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View Full Version : MBB: Duke 84, Syracuse 72 Post-Game Thread



JBDuke
03-14-2019, 11:36 PM
Survive and advance. Put your post-game thoughts here.

gocanes0506
03-14-2019, 11:37 PM
Sounds like Raycom is the way to go.

Rough middle of the game but glad they got out of that funk

curtis325
03-14-2019, 11:38 PM
Tre Stones with big free throws and 15 second-half points.

ZION!!!!!!!!!!

Chard
03-14-2019, 11:39 PM
WOW. What more needs to be said.

Skydog
03-14-2019, 11:39 PM
Zion just ok after the layoff. Oh well, he’ll probably improve given time.

CDu
03-14-2019, 11:39 PM
That was insanely fun, then very frustrating, then fun again. Survive and advance. Go to Hell Carolina.

J4Kop99
03-14-2019, 11:39 PM
"I come ready to kill." - Zion

...and kill he did. Spectacular.

subzero02
03-14-2019, 11:40 PM
I don't think RJ was supposed to take that 3 pointer. Coach K had a chat with him before he started shaking hands. I think K wanted Zion to walk off the court to an ovation.

ChillinDuke
03-14-2019, 11:40 PM
The offense is perplexing at times. So stagnant.

But golly me oh my, Zion !$#@✓÷ Williamson. Holy frijoles!!!

- Chillin

uh_no
03-14-2019, 11:41 PM
okay. we're over the Zion return.

i can't take another game like tonight. let's roll. 9f

Tjenkins
03-14-2019, 11:42 PM
Been a Duke fan since the Spanarkel/Banks teams. I get cynical about college sports sometimes. But damn, that was one of the most impressive performances I've ever seen. Of course I would've enjoyed it a lot more if I wasn't worried about Williamson getting injured every second of the game.

Furniture
03-14-2019, 11:42 PM
Zion....I was ready to play 2 or 3 games ago......

scottdude8
03-14-2019, 11:42 PM
We all know Zion is incredible. But let’s talk about some of the other takeaways:

-JG is a key part of this team, there’s no more argument on that. He influences a game purely on D. His matchup against Buddy turned the game as much as anything else.

-Don’t overreact to Cam’s struggles. He’s going to have to adjust more than anyone to Zion returning and his role changing again. But regardless, he competes on D even when he struggles on O, a quality that not every player has.

-I love Javin on D and on the boards, but we’re gonna miss Marques on offense. There were a few passes that resulted in turnovers to Javin that are buckets for Marques.

-Besides Zion being Zion we shouldn’t overreact to heavily to anything from this game. Syracuse is a unique test that is always going too make an opposition look awkward. There’s a reason they always seem to make it farther in the tourney than they should. The turnover problems tonight were just as much a function of them as us.

uh_no
03-14-2019, 11:42 PM
Zion...I was ready to play 2 or 3 games ago...

that matches what I'd heard.

simplyluvin
03-14-2019, 11:42 PM
Thank God for Zion. This was a hard fought game and we buckled down in the second half. Tre’s late three and clutch shooting at the line turned it for us. Hope we have a lot left in the tank for tomorrow.

Our outside shooting is still woeful. But Zion cures a world of ills.

Dukehky
03-14-2019, 11:42 PM
Dalin Cook just said he wasn't worried about the trip...

Must be nice.

J4Kop99
03-14-2019, 11:43 PM
Zion...I was ready to play 2 or 3 games ago...

I love that. I have a lot of respect for him and the coaching staff for being extremely careful.

COYS
03-14-2019, 11:43 PM
Dominating in one’s first game back from injury will no longer be called pulling a “Ryan Kelly.”

mkirsh
03-14-2019, 11:45 PM
What more is there to say about Zion? That first half was amazing

Way too many sloppy turnovers and poor transition D. We will need to do much better in both areas tomorrow. Also need good Cam tomorrow night.

Great minutes from JGold locking down Boeheim and hitting some huge shots

Other than turnovers, great game from RJ. Two of his 3 fouls were horrible calls (first one the offensive player held him off and someone though Kenny Williams was guarding him on that charge) but he played through it well.

A bit too many minutes from Zion, RJ and Tre with a short turnaround so will see how they respond tomorrow.

Survive and advance

Bluedog
03-14-2019, 11:45 PM
Dalin Cook just said he wasn't worried about the trip...

Must be nice.

I understood your point but I also somewhat agree with him that for some reason pushes in the back, elbows to the face, and other super hard fouls are not thought about twice but for some reason an attempted trip is. I never got that. But yes obviously Grayson did not get that treatment.

ChillinDuke
03-14-2019, 11:46 PM
I hadn't noticed the trip by Howard. It was obvious. Yet we will barely hear a word of this tmrw, will we?

I certainly would call that a double standard. Will see.

- Chillin

Acymetric
03-14-2019, 11:46 PM
That was insanely fun, then very frustrating, then fun again. Survive and advance. Go to Hell Carolina.

This sums it up pretty well. Zion was amazing, Goldwire and JDL made solid contributions, and everyone else was a mixed bag. Bring on xnc!

Bluedog
03-14-2019, 11:46 PM
Dominating in one’s first game back from injury will no longer be called pulling a “Ryan Kelly.”

Kelly's comeback was more surprising because it was Ryan Kelly and not Zion and he hadn't even practiced. Zion practiced all this week.

snewman92
03-14-2019, 11:46 PM
"I come ready to kill." - Zion

...and kill he did. Spectacular.

That was a performance for the ages. And it wasn't just the shooting. The rebounding, diving on the floor, dishing. It is a pleasure to watch someone that good at something who clearly enjoys it so much.

Thank goodness we didn't end up wasting his effort. Yes, the zone is bothersome but this is the 3rd time this team has seen it.

We need more consistent focus; we need at least ONE shooter to step up, and I think it needs to be AOC or Cam, who can also drive. I wish like hell we would have Marques against the Cheats, but we'll have to adjust with active hands, quick feet, and good communication.

DukieInBrasil
03-14-2019, 11:47 PM
SYR's legs faded there towards the end, but while they were they gave Duke all we could handle.
The key move of the game was going to J-Gold to replace AOC. Alex was getting burned by Boeheim, although he hit some shots that Alex defended adequately. J-Gold however just didn't let Boeheim get the ball. We got some stops and hit some shots and things turned around.
13-13 FGs + 14 rebs + 5 steals. Holy Z'ing schnikeys, what a performance!!!
By the end of the game RJ had some nice numbers but still, 6 turns is not good. Some of them were just atrocious.
Cam, sorry dude, that was just a weak game.
Tre nailed it down by being solid at the stripe, but his inability to hit shots is problematic. Hope he can get just a little bit better.
The bench actually put up decent numbers, but until J-Gold came in it didn't seem like it. 3-5 FGs for 8 points.
I'm glad to be moving to the semis, hope Duke can avoid that mid-game lull tomorrow!

Acymetric
03-14-2019, 11:48 PM
I hadn't noticed the trip by Howard. It was obvious. Yet we will barely hear a word of this tmrw, will we?

I certainly would call that a double standard. Will see.

- Chillin

We already knew that though.

Exhibit A: Chris Paul - Universally beloved golden boy and serial nut puncher. And plenty of others.

Furniture
03-14-2019, 11:48 PM
In the end it wasn’t close and there is so much to improve on. Z’s first game back.....Duke will be better tomorrow.

rsvman
03-14-2019, 11:48 PM
Coach K just rolling with the fact that we can win with only two real scoring threats in the game.
Gives Goldwire one job: blanket Buddy. No threes for Buddy. Check. Buddy gets a total of two more points in the entire game.
Leave the offense to Zion and RJ, and then watch Tre unexpectedly contribute. And even Goldwire gets into the scoring column.

Rest up. Tomorrow will not be a cakewalk.

weezie
03-14-2019, 11:48 PM
Maybe it was a thumbnail of our season so far, great at the beginning, holding on in the middle, dangerous for a few possession and then surge to victory.

bullettoothtony
03-14-2019, 11:49 PM
No that there was any doubt who the player of the year is, but my... goodness. What a talent.

I hope he goes for 40 and 20 tomorrow.

dukelifer
03-14-2019, 11:50 PM
Zion was spectacular. The legend grows. It was good that Tre finally hit some shots after 0 pts in the first half. Can't have that. Goldwire gave some great minutes. The D had some great moments but Cuse did not give up. That is the nature of tourney basketball. This Duke team is very inexperienced. This was an incomplete Cuse team with Battle out- and they easily could have made this very close or won. Their zone is tough - no matter how often you see it - and forced a ton of turnovers. Duke will need to much better tomorrow. A lot on the line.

jipops
03-14-2019, 11:52 PM
I don’t think we take that one if Battle is healthy. Still, when it came down to winning time we got stops and hit shots.

Emerrick
03-14-2019, 11:52 PM
RJ’s passing???
Goldwires D!!!
And then there’s Shazam!

weezie
03-14-2019, 11:53 PM
Did anyone notice if Zion changed his shoes at the half? I thought he did.

devildeac
03-14-2019, 11:54 PM
I hadn't noticed the trip by Howard. It was obvious. Yet we will barely hear a word of this tmrw, will we?

I certainly would call that a double standard. Will see.

- Chillin

Yep. Grayson could get elbowed in the face and thrown down on a bench during a dead ball situation and no F1s, F2s, ejections, suspensions for dirty and uncalled for thuggery like those plays. Double standard, indeed.

mo.st.dukie
03-14-2019, 11:54 PM
Coach K just rolling with the fact that we can win with only two real scoring threats in the game.
Gives Goldwire one job: blanket Buddy. No threes for Buddy. Check. Buddy gets a total of two more points in the entire game.
Leave the offense to Zion and RJ, and then watch Tre unexpectedly contribute. And even Goldwire gets into the scoring column.

Rest up. Tomorrow will not be a cakewalk.

Cam played poorly tonight and he has been up and down all year but he is more than capable of being a real scoring threat when he is on his game. Zion and RJ are the steady, consistent scorers but that doesn't mean they are our only scorers every night, it just depends on if Cam shows up.

Skydog
03-14-2019, 11:54 PM
That was insanely fun, then very frustrating, then fun again. Survive and advance. Go to Hell Carolina.

Good description. Hope tomorrow skips the middle step.

Mtn.Devil.91.92.01.10.15
03-14-2019, 11:55 PM
Love Goldwire playing D and letting offense happen around him. Doesn't force anything.

dukelifer
03-14-2019, 11:56 PM
I don’t think we take that one if Battle is healthy. Still, when it came down to winning time we got stops and hit shots.

Always hard to know. Duke escaped and Tre stepped up. Tre's performance at the end was the key to the win.

Dukehk
03-14-2019, 11:56 PM
The other guys have to step up tomorrow.

Kind of disappointed that certain role players are regressing as we get into the most important part of the year. Jordan Goldwire is not one of them though. What a game he had. The spark plug off the bench!

Zion of course was amazing. I can't believe he is coming back from a knee injury. No words to describe what a generational talent he is. He literally can do it all, and not miss a single shot.

uh_no
03-14-2019, 11:56 PM
zion's return over...lets grill some ram.

devildeac
03-14-2019, 11:57 PM
We already knew that though.

Exhibit A: Chris Paul - Universally beloved golden boy and serial nut puncher. And plenty of others.

He did get a 1 game suspension for this, IIRC. However, what pissed K off the most (I think) was that he was allowed to sit on the bench for his suspension and G was suspended because luckie and/or hess called his play "fighting" (complete BS) and G was not allowed on the Duke bench.

djp10
03-14-2019, 11:58 PM
any guesses as to what rj said to coach k as k went to shake boeheim's hand postgame?

KandG
03-14-2019, 11:59 PM
The best player in the country came back tonight and...well, that was amazing.

Then again, turnovers, shaky FT shooting, bad 3 point shooting, bad transition D, weird lapses in focus, foul trouble, turnovers...I never really worried about Duke losing this game (even when Syracuse tied it), but that was a little too much energy expended on a shorthanded team playing its second game in two nights.

Kudos to K for making two adjustments in the second half that tightened up our defense and allowed us to extend our lead. Goldwire on Boeheim and Javin on Dolezaj (instead of Zion) took away some of their offensive rhythm in the half court and gave Zion more room to roam. Zion will obviously get all the (deserved) hype, but Jordan and Javin were really good in their roles.

Thought this was one of Tre's roughest games until he finally got a 3 point jumper to drop -- he had an unusually difficult time defending Frank Howard. At least Tre finished up well as well as getting our FT percentage back to a reasonable number. Cam with a very rough outing, but credit to him for hitting that jumper at the end that pretty much sealed the game.

Not ideal having to play Zion 36 minutes in his first game back, but let's hope he has more than enough energy to give us the win tomorrow. First game of the tournament after a week off and getting a major player back was bound to have its rough moments, counting on (praying?) for the team to be better connected against UNC.

Billy Dat
03-14-2019, 11:59 PM
Z is back looking as good as ever. What a performance. Seeing him back in top form makes me both deleriously happy and really angry that we had to play without him at all with his Duke window so short.

When J Gold made his first shot and Tre hit a 3, I figured we would win. The J Gold games have all been interesting (Pitt, Louisville, tonight).

I want more reps before the big dance. Let’s give the Heels some payback manana.

Nhoman4
03-14-2019, 11:59 PM
It’s fun when a frustrating win is a win in which Duke wins by 12 against a tournament team. Let’s not take that for granted.

Jordan Goldwire gave excellent minutes. He shutdown Buddy Boeheim and helped Duke take over the game. Without his defensive performance, Syracuse would’ve been in it right down to the wire.

Zion was Zion. And it was just so much fun. He’s unbelievable and I’m just going to soak in the next 8 wins he has in a Duke uniform.

We will need to play better offensively tomorrrow, but a lot of the turnovers we had were a result of the zone defense. I wouldn’t expect those same turnovers to occur tomorrow. Duke, at times, played incredible defense and forced Syracuse to play 30 feet from the rim with 10 seconds on the shot clock. Hopefully we can play defense like that for longer tomorrow.
I’m so happy we get a shot at UNC with Zion healthy.

Go Duke.

J4Kop99
03-15-2019, 12:02 AM
any guesses as to what rj said to coach k as k went to shake boeheim's hand postgame?

Most likely something about him taking that long 3 at the end of the shot clock when it seemed K wanted them to let the clock run out so he could sub white for Zion

subzero02
03-15-2019, 12:03 AM
any guesses as to what rj said to coach k as k went to shake boeheim's hand postgame?

Some form of I'm sorry I took the 3/ I didn't know I was supposed to just hold onto the ball and let the shot clock expire... Jack White was ready to sub in for Zion I assume... that means K was expecting to have another dead ball before the end of the game .

camion
03-15-2019, 12:04 AM
I know it’s a small sample size, but there is solid evidence that Zion is still pretty good at basketball.

Also I loved the Tre and J guard combo in the second half. :)

On to the next round.

wgl1228
03-15-2019, 12:06 AM
Some form of I'm sorry I took the 3/ I didn't know I was supposed to just hold onto the ball and let the shot clock expire... Jack White was ready to sub in for Zion I assume... that means K was expecting to have another dead ball before the end of the game .

I have not seen the replay but I think RJ simply didn’t notice. It looked to me like he walked over to K to let him know.

Steven43
03-15-2019, 12:11 AM
okay. we're over the Zion return.

i can't take another game like tonight. let's roll. 8f
I don’t know, man; I’m certainly not over the Zion return. That was a performance for the ages. Talk about living up to the hype! My goodness. Like I said a couple of weeks ago, he’s going to put this team on his back and carry them to a national championship. If anyone can do it, it’s Zion. I just cannot find the words to adequately explain what a transcendent basketball player he is.

I’ve been arguing with Carolina friends for the past two weeks about how Zion is incomparable and irreplaceable. Inevitably their automatic response to that is to say that Duke is not a very good team if they depend so much upon one player. And my response to that is “How would the New England Patriots have done these past 15 years without Tom Brady. He’s just one player, right?” Yet without him the Patriots probably would have won exactly ZERO Super Bowls instead of six. I then add “How would the Chicago Bulls have done all those years without Michael Jordan?” And they really don’t have anything to say after that.

You simply cannot lose a transcendent player and expect to be anything even approaching what you were before. It’s just a stupid argument on their part. And it pisses me off.

Acymetric
03-15-2019, 12:12 AM
He did get a 1 game suspension for this, IIRC. However, what pissed K off the most (I think) was that he was allowed to sit on the bench for his suspension and G was suspended because luckie and/or hess called his play "fighting" (complete BS) and G was not allowed on the Duke bench.

He's done it again since then, though (I think the count might be up to 5+, or at least in that ballpark), and yet he's a role model. Wasn't claiming he didn't get properly punished for his cheap shot on Julius Hodge, just that he's done it repeatedly throughout his career college and NBA but it isn't a big deal, he's still a "great guy", and he gets the benefit of the doubt.

roywhite
03-15-2019, 12:16 AM
Props to Tre for being so clutch and steady in the 2nd half. He showed the poise under game pressure that we saw from brother Tyus as he led the 2015 team to a title. Steady ball handling, good defense, a couple clutch baskets, and hit his free throws. That's exactly what you want to see out of a PG down the stretch.

KandG
03-15-2019, 12:17 AM
Also I loved the Tre and J guard combo in the second half. :)



It was good in the second half of this game, but I hope we don't have to use it too much. That said, a lineup with Zion at the 5, along with RJ, Cam, Tre and JG could be unbelievable defensively in pressuring all over the court.

But I worry against better teams that a situation like tonight (when Cam was in foul trouble) means we have three players on the floor (Tre, JG, Javin) who can't make a shot outside of 10-15 feet. Zion and RJ are so good that they can still manufacture points, but I imagine Tre/JG will be used very situationally the rest of the year.

P. S. How amazing was it that Jordan attacked a closeout against the Syracuse zone better tonight than AOC or Jack White did?

Utley
03-15-2019, 12:18 AM
Wow. I think Zion May have played as good as a game as we have seen in that uniform. There must be something about The Spectrum.

While there was a protracted 14 or so minute lapse - I continue to believe our D is the key to Minneapolis and beyond - and it all starts to work with Zion.

Tomorrow is the gut check of the season. We can’t lose 3 to Carolina. The game means so much more to us. Who steps up?

Hearing Bolden may be ready next week?

Kedsy
03-15-2019, 12:24 AM
Credit where credit is due. In the pre-game thread, MChambers said, "If he [Zion] goes 15 for 15, the announcers will declare him unconscious." Now that was a quality prediction.

kcduke75
03-15-2019, 12:28 AM
I don’t think we take that one if Battle is healthy. Still, when it came down to winning time we got stops and hit shots.

I don't think we lose if Bolden is healthy though.

Push pull

HaveFunExpectToWin
03-15-2019, 12:30 AM
I hadn't noticed the trip by Howard. It was obvious. Yet we will barely hear a word of this tmrw, will we?

I certainly would call that a double standard. Will see.

- Chillin

Here’s the Howard trip again.
https://twitter.com/realjaywilliams/status/1106381505880879109?s=21


Jason Williams had a heated video tweet after the game as well.
https://twitter.com/realjaywilliams/status/1106403887089676289?s=21

I’m on the mobile site. Sorry for the ugly links.

gep
03-15-2019, 12:33 AM
I don’t know, man; I’m certainly not over the Zion return. That was a performance for the ages. Talk about living up to the hype! My goodness. Like I said a couple of weeks ago, he’s going to put this team on his back and carry them to a national championship. If anyone can do it, it’s Zion. I just cannot find the words to adequately explain what a transcendent basketball player he is.

I’ve been arguing with Carolina friends for the past two weeks about how Zion is incomparable and irreplaceable. Inevitably their automatic response to that is to say that Duke is not a very good team if they depend so much upon one player. And my response to that is “How would the New England Patriots have done these past 15 years without Tom Brady. He’s just one player, right?” Yet without him the Patriots probably would have won exactly ZERO Super Bowls instead of six. I then add “How would the Chicago Bulls have done all those years without Michael Jordan?” And they really don’t have anything to say after that.

You simply cannot lose a transcendent player and expect to be anything even approaching what you were before. It’s just a stupid argument on their part. And it pisses me off.

Zion is *built* to carry this team... :cool:

GO DUKE!!!

Acymetric
03-15-2019, 12:34 AM
Here’s the Howard trip again.
https://twitter.com/realjaywilliams/status/1106381505880879109?s=21


Jason Williams had a heated video tweet after the game as well.
https://twitter.com/realjaywilliams/status/1106403887089676289?s=21

I’m on the mobile site. Sorry for the ugly links.

All credit to Jay for staying consistent on this.

BandAlum83
03-15-2019, 12:35 AM
In the end it wasn’t close and there is so much to improve on. Z’s first game back...Duke will be better tomorrow.

As I said before I signed off from the chat room: "We will win this comfortably."

I couldn't take more than 5 minutes in there.

BandAlum83
03-15-2019, 12:39 AM
I don’t think we take that one if Battle is healthy. Still, when it came down to winning time we got stops and hit shots.

Totally disagree. It would have been a very different game, and probably Howard doesn't go off, but we would have held Battle in check and won just as comfortably.

This team is so good, I think they start to have too much fun sometimes and lose some discipline. That's how we lost that 17 point lead, IMHO.

Kedsy
03-15-2019, 01:02 AM
ADVANCED STATS

Possessions: 71.4 (way faster than Syracuse's average pace, which was an advantage for us)

OFFENSE

oRtg: 1.19 (this is awesome against a top 25 defense; our adjusted oRtg was 1.30, which is likewise awesome)
eFG%: 60.2% (very strong)
3pt%: 30.4% (right about average for this year's Duke team)
2pt%: 71.0% (fabulous)
%threes: 42.6% (believe it or not, this is the lowest pct of threes out of shots taken in Duke's three games against Syracuse this season (though obviously still too high))
FT rate: 51.9% (padded a bit by late-game fouling, but still very strong)
OR%: 41.9% (really good)
TO%: 25.2% (dreadful; our worst turnover performance of the season)
a/to: 0.89:1
%assisted: 55.2%
fast break pts: 15 (17.9% of our points)


DEFENSE

dRtg: 1.02 (adjusted that's 0.97, not horrid but not good either)
eFG%: 56.7% (somewhat horrid)
3pt%: 42.8% (2nd too-strong effort from behind the line in the three Syracuse games)
2pt%: 51.6% (weak)
%threes: 40.4% (too high if you're going to let them shoot as well as they did from three)
FT rate: 42.3% (way too high)
DR%: 73.5% (very good)
TO%: 23.8% (really good; I guess Zion does matter, huh?)
a/to: 0.41:1
%assisted: 28.0%
fast break pts: 10 (13.9% of their points; not great but not terrible)
block%: 7.7%; 12.9% of 2-point shots (even without Marques, this team can block shots)
steal%: 19.6% (with Zion back we once again looked like the best stealing team in the country)


Defense was adequate, offense was great. I haven't read through the thread yet, but anyone complaining that we need more offensive weapons is just being silly.

TNTDevil
03-15-2019, 01:02 AM
We all know Zion is incredible. But let’s talk about some of the other takeaways:

-JG is a key part of this team, there’s no more argument on that. He influences a game purely on D. His matchup against Buddy turned the game as much as anything else.

-Don’t overreact to Cam’s struggles. He’s going to have to adjust more than anyone to Zion returning and his role changing again. But regardless, he competes on D even when he struggles on O, a quality that not every player has.

-I love Javin on D and on the boards, but we’re gonna miss Marques on offense. There were a few passes that resulted in turnovers to Javin that are buckets for Marques.

-Besides Zion being Zion we shouldn’t overreact to heavily to anything from this game. Syracuse is a unique test that is always going too make an opposition look awkward. There’s a reason they always seem to make it farther in the tourney than they should. The turnover problems tonight were just as much a function of them as us.Great post. Emphasis on Goldwire's impact. He shut-down B2, literally. Adding five points...BONUS.

Really, quietly spectacular.

And, I know I'm the odd-man...but, I prefer JDL to Bolden. Love me some Marques but, JDL's energy is just amazing.

Scorp4me
03-15-2019, 01:16 AM
I said back in the Jordan Goldwire appreciation thread "I've said all along Jordan was going to surprise some people. I know he surprised a lot last night, but I don't think that's all he's got." Glad he proved me right. I know people won't quit doubting him, but I hope now more people will be pulling for him.

Steven43
03-15-2019, 01:24 AM
Great post. Emphasis on Goldwire's impact. He shut-down B2, literally. Adding five points...BONUS.

Really, quietly spectacular.

And, I know I'm the odd-man...but, I prefer JDL to Bolden. Love me some Marques but, JDL's energy is just amazing.

You are definitely not the odd-man out; I agree with you 100% about Javin. I likewise concur with your take on Goldwire. This was the best game of his career. If he can continue to play like this, well, look out. It is these types of unexpectedly strong contributions from unsung players that solidifies a team and makes them truly formidable when combined with very talented players playing at or near their potential. That was the Blue Devils in the last 8-10 minutes of the game. Carolina had better be ready because a revitalized and hungry Duke is coming for vengeance.

BLPOG
03-15-2019, 01:40 AM
Yo, mods! JD is getting a little ahead of himself (and the space-time continuum) with that frontpage article title.

UrinalCake
03-15-2019, 02:28 AM
I was kind of questioning the Jones/Goldwire lineup during the game because neither guy has to be guarded behind the arc so the Syracuse zone could pack it in even more. But I guess K decided it was a worthwhile trade off to have his D on Boeheim’s kid. We really struggled to get the ball inside the zone, so many of our turnovers came from forcing it into the middle among a crowd of defenders. Fortunately we are unlikely to encounter a defense like this again, but there was a lot of room for improvement for everybody not named Zion.

Obviously Z was the story of the game though. He was just unstoppable. Tre was forced to take a lot more shots than he normally would, and it was good to see some of them finally fall in the final minutes. He was really clutch at the free throw line too.

I kind of feel bad for RJ - he threw down some monster dunks, but nobody even pays attention because they can’t compare to Zion’s.

lotusland
03-15-2019, 05:51 AM
Great post. Emphasis on Goldwire's impact. He shut-down B2, literally. Adding five points...BONUS.

Really, quietly spectacular.

And, I know I'm the odd-man...but, I prefer JDL to Bolden. Love me some Marques but, JDL's energy is just amazing.

I don’t necessarily prefer Jav to Bolden but, against the Cheats, K pretty much sat Bolden voluntarily in game one when they went small. Jav never posts up so maybe Zion will have a little more room to work. Bolden has been solid all year and even excellent at times. Jav is foul prone so it’s best to have both available to play according to the matchups but uNCheat may be a good matchup for Jav and the small lineup.

Emerrick
03-15-2019, 06:33 AM
6 turnovers by Barrett is my only real concern with the game. He has to be better with the ball. He seems to have regressed a bit with TOs. Perhaps it was just him trying to do too much without Zion and he’ll settle. He is the second worst in the league. I get that he has the ball in his hands a lot, but many of his TOs seem largely unforced. Nonetheless it is something to watch. Cam had 4 as well (he’s 8th in ACC). Collectively, that’s a possible 20 point swing.

DUKIE V(A)
03-15-2019, 07:11 AM
Totally disagree. It would have been a very different game, and probably Howard doesn't go off, but we would have held Battle in check and won just as comfortably.

This team is so good, I think they start to have too much fun sometimes and lose some discipline. That's how we lost that 17 point lead, IMHO.

Agree with you. Battle is a heck of a player, but a ball dominant one. Syracuse actually moves the ball better without Battle. Howard and Buddy are not nearly the factors with Battle playing. Still a 12-15 point win.

arnie
03-15-2019, 07:25 AM
I don’t think we take that one if Battle is healthy. Still, when it came down to winning time we got stops and hit shots.

I disagree here - think Howard was spectacular because Battle didn’t play. If Battle plays, doubt we notice Howard except for the tripping/shoving.

Troublemaker
03-15-2019, 07:36 AM
I don’t think we take that one if Battle is healthy. Still, when it came down to winning time we got stops and hit shots.

Not sure Battle is a big enough upgrade over Buddy Boeheim (or Frank Howard in this game) for you to think that. And, with coach Boeheim, it can be close to a 1-for-1 replacement since he rides his starters at least as much as Coach K. If Battle played, he could've gone for 40 minutes. I think Buddy Boeheim stretching the floor (41% from 3 in ACC) might make Syracuse better team or at least as good a team -- just in a different way -- than if Battle (32% this season, 33% for his career) had played.

This was a good, successful outing by Duke. Zion is back, looking great, playing great, and not tentative. We were average to poor in the halfcourt as expected, forcing passes into a packed-in zone. But we turned Syracuse over enough and got enough transition to create separation, in combination with Zion's individual brilliance.

Now let's see what this team can do against UNC's man-to-man.

Saratoga2
03-15-2019, 08:18 AM
My thoughts:Syracuse will be a tough team to play in the big dance as most teams outside the ACC will not have played against a zone like theirs. They also have several solid 3 point shooters and with Battle a versatile ball handler/scorer. That was a good win by us last night.

One strength last night was our ball pressure that created turnovers leading to points. Both Zion and RJ are tough to stop on breakaways where there is only one defender back. Hope we can continue to force turnovers going forward.

Zion's scoring came largely off of turnovers, offensive rebounds, lobs and getting the ball inside. He did hit a 3 but he only hit 2 for 9 from the line, so that is an area that may get better next out.

RJ is also a great finisher. Unfortunately, when we went to the half court offense it frequently led to us turning the ball over. It looks like we had a plan of feeding Zion inside the zone. When it wasn't there, we still tried to force it, hence several turnovers early on. In addition, our half court offense looked stagnant, with a ball handler and little motion by our off the ball players. Getting low on the shot clock and driving into the teeth of the defense caused more turnovers and charge calls. They left Tre virtually unguarded from 3 and he is not strong from there.

Then there were the gratutitous turnovers with ball thrown wildly away. AOC had a couple, so did Tre and RJ. Those need to be cleaned up going forward.

Cam's offense was very weak as he just didn't look comfortable. He can look a lot like a new freshman at times, but his defense is still a strong point. He does need to avoid the charging fouls. Looks like he was told to be more aggressive going to the basket, and by gorry, he is trying to do what he has been told to do.

Great that Tre found his offensive game in the second half. He has one and his points were key to the win. Hitting FTs down the stretch was a way to seal the game.

Goldwire had a nice defensive contribution applying pressure to Boeheim and also making a couple of excellent offensive plays. Maybe these games will be his coming out party.

Javin also had a nice defensive game with a key block. He runs the floor well and we need that as our transition defense was weak for a significant period of the game.

Lurkingdukedog
03-15-2019, 08:29 AM
6 turnovers by Barrett is my only real concern with the game. He has to be better with the ball. He seems to have regressed a bit with TOs. Perhaps it was just him trying to do too much without Zion and he’ll settle. He is the second worst in the league. I get that he has the ball in his hands a lot, but many of his TOs seem largely unforced. Nonetheless it is something to watch. Cam had 4 as well (he’s 8th in ACC). Collectively, that’s a possible 20 point swing.

In both situations, at least two of those turnovers are the results of charges. While many of the charges are judgment calls (and I recognize my bias) it seems that these two get more than their fair share. As their playing experience grows (here and in the pros), waiting to draw the charge on either of them will become an increasingly ineffective strategy as they'll learn that sense on when to stop and pop or stop and dish.

WillJ
03-15-2019, 08:54 AM
JWill's take on Howard's attempted trip was far too harsh IMO. I realize that ESPN's inspired-by-reality-TV goal is to ramp up drama, but they should really cut these kids a little slack when their emotions get the better of them. Of course, they should have done the same for Grayson, too, but that's water under the bridge.

jv001
03-15-2019, 08:58 AM
I guess Zion didn't have any rust to wear off. Well, maybe his FT shooting. What a performance from this super young man. Tre came alive offensively in the 2nd half, Jordan shut down Buddy Boeheim and made a couple of baskets and 1 FT and Javin played good defense. The negatives: RJ and Cam's turnovers, Javin failing to catch the ball in the post(1st half). I know Zion had around 36 minutes, but Coach K managed some rest around the 4 minute marks for the big guy. Now let's beat the tar out of the tarcheats. GoDuke!

Just add: One of the Raycom announcers mentioned Zion got onto Jack for not taking an open 3 pointer off a pass from him. Then a couple of seconds after he passed up the shot, Duke turned the ball over. That announcer said something like; If Zion told me to do something, I'd sure do what he says. GoDuke!

construe
03-15-2019, 09:03 AM
I said back in the Jordan Goldwire appreciation thread "I've said all along Jordan was going to surprise some people. I know he surprised a lot last night, but I don't think that's all he's got."

If my math is correct, Goldwire scored 10x above his avg last night! Now if we could just get RJ or Zion to do that, they'd score, what, 200+ pts? I'd be ok with that...

Rich
03-15-2019, 09:16 AM
My only complaint with the game was that Dolezaj didn't try to take another Zion charge. That was fun to watch the first time!

FerryFor50
03-15-2019, 09:22 AM
Not sure Battle is a big enough upgrade over Buddy Boeheim (or Frank Howard in this game) for you to think that. And, with coach Boeheim, it can be close to a 1-for-1 replacement since he rides his starters at least as much as Coach K. If Battle played, he could've gone for 40 minutes. I think Buddy Boeheim stretching the floor (41% from 3 in ACC) might make Syracuse better team or at least as good a team -- just in a different way -- than if Battle (32% this season, 33% for his career) had played.

This was a good, successful outing by Duke. Zion is back, looking great, playing great, and not tentative. We were average to poor in the halfcourt as expected, forcing passes into a packed-in zone. But we turned Syracuse over enough and got enough transition to create separation, in combination with Zion's individual brilliance.

Now let's see what this team can do against UNC's man-to-man.

Especially given that Tre shut down Battle in the 2nd Syracuse game. Tre was injured in the first one, so that obviously played into the loss the first time.

Lord Ash
03-15-2019, 09:28 AM
Zion is the best freshman I've ever seen.

J4Kop99
03-15-2019, 09:32 AM
6 turnovers by Barrett is my only real concern with the game. He has to be better with the ball. He seems to have regressed a bit with TOs. Perhaps it was just him trying to do too much without Zion and he’ll settle. He is the second worst in the league. I get that he has the ball in his hands a lot, but many of his TOs seem largely unforced. Nonetheless it is something to watch. Cam had 4 as well (he’s 8th in ACC). Collectively, that’s a possible 20 point swing.

I agree that turnovers are a concern but how much of last night was just the team being frustrated/annoyed playing against a zone? There were a couple of questionable passes from Tre that stemmed from this IMHO. The game was close at times but it still felt as if Duke had it under control throughout. I think the players sensed that too and therefore were not playing with maximum urgency in certain instances. Which sometimes happens.

Turnovers will be a major focus tonight. Can't let UNC get out and run.

azzefkram
03-15-2019, 09:39 AM
Awesome game by Zion. Javin played well with a bit of an assist from Chukwu. Jordan provided a great spark on the defensive end and even helped out a bit on O. Tre came up big on the free throw line. Way too many unforced errors though. Hopefully Duke is a lot better with the ball tonight.

robed deity
03-15-2019, 09:52 AM
Syracuse is projected to be an 8 or 9 right now. That'd be a tricky second rounder for a 1 seed, especially on short preparation.

weezie
03-15-2019, 09:52 AM
any guesses as to what rj said to coach k as k went to shake boeheim's hand postgame?


He said, "Hey Coach, please tell Coach B that I really like his new lady-style eyeglasses. They highlight Coach B's tiny squinty eyes and whining demeanor."

Acymetric
03-15-2019, 09:54 AM
He said, "Hey Coach, please tell Coach B that I really like his new lady-style eyeglasses. They highlight Coach B's tiny squinty eyes and whining demeanor."

But is he bald?

weezie
03-15-2019, 09:55 AM
But is he bald?

Approach the bench.

flyingdutchdevil
03-15-2019, 09:56 AM
Zion is the best freshman I've ever seen.

No doubt about it. His only true Achilles is his FT shooting, which is bad (not atrocious, but bad). His 3pt shooting is okay, but he doesn't rely on it as a weapon.

rsvman
03-15-2019, 09:59 AM
But is he bald?

Not sure, but I have it on good authority that Bilas is.

Tripping William
03-15-2019, 10:04 AM
No doubt about it. His only true Achilles is his FT shooting, which is bad (not atrocious, but bad). His 3pt shooting is okay, but he doesn't rely on it as a weapon.

I thought it was his right knee, caused by his defective left shoe. :p:rolleyes:

Seriously, though: I agree with both of you. I was at the game last night & remarked to a colleague just how much Zion influences things on both ends of the floor. Duke's overall athleticism goes up two full notches when he is on the floor, in my view. And the best comp I could concoct is if Larry Johnson and Vince Carter melded into one.

MChambers
03-15-2019, 10:06 AM
Credit where credit is due. In the pre-game thread, MChambers said, "If he [Zion] goes 15 for 15, the announcers will declare him unconscious." Now that was a quality prediction.

Aw, shucks!

flyingdutchdevil
03-15-2019, 10:07 AM
I thought it was his right knee, caused by his defective left shoe. :p:rolleyes:

Seriously, though: I agree with both of you. I was at the game last night & remarked to a colleague just how much Zion influences things on both ends of the floor. Duke's overall athleticism goes up two full notches when he is on the floor, in my view. And the best comp I could concoct is if Larry Johnson and Vince Carter melded into one.

If Zion can have half the shot Carter has, he'd be 1st Team All NBA for years to come.

flyingdutchdevil
03-15-2019, 10:19 AM
I hadn't noticed the trip by Howard. It was obvious. Yet we will barely hear a word of this tmrw, will we?

I certainly would call that a double standard. Will see.

- Chillin

In fairness to Howard, I assume this is the first time he's been accused of tripping. With Grayson, he had three blatant trips in 2 years.

Also, there is a lot of chatter on the interwebs on this. I do not see a double standard whatsoever.

bluenorth
03-15-2019, 10:26 AM
Obviously a huge return for Zion, as many have noted. Also positives from Goldwire and Jones. But there are ongoing concerns about AOC. He continues to be too casual with the ball, and inconsistent on D. Barrett's scoring is almost a given at this point, but I wish he'd take better care of the ball too. White seems to have returned to his shooting funk, but can always be counted on to contribute on D and on the boards.

Okay, that's my laundry list of worries. Now the Heels get to see Zion up close and personal in what should be the game of the tournament. What will Coach K come up with for a game plan? Match UNC's fast pace, or control the tempo at a slower pace? Whatever he decides, all I can say is Go Duke!

DukieInBrasil
03-15-2019, 10:48 AM
No doubt about it. His only true Achilles is his FT shooting, which is bad (not atrocious, but bad). His 3pt shooting is okay, but he doesn't rely on it as a weapon.


If Zion can have half the shot Carter has, he'd be 1st Team All NBA for years to come.

after starting the year 1-11 from 3, Zion has shot 14-38 (37%). 37% doesn't really qualify as a weapon, and it's certainly not as good as Carter's shot has become, but it's far better than what people give him credit for.
Since that terrible start from 3, Zion is taking slightly fewer than 2 3s per game and making about 2 every 3 games. I guess that's good enough for defenders to come out on him just a little bit more, giving him more space to drive, but also not good enough for them to really come out, leaving him open enough for his particular style of no-lift line-drive 3pt shot.

Wander
03-15-2019, 11:21 AM
So setting aside the sheer absurdity of Goldwire getting MOTM votes when Zion had one of the best Duke games of all time, is Goldwire set to play meaningful minutes in specific match-ups? Not part of the regular rotation, but if we run into a team with a really good shooter at a non-PG guard position? You might think UVA would fit that description, but he didn't play in either of those games, so maybe last night was a one-off coincidence.

Kedsy
03-15-2019, 11:22 AM
No doubt about it. His only true Achilles is his FT shooting, which is bad (not atrocious, but bad).

Yeah, Zion is the rare player who is less efficient from the line than he is from the field. After watching last night, I'm a little worried about opponents going with hack-a-Zion moving forward.

uh_no
03-15-2019, 11:29 AM
Yeah, Zion is the rare player who is less efficient from the line than he is from the field. After watching last night, I'm a little worried about opponents going with hack-a-Zion moving forward.

he's 65% from the line on the year. They might try it, but I don't see any reason why Zion wouldn't be expected to shoot about his % moving forward.

Further, given his ability to finish through contact, you may just be giving up more &1's.

jv001
03-15-2019, 11:33 AM
Yeah, Zion is the rare player who is less efficient from the line than he is from the field. After watching last night, I'm a little worried about opponents going with hack-a-Zion moving forward.

If Cuse hadn't been in foul trouble we might have seen it last night. A team that plays their bench more might foul Zion early and often. GoDuke!

Kedsy
03-15-2019, 11:37 AM
he's 65% from the line on the year. They might try it, but I don't see any reason why Zion wouldn't be expected to shoot about his % moving forward.

Further, given his ability to finish through contact, you may just be giving up more &1's.

Even at 65%, Zion is more efficient at two-point shots than at free throws. I agree the "and one" possibility skews the analysis a bit, and of course there are only so many players who can foul him effectively and those players only get five tries, but it's still a potential valid opposing strategy, especially at the end of a close game.

roywhite
03-15-2019, 11:42 AM
he's 65% from the line on the year. They might try it, but I don't see any reason why Zion wouldn't be expected to shoot about his % moving forward.

Further, given his ability to finish through contact, you may just be giving up more &1's.

Yeah, just my take, but I've seen difficulty in foul shooting relate to being out of action and adjusting to the pace and fatigue of game conditions. Practicing foul shooting during a loss of games due to injuries is standard, but it wouldn't replicate game conditions. Similarly, I think early season foul shooting for several members of the team was related to the same type of thing, freshmen getting adjusted to foul shooting under game conditions.

Zion is likely to go back toward his % and hopefully soon.

mkirsh
03-15-2019, 11:45 AM
Even at 65%, Zion is more efficient at two-point shots than at free throws. I agree the "and one" possibility skews the analysis a bit, and of course there are only so many players who can foul him effectively and those players only get five tries, but it's still a potential valid opposing strategy, especially at the end of a close game.

Also last night Zion was the designated in-bounder after made baskets, so there will be fewer opportunities for teams to foul him in late game situations

Troublemaker
03-15-2019, 11:46 AM
So setting aside the sheer absurdity of Goldwire getting MOTM votes when Zion had one of the best Duke games of all time, is Goldwire set to play meaningful minutes in specific match-ups? Not part of the regular rotation, but if we run into a team with a really good shooter at a non-PG guard position? You might think UVA would fit that description, but he didn't play in either of those games, so maybe last night was a one-off coincidence.

Cam's foul trouble played a role here as he's usually the guy we use to track the Kyle Guy types.

With that said, we might continue seeing JGold play minutes in certain games going forward. I just don't know whether those games will fit into a pattern or be planned.

ns7
03-15-2019, 11:53 AM
Even at 65%, Zion is more efficient at two-point shots than at free throws. I agree the "and one" possibility skews the analysis a bit, and of course there are only so many players who can foul him effectively and those players only get five tries, but it's still a potential valid opposing strategy, especially at the end of a close game.

I think they'll have to foul him away from the basket. I noticed last night that Tre, Cam, and Goldwire were hoarding the ball at the end when Syracuse was fouling so this can be mitigated.

If they do choose to foul Zion near the rim, it will either be an and-1 or a flagrant (because you'd have to foul him that hard to keep him from finishing his shot).

jv001
03-15-2019, 12:05 PM
Cam's foul trouble played a role here as he's usually the guy we use to track the Kyle Guy types.

With that said, we might continue seeing JGold play minutes in certain games going forward. I just don't know whether those games will fit into a pattern or be planned.

I think this is certainly the case in playing Jordan. It's evident that Coach K isn't afraid to insert him into big games. Last night I think Coach K was really upset over Alex poor defense. That's why he's the GOAT. GoDuke!

slower
03-15-2019, 12:07 PM
Also need good Cam tomorrow night.

Unfortunately, there's never any way to know which Cam will show up.

Lurkingdukedog
03-15-2019, 12:08 PM
Yeah, Zion is the rare player who is less efficient from the line than he is from the field. After watching last night, I'm a little worried about opponents going with hack-a-Zion moving forward.

I think that if opponents go with hack-a-Zion strategy, it's likely to backfire. He is strong enough to finish with most all "hacks" and the results would be mulpitle "and ones".

devildeac
03-15-2019, 12:16 PM
He's done it again since then, though (I think the count might be up to 5+, or at least in that ballpark), and yet he's a role model. Wasn't claiming he didn't get properly punished for his cheap shot on Julius Hodge, just that he's done it repeatedly throughout his career college and NBA but it isn't a big deal, he's still a "great guy", and he gets the benefit of the doubt.

Thanks for explaining some more! Agreed.

devildeac
03-15-2019, 12:20 PM
All credit to Jay for staying consistent on this.

Absolutely moronic, uneducated, hating responses below JWill's response/s.

DukieInBrasil
03-15-2019, 12:23 PM
Cam's foul trouble played a role here as he's usually the guy we use to track the Kyle Guy types.

With that said, we might continue seeing JGold play minutes in certain games going forward. I just don't know whether those games will fit into a pattern or be planned.

Cam's defense last night was not particularly good, although i don't think it was particularly bad. He didn't seem to have good focus on either end of the floor. Hopefully that is not the case going forward.
However, J-Gold shut Boeheim down completely for several minutes allowing only a 2pt jumper well after SYR's momentum had completely evaporated and Duke had firmly grabbed the lead.
I agree though that J-Gold's utility won't fit a pattern or be planned, but that his presence will be predicated on the defensive failure of other players.

sagegrouse
03-15-2019, 12:28 PM
I think that if opponents go with hack-a-Zion strategy, it's likely to backfire. He is strong enough to finish with most all "hacks" and the results would be mulpitle "and ones".

I agree. To start with, those hacking will break their arms and wrists.

jv001
03-15-2019, 12:30 PM
Cam's defense last night was not particularly good, although i don't think it was particularly bad. He didn't seem to have good focus on either end of the floor. Hopefully that is not the case going forward.
However, J-Gold shut Boeheim down completely for several minutes allowing only a 2pt jumper well after SYR's momentum had completely evaporated and Duke had firmly grabbed the lead.
I agree though that J-Gold's utility won't fit a pattern or be planned, but that his presence will be predicated on the defensive failure of other players.

And last night it was Alex's defensive failure. GoDuke!

flyingdutchdevil
03-15-2019, 12:36 PM
I think that if opponents go with hack-a-Zion strategy, it's likely to backfire. He is strong enough to finish with most all "hacks" and the results would be mulpitle "and ones".

Really depends on their strategy. Agreed that hack-a-Zion when he has the ball in position to score is not a smart idea. But if they implement the strategy the second he gets the ball in the post, it can absolutely result in a non-shooting foul.

Two things need to happen for this strategy to be effective: 1) the opposing team needs to be in the bonus and 2) they need to be deep. During elimination tournaments, teams don't go as deep and fouls can really, really hurt.

Will be see hack-a-Zion? Absolutely. Will it work? No idea.

devildeac
03-15-2019, 12:37 PM
I think they'll have to foul him away from the basket. I noticed last night that Tre, Cam, and Goldwire were hoarding the ball at the end when Syracuse was fouling so this can be mitigated.

If they do choose to foul Zion near the rim, it will either be an and-1 or a flagrant (because you'd have to foul him that hard to keep him from finishing his shot).

Unless, of course, it's Salt who grabs him with both arms from behind, making no play whatsoever on the ball and gets the common foul call.

jv001
03-15-2019, 12:39 PM
Man, Mad Dog on MLBTV just went off on Howard for trying to trip Zion last night. Zion making his way over to major league baseball. GoDuke!

JayZee
03-15-2019, 12:48 PM
In fairness to Howard, I assume this is the first time he's been accused of tripping. With Grayson, he had three blatant trips in 2 years.

Also, there is a lot of chatter on the interwebs on this. I do not see a double standard whatsoever.

Grayson's were magnified for a number of reasons, but all were kind of retaliatory as far as I remember them.

This one almost seemed like it was meant to injure. Sure, he was frustrated as Bilas said, but then Jay gave him a pass saying - Zion didn't even trip or fall. That's weak. This is where I like how JayWill reacted. One small change in how Zion landed and he tweaks the exact same knee that was just injured.

So here's a hypothetical. If, god forbid, Zion did, as could easily have happened, re-injure his knee on that play, what would have happened? Howard would definitely be suspended. The internet would absolutely explode. As a lawyer, Bilas should know. Intent matters. And there was clearly intent.

Steven43
03-15-2019, 12:56 PM
Unfortunately, there's never any way to know which Cam will show up.

The main hallmark of being a good player is to CONSISTENTLY play well, not to show flashes of it here and there. Cam is not a good player yet. He might become one in the future, but that potential improvement won’t help Duke this season.

BLPOG
03-15-2019, 01:19 PM
Duke Postgame Press Conference (http://www.goduke.com/mediaPortal/player.dbml?clip=5910667&cid=901&db_oem_id=4200)

Now I should probably mention that given the recent discussion of bald links, my first thought was, "But what about those times I post just a link to the postgame presser?"

I have to be honest, I don't think any commentary on my part is necessary (and I usually post it before I get a chance to finish watching it). The reasons for the link being pertinent and of interest to the board are obvious. It's just a convenience thing for the other readers. Maybe the posting guidelines should reflect that sort of thing as a contrasting example.

Edit: Although the video doesn't appear to be working at the moment

Double edit: working again

ChillinDuke
03-15-2019, 01:30 PM
Duke Postgame Press Conference (http://www.goduke.com/mediaPortal/player.dbml?clip=5910667&cid=901&db_oem_id=4200)

Now I should probably mention that given the recent discussion of bald links, my first thought was, "But what about those times I post just a link to the postgame presser?"

I have to be honest, I don't think any commentary on my part is necessary (and I usually post it before I get a chance to finish watching it). The reasons for the link being pertinent and of interest to the board are obvious. It's just a convenience thing for the other readers. Maybe the posting guidelines should reflect that sort of thing as a contrasting example.

Edit: Although the video doesn't appear to be working at the moment

Double edit: working again

Very interesting: did RJ make a jab at Coach K when he was walking in that was caught on mic? Also Zion is just cracking up at questions. A different look than our typical, buttoned up teams, no? Are we looser this year? If so, don't know if that's good or bad. More so, a neutral observation.

- Chillin

construe
03-15-2019, 01:47 PM
One small change in how Zion landed and he tweaks the exact same knee that was just injured.

The play that really made me catch my breath was in the 1st half when Zion went for an alley-oop from the weak side, and was undercut by a SYR player...was that Howard, too? Zion landed exactly on that same knee, in a stiff, hyper-extended way. It was clear the SYR player made no play on the ball, and the "box out" (such as it was), was terribly weak...it was a frustration move that could've easily led to a re-injury. If that was Howard, then I have little sympathy for him.

brevity
03-15-2019, 02:07 PM
Duke Postgame Press Conference (http://www.goduke.com/mediaPortal/player.dbml?clip=5910667&cid=901&db_oem_id=4200)

Now I should probably mention that given the recent discussion of bald links, my first thought was, "But what about those times I post just a link to the postgame presser?"

I have to be honest, I don't think any commentary on my part is necessary (and I usually post it before I get a chance to finish watching it). The reasons for the link being pertinent and of interest to the board are obvious. It's just a convenience thing for the other readers. Maybe the posting guidelines should reflect that sort of thing as a contrasting example.

Edit: Although the video doesn't appear to be working at the moment

Double edit: working again

I'm not a moderator, but I find common sense to be particularly helpful here.

Generally, a link needs some context because you are essentially advertising or selling it to the readers, who might have concerns about viruses, but definitely have concerns about wasting their time. A purely bald link is a URL with no accompanying words, and I'm almost never going to click on it. Saying something vague like "Here's a good but long article about Coach K" (https://forums.dukebasketballreport.com/forums/showthread.php?43412-WaPo-article-on-Coach-K-and-Duke) makes the link less bald but still not much of a seller. (Is it stuff I already know? Is the writer going to anger me?) Saying something specific and maybe adding a brief relevant excerpt (https://forums.dukebasketballreport.com/forums/showthread.php?43398-Another-scandal-in-college-sports-(cheating-and-bribes)&p=1139706#post1139706) provides full context. Now if I choose to click it, I know what I'm getting. And even if I don't click it, I know why it was posted.

That said, I think just posting "Postgame presser: [link]" is fine for two reasons (assuming the link works). First, as long as we know what it is, the link sells itself. People either want to watch a video of the press conference or they don't. Second, it's impractical (or, if the link is to a live video, impossible) to know any context beforehand. An identified link is all you have time to post.

While I normally don't seek out postgame press conferences, I made an effort after the game at Syracuse because I knew the demand would be unusually high (Zion's injury timetable, Joey Baker's activation, Jack White's absence, Boeheim's car accident). I was fortunate to find a live video feed from the site of a local Syracuse news channel, and saw that Jim Boeheim was finishing up. I quickly shared the link (https://forums.dukebasketballreport.com/forums/showthread.php?43279-MBB-Duke-75-Syracuse-65-Post-Game-Thread&p=1132149#post1132149) (and some extra instruction on how to get the video to come up) by the time Coach K had come to the podium. Two eagle-eyed DBR members clicked the link, watched it live, and posted brief recaps (https://forums.dukebasketballreport.com/forums/showthread.php?43279-MBB-Duke-75-Syracuse-65-Post-Game-Thread&p=1132189#post1132189).

sagegrouse
03-15-2019, 02:30 PM
I'm not a moderator, but I find common sense to be particularly helpful here.

Generally, a link needs some context because you are essentially advertising or selling it to the readers, who might have concerns about viruses, but definitely have concerns about wasting their time. A purely bald link is a URL with no accompanying words, and I'm almost never going to click on it. Saying something vague like "Here's a good but long article about Coach K" (https://forums.dukebasketballreport.com/forums/showthread.php?43412-WaPo-article-on-Coach-K-and-Duke) makes the link less bald but still not much of a seller. (Is it stuff I already know? Is the writer going to anger me?) Saying something specific and maybe adding a brief relevant excerpt (https://forums.dukebasketballreport.com/forums/showthread.php?43398-Another-scandal-in-college-sports-(cheating-and-bribes)&p=1139706#post1139706) provides full context. Now if I choose to click it, I know what I'm getting. And even if I don't click it, I know why it was posted.

That said, I think just posting "Postgame presser: [link]" is fine for two reasons (assuming the link works). First, as long as we know what it is, the link sells itself. People either want to watch a video of the press conference or they don't. Second, it's impractical (or, if the link is to a live video, impossible) to know any context beforehand. An identified link is all you have time to post.

While I normally don't seek out postgame press conferences, I made an effort after the game at Syracuse because I knew the demand would be unusually high (Zion's injury timetable, Joey Baker's activation, Jack White's absence, Boeheim's car accident). I was fortunate to find a live video feed from the site of a local Syracuse news channel, and saw that Jim Boeheim was finishing up. I quickly shared the link (https://forums.dukebasketballreport.com/forums/showthread.php?43279-MBB-Duke-75-Syracuse-65-Post-Game-Thread&p=1132149#post1132149) (and some extra instruction on how to get the video to come up) by the time Coach K had come to the podium. Two eagle-eyed DBR members clicked the link, watched it live, and posted brief recaps (https://forums.dukebasketballreport.com/forums/showthread.php?43279-MBB-Duke-75-Syracuse-65-Post-Game-Thread&p=1132189#post1132189).

I am also "not a moderator." [Brevity and I like to brag about our lack of accomplishments.] "Postgame presser" is almost like "box score." IMHO, where the H got left behind press row, it doesn't require explanation. It is a predictably organized video piece on the game just completed -- with a statement by K, questions from the media and perhaps appearances by Duke players.

It is also OK, of course, to highlight any news made. But if it's a courtesy link, where the poster has not yet viewed it, that's fine too.

JayZee
03-15-2019, 03:42 PM
The play that really made me catch my breath was in the 1st half when Zion went for an alley-oop from the weak side, and was undercut by a SYR player...was that Howard, too? Zion landed exactly on that same knee, in a stiff, hyper-extended way. It was clear the SYR player made no play on the ball, and the "box out" (such as it was), was terribly weak...it was a frustration move that could've easily led to a re-injury. If that was Howard, then I have little sympathy for him.

That one made me catch my breath too. It was an actual basketball play though. The Howard attempted trip was not at all. I do think that Zion is at risk for undercut type plays considerably more than the avg Joe. He's so strong that the opponents have to lean in so much harder to just to hold ground, and then when he levitates, his knees are literally at shoulder level. Heck, he's been taken out by the backboard a couple times this year...

CDu
03-15-2019, 03:50 PM
The play that really made me catch my breath was in the 1st half when Zion went for an alley-oop from the weak side, and was undercut by a SYR player...was that Howard, too? Zion landed exactly on that same knee, in a stiff, hyper-extended way. It was clear the SYR player made no play on the ball, and the "box out" (such as it was), was terribly weak...it was a frustration move that could've easily led to a re-injury. If that was Howard, then I have little sympathy for him.

The undercut was done by Sidibe, not Howard. But yes, that was way scarier than the trip, which I didn't even notice live.

ncexnyc
03-15-2019, 04:50 PM
I refrained from posting after the game last night, but after sleeping on it I've reached the conclusion that at this time of year style points don't matter and moving on with a win is all that counts.

We are what we are and aside from a minor tweak here or there by Coach K, nothing significant is going to happen. Tre won't shoot lights out. Cam won't become a consistent offensive force. RJ will still have his turnovers, and the bench players won't suddenly become all-stars.

We can only hope that we play good solid defense and that the effort and heart this team seems to have will be good enough to get us a title.

Wildling
03-15-2019, 05:34 PM
It was nice to see Tre get it going a little bit on offense in the 2nd half. For me at least. I've been tough on him (but resisted posting about it) because he is a major player on offense weather he realizes it or not.

Also, 2 huge cheap shots were taken against Zion. One where he was trying to catch an alley-oop pass and someone undercut his legs. Luckily he's so agile and strong that it didn't affect him a whole lot. But it could have been bad if he didn't land the right way. Either way, it was dangerous play that I felt no one keyed in on and made a larger issue out of it. Then of course the "trip". If Zion had fell down, maybe it would have been treated as a bigger deal. Regardless, it was intentional, and dirty, and could have injured a not so strong and agile player. And the fact Jimmy echoed the same thoughts as Howard made me lose an immense amount of respect I had for Boeheim.

If those 2 plays were done by my boy Grayson, he'd have a warrant out for his arrest right now. Along with an endless loop of replays by ESPN.

rsvman
03-15-2019, 06:10 PM
The undercut was done by Sidibe, not Howard. But yes, that was way scarier than the trip, which I didn't even notice live.

No, it was Hughes. I posted it in the live in-game thread.

ncexnyc
03-15-2019, 06:31 PM
I honestly didn't catch the attempted trip when it happened live, but I definitely thought that on at least two occasions the Syracuse player attempted to undercut Zion and I agree that it was Hughes.

Now maybe I'm being hypersensitive, because the player in question was Zion, but it sure did look like they were intentional attempts.

uh_no
03-15-2019, 06:39 PM
Even at 65%, Zion is more efficient at two-point shots than at free throws. I agree the "and one" possibility skews the analysis a bit, and of course there are only so many players who can foul him effectively and those players only get five tries, but it's still a potential valid opposing strategy, especially at the end of a close game.

Well, if he's shooting 100% from the floor, there's no argument :D

But it's close enough, that I think the &1 plus the difficult to quantify cost of picking up a foul makes makes it not a sure thing. I think the fouls are important enough in college (aka you don't have 100 bench players who are really well qualified like you do in the NBA) that it still JUST leans to the don't intentionally foul.

Of course, end game situations are different, as you point out....but i think the &1 possibility is still huuuuge.