 13...Hairston, Gbinije, Cook, Kelly, Dawkins

[DU82]

Miles was getting burned inside by Chaney, so I hopedmthings would get tougher, then first play adter subbing, Josh gets burned by Chaney. Need to stay on your man.

[uh_no]

For those searching for an audio feed, click on the link below and then select the connection for Soul 104.5 (WCCG) out of Fayetteville. And then Bob Harris will serenade you.

http://tunein.com/radio/stations/Duke-Blue-Devils-Radio-Stations-a37610/

what is this? there's no picture? its like the stone ages....

[DU82]

Dawkins is shooting OK!

[CDu]

Good shooting Dawkins showed up tonight.

Defense hasn't looked good so far (Shaw is getting a lot of layups).

[Billy Dat]

Shaw goes 1-2-2 and we find Dawkins for 3 straight 3s...way to recognize and go to the best 3 point man. Ryan Kelly nice post up and drop step turnaround jumper. Defense extending better and putting good pressure on with this line-up. Shaw has a quick and aggressive offense.

[Billy Dat]

Kelly-Miles-Austin-Cook-Dawkins...Ryan nice post work..getting position and drawing a foul.

[dcar1985]

Miles getting beat like he stole something....

[loldevilz]

Duke definitely seems to struggle defensively with these smaller quicker teams. Both here and in Dubai Duke couldn't seem to stay in front of quicker players.

[CDu]

Our perimeter defense (across the board) has looked rough early.

[Billy Dat]

Former NBA player Shareef Abdur Rahim's brother is on Shaw and he is giving us some problems. Mason's had a nice little stretch here, a runner in the lane, fouled on a baseline turnaround, etc. Curry just threw in a prayer that seemed meant for a potential Miles alley-oop.

[Billy Dat]

Our perimeter defense (across the board) has looked rough early.

I feel like Tyler keeps getting burnt up top...anyone agree? They've gotten some lay-ups when we've tried to help. They've also hit some deep 3s to keep us honest. Shaw's perimeter D is pretty solid, they've been denying our first two options, but that's led to some post feeds that have resulted in hoops like Mason's nice last turn around.

[uh_no]

Our perimeter defense (across the board) has looked rough early.

this sounds worrisome.....

[dcar1985]

Our perimeter defense (across the board) has looked rough early.

Your not gonna stay directly in front of everyone....our help D has looked rough!

[CDu]

Quinn Cook is probably going to have a misleadingy fantastic +/-. He has been on the floor when Dawkins hit his first three 3s, and was on the floor when Kelly hit a 3. Sometimes it works out that way.

[DU82]

Miles getting beat like he stole something....

Miles seems to move to the ball too much, rather than staying where he should. He's trying to cover too much. Let you teammates defend, too. He's not quick enough to play free safety, like Shane, Grant or, the landlord.

[Billy Dat]

this sounds worrisome.....

In the second half of this half, many of their hoops have been off one-on-one drives - lots of victims...Thornton, Curry, etc. Feels like they are putting up a lot of points, but it also feels like a high possession, high pace game.

Kelly looks great...took two charges, some nice low post moves, nailed a 3.

[CDu]

Your not gonna stay directly in front of everyone....our help D has looked rough!

True, but we're not staying in front of ANYone.

[mkline09]

True, but we're not staying in front of ANYone.

Very young team. Learning to move and communicate. Looking at it optimistically they can only get better.

[CDu]

Very young team. Learning to move and communicate. Looking at it optimistically they can only get better.

Well, we're not that young. But yes, things can only get better.

[DU82]

Very young team. Learning to move and communicate. Looking at it optimistically they can only get better.

Right now, Rivers looks like the best defender on the floor. Stays in front of his man, and knows when to jump in front of another player. Not all "O", which admittedly I thought he'd be.

[mkline09]

Right now, Rivers looks like the best defender on the floor. Stays in front of his man, and knows when to jump in front of another player. Not all "O", which admittedly I thought he'd be.

Watzone tweeted just a few minutes ago that Rivers is playing the best man to man defense he has ever seen him. And that dates back to the time he was 15. So I take that as high praise considering the source.

Tyler Thornton and Seth were solid defenders last year so I'm surprised they aren't doing better. Lots of kinks to work out on the defensive side of the floor though.

[CDu]

The rotation is looking a bit more like I'd expect: very few minutes for Gbinije and Hairston. Thornton and Cook have each played ~5-6 minutes (I'd guess). Murphy has yet to see the floor (same for Marshall).

I think we'll see an 8-9 man rotation. And so far, tonight has been more like that. The older Plumlees, Kelly, Curry, Rivers, and Dawkins have seen a lot of minutes. Thornton and Cook have combined for a decent number of minutes. Hairston has played spot minutes.

[uh_no]

Well, we're not that young. But yes, things can only get better.

So much has been said about losing kyle and nolan on the offensive side of the ball, but people forget that we're losing arguably our two best defenders. Personally, I think that will be even harder to replace. I think some of the other guys (especially the big men) may have been, in effect, spoiled by not having to concern themselves with the perimeter.

While I think we can replace the offense, I'm skeptical that the defense can be as good this year. I think our lineups will end up being dominated by being able to put the best defense on the floor.

[J4Kop99]

looks like you lost out on this one....

Yeah I lost, but I thought my odds were fair.

[Billy Dat]

First Half Impressions:

Positives
-Kelly best player all around, looks really sharp and like the aggressiveness on offense
-Dawkins got lots of minutes thanks to his hunting his shot and playing solid D
-Rivers looked great, agree with all the comments about his D. I think he needs the ball more on offense as he puts tons of pressure on the D
-The bigs stayed out of foul trouble
-Few turnovers (by both teams) despite a fast paced game
-Mason looked good on the offensive end

Negatives
-None of the point guards really impressed me, Seth was the best and he played pretty well but I didn't feel like he was 'making us go!'
-Agree with the collective comments about perimeter D

[MCFinARL]

Well, we're not that young. But yes, things can only get better.

We're not that young. But our defense is young in terms of working together, because our lineup combinations are all different. And as uh_no noted later on the thread, the pieces we lost were probably the best defenders on last year's team. So we are young in terms of taking primary responsibility for defense. Bottom line, hopefully it's not just that things CAN only get better, but that they WILL get better--but of course there are no guarantees.

[CDu]

First Half Impressions:

Positives
-Kelly best player all around, looks really sharp and like the aggressiveness on offense
-Dawkins got lots of minutes thanks to his hunting his shot and playing solid D
-Rivers looked great, agree with all the comments about his D. I think he needs the ball more on offense as he puts tons of pressure on the D
-The bigs stayed out of foul trouble
-Few turnovers (by both teams) despite a fast paced game
-Mason looked good on the offensive end

Negatives
-None of the point guards really impressed me, Seth was the best and he played pretty well but I didn't feel like he was 'making us go!'
-Agree with the collective comments about perimeter D

I'd agree with this. The offense looked pretty good. The defense didn't.

[SilkyJ]

Shaw goes 1-2-2 and we find Dawkins for 3 straight 3s...way to recognize and go to the best 3 point man. Ryan Kelly nice post up and drop step turnaround jumper. Defense extending better and putting good pressure on with this line-up. Shaw has a quick and aggressive offense.


Quinn Cook is probably going to have a misleadingy fantastic +/-. He has been on the floor when Dawkins hit his first three 3s, and was on the floor when Kelly hit a 3. Sometimes it works out that way.

Well to be fair, Cook assisted on all 3 of those. Unless the headfake one was considered an assist-less FG.

But still, one game ago those 3 shots would have yieled zero points, this time it yields 9...which obviously goes to your point on +/-.

Either way, the very tangible, statistically measurable, "eye test" tells me that Q is a good PG, but his D clearly needs work. I thought it looked fine against B-mine, not looking good today. Same is true for others as well, though so maybe these guys are just real quick.

[CDu]

We're not that young. But our defense is young in terms of working together, because our lineup combinations are all different. And as uh_no noted later on the thread, the pieces we lost were probably the best defenders on last year's team. So we are young in terms of taking primary responsibility for defense. Bottom line, hopefully it's not just that things CAN only get better, but that they WILL get better--but of course there are no guarantees.

No disagreement here. I was just providing analysis of what is actually happening - not a prediction of future gloom.

[CDu]

Well to be fair, Cook assisted on all 3 of those. Unless the headfake one was considered an assist-less FG.

But still, one game ago those 3 shots would have yieled zero points, this time it yields 9...which obviously goes to your point on +/-.

Either way, the very tangible, statistically measurable, "eye test" tells me that Q is a good PG, but his D clearly needs work. I thought it looked fine against B-mine, not looking good today. Same is true for others as well, though so maybe these guys are just real quick.

He assisted on 2, I believe. I'm not saying he played badly (on the offensive end - defensively he was bad just like Thornton and Curry). Just saying that his +/- is going to look much much better than he actually played. He didn't do anything noteworthy on the Dawkins 3s - just happened to be the guy that threw the ball to an open shooter.

It was more a comment about +/- than Cook. I could have made the same comment about Hairston and Gbinije (who both also happened to be on the floor when Dawkins went off). I just happened to think of it when Kelly hit his 3.

[Oriole Way]

Anyone know why Alex Murphy went from starting to not playing in the first half?

Is he hurt?

[basket1544]

Dre's starting instead of Tyler for the 2nd half. Mason and Miles have both picked up fouls.

[DU82]

First two plays,cstupid foul onoffense, thenclost his man and a cover foul, both on Miles.

[mkline09]

Anyone know why Alex Murphy went from starting to not playing in the first half?

Is he hurt?

I'm not surprised. I think it will take some time for him to find his niche. Not that unusual for a freshman to start in an exhibition and see little playing time later on.

[J4Kop99]

Well, we're not that young. But yes, things can only get better.

I laughed out loud at this. Reminded me of the scene in Wedding Crashers with Owen Wilson and Vince Vaughn sitting on the steps of whatever monument it was... "hell of a season, pal."

[loldevilz]

How long will it be until Coach K decides to pack it in? Its pretty clear form this game and Dubai that this team has really terrible perimeter defense.

[Duvall]

How long will it be until Coach K decides to pack it in? Its pretty clear form this game and Dubai that this team has really terrible perimeter defense.

Well if it's obvious in August and November then it must be immutable.

[Oriole Way]

How long will it be until Coach K decides to pack it in? Its pretty clear form this game and Dubai that this team has really terrible perimeter defense.

This might be a team with which to play zone defense. Highly doubt K will ever go that route, given he's never done it before.

[Billy Dat]

Our bigs really can run...need to keep leveraging that strength...forcing some turnovers on the perimeter would help.

[Billy Dat]

This Miles-Kelly-Rivers-Thornton-Curry line-up has looked better defensively...better help and recovery. Rivers is making really excellent decisions on offense, and Curry is really looking for him. When we hit him in transition around halfcourt, he is really tough to keep away from the rim. Kelly does a nice job of feeding the post, too.

I like how the PA announcer says, simply, "Mason for Miles".

[Cameron]

what is this? there's no picture? its like the stone ages....

Haha. I love listening to Bob Harris, but the lack of visuals can certainly be hell for somebody like me who has the attention span of a person on fire. So, like that NBC news station out of Raleigh often does during the NCAA Tournament, sometimes I like to borrow my nephew's stuffed animals and act out what I think is happening on the court. For example, in the first half when Andre was in the middle of that incredible long-range barrage, he was Darkwing Duck.

Glad to see that Andre has found his punch. Four big first half threes. I'd like to see him hit a couple more to finish the game off and really be in the zone as we head toward the real show next week.

[DU82]

Nolan, Kyrie and Lance have joined the Crazies in the stands, and are having a ball. Typical Duke students (or grads), picking up the cheers quickly.

[basket1544]

Haha. I love listening to Bob Harris, but the lack of visuals can certainly be hell for somebody like me who has the attention span of a person on fire. So, like that NBC news station out of Raleigh often does during the NCAA Tournament, sometimes I like to borrow my nephew's stuffed animals and act out what I think is happening on the court. For example, in the first half when Andre was in the middle of that incredible long-range barrage, he was Darkwing Duck.

Glad to see that Andre has found his punch. Four big first half threes. I'd like to see him hit a couple more to finish the game off and really be in the zone as we head toward the real show next week.

That's greatness! I think I'm going to act the game out from now on with stuffed animals. Much better than the scribbles I do on a pad of paper.

[Billy Dat]

Nolan, Kyrie and Lance have joined the Crazies in the stands, and are having a ball. Typical Duke students (or grads), picking up the cheers quickly.

Love Kyrie rocking the Beastie's "Check Your Head" tee...that was in heavy rotation during my years in the Gothic Wonderland.

[MChambers]

So much has been said about losing kyle and nolan on the offensive side of the ball, but people forget that we're losing arguably our two best defenders. Personally, I think that will be even harder to replace. I think some of the other guys (especially the big men) may have been, in effect, spoiled by not having to concern themselves with the perimeter.

While I think we can replace the offense, I'm skeptical that the defense can be as good this year. I think our lineups will end up being dominated by being able to put the best defense on the floor.
Some of us have been saying this since last April. We lost two outstanding senior defenders. I don't think folks realized how good Kyle was on defense.

Having said that, we have players who can be outstanding defenders, but the jury is still out. Goods thing we have months to go and a great defensive coach.

[SilkyJ]

He assisted on 2, I believe. I'm not saying he played badly (on the offensive end - defensively he was bad just like Thornton and Curry). Just saying that his +/- is going to look much much better than he actually played. He didn't do anything noteworthy on the Dawkins 3s - just happened to be the guy that threw the ball to an open shooter.

It was more a comment about +/- than Cook. I could have made the same comment about Hairston and Gbinije (who both also happened to be on the floor when Dawkins went off). I just happened to think of it when Kelly hit his 3.

He def made the pass on all 3, but only 2 may have counted as assists (the 3rd was one where Dre used the headfake, took one dribble, then shot. May have been counted as assist-less).

As for the bolded part, now you're discrediting the assist stat. I agree he didn't make some kind of phenomenal play, but he made good passes, one of which was a touch pass where he gave up an open 3 and found the right guy. I'm not going to discredit them.

[delfrio]

Quinn's looking a bit slow both on defense and offense. Wonder if it's his conditioning/knee? Any word on whether the knee is 100% or just game-ready?

[Billy Dat]

Quinn's looking a bit slow both on defense and offense. Wonder if it's his conditioning/knee? Any word on whether the knee is 100% or just game-ready?

His shot isn't looking too good either.

[SilkyJ]

Quinn's looking a bit slow both on defense and offense. Wonder if it's his conditioning/knee? Any word on whether the knee is 100% or just game-ready?

Knee was reported a while ago as 100%. I bet he's still getting into game shape, however. Q was also not known as the speedster type, even in HS. I wouldn't say people called him slow, but no one ever compared him to ty lawson either.