CDu
03-22-2014, 12:29 PM
Okay, so I started a separate thread on the big picture for next year. Now I'm moving on to the micro stuff: individual players. I wanted to talk about what we think is most important for our returning players to work on this summer. So here are my thoughts:
Cook: I see a few things for Cook to work on. Some are physical, some are emotional/mental. I'll start with the physical. I think the one thing missing from Cook's game is explosive quickness. On defense, he is a bit slow laterally which makes him less effective in guarding change-of-direction guards. On offense, he doesn't have that "blow-by" first step that allows him to regularly penetrate deep into the defense to create shots for others. Aside from that, there's very little physically for Cook to work on. He's a solid shooter (could shoot a higher percentage, but that is more a decision-making thing than a technique thing), sees the floor well, has great ballhandling ability. If he could just get a bit quicker, he'd be dynamite.
But perhaps the bigger part of Cook's game where I see room for improvement is on the mental/emotional side. He's a bit too much of a roller-coaster. When he's on, he's really on. But when he makes mistakes, he really gets down. This has become evident in each of the past two years. He came out like gangbusters to start both last season and this season, only to have his confidence shaken as he entered ACC play when the going got tougher. As a PG and a senior leader, he needs to be able to channel the "peaks" but eliminate the "valleys" of his emotions. If he can do that, perhaps he can be the floor leader that we lacked this year.
Sulaimon: As with Cook, I see both physical and mental/emotional areas for improvement. Again, I'll start with the physical. I see two areas of physical improvement for Sulaimon. One is that I think he needs to get a little stronger. He struggled this year in playing/finishing through contact. A little more muscle might go a long way toward turning some of those turnovers into shots and some of those misses into baskets and and-1s. Added strength will also help him on the defensive end, where he may get asked to guard more SF next year.
In addition to the strength, I think Sulaimon (like Cook) also needs to improve his lateral quickness. People have praised his on-ball defense over the last two years, but to me he's seemed a bit lead-footed at times. He clearly has the desire to be a great defender, but he just seems a bit plodding in his reactions to change of direction. If he can get a little more shifty/fluid, I think he could be an absolute defensive terror.
On the mental side of it, Sulaimon needs to get a little less sour. He just seems so angry out there, and I thought it played to his detriment at times this year. I like his aggressiveness and desire, but he needs to work on using that as a positive and not letting it turn negative. We need him to be a leader along with Cook, and that can't happen if he's perpetually pouting.
M. Jones: Jones is a weird case study for me. He came in with the reputation of being a marksman. But in his freshman year, he was nothing like that. His shot was awful: not only did he miss frequently, but he missed BADLY. So the biggest thing for him is to work on that shot and regain confidence in his stroke. Given the position he'll play (SF), I don't see anything else from a skills perspective that is missing. And I see nothing in his attitude on the court or off that needs work. Great tenacity, great energy, great willingness to defend. Just needs to find his shooting stroke.
Hood: By most indications, he's probably going pro. And as essentially a junior and coming off an all-ACC season, I completely understand that decision. If he does return, I think the biggest thing for him offensively is to be more aggressive going to the rim. He seemed too passive and too willing to take the jumper. On the other side of the ball, I think he really needs to improve his off-ball defensive awareness. On the ball he was pretty solid. But he frequently lost his assignment off the ball.
Ojeleye: Firstly, I would say that he needs to put this year in the rear-view mirror. He was unfortunately stuck behind two amazing players at his position, with seniors ahead of him filling in the backup minutes. That is not an indictment of him. Hopefully he sticks around (in this era, nothing can be assumed as given). If he does, he has a very clear opportunity to find a role as a backup SF/PF next year.
With Ojeleye, he played so little this year that it is hard to tell what he needs to work on. But I'll venture a guess. I think (you may be sensing a theme with this) lateral quickness is again the biggest physical thing he needs to work on. Clearly strength and leaping ability are not a problem. And for his position, his 3pt shooting touch doesn't seem to be a concern. Ballhandling could probably be improved, but if he's playing PF it is less necessary.
I guess the one thing I'd say is most important would be to really understand the defensive principles needed to succeed at Duke. He has the combination of size and athleticism to be an absolute monster defensively at 2-3 positions. Let's hope he can figure it out (and let's hope he's here when he does figure it out).
The interesting thing with Ojeleye is that I think he could be a PERFECT pairing with Okafor. On offense, he spaces the floor as a perimeter shooting threat. On defense, he can block shots from the weak side while Okafor is a space eater and rebounder, and he can also defend bigger guys and allow Okafor to challenge shots. I REALLY hope he sees the opportunity in front of him next year and decides to stick with it.
Parker: I'm not exactly counting on Parker returning, either. While I'd LOVE to see him back, I will be a bit surprised if he does return. Hard to turn down a top-3 pick in the draft. Maybe the "unfinished business" will make him want to return. If so, great. If not, that's fine too. With Parker, I think there a few things physically to work on. One is strength and conditioning. He still has a bit of baby fat on him, and given how much energy he would have to use next year, he could use dropping a few pounds and getting in slightly better shape. Adding a little bit of strength (both upper and lower body) would also help him finish in the paint a bit better, given that he is going to get hammered when he goes in there (and it is only occasionally going to be called).
But the physical side is not where Parker can make the most improvement. It's on the mental side that things can get better for him. On offense, he needs know what is a smart shot and what isn't. Next year's team - like this year's team - will have lots of VERY capable scorers. So we'll be able to get "good" shots from any number of spots on the floor. The key is taking the right shot. In other words, working for the best possible shot rather than taking the first available "good" shot. Parker was a bit too "hero-ball" happy. Taking fadeaway jumpers early in the shot clock. Taking on 2 and 3 defenders to try to force a basket inside. Just not always making the best decisions with the ball. If he can improve that, his offensive game becomes outlandishly effective.
On the defensive end, I think it is focus and awareness. He's a willing defender right now, but he is just not a very good defender. He doesn't fight for position inside until too late. He misses rotations. He overcommits to help defense too early leaving his man open under the basket. These are all focus/awareness issues, and they all can be fixed. So a summer spent watching tape of his breakdowns would go a long way toward helping him identify where he needs to improve on that end.
Jefferson: It's funny. Last year, the talk was that he needed to gain about 30 pounds of muscle because he would have to play a lot of center. He gained maybe 10 pounds, which is pretty impressive. But he was definitely undersized. Next year, he'll be playing his natural position of PF, as Okafor and Plumlee will be our centers. So he is probably big enough to play his position now. Maybe another 5 or so pounds of muscle would help, but that's not a big deal either way.
With Jefferson, I think the single most important thing for him to do is to improve his shooting. This year, he could get away with being a non-factor as a shooter because we had nobody who wanted to be a post player. Well, next year Okafor changes that in a big way. With Okafor on the floor, it will be a bit harder for Jefferson to do his work around the basket on offense. So he's going to need to get at least that 15 footer in his arsenal in order to be a consistent weapon offensively.
On the defensive side of the ball, Jefferson really needs to work on his rotations and his hedging/switching. A lot of our guards' defensive breakdowns were the result of Jefferson (or others) being a bit late on the hedge and getting caught in a switch and being unable to prevent the drive. Jefferson has the length and shiftiness to be an adequate defender against the dribble, but he has to recognize the screen and get out there and defend it with certainty.
Plumlee: First and foremost, Plumlee needs to stay healthy. This is a big offseason for him. He needs to get stronger and also get his conditioning up to snuff. He needs to be ready to play 15-20 productive mpg every night in case Okafor gets in foul trouble.
From a skills standpoint, he could really use a few go-to moves in the post. Being able to knock down the 10-15 foot jumper would be huge. So would a little baby hook. He doesn't appear to have great hands or touch, and his footwork with the ball seems suspect. So perhaps a trip to a big man camp (or two) this summer would do wonders for his game. Give him confidence in 1 or 2 go-to moves, and he can be a real presence as a key backup C next year.
On defense, he already does a good job of the hedge and recover. I think he needs to continue to learn how to play off-ball defense (not losing his man in the paint). And he needs to figure out when to challenge the shot and when to stay home and box out for the rebound.
So there are my thoughts on reasonable areas for improvement. What are your thoughts?
Cook: I see a few things for Cook to work on. Some are physical, some are emotional/mental. I'll start with the physical. I think the one thing missing from Cook's game is explosive quickness. On defense, he is a bit slow laterally which makes him less effective in guarding change-of-direction guards. On offense, he doesn't have that "blow-by" first step that allows him to regularly penetrate deep into the defense to create shots for others. Aside from that, there's very little physically for Cook to work on. He's a solid shooter (could shoot a higher percentage, but that is more a decision-making thing than a technique thing), sees the floor well, has great ballhandling ability. If he could just get a bit quicker, he'd be dynamite.
But perhaps the bigger part of Cook's game where I see room for improvement is on the mental/emotional side. He's a bit too much of a roller-coaster. When he's on, he's really on. But when he makes mistakes, he really gets down. This has become evident in each of the past two years. He came out like gangbusters to start both last season and this season, only to have his confidence shaken as he entered ACC play when the going got tougher. As a PG and a senior leader, he needs to be able to channel the "peaks" but eliminate the "valleys" of his emotions. If he can do that, perhaps he can be the floor leader that we lacked this year.
Sulaimon: As with Cook, I see both physical and mental/emotional areas for improvement. Again, I'll start with the physical. I see two areas of physical improvement for Sulaimon. One is that I think he needs to get a little stronger. He struggled this year in playing/finishing through contact. A little more muscle might go a long way toward turning some of those turnovers into shots and some of those misses into baskets and and-1s. Added strength will also help him on the defensive end, where he may get asked to guard more SF next year.
In addition to the strength, I think Sulaimon (like Cook) also needs to improve his lateral quickness. People have praised his on-ball defense over the last two years, but to me he's seemed a bit lead-footed at times. He clearly has the desire to be a great defender, but he just seems a bit plodding in his reactions to change of direction. If he can get a little more shifty/fluid, I think he could be an absolute defensive terror.
On the mental side of it, Sulaimon needs to get a little less sour. He just seems so angry out there, and I thought it played to his detriment at times this year. I like his aggressiveness and desire, but he needs to work on using that as a positive and not letting it turn negative. We need him to be a leader along with Cook, and that can't happen if he's perpetually pouting.
M. Jones: Jones is a weird case study for me. He came in with the reputation of being a marksman. But in his freshman year, he was nothing like that. His shot was awful: not only did he miss frequently, but he missed BADLY. So the biggest thing for him is to work on that shot and regain confidence in his stroke. Given the position he'll play (SF), I don't see anything else from a skills perspective that is missing. And I see nothing in his attitude on the court or off that needs work. Great tenacity, great energy, great willingness to defend. Just needs to find his shooting stroke.
Hood: By most indications, he's probably going pro. And as essentially a junior and coming off an all-ACC season, I completely understand that decision. If he does return, I think the biggest thing for him offensively is to be more aggressive going to the rim. He seemed too passive and too willing to take the jumper. On the other side of the ball, I think he really needs to improve his off-ball defensive awareness. On the ball he was pretty solid. But he frequently lost his assignment off the ball.
Ojeleye: Firstly, I would say that he needs to put this year in the rear-view mirror. He was unfortunately stuck behind two amazing players at his position, with seniors ahead of him filling in the backup minutes. That is not an indictment of him. Hopefully he sticks around (in this era, nothing can be assumed as given). If he does, he has a very clear opportunity to find a role as a backup SF/PF next year.
With Ojeleye, he played so little this year that it is hard to tell what he needs to work on. But I'll venture a guess. I think (you may be sensing a theme with this) lateral quickness is again the biggest physical thing he needs to work on. Clearly strength and leaping ability are not a problem. And for his position, his 3pt shooting touch doesn't seem to be a concern. Ballhandling could probably be improved, but if he's playing PF it is less necessary.
I guess the one thing I'd say is most important would be to really understand the defensive principles needed to succeed at Duke. He has the combination of size and athleticism to be an absolute monster defensively at 2-3 positions. Let's hope he can figure it out (and let's hope he's here when he does figure it out).
The interesting thing with Ojeleye is that I think he could be a PERFECT pairing with Okafor. On offense, he spaces the floor as a perimeter shooting threat. On defense, he can block shots from the weak side while Okafor is a space eater and rebounder, and he can also defend bigger guys and allow Okafor to challenge shots. I REALLY hope he sees the opportunity in front of him next year and decides to stick with it.
Parker: I'm not exactly counting on Parker returning, either. While I'd LOVE to see him back, I will be a bit surprised if he does return. Hard to turn down a top-3 pick in the draft. Maybe the "unfinished business" will make him want to return. If so, great. If not, that's fine too. With Parker, I think there a few things physically to work on. One is strength and conditioning. He still has a bit of baby fat on him, and given how much energy he would have to use next year, he could use dropping a few pounds and getting in slightly better shape. Adding a little bit of strength (both upper and lower body) would also help him finish in the paint a bit better, given that he is going to get hammered when he goes in there (and it is only occasionally going to be called).
But the physical side is not where Parker can make the most improvement. It's on the mental side that things can get better for him. On offense, he needs know what is a smart shot and what isn't. Next year's team - like this year's team - will have lots of VERY capable scorers. So we'll be able to get "good" shots from any number of spots on the floor. The key is taking the right shot. In other words, working for the best possible shot rather than taking the first available "good" shot. Parker was a bit too "hero-ball" happy. Taking fadeaway jumpers early in the shot clock. Taking on 2 and 3 defenders to try to force a basket inside. Just not always making the best decisions with the ball. If he can improve that, his offensive game becomes outlandishly effective.
On the defensive end, I think it is focus and awareness. He's a willing defender right now, but he is just not a very good defender. He doesn't fight for position inside until too late. He misses rotations. He overcommits to help defense too early leaving his man open under the basket. These are all focus/awareness issues, and they all can be fixed. So a summer spent watching tape of his breakdowns would go a long way toward helping him identify where he needs to improve on that end.
Jefferson: It's funny. Last year, the talk was that he needed to gain about 30 pounds of muscle because he would have to play a lot of center. He gained maybe 10 pounds, which is pretty impressive. But he was definitely undersized. Next year, he'll be playing his natural position of PF, as Okafor and Plumlee will be our centers. So he is probably big enough to play his position now. Maybe another 5 or so pounds of muscle would help, but that's not a big deal either way.
With Jefferson, I think the single most important thing for him to do is to improve his shooting. This year, he could get away with being a non-factor as a shooter because we had nobody who wanted to be a post player. Well, next year Okafor changes that in a big way. With Okafor on the floor, it will be a bit harder for Jefferson to do his work around the basket on offense. So he's going to need to get at least that 15 footer in his arsenal in order to be a consistent weapon offensively.
On the defensive side of the ball, Jefferson really needs to work on his rotations and his hedging/switching. A lot of our guards' defensive breakdowns were the result of Jefferson (or others) being a bit late on the hedge and getting caught in a switch and being unable to prevent the drive. Jefferson has the length and shiftiness to be an adequate defender against the dribble, but he has to recognize the screen and get out there and defend it with certainty.
Plumlee: First and foremost, Plumlee needs to stay healthy. This is a big offseason for him. He needs to get stronger and also get his conditioning up to snuff. He needs to be ready to play 15-20 productive mpg every night in case Okafor gets in foul trouble.
From a skills standpoint, he could really use a few go-to moves in the post. Being able to knock down the 10-15 foot jumper would be huge. So would a little baby hook. He doesn't appear to have great hands or touch, and his footwork with the ball seems suspect. So perhaps a trip to a big man camp (or two) this summer would do wonders for his game. Give him confidence in 1 or 2 go-to moves, and he can be a real presence as a key backup C next year.
On defense, he already does a good job of the hedge and recover. I think he needs to continue to learn how to play off-ball defense (not losing his man in the paint). And he needs to figure out when to challenge the shot and when to stay home and box out for the rebound.
So there are my thoughts on reasonable areas for improvement. What are your thoughts?