Thoughts from Coach K's press conference

[CDu]

I only heard the first 15 minutes, so folks can feel free to add to this. But here's the gist of it:

- One of our biggest problems last year was that we had smalls and bigs, and lacked versatility. We want to get more versatile this year.
- We'll be a lot longer, more versatile, and more athletic on the perimeter. Coach K mentioned Murphy first and foremost, but noted that Jefferson will get some work on the perimeter too. He also mentioned Hairston would get some looks in practice on the perimeter. (I don't see that going too far, but who knows?)
- Curry will focus more on scoring this year. Thornton, Cook, and Sulaimon will handle PG duties.
- Kelly is fully healthy (not that there should have been much doubt, but it is confirmed) and working on his game in Vegas. (snicker)
- Spoke about last year's team lacking leadership, and said that the "three seniors - Mason, Ryan, and Seth" will provide that next year. I didn't hear the Dawkins redshirt comment, but it sounds like that was later confirmed.
- Talked about Cook's injury and how it kept him from being able to prepare for the season. Compared it to Paulus' senior season, when he lost a lot of offseason time and regressed as a senior. Hopefully Cook will be a very different player this year.
- Talked about needing to play more pressure defense on the perimeter. He felt that was lacking last year. Said that the team defense overall was mediocre last year and they're working to improve it.

Interesting stuff.

[Newton_14]

I only heard the first 15 minutes, so folks can feel free to add to this. But here's the gist of it:

- One of our biggest problems last year was that we had smalls and bigs, and lacked versatility. We want to get more versatile this year.
- We'll be a lot longer, more versatile, and more athletic on the perimeter. Coach K mentioned Murphy first and foremost, but noted that Jefferson will get some work on the perimeter too. He also mentioned Hairston would get some looks in practice on the perimeter. (I don't see that going too far, but who knows?)
- Curry will focus more on scoring this year. Thornton, Cook, and Sulaimon will handle PG duties.
- Kelly is fully healthy (not that there should have been much doubt, but it is confirmed) and working on his game in Vegas. (snicker)
- Spoke about last year's team lacking leadership, and said that the "three seniors - Mason, Ryan, and Seth" will provide that next year. I didn't hear the Dawkins redshirt comment, but it sounds like that was later confirmed.
- Talked about Cook's injury and how it kept him from being able to prepare for the season. Compared it to Paulus' senior season, when he lost a lot of offseason time and regressed as a senior. Hopefully Cook will be a very different player this year.
- Talked about needing to play more pressure defense on the perimeter. He felt that was lacking last year. Said that the team defense overall was mediocre last year and they're working to improve it.

Interesting stuff.

That was the gist of the Duke part. The rest was Olympics, a brief discussion on Penn State, where K went Snarky on a guy for trying to frame him into a corner, but then handled it well. The end was a 30 second blurb on Andre redshirting and K took no questions on that topic.

[UrinalCake]

I only heard the last 15 minutes, so maybe between us we can piece the whole thing together ;) It was mostly non-Duke stuff
- he was asked about his previous comments about Paterno, which he restated and clarified
- he was also asked about the new NCAA statement that defines the block/charge call. He said that he hadn't looked at it yet, but also thinks having the arc in the NBA has caused officials to assume that any play outside the arc is automatically a charge, because they're looking at the defender's feet and not at the play itself. Interesting observation.
- was asked about how the Olympic team commitments affect his Duke team, and he said that Capel and Nate will be working with them on "footwork and balance," which he sees as being key components of defense.
- and as we are discussing in the other thread, he did confirm that Andre will be redshirted

[watzone]

Ryan Kelly has fully recovered from his injury and is currently working out in Las Vegas.


Mason Plumlee is on an internship and working out in Chicago.


Coach said that all the Duke players are currently in good health.


Andre Dawkins will redshirt this coming season and details were not given for reasons of Dawkins personal privacy.


Coach K said that last seasons team was not good defensively out front and not big enough and that they would be better equipped to use on ball pressure this season. He mentioned that Duke would be longer out front as well.


Alex Murphy left two days ago for Finland to play on the Finnish National Team. His Mom played for their national team as well. He said Murph would get a lot of playing time.


Coach K said this years team would bee more versatile and that three senior leaders would help in Mason, Ryan and Seth.


Coach K said Seth Curry will play off by more to hunt his shot and that Thornton, Cook and Sulaimon would be the main ball handlers if the season were to start today.


Coach said the one and done mentality has always existed but that players were quicker to leave when their was controversy or tough situations now, more so than in the past.He then segued into the fact some kids leave before the book is written an referred to the 2010 team where senior blossomed.


A peeve of his was that the transfer rate is out of control in college basketball and that there were more than 450 kids going to different schools. He mentioned that the NCAA was not doing much about it and that college hoops needed a governing body to discuss issues like is happening on college football and the play off scenarios.


Coach also said there are no real recruiting philosophies with concern to kids in the current climate hen asked if he would go about things differently losing Kyrie Irving and Austin Rivers back to back.


He also said that Rivers and Miles Plumlee were expected to do well in the upcoming NBA Draft and that former players help the Duke image with prospects and perceptions.


It was not mentioned that Josh Hairston was losing weight in the off season but it was mentioned that he could play more perimeter as well as the aforementioned Murphy. K said having a 6-8 wing in Murphy would stretch the court and allow Duke to do some different things.


Coach K said Marshall Plumlee was up to 24 and his redshirt season would help him. He likes his work ethic and enthusiasm and mentioned his toughness as well.


Coach K felt his perimeter a season ago was too small to defend at a high level and mentioned their lack of adjustment after Kelly went down. He said on ball pressure would be addressed int he off season as well as concepts on how to defend out front.


Back to transfers, K mentioned that he felt they were recruited harder than prospect at this time and implied the battles were vicious and studies needed to be done for change and control. He mentioned some teams trying to help their APR as well which has sidelines UConn of late.


Coach said that he faces challenges with Team USA from a condensed NBA seasons and injuries and they have yet to finalize a roster. He glowed when talking about Russell Westbrook and his play and scoffed at so many analyst having his game under the microscope mentioning he was just 24 years old. He said LeBron Jame would play for sure and that some kids learned in different ways and that he had to get through some lessons but that he was a specially gifted player.


Coach said that incoming freshman Rasheed Sulaimon played well and that he would grow from the experience and that all players did while playing international basketball.


When questioned whether it bothered him that N.C. State and North Carolina seemed to be getting more love he quipped I like what we've done and prefer to talk about that. He gave a bit of a sly smile and there is good reason for that. My take is let people overlook us for that is exactly what we want them do. And if you truly know hoops, then you realize Duke will be just fine this coming season and in their customary position at the top of the league when all is said and done

[jimsumner]

Ryan Kelly has fully recovered from his injury and is currently working out in Las Vegas.


Mason Plumlee is on an internship and working out in Chicago.


Coach said that all the Duke players are currently in good health.


Andre Dawkins will redshirt this coming season and details were not given for reasons of Dawkins personal privacy.


Coach K said that last seasons team was not good defensively out front and not big enough and that they would be better equipped to use on ball pressure this season. He mentioned that Duke would be longer out front as well.


Alex Murphy left two days ago for Finland to play on the Finnish National Team. His Mom played for their national team as well. He said Murph would get a lot of playing time.


Coach K said this years team would bee more versatile and that three senior leaders would help in Mason, Ryan and Seth.


Coach K said Seth Curry will play off by more to hunt his shot and that Thornton, Cook and Sulaimon would be the main ball handlers if the season were to start today.


Coach said the one and done mentality has always existed but that players were quicker to leave when their was controversy or tough situations now, more so than in the past.He then segued into the fact some kids leave before the book is written an referred to the 2010 team where senior blossomed.


A peeve of his was that the transfer rate is out of control in college basketball and that there were more than 450 kids going to different schools. He mentioned that the NCAA was not doing much about it and that college hoops needed a governing body to discuss issues like is happening on college football and the play off scenarios.


Coach also said there are no real recruiting philosophies with concern to kids in the current climate hen asked if he would go about things differently losing Kyrie Irving and Austin Rivers back to back.


He also said that Rivers and Miles Plumlee were expected to do well in the upcoming NBA Draft and that former players help the Duke image with prospects and perceptions.


It was not mentioned that Josh Hairston was losing weight in the off season but it was mentioned that he could play more perimeter as well as the aforementioned Murphy. K said having a 6-8 wing in Murphy would stretch the court and allow Duke to do some different things.


Coach K said Marshall Plumlee was up to 24 and his redshirt season would help him. He likes his work ethic and enthusiasm and mentioned his toughness as well.


Coach K felt his perimeter a season ago was too small to defend at a high level and mentioned their lack of adjustment after Kelly went down. He said on ball pressure would be addressed int he off season as well as concepts on how to defend out front.


Back to transfers, K mentioned that he felt they were recruited harder than prospect at this time and implied the battles were vicious and studies needed to be done for change and control. He mentioned some teams trying to help their APR as well which has sidelines UConn of late.


Coach said that he faces challenges with Team USA from a condensed NBA seasons and injuries and they have yet to finalize a roster. He glowed when talking about Russell Westbrook and his play and scoffed at so many analyst having his game under the microscope mentioning he was just 24 years old. He said LeBron Jame would play for sure and that some kids learned in different ways and that he had to get through some lessons but that he was a specially gifted player.


Coach said that incoming freshman Rasheed Sulaimon played well and that he would grow from the experience and that all players did while playing international basketball.


When questioned whether it bothered him that N.C. State and North Carolina seemed to be getting more love he quipped I like what we've done and prefer to talk about that. He gave a bit of a sly smile and there is good reason for that. My take is let people overlook us for that is exactly what we want them do. And if you truly know hoops, then you realize Duke will be just fine this coming season and in their customary position at the top of the league when all is said and done

That Marshall Plumlee weight is 240 not 24. At least that's how I remember it. :)

K also mentioned Jefferson as a possible (not exclusively) perimeter defender.

He also indicated that he wanted Curry to concentrate on playing off the ball and mentioned Cook, Thornton and Sulaimon could all play point.

[watzone]

Your pitch forks breed like rabbits, Jim:) The more you have, the less typo's you make. I didn't think the Paterno stuff was worth mentioning but you may want to add to that.

[jimsumner]

Your pitch forks breed like rabbits, Jim:) The more you have, the less typo's you make. I didn't think the Paterno stuff was worth mentioning but you may want to add to that.

Don't think the Paterno stuff is worth mentioning either. K didn't add anything today and it's pretty tangential to Duke hoops.

[CarmenWallaceWade]

That Marshall Plumlee weight is 240 not 24. At least that's how I remember it. :)

K also mentioned Jefferson as a possible (not exclusively) perimeter defender.

He also indicated that he wanted Curry to concentrate on playing off the ball and mentioned Cook, Thornton and Sulaimon could all play point.


From 215 senior year to 240 today? This is pretty impressive and along with practices last year should help Marshall get some good court time.

[BD80]

From 215 senior year to 240 today? This is pretty impressive and along with practices last year should help Marshall get some good court time.

And henson only went from 190 to 216 in three years at unc? must have been all that cardio walking to swahili class that kept him from puttin on the pounds.

[gwlaw99]

"Mason Plumlee is on an internship and working out in Chicago."

Let's hope he is working on his post moves as well.

[SilkyJ]

Coach K said that last seasons team was not good defensively out front and not big enough and that they would be better equipped to use on ball pressure this season. He mentioned that Duke would be longer out front as well.


I guess we'll be longer at the 3 by playing a true forward there most of the time in murphy, amile or hairston, instead of a 6'4"/6'5" guard like we did last year (Dre or Austin), but it seems to me our size at the 1 or 2 isn't going to change. Thornton and Cook will get 35-40 minutes at the 1, and Seth/Sheed should get 35-40 at the 2. Sheed has solid length at the 2, but the other guys are just average size

So you make up for lack of size with quickness (and good hands, smarts and craftiness). IMO, Tyler and Seth are just limited athletically in their quickness, so there's not a lot that can be done to change that. So it really seems to fall on Quinn or Sheed. I just don't expect Sheed to start and play 20+mpg though, so it really falls on Quinn. He had the knee injury last year and has this off season to get healthy and work on his quickness and defense. No one can say whether it will happen, but we have to hope it will, otherwise we're in for another potentially short March.

I'm sure this will shock no one, but I think a lot of this team's success will be correlated with how much Quinn improves as a sophomore. If he can win the starting PG job, hit a decent % from 3, and play better defense, we become a real force to be reckoned with...the most important improvement though has to be on defense. Someone has to be able to guard an opponent's quick PG/scorer, and the only people we can legitimately expect that from are Quinn and Sheed, and again, I don't expect Sheed to play enough to make that impact. (I would be happy to be wrong on the Sheed point, but logically, its tough to see him displacing Seth at the 2 or Quinn & Tyler at the 1, so he'll play backup minutes at both spots and be effective when I'm in, but he won't become a starter and 25-30mpg guy until next year.)

[CoachJ10]

"Mason Plumlee is on an internship and working out in Chicago."

Let's hope he is working on his post moves as well.

He actually works on the floor above me in my office building (needless to say I was startled the first time I was on the elevator with him and did a triple-take).

[roywhite]

I guess we'll be longer at the 3 by playing a true forward there most of the time in murphy, amile or hairston, instead of a 6'4"/6'5" guard like we did last year (Dre or Austin), but it seems to me our size at the 1 or 2 isn't going to change. Thornton and Cook will get 35-40 minutes at the 1, and Seth/Sheed should get 35-40 at the 2. Sheed has solid length at the 2, but the other guys are just average size

So you make up for lack of size with quickness (and good hands, smarts and craftiness). IMO, Tyler and Seth are just limited athletically in their quickness, so there's not a lot that can be done to change that. So it really seems to fall on Quinn or Sheed. I just don't expect Sheed to start and play 20+mpg though, so it really falls on Quinn. He had the knee injury last year and has this off season to get healthy and work on his quickness and defense. No one can say whether it will happen, but we have to hope it will, otherwise we're in for another potentially short March.

I'm sure this will shock no one, but I think a lot of this team's success will be correlated with how much Quinn improves as a sophomore. If he can win the starting PG job, hit a decent % from 3, and play better defense, we become a real force to be reckoned with...the most important improvement though has to be on defense. Someone has to be able to guard an opponent's quick PG/scorer, and the only people we can legitimately expect that from are Quinn and Sheed, and again, I don't expect Sheed to play enough to make that impact. (I would be happy to be wrong on the Sheed point, but logically, its tough to see him displacing Seth at the 2 or Quinn & Tyler at the 1, so he'll play backup minutes at both spots and be effective when I'm in, but he won't become a starter and 25-30mpg guy until next year.)

Your overall take makes sense, but I'd guess we see Sheed for more minutes, whether that involves the traditional 2 spot, or some PG on occcasion, or SF/Wing.
25 minutes plus, maybe 30? I just think he's that good (esp. defensively) and K will find ways to utilize him.

[Newton_14]

Your overall take makes sense, but I'd guess we see Sheed for more minutes, whether that involves the traditional 2 spot, or some PG on occcasion, or SF/Wing.
25 minutes plus, maybe 30? I just think he's that good (esp. defensively) and K will find ways to utilize him.

Sorry Silky, but have to agree with Roy here. Rasheed is going to play and play a lot. Especially with Andre out of the mix. He has great tools and I feel he is going to be ready to contribute from day 1. Hope that does not jinx him, but thats how I see this kid.


One other thing, I will give pitchfork points to everyone who refuses to refer to him as "Sheed". Sorry, just a pet peeve of mine. Surely we can come up with a non-unc-cheat related nickname that is a little more creative..

[DukieTiger]

Sorry Silky, but have to agree with Roy here. Rasheed is going to play and play a lot. Especially with Andre out of the mix. He has great tools and I feel he is going to be ready to contribute from day 1. Hope that does not jinx him, but thats how I see this kid.


One other thing, I will give pitchfork points to everyone who refuses to refer to him as "Sheed". Sorry, just a pet peeve of mine. Surely we can come up with a non-unc-cheat related nickname that is a little more creative..

^I've taken to calling him "Sully" - although that invokes Jared Sullinger and I'm not a huge fan. But I suppose I'm counting on our "Sully" blotting out any thoughts of good old Jared.

I completely empathize with your pet peeve though. I can't stand the nickname of "RoboCop" (don't know if that's used as much here as elsewhere) and I wish people would just call Alex Murhpy something simple like "Murph". Minimalism, people! :p

[Troublemaker]

Video of the presser:

http://www.wralsportsfan.com/duke/story/11235855/

[phaedrus]

One other thing, I will give pitchfork points to everyone who refuses to refer to him as "Sheed". Sorry, just a pet peeve of mine. Surely we can come up with a non-unc-cheat related nickname that is a little more creative..

Do you prefer "Rash"?

[Newton_14]

Do you prefer "Rash"?

Good one! :)

How bout "Raz"? Razor? Ramon?

Anything beats the other one.. :)

[gumbomoop]

Surely we can come up with a non-unc-cheat related nickname that is a little more creative..

Save the pitchforks for more deserving posters, but.....

I prefer Sula Mon! It refers [by barely, if at all, changing the pronunciation] to Rasheed's surname by combining the title of a novel I like, Toni Morrison's Sula, with a generic reference to Jamaica, always a plus. I'm pretty sure that Rasheed will in an honors course have written a comparative book review-essay of Sula and Russell Banks's The Book of Jamaica. Pretty sure..... seems like he would have done, anyway.


I wish people would just call Alex Murhpy something simple like "Murph". Minimalism, people! :p

I stick with Early AM. Seems minimal enough.

[MChambers]

I will give pitchfork points to everyone who refuses to refer to him as "Sheed". Sorry, just a pet peeve of mine. Surely we can come up with a non-unc-cheat related nickname that is a little more creative..
I favor "the Magnificent," even if the spelling of the last names are a little different.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suleiman_the_Magnificent

[AsiaMinor]

So who will be filling in Andre's dream 3's?

[OldPhiKap]

I'd kinda like to see him play before pre-ordaining a nickname.

Or, perhaps see what his teammates who know him well call him.

But I'm organic that way.

[NM Duke Fan]

I agree with other posters who believe that Rasheed Sulaimon is likely to get more minutes of playing time than some are currently projecting. Who else on the roster has his size at the guard position, his obvious defensive mindset and skills, lateral quickness, and capacity for filling up the basket? What I have observed on video and read in reports of his play leads me to think he could even be the starter at the 2 by the semester break. Combine that with Cook getting major minutes hopefully, and Murphy bringing size and skill to the 3, and this has the potential to be an excellent collection of perimeter players that could go head to head with just about any competition by the end of the year Combined with Jefferson adding his length and energy, and the two Seniors Ryan and Mason, I like the chances of this being a visibly improved team!

[Kedsy]

I agree with other posters who believe that Rasheed Sulaimon is likely to get more minutes of playing time than some are currently projecting. Who else on the roster has his size at the guard position, his obvious defensive mindset and skills, lateral quickness, and capacity for filling up the basket? What I have observed on video and read in reports of his play leads me to think he could even be the starter at the 2 by the semester break. Combine that with Cook getting major minutes hopefully, and Murphy bringing size and skill to the 3, and this has the potential to be an excellent collection of perimeter players that could go head to head with just about any competition by the end of the year Combined with Jefferson adding his length and energy, and the two Seniors Ryan and Mason, I like the chances of this being a visibly improved team!

Well, Seth will be a senior, too, and he was on an All ACC team last year. I agree Rasheed will get plenty of minutes, but if he starts (a big if), I think he has a better chance of starting over Quinn than he does of starting over Seth.

[CDu]

Well, Seth will be a senior, too, and he was on an All ACC team last year. I agree Rasheed will get plenty of minutes, but if he starts (a big if), I think he has a better chance of starting over Quinn than he does of starting over Seth.

I agree. I don't see Curry's role diminishing next year. He's going to be the starter, and he's going to be a big scorer for us. I could see Sulaimon eventually taking over as the PG (with both he and Curry being combo guards). But I don't think Coach K is going to bench Curry this year.

If Murphy and Jefferson can work out at the 3, I think it's going to be a very good season.

[Greg_Newton]

One other thing, I will give pitchfork points to everyone who refuses to refer to him as "Sheed". Sorry, just a pet peeve of mine. Surely we can come up with a non-unc-cheat related nickname that is a little more creative..

Unfortunately, he already refers to himself as such... twitter handle is "sheed_ctmd1". I suppose we could go with the other half, though (something along the lines of "cuttomudwon"?). :rolleyes:

And I do have to say... Bad Sheed (i.e. Wallace) has grown on me. Any former NBA all-star who not only shows up, but goes all out at every summer league game in that sweaty NC Central gym each year gets some props in my book!

[Greg_Newton]

I agree. I don't see Curry's role diminishing next year. He's going to be the starter, and he's going to be a big scorer for us. I could see Sulaimon eventually taking over as the PG (with both he and Curry being combo guards). But I don't think Coach K is going to bench Curry this year.

If Murphy and Jefferson can work out at the 3, I think it's going to be a very good season.

The Sulaimon storyline will certainly be an interesting one to follow. Just looking at what he brings vs. what we need, it seems that he should play a lot. However, where does his PT come from?

PG - Do JR Tyler and SO Quinn really combine for less than 40 MPG at the point? Seems like it would be pretty disappointing if so, and the only way I can really see that happening is if Cook gets injured or is somehow so bad he falls out of the rotation completely. Cook is generally considered the key to the season, and there's no way Thornton's toughness, leadership, experience and intangibles don't find a way into a young and/or finesse-centric perimeter rotation. Throw in the fact that Sulaimon really isn't a creating-PG at the college level (yet, at least), and it seems pretty unlikely to me.

SG - Does Seth play less than 30 MPG as a returning All-ACC, 5th-year senior? Once again, seems incredibly unlikely.

So really, that leaves backup SF minutes (assuming Murphy is who we expect him to be and is our main SF) as Sulaimon's main opportunity to get more than 10, maybe 15 MPG as a third guard, a la Rivers last year.

And then, if things weren't crowded enough, you've got K talking about using Amile and maybe even Hairston on the perimeter, presumably as backup SFs. I can't imagine they'd be a better option against most teams than giving Sulaimon the extra minutes, but who knows.

I've been on the "get longer and quicker on the perimeter" train forever, and I think by 2013-2014, we will be quite long and quick. However, next year, I think we ultimately settle with getting longer and more athletic ~70% of the time with Alex at the 3, and stay with the three-guard lineups for the remaining minutes. I don't really see how it shakes out otherwise unless either A) Curry gets leapfrogged by Sulaimon, or B) either Cook or Thornton gets effectively knocked out of the rotation.

[OldPhiKap]

And I do have to say... Bad Sheed (i.e. Wallace) has grown on me.

Penicillin will cure that.

[SilkyJ]

Your overall take makes sense, but I'd guess we see Sheed for more minutes, whether that involves the traditional 2 spot, or some PG on occcasion, or SF/Wing.
25 minutes plus, maybe 30? I just think he's that good (esp. defensively) and K will find ways to utilize him.


Sorry Silky, but have to agree with Roy here. Rasheed is going to play and play a lot. Especially with Andre out of the mix. He has great tools and I feel he is going to be ready to contribute from day 1. Hope that does not jinx him, but thats how I see this kid.


This seems to be the prevailing notion, and I agree he seems to be completely legit, I just struggle to see where his minutes come from. I was going to write a more detailed response, but Greg summed up what I was going to say below so I'll just agree with him: barring injury there's zero mpg at PG, and 8-10mpg at SG, so if you're right (and given K's fondness for 3 guard lineups, I won't disagree) he'll have to play at least 10-15mpg at the 3, which is realistic given Murphy is unproven at this point. As Greg points out this means we'll be small on the perimeter at times, despite what K has said...either way it'll fun to watch K put the pieces together.


The Sulaimon storyline will certainly be an interesting one to follow. Just looking at what he brings vs. what we need, it seems that he should play a lot. However, where does his PT come from?

PG - Do JR Tyler and SO Quinn really combine for less than 40 MPG at the point? Seems like it would be pretty disappointing if so, and the only way I can really see that happening is if Cook gets injured or is somehow so bad he falls out of the rotation completely. Cook is generally considered the key to the season, and there's no way Thornton's toughness, leadership, experience and intangibles don't find a way into a young and/or finesse-centric perimeter rotation. Throw in the fact that Sulaimon really isn't a creating-PG at the college level (yet, at least), and it seems pretty unlikely to me.

SG - Does Seth play less than 30 MPG as a returning All-ACC, 5th-year senior? Once again, seems incredibly unlikely.

So really, that leaves backup SF minutes (assuming Murphy is who we expect him to be and is our main SF) as Sulaimon's main opportunity to get more than 10, maybe 15 MPG as a third guard, a la Rivers last year.

And then, if things weren't crowded enough, you've got K talking about using Amile and maybe even Hairston on the perimeter, presumably as backup SFs. I can't imagine they'd be a better option against most teams than giving Sulaimon the extra minutes, but who knows.

I've been on the "get longer and quicker on the perimeter" train forever, and I think by 2013-2014, we will be quite long and quick. However, next year, I think we ultimately settle with getting longer and more athletic ~70% of the time with Alex at the 3, and stay with the three-guard lineups for the remaining minutes. I don't really see how it shakes out otherwise unless either A) Curry gets leapfrogged by Sulaimon, or B) either Cook or Thornton gets effectively knocked out of the rotation.

[CDu]

This seems to be the prevailing notion, and I agree he seems to be completely legit, I just struggle to see where his minutes come from. I was going to write a more detailed response, but Greg summed up what I was going to say below so I'll just agree with him: barring injury there's zero mpg at PG, and 8-10mpg at SG, so if you're right (and given K's fondness for 3 guard lineups, I won't disagree) he'll have to play at least 10-15mpg at the 3, which is realistic given Murphy is unproven at this point. As Greg points out this means we'll be small on the perimeter at times, despite what K has said...either way it'll fun to watch K put the pieces together.

Sorry, I see to have double-posted the same thought. See my post below.

[CDu]

PG - Do JR Tyler and SO Quinn really combine for less than 40 MPG at the point? Seems like it would be pretty disappointing if so, and the only way I can really see that happening is if Cook gets injured or is somehow so bad he falls out of the rotation completely.

I'd argue that it'd be more disappointing if Sulaimon isn't good enough to take Thornton's minutes away. He's simply a far more talented player than Thornton. He has all of Thornton's defensive gifts, but adds tremendous offensive skills that Thornton can only dream of. Sulaimon is probably also better than Cook, though their skill sets are a bit different. He's not the playmaker that Cook is, but he's a better shooter and a much better defender.

I'd not be at all surprised to see Sulaimon playing ~10mpg at PG, ~10mpg at SG, and maybe ~5mpg at SF.

[roywhite]

I'd argue that it'd be more disappointing if Sulaimon isn't good enough to take Thornton's minutes away. He's simply a far more talented player than Thornton. He has all of Thornton's defensive gifts, but adds tremendous offensive skills that Thornton can only dream of. Sulaimon is probably also better than Cook, though their skill sets are a bit different. He's not the playmaker that Cook is, but he's a better shooter and a much better defender.

I'd not be at all surprised to see Sulaimon playing ~10mpg at PG, ~10mpg at SG, and maybe ~5mpg at SF.

That sounds about right to me. I think Sulaimon gets some minutes at PG along with SG and SF/Wing, and my way early guess is that he plays 25-28 minutes a game total.

[Greg_Newton]

...so if Cook improves enough to take over as primary PG, JR Tyler Thornton basically gets frozen out of the rotation completely?

I have an extremely hard time seeing that, especially given that Sulaimon is far from a court general, drive-and-dish PG, no matter what position he might have played in some all-star games. I'll admit that I was pleading for a similar scenario early last year on here (Rivers at PG, Gbinije at SF), which never came close to happening, so I'm not really expecting it to happen with this year's edition of 6'4 combo guard and Cook and Thornton fully healthy and a year further into their development.

I also think that Thornton's abilities are getting sold way short by essentially saying that Sulaimon is superior to Thornton in every way. The further we get from meaningful, tight games, the less we appreciate what he does...

[Biscuitboy]

K was a point guard who played for Bobby Knight. There's a thread about all time best Duke lineups, and Amaker is underappreciated. I'd give Hurley the nod as the best all-time Duke point guard. Amaker comes in a close second. Amaker was a lock down defender who distributed the ball and could knock down the outside shot. Quinn Cook could be a more compact version of Tommy Amaker.When in a groove, he has the court awareness, fluidity, and skills to make the team work.
Can he deliver on that potential? Tricky because you have Seth Curry and Tyler Thornton competing for some of those minutes. The backcourt chemistry and production will define who Duke is in 2012-2013. There's a lot of talent and Tyler Thornton is a captain. His toughness and leadership helped shape the team in 2011-2012. How the backcourt shakes out, and how productive it is, especially on the DEFENSIVE END, will determine our season. Stopping ball penetration and recovering to fast break off of turnovers needs to be who we are.
Up front we have Mason, who should dominate and Ryan Kelly who should dominate and compliment, and a mix of Josh Hairston, Alex Murphy and Amile. Maybe some Marshall.
In the all time Duke lineups I believe Singler is underappreciated as well. He showed the killer instinct. He showed the will to compete and win as well as any Duke player ever. He was not dominant like Elton Brand or Jason Williams, he simply scrapped and worked and delivered more times than not. He is a warrior. If our team heading into this year can capture that competitive spirit and ethic, we will be fine.

Finally, not much has been said about how the Olympics will affect our team. The focus and energy that our coach will put towards USA Basketball success will be tremendous. How will he transition back to another collegiate season? His track record is beyond reproach. It's still a lot to ask and to deliver. I hope that the team we put on the floor for 2012-2013 will grow into its full poetential. It's up to the players to embrace their opportunity.
Ryan Kelly's presence on the floor makes our team better. I believe that he has underachieved. He is the X factor heading into this year. He has the ball smarts and skills to make everyone he plays with better. I would like him to demand and demonstrate that he is a powerfull force that must be reckoned with. His achievemnt on the floor will propel us to an elite status or his invisibility will deflate us. Mason and Kelly should be better than Zeller and Henson last year. Ryan has so much to give.