richardjackson199
12-06-2014, 08:50 PM
(I posted this in a different thread, but it was off topic and is getting buried. I wanted to get others thoughts on this?)
It's been said by others, but I also want to underscore the collective unselfishness of our players this year. I feel this is one main element fueling the amazing chemistry we're already seeing.
I believe our ultimate success or failure this year will depend on our ability to maintain and foster that unselfishness. If guys keep sharing the ball, passing up good shots to get great shots, and play with team success in mind - this team could be one of the great ones.
If as the season progresses they start focusing on how many points they got, how many shots they took, what their NBA stock is, what their Wooden award projection is, what their ACC 1st team player status is, what the press thinks about whether they are really the best player on this team, what that ESPN article said about them, or how many minutes they got - then we will fail. I would think these would be very easy traps to fall into for 18 yo kids who are being told by sensationalistic journalists what they need to do to accomplish their individual goals.
If they mentally take the last name off the back of their jersey, play defense together like animals, share the ball on offense, take good shots when that is what the defense gives us, and value assists above shot attempts - this year will be transcendent. And if that happens - their individual goals will likely happen as natural consequence.
I loved seeing Grayson engaged on the bench and celebrating timeouts even though he never saw a minute at Wisconsin. All our guys have had that attitude all year. As Duke gets more into the national spotlight and as March approaches - continuing to do this will get tougher. The pitfalls will become more tempting. But we can't do it with our collective individual talent - great as it is. To beat a team like Kentucky, we will have to do it as a team who has optimized their collective potential.
We're winning now, but to win in March/April we need to keep getting better and optimize that potential. One key to realizing this is purposeful continued commitment to unselfishness.
Keep doing what you're doing Duke!
It's been said by others, but I also want to underscore the collective unselfishness of our players this year. I feel this is one main element fueling the amazing chemistry we're already seeing.
I believe our ultimate success or failure this year will depend on our ability to maintain and foster that unselfishness. If guys keep sharing the ball, passing up good shots to get great shots, and play with team success in mind - this team could be one of the great ones.
If as the season progresses they start focusing on how many points they got, how many shots they took, what their NBA stock is, what their Wooden award projection is, what their ACC 1st team player status is, what the press thinks about whether they are really the best player on this team, what that ESPN article said about them, or how many minutes they got - then we will fail. I would think these would be very easy traps to fall into for 18 yo kids who are being told by sensationalistic journalists what they need to do to accomplish their individual goals.
If they mentally take the last name off the back of their jersey, play defense together like animals, share the ball on offense, take good shots when that is what the defense gives us, and value assists above shot attempts - this year will be transcendent. And if that happens - their individual goals will likely happen as natural consequence.
I loved seeing Grayson engaged on the bench and celebrating timeouts even though he never saw a minute at Wisconsin. All our guys have had that attitude all year. As Duke gets more into the national spotlight and as March approaches - continuing to do this will get tougher. The pitfalls will become more tempting. But we can't do it with our collective individual talent - great as it is. To beat a team like Kentucky, we will have to do it as a team who has optimized their collective potential.
We're winning now, but to win in March/April we need to keep getting better and optimize that potential. One key to realizing this is purposeful continued commitment to unselfishness.
Keep doing what you're doing Duke!