Seth Curry on this year vs. last year [Archive]

CDu

07-13-2012, 02:24 PM

Well, I won't comment on "chemistry" because I don't know how well the team got along. But I will say that I suspect ball movement will be much better without Rivers. Whether or not that offsets Rivers' ability to score remains to be seen. But the offense will almost certainly be more fluid. Especially if Cook is greatly improved.

slower

07-13-2012, 02:30 PM

Interesting take on things. Not sure if the comment was directed right at Austin as the author implies but definitely hits on the locker room chemistry.

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/ncaab-the-dagger/did-seth-curry-not-subtle-jab-ex-duke-132648337--ncaab.html

The "expert" who wrote this said "Now they're losing Rivers and a Plumlee and gaining talented incoming freshmen Amile Jefferson, Rasheed Sulaimon".

Of course, there's also Alex Murphy and Marshall Plumlee. Perhaps the "expert" just forgot about them.

cruxer

07-13-2012, 02:32 PM

No shots taken. If yahoo had bothered to link to the source video (http://bluedevilnation.net/2012/07/seth-curry-talks-hoops-from-the-n-c-pro-am/) rather than infer based on a terse tweet (http://twitter.com/KrestDukeCBS/status/223741755365924864) purporting to summarize what Seth was saying, I think that they'd have seen there was nothing to see here.

Seth simply said the team made a point to spend more time together this summer so that they'd be closer when the season came around. AR's name was never mentioned (or implied), rather it was framed as a team problem and solution.

-c

Starter

07-13-2012, 02:43 PM

Here's Curry's take from his Twitter:
I see the media still loves taking parts of quotes and wording them to look like what they want it to say.. Whatever it takes to make a story smh

Krest's quotes apparently came from a different conversation than the BDN video. I don't know exactly what to think here. Not to put words in his mouth, but I do think it's possible Curry might have bristled a bit at Rivers coming in and taking some of the spotlight, and basing that only on what a good basketball player would feel like in that situation. I've heard Rivers mostly kept to himself off the court, as is his option. I never saw him as some sort of gunner necessarily on the court; the shots he was taking, who else was going to take them? But Curry has the spotlight to himself this season, and I'm looking forward to seeing him make the most of that opportunity.

BD80

07-13-2012, 02:59 PM

Here's Curry's take from his Twitter:

Krest's quotes apparently came from a different conversation than the BDN video. I don't know exactly what to think here. Not to put words in his mouth, but I do think it's possible Curry might have bristled a bit at Rivers coming in and taking some of the spotlight, and basing that only on what a good basketball player would feel like in that situation. I've heard Rivers mostly kept to himself off the court, as is his option. I never saw him as some sort of gunner necessarily on the court; the shots he was taking, who else was going to take them? But Curry has the spotlight to himself this season, and I'm looking forward to seeing him make the most of that opportunity.

One cannot deny that many on last year's team had to be thinking, when passing to Austin: "It is like tossing the ball into the River(s), it will never come back to me"

cruxer

07-13-2012, 03:00 PM

Here's Curry's take from his Twitter:

Krest's quotes apparently came from a different conversation than the BDN video. ....

I'm not so sure. Curry mentioned that he specifically retweeted the BDN video to refute Krest's inference. Even if there was resentment towards AR last year, I doubt any of the players actively disliked each other. Therefore, I doubt any of them would publicly call another one out, even cryptically. After all, they all see each other during off-seasons, camps, etc.

Personally I suspect resentment is the wrong word. Last year's team simply lacked leadership and chemistry. AR was obviously the biggest talent, but unlike the year before when Kyrie was the best talent, there weren't accomplished upperclassmen (Nolan and Kyle, natch) guiding the ship. Miles, while a worthy senior last year, hadn't led the team before and maybe didn't have the personality/accomplishments to take the reins. AR, as a first year player, simply couldn't fill that gap.

When I see Seth's interview, I see a team that won't suffer from a lack of leadership this year. It sounds like they're already going in the right direction on that front. (eg We had a chemistry problem last year, here's how we're addressing it.)

-c

Starter

07-13-2012, 03:23 PM

One cannot deny that many on last year's team had to be thinking, when passing to Austin: "It is like tossing the ball into the River(s), it will never come back to me"

Haha... I also can't deny there were some guys I didn't want the ball to come back to. :) Nah man, I'm just playin'.

Starter

07-13-2012, 03:29 PM

I'm not so sure. Curry mentioned that he specifically retweeted the BDN video to refute Krest's inference.

-c

I'm just basing that on that Krest's "we weren't close like this" quote that wasn't in the BDN video.

For the record, the one time I saw Curry and Rivers interact in the locker room in December, they seemed to get along just fine. Small sample size, I know.

CDu

07-13-2012, 03:30 PM

Krest's quotes apparently came from a different conversation than the BDN video.

Are you sure there's a different conversation? All that has been referenced regarding what Krest wrote was the tweet by Krest (which doesn't state they actually conversed). I wouldn't be at all surprised if Krest just took the information from that video (or overhearing the conversation, or whatever) and made his tweet.

It definitely seems fishy that Krest has tweeted this hot one-liner but not an actual article on the conversation.

My suspicion is that Curry's take is the accurate one: Krest is spinning words to get web hits and create a controversial story.

ohiodukefan

07-13-2012, 03:37 PM

Dukeface88

07-13-2012, 04:02 PM

I agree that Quinnn Cook could be the most important player for Duke this year. Someone has to feed the ball to Mason and let him get 15+ shots per game. If he's not getting 15+ shots around the basket this year someone should be sitting!!

Past history suggests you are likely to be disappointed. Austin (our leading scorer) only averaged 12 shots a game last year, and no one else was particularly close. Nolan (barely) attmepted 15 in 2011, but Kyle only attempted 13. None of the Big 3 got 15 shots a game in 2010, nor did anyone in 2009. If you want to look at big men specifically, none of Shelden, Boozer, or Brand got 15 attempts per game either. Heck, the Muppet down the road didn't even get 15 attempts per game.

dcar1985

07-13-2012, 04:18 PM

DeBlueDevil

07-13-2012, 04:47 PM

If you watch the actual interview it does seem that Seth is talking in contrast to last season...the exact quote is "it seems like everyone likes each other this year" I heard the interview this morning before seeing Krest's tweets and thought it was directly tied to the bad chemistry from last years team...

Who says you can't dislike one of your teammates though, they're human just like anybody else, you won't necessarily love everyone you work with, I don't see it being any different IF he actually had a problem with Austin or anyone else on the team

I agree that it definitely seems Seth is speaking in contrast to last year's team but I think the author/everyone should be careful to jump to the conclusion that ultimately Austin was the one that either caused lack of chemistry or was disliked. I think Seth was just making a general statement about something that needs to be addressed going into this season. He doesn't seem like the type of person who would verbalize and take a shot at another past or current teammate. Rather he strikes me as a young man who is holding his team accountable for the lack of "togetherness" and hopes that they can make strives to achieve their ultimate goal..winning a championship TOGETHER

Kedsy

07-13-2012, 05:15 PM

I agree that Quinnn Cook could be the most important player for Duke this year. Someone has to feed the ball to Mason and let him get 15+ shots per game. If he's not getting 15+ shots around the basket this year someone should be sitting!!

I know DukeFace88 already touched on this, but here are some numbers:

Elton Brand, 1999, 10.54 shots per game
Carlos Boozer, 2002, 9.88 shots per game
Shelden Williams, 2006, 11.39 shots per game

It will be an absolute shock if Mason gets 15+ shots per game.

BD80

07-13-2012, 06:13 PM

airowe

07-13-2012, 07:28 PM

Are you sure there's a different conversation? All that has been referenced regarding what Krest wrote was the tweet by Krest (which doesn't state they actually conversed). I wouldn't be at all surprised if Krest just took the information from that video (or overhearing the conversation, or whatever) and made his tweet.

It definitely seems fishy that Krest has tweeted this hot one-liner but not an actual article on the conversation.

My suspicion is that Curry's take is the accurate one: Krest is spinning words to get web hits and create a controversial story.

I've been told by a reporter who was standing right there that the conversation continued after the video cut off. Krest didn't write an article so I don't see how he was trying to drum up web hits.

I disagree with the notion that Curry was directing his comments towards a specific player, but accusing Shawn of doing something disingenuous is just as bad as people accusing Curry of speaking ill towards Rivers, in my opinion. Shawn is a good guy, a hard working reporter, and clearly expressed reservations about even commenting on the story, as evidenced by his tweet just before the one in question:

Shawn Krest ‏@KrestDukeCBS
Slept on it, decided that since he said it, on the record, to 3 of us...you should know: (next tweet)

Saratoga2

07-13-2012, 07:57 PM

I thought the problems last season stemmed primarily from having a very small guard lineup on the floor and an inconsistent Andre. They couldn't provide solid defense, especially against teams with larger athletic guards.

I don't think Seth would say something that would state or imply there were chemistry problems with AR. He a mature and intelligent kid and wouldn't do something to cause issues with the team.

With Andre gone for the year, and an unproven but probably solid player at wing, we still will have to deal with the size mismatches at guard. Most teams have at least one small guard, but we will still often play two together.

I do notice that coach K seems to be recruiting larger shooting guards going forward, but if a player like Kyrie comes around, I am sure we will be interested.

taiw93

07-13-2012, 11:01 PM

To my knowledge (which is admittedly thirdhand) any lack of backcourt chemistry last year stemmed from combining a freshman with a type-A personality (Austin) with upperclassmen who were more quiet and reserved, both personally and in their on-court demeanor; this created an awkward leadership dynamic, in which the one with the most demonstrative leadership was a freshman, and the upperclassmen therefore felt threatened. This is not to say that there were chemistry ISSUES per se, or that it was any particular player's fault (it wasn't), just that the personalities and playing styles among last year's guards were not, in my belief, an ideal match. Coach K seemed to echo this sentiment in defending Austin before the draft to Chad Ford:

"Coach K said that any chemistry issues with the team this past season, which ended with the No. 2-seeded Blue Devils being knocked out in the first round of the NCAA tournament, probably had more to do with its lack of seniors. He said that as players get older, they get more secure in who they are and what they can do and don’t feel as threatened by newcomers with the skills of someone like Rivers.

“We had a young team, maturity-wise, this year,” Krzyzewski said. “I would’ve rather had him playing with Nolan Smith and Kyle Singer. I think they would’ve reacted better to his aggressive attitude. We didn’t always use his attitude properly.”" http://espn.go.com/blog/truehoop/post/_/id/46807/coach-k-weighs-in-on-rivers-future

Just my 2 cents. I do, by the way, think Seth's quote was suggesting simply that they DO like each other this year, not that they didn't like each other last year. Looking forward to a season with a larger and very talented senior class!

gep

07-13-2012, 11:48 PM

... With Andre gone for the year, and an unproven but probably solid player at wing, we still will have to deal with the size mismatches at guard. ...

I read the above, and had a fleeting thought. Has it been said that Andre is "hanging out" with the team this summer? If so, that the following comment is totally wrong. But if not, is it possible that Andre's apparent problems last year had maybe also contributed a bit to the "we do like each other this year" (implying not as good last year?):confused: As many have said, it's highly likely it's not just one thing, but many...

Sir Stealth

07-14-2012, 10:23 AM

I thought it was a hack article - it's a mistake to think that Seth was talking about the absence or presence of particular players. I think that he meant the entire team, which includes everyone who played last season, is growing closer and hanging out more than last season. Everyone has put the microscope on Rivers personality since he committed (and now we even had to drag Andre into it), but he is just one guy in the chemistry equation. You can have improved chemistry even if none of the people involved changed, which is what I think Seth meant. Every team is always going to speak positively about the future season relative to one that had a disappointing ending, but because Rivers plays with an intense look on his face and hadn't perfected ball movement yet as a freshman everything gets blown out of proportion.

elvis14

07-14-2012, 11:06 AM

DevilWearsPrada

07-14-2012, 11:54 AM

The local talk radio stations were all over this yesterday (to the celebration of UNC@CH fans, I'm sure). Of course they were blathering on about Austin Rivers. Argh! I hope K makes Seth run laps for days!

Better yet, cease and desist on Making Comments that can be twisted in a very negative way!!! Twitter, Facebook and all kinds of social media can be a distraction and allow others to Twist words and comments into something it isn't!!

Running laps is a great suggestion! Would that be inside with air conditioning or outside with 90/100 degree temps? lol;)

cmccoy11

07-14-2012, 12:12 PM

Better yet, cease and desist on Making Comments that can be twisted in a very negative way!!! Twitter, Facebook and all kinds of social media can be a distraction and allow others to Twist words and comments into something it isn't!!

Running laps is a great suggestion! Would that be inside with air conditioning or outside with 90/100 degree temps? lol;)

The problem with this is that SO MANY comments can be twisted into negative things. The only way to avoid this is not to do interviews. It's not Seth's fault at all.

rsvman

07-14-2012, 02:00 PM

Nothing to see here, people. Return to your homes.

watzone

07-14-2012, 05:27 PM

I had a few contacts after the video I did and saw the questions coming about team chemistry and elected to turn off the camera knowing where it would likely go or be portrayed. I left, so I am not privy to what was said after that and had no desire for a scoop on things past even if there were one. I elected not to respond to the questions asked me as well by some national media types in that I don't think Seth meant what many have implied through not getting all the info. There are no bad guys in this one though and no matter what it is water under the bridge. I do hate that this incident will likely effect what some do get from Duke players the rest of the way. Being homer media, I am not looking for a sensational like article and don't think others really were but it turned out that way. It was a situation where all parties involved would have likely handled it differently in hindsight. Lost in translation. It happens all the time. Stash this one in the "Water under the bridge," category. These events are supposed to be fun for the parties involved and media has not always been at the event as they are today which is in droves. The student athletes answer questions as a courtesy here and are not required to do so at all. In short, it is up to them and something like this will surely cut back on access or who they choose to speak with. I don't think anyone involved intended for this to be an issue.

dukelilsis

07-14-2012, 10:58 PM

During the 2012 season, I commented to many of my fellow basketball fans that the team did not seem to have the "band of brothers" attitude and chemistry that had been present for the 2010 and 2011 seasons. It was obvious on the court, the sidelines and on something as casual as Duke Blue Planet. If it was obvious to me, it had to be glaringly obvious to someone who was part of all three of those teams. That's not to say that anyone on the team had a character flaw. I tend to chalk it up to the fact that we had just lost two 4 year veterans who had been outstanding mentors and ambassadors for the Duke basketball program. I honestly think it bodes well for our guys that the older players have recognized this and are making it a point to do some team bonding. Really, I see no reason to "punish" Seth but rather give him a pat on the back for identifying and addressing what I believe to be a key issue for the team. Coach K, of all people, knows that statements can be twisted seven shades from Sunday. Even if there were personal issues among players last year, that was last year. Plus, it wouldn't be the first time that we've had players not get along. Do the names Christian and Bobby ring any bells?

DeBlueDevil

07-16-2012, 04:09 PM

More via the espn website

http://espn.go.com/blog/collegebasketballnation/post/_/id/61131/chemistry-bigger-than-one-player

gus

07-16-2012, 06:01 PM

I know DukeFace88 already touched on this, but here are some numbers:

Elton Brand, 1999, 10.54 shots per game
Carlos Boozer, 2002, 9.88 shots per game
Shelden Williams, 2006, 11.39 shots per game

It will be an absolute shock if Mason gets 15+ shots per game.

While I agree that expecting 15 shots per game from Mason is hoping for too much, I think the field goal stats are misleading.

Shelden also shot 270 FTs. If that corresponds to ~130 field goal attempts not counted that way for stats, his shots per game were 15.
Carlos's 9.9 looks more like 13.0 when you factor in his 236 FTA.
Elton's 10.5 is more like 13.8 when you factor in his 256 FTA.

greybeard

07-17-2012, 12:37 AM

While I agree that expecting 15 shots per game from Mason is hoping for too much, I think the field goal stats are misleading.

Shelden also shot 270 FTs. If that corresponds to ~130 field goal attempts not counted that way for stats, his shots per game were 15.
Carlos's 9.9 looks more like 13.0 when you factor in his 236 FTA.
Elton's 10.5 is more like 13.8 when you factor in his 256 FTA.

Excellent!

SupaDave

07-21-2012, 10:14 AM

More via the espn website

http://espn.go.com/blog/collegebasketballnation/post/_/id/61131/chemistry-bigger-than-one-player

I'm just shocked that no one ever seems to bring out Gbinje's name in all this... I mean - he DID transfer and it was b/c he was a bit malcontent.

fuse

07-21-2012, 10:35 AM

I've watching this thread with some interest.
The biggest indicator I saw of a chemistry issue last year was when Seth came running out of the tunnel for the Temple game and the rest of the team "pranked" him by not following.

I remember being stunned watching that, and thinking at the time I'd never seen that on another Duke team that I can recall, followed by the "I've got a bad feeling about this" vibe.

My hope is that the team finds the chemistry this year similar to 2010- that was a year where not only was chemistry an advantage, it was a difference maker.

dcdevil2009

07-21-2012, 10:51 AM

I'm just shocked that no one ever seems to bring out Gbinje's name in all this... I mean - he DID transfer and it was b/c he was a bit malcontent.

Would you mind elaborating on this? Did you mean he was malcontent, as in unhappy at Duke (whether with his role on the team or just his Duke experience in general), or that he was a bit of a malcontent, as in stirring up whatever chemistry problems were or weren't there last year?

SupaDave

07-21-2012, 11:15 AM

Would you mind elaborating on this? Did you mean he was malcontent, as in unhappy at Duke (whether with his role on the team or just his Duke experience in general), or that he was a bit of a malcontent, as in stirring up whatever chemistry problems were or weren't there last year?

Well it can spread in all kinds of ways. It can be like a virus - first in practice, then to games, then to personal time. Doing subtle things to show your displeasure. Trying to get yours when you come in the game. Not getting yours b/c another freshmen is dominating the rock. Another player taking up for you and someone taking offense. Seeing someone make the same mistakes you do but you get taken out of the game. It's quite obvious MG soured of his experience.

DukieInBrasil

07-21-2012, 11:24 AM

Well it can spread in all kinds of ways. It can be like a virus - first in practice, then to games, then to personal time. Doing subtle things to show your displeasure. Trying to get yours when you come in the game. Not getting yours b/c another freshmen is dominating the rock. Another player taking up for you and someone taking offense. Seeing someone make the same mistakes you do but you get taken out of the game. It's quite obvious MG soured of his experience.

It may also have been that (shhh)G knew that he would be playing behind Murphy. Playing against him daily, G would have special insight into where he was relative to AM and how much chance there was of him being able to get out in front of AM for playing time in the next 3 years. Perhaps G saw that there wasn't gonna be much opportunity for him there.

CDu

07-21-2012, 11:28 AM

It may also have been that (shhh)G knew that he would be playing behind Murphy. Playing against him daily, G would have special insight into where he was relative to AM and how much chance there was of him being able to get out in front of AM for playing time in the next 3 years. Perhaps G saw that there wasn't gonna be much opportunity for him there.

That was my first thought when I heard Gbinije was transferring. After a year of practicing with Murphy, he probably realized his next three years would likely be behind Murphy.

That's just my impression (admittedly from an outside perspective obviously).

dcdevil2009

07-21-2012, 11:50 AM

Well it can spread in all kinds of ways. It can be like a virus - first in practice, then to games, then to personal time. Doing subtle things to show your displeasure. Trying to get yours when you come in the game. Not getting yours b/c another freshmen is dominating the rock. Another player taking up for you and someone taking offense. Seeing someone make the same mistakes you do but you get taken out of the game. It's quite obvious MG soured of his experience.

Thanks for expanding. It sounds like you're saying he was a malcontent malcontent. I can see how it would be frustrating for him not seeing much playing time for making what he perceived as the same mistakes others guys, although they were getting more burn. Hopefully it was just a matter of Duke not being a good fit and not something where he wouldn't have been happy anywhere, as what seems to have happened with Taylor King. On the other hand, if his frustration was negatively affecting the locker room, a change of scenery might be the best thing for everyone.