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dukelifer
03-17-2019, 03:02 PM
Duke has had a lot of players who have either gone pro or left for other reasons who could be on this current Duke team. If you could pick one of those players to add to the current Duke squad for this tourney run- who would it be. My initial thought was to pick Kennard as he would give excellent outside and FT shooting- but his defense is not quite at the same level. Frank Jackson was another thought as he brings a lot to the table. But this team could use size. Carter perhaps- but Bagley was pretty amazing. Would either limit Zion or RJ's ability to get to the hoop? There is also Tatum who is a gamer and brings an all around game. I settled on Ingram who could hit from deep and whose length made him a tough matchup. A lot of talent to choose from- but not sure who would be the best fit on short notice. Thoughts?

Tooold
03-17-2019, 03:05 PM
Duke has had a lot of players who have either gone pro or left for other reasons who could be on this current Duke team. If you could pick one of those players to add to the current Duke squad for this tourney run- who would it be. My initial thought was to pick Kennard as he would give excellent outside and FT shooting- but his defense is not quite at the same level. Frank Jackson was another thought as he brings a lot to the table. But this team could use size. Carter perhaps- but Bagley was pretty amazing. Would either limit Zion or RJ's ability to get to the hoop? There is also Tatum who is a gamer and brings an all around game. I settled on Ingram who could hit from deep and whose length made him a tough matchup. A lot of talent to choose from- but not sure who would be the best fit on short notice. Thoughts?

Someone who can hit his threes.

BlueDevil16
03-17-2019, 03:06 PM
Someone who can hit his threes.

Peak Andre Dawkins

But 2015- probably Tatum

slower
03-17-2019, 03:08 PM
Duke has had a lot of players who have either gone pro or left for other reasons who could be on this current Duke team. If you could pick one of those players to add to the current Duke squad for this tourney run- who would it be. My initial thought was to pick Kennard as he would give excellent outside and FT shooting- but his defense is not quite at the same level. Frank Jackson was another thought as he brings a lot to the table. But this team could use size. Carter perhaps- but Bagley was pretty amazing. Would either limit Zion or RJ's ability to get to the hoop? There is also Tatum who is a gamer and brings an all around game. I settled on Ingram who could hit from deep and whose length made him a tough matchup. A lot of talent to choose from- but not sure who would be the best fit on short notice. Thoughts?

Off the top of my head - Carter. He can guard the rim, block shots and rebound, and knock down the 3 with decent accuracy. Not sure what would happen to team chemistry with Tatum - great talent, but he always seemed like a black hole to me. Rumors of tension with Kennard - I could see he and RJ having...issues, perhaps.

Was Trent a decent defender? I don't recall. If so, then maybe.

proelitedota
03-17-2019, 03:08 PM
2015: Quinn.
2016: Grayson
2017: Frank
2018: Wendell.

Faison1
03-17-2019, 03:09 PM
I think Gary Trent, Jr would have fit in nicely

wavedukefan70s
03-17-2019, 03:10 PM
Tatum.

Edouble
03-17-2019, 03:12 PM
We just won the ACC Championship and are probably going to receive the overall #1 seed this afternoon.

I am not in a place to fantasize about alternate versions of this amazing group. Still on cloud nine from last night.

MChambers
03-17-2019, 03:12 PM
Last night, I was thinking Bagley. I'll stick with him, but there have been so many wonderful players in the last four years, it's hard to go wrong.

AGDukesky
03-17-2019, 03:24 PM
Ingram was fantastic at the end of the season and would help more inside. Tatum would be my choice when you add defense.

gotoguy
03-17-2019, 04:20 PM
Use the force Luke. A no brainer, LK raining threes

Steven43
03-17-2019, 04:28 PM
Without question it’s Luke Kennard.

-jk
03-17-2019, 04:30 PM
Who was our best three point shooter when everything was on the line over that period?

-jk

MChambers
03-17-2019, 04:34 PM
Without question it’s Luke Kennard.

I worry that Kennard's defense would detract from this team's best skill.

AGDukesky
03-17-2019, 04:37 PM
I worry that Kennard's defense would detract from this team's best skill.

My exact concern plus his ability to get his shot off against athletic defenders. He will have the advantage of being the 3rd option but would be the only guy the defense keys on shooting 3s. I’d rather have a guy who plays defense and can pump fake then drive like Tatum.

kAzE
03-17-2019, 04:40 PM
I'm actually going with Matt Jones here. This team wouldn't benefit as much from another guy who needs the ball in his hands to be effective (Tatum, Kennard, etc.) All 4 of the freshmen starters are already guys who need to have the ball on offense. Adding another scorer basically makes Cam obsolete. You'd be asking him to just play defense and stand in the corner on offense.

What it desperately needs is a guy who never needs the ball, who can reliably knock down shots to space the floor, and play great defense on multiple positions. Quinn Cook or Justise Winslow could also work, but those guys need the ball a bit more than Matt. Matt is the ideal role player to fit in with Zion, RJ, Tre, and Cam.

If we go a little further back, no question, the PERFECT guy would be Shane Battier.

BlueDevilBrowns
03-17-2019, 04:41 PM
I worry that Kennard's defense would detract from this team's best skill.

Exactly. Our D this season is why we are so dominant.

For my money, I’d take Grayson Allen.

A 5th year Senior on this team?

Championship!

ns7
03-17-2019, 04:44 PM
Grayson Allen or Tyus Jones. Both can shoot 3s, drive to the basket, and find open teammates.

MChambers
03-17-2019, 04:44 PM
Exactly. Our D this season is why we are so dominant.

For my money, I’d take Grayson Allen.

A 5th year Senior on this team?

Championship!

Too bad Coach K burned Grayson's redshirt in 2015!

ncexnyc
03-17-2019, 05:04 PM
The Rock was famous for his various catch phrases in the WWE and one of his most popular was, "Know your damn role." I'd say we've got some clearly defined roles on this year's team and the chemistry appears to be exceptional, despite the presence of four highly ranked freshman.

If we were to pick-up a fantasy player, what's his role and who does he replace?

This team is clearly built around our ability to play M2M defense. Carter? More pop from the post, but can he switch like as well as Bolden? Tatum? A really nice player, but one Alpha Dog in RJ is enough for me. Luke? As others have pointed out the kid wasn't known for his defensive chops.

I'll go with a player who nobody has mentioned yet and that's Justise Winslow. A kid who came to Duke with the rep of being a defensive stud, but showed us he could do it all.

1991 duke law
03-17-2019, 05:10 PM
A shooter. Luke would be fine irrespective as to the defensive liability. But first and foremost a shooter.

flyingdutchdevil
03-17-2019, 05:11 PM
I would have said Kennard, but folks here convinced me his D wouldn’t work well with this team. So I’m going with Quinn, the best example of a 3&D guy (and I know Quinn was so much more than that at Duke).

During his senior season, Quinn hit 40% of his 3s. And we know Quinn plays well with a T. Jones ;)

kAzE
03-17-2019, 05:12 PM
I'll go with a player who nobody has mentioned yet and that's Justise Winslow. A kid who came to Duke with the rep of being a defensive stud, but showed us he could do it all.

Totally agree that Justise would be great on this team, but I definitely mentioned him a few posts up ;)


I would have said Kennard, but folks here convinced me his D wouldn’t work well with this team. So I’m going with Quinn, the best example of a 3&D guy (and I know Quinn was so much more than that at Duke).

During his senior season, Quinn hit 40% of his 3s. And we know Quinn plays well with a T. Jones ;)

We're on the same page. This team needs a 3&D role player (and I honestly think adding another star offensive player would hurt more than help). Jack and Jordan provide the D, but not the 3. Alex provides the 3, but not the D.

Quinn was the 2nd guy I thought of, and he's absolutely one of the best shooters from this 4 year stretch to play for Duke. Only reason I prefer Matt Jones over Quinn is because Matt's bigger, which gives him more versatility on D, and he literally never needs the ball on offense. I want the ball in Tre/Zion/RJ's hands as much as possible, and still have a few touches left for Cam to stay involved as well, so a pure 3&D guy like Matt seems like the best chemistry fit.

CameronCrazy'11
03-17-2019, 05:13 PM
Tyus Jones

Acymetric
03-17-2019, 05:24 PM
Biggest challenge with this exercise is that if you don't choose a center you have to send one of our four freshmen to the bench (unless our fantasy player is a super-sub off the bench).

MChambers
03-17-2019, 05:27 PM
Biggest challenge with this exercise is that if you don't choose a center you have to send one of our four freshmen to the bench (unless our fantasy player is a super-sub off the bench).

I figured you could play Bagley at the 5, with Zion at the 4 (if Duke played positions). Bagley's not a great defender, but I think he'd be better playing the "5", if you will.

niveklaen
03-17-2019, 05:29 PM
The Winslow/Quinn choice is interesting. While Quinn was a passable defender as senior, Winslow was a great defender and could sub in for any of Zion, RJ, or Cam without missing a beat on offense or defense (or start ahead of Cam...) (or imagine the death lineup with the 4 frosh and Winslow together...) But Quinn was also a quality pg who could give Tre a breather - something that we lack right now - while I think that Winslow was a better player, quinn fills a bigger weakness. at some point in the tourney, Tre will pick up 3 quick fouls and Quinn solves that problem

lotusland
03-17-2019, 05:33 PM
Quin, Luke or Grayson. Grayson was the better defender of the three and if he were allowed to play off the ball his shooting his shooting would be more consistent than it was last year so I’ll go with GA.

Steven43
03-17-2019, 05:42 PM
I worry that Kennard's defense would detract from this team's best skill.

Yeah, maybe. But Kennard was a great player and a lights-out shooter from anywhere on the court. His defense was okay. More than made up for by his offense. Duke needs a reliable outside shooter. That’s Luke Kennard. And I want to hear the crowd scream Luuuuuke again!

Steven43
03-17-2019, 05:50 PM
Grayson Allen or Tyus Jones. Both can shoot 3s, drive to the basket, and find open teammates.

And hit free throws.

Devilwin
03-17-2019, 05:50 PM
After a few beers, I thought hard on this one, and chose Matt Jones, because he was a decent three point shooter, great defender, and his jumper looked really funny...:p

ns7
03-17-2019, 05:52 PM
And hit free throws.

You could put Tyus in Tre's role and put Tre in JG's role against UNC.

HereBeforeCoachK
03-17-2019, 05:54 PM
After a few beers, I thought hard on this one, and chose Matt Jones, because he was a decent three point shooter, great defender, and his jumper looked really funny...:p

nah, this team needs more than a decent 3 point shooter.....they need Grayson or Tyus or Quin. I say Quin.

flyingdutchdevil
03-17-2019, 05:55 PM
It’s Quinn, folks. Not Quin

ncexnyc
03-17-2019, 05:56 PM
After a few beers, I thought hard on this one, and chose Matt Jones, because he was a decent three point shooter, great defender, and his jumper looked really funny...:p
And don't forget his old man lay-ups.

Devilwin
03-17-2019, 05:57 PM
nah, this team needs more than a decent 3 point shooter....they need Grayson or Tyus or Quin. I say Quin.

I agree, was trying to make a joke about his weird shot..lol

Steven43
03-17-2019, 06:10 PM
Tyus Jones

Love Tyus, but wouldn’t he simply push Tre out of the starting lineup? Luke replaces Cam in the starting lineup. But Cam wouid still get at least 15 minutes per game and be a valuable contributor.

kAzE
03-17-2019, 06:13 PM
nah, this team needs more than a decent 3 point shooter...they need Grayson or Tyus or Quin. I say Quin.

I still disagree, this team does not want another ball handler. There’s only 1 ball and we already have 4 guys who need it. Cam is already not getting enough touches. I’ll take Matt over those 3 guys. His defense was always criminally underrated. I guess that hasn’t changed.

Plus, we need more veteran leadership and facial hair on this squad. Uncle Matty provides both.

BigZ
03-17-2019, 06:17 PM
It’s Tatum and it ain’t close

kAzE
03-17-2019, 06:21 PM
It’s Tatum and it ain’t close

Nah, basketball isn’t about throwing a bunch of guys who have the most talent together. The pieces need to fit. The Celtics this year are a great example of a team who has too many guys who need the ball to mesh well together. You need guys who are willing to do the dirty work, guys who are okay with not getting many touches or shots.

This team would obviously be better with Tatum on it, but I think that marginalizes Cam way too much. There’s dimishing returns on scorers. Scoring is not the biggest need of this team.

This team has 3 offensive stars already. Maybe 4 if you count Tre. It needs a glue guy who can hit shots and defend.

Indoor66
03-17-2019, 06:22 PM
Nah, basketball isn’t about throwing 5 guys who have the most talent together. The pieces need to fit. The Celtics this year are a great example of a team who has too many guys who need the ball to mesh well together. You need guys who are willing to do the dirty work, guys who are okay with not getting many touches or shots.

This team has 3 offensive stars already. Maybe 4 if you count Tre. It needs a glue guy who can hit shots and defend.

Winslow is the man 'cause Jeff Mullins is too old.

kako
03-17-2019, 06:43 PM
This team lacks 3 point shooting and is weak FT shooting.

The best player from this past period? It would be Tatum or Bagley.

But to meet the needs above? Allen, Kennard, Tyus Jones or Cook. Given those players, I'd take Allen.

9F

AZLA
03-17-2019, 06:46 PM
Christian

COYS
03-17-2019, 06:48 PM
I understood the OP to mean any player that COULD have been on this team if they hadn’t left early or transferred. If those are the criteria, then I think I go with Luke. I’m assuming he would’ve improved as a defender by his senior season. He is deadly as a spot up shooter and doesn’t need the ball in his hands to get his points. But he’s also a capable playmaker and ball handler that would be able to get the rest of the team involved. I might also go with Wendell if we’re unsure that Marques is be fully fit for the postseason run.

It’s hard to say no to a Marvin-Zion front court, but defense wasn’t a strong suit for Marvin and there are only so many shots to go around.

If we can add any player since the ‘15 season, I’m DEFINITELY going with Justise. The college version of Justise was a good three point shooter and a ridiculously versatile defender. He also doesn’t need the ball in his hands to contribute, which is essential since RJ and Zion are still taking the most shots. His athleticism would fit in perfectly with this yesr’s defensive schemes. And the fact that he was a perfect small-ball 4 means that this team could run a Death Lineup of Tre-RJ-Cam-Justise-Zion. Wow. That would be incredible to see. Being able to play that lineup would also mitigate not having Marques in the early rounds.

BigZ
03-17-2019, 06:57 PM
Jefferson !!!!!!!

Steven43
03-17-2019, 06:58 PM
This team has 3 offensive stars already. Maybe 4 if you count Tre. It needs a glue guy who can hit shots and defend.

Cam is very far from being an “offensive star.” Tre is a good passer, very good ball handler, strong leader and great defender, but is nowhere near being an offensive star as far as shooting and scoring ability. Teams leave him wide open just begging him to shoot. That is not what is done to an offensive star.

AZLA
03-17-2019, 07:01 PM
Christian

Oops wrong era. I’d take Bagley.

Winslow a close 2nd.

84Duke
03-17-2019, 07:06 PM
I’ll go with Gary Trent Jr., because a) he is one of the only players mentioned above who actually *could* have been on this year’s team, b) his shooting would fill a desperate need this year, and c) it might have been a good move for him personally.

ns7
03-17-2019, 07:17 PM
I’ll go with Gary Trent Jr., because a) he is one of the only players mentioned above who actually *could* have been on this year’s team, b) his shooting would fill a desperate need this year, and c) it might have been a good move for him personally.

I've been thinking lately about Trent on this team. I think you're right that he would have played himself into a 1st round pick if he had stayed. My only worry is that he wouldn't mesh well on defense because it's such a strength this year.

mph
03-17-2019, 07:32 PM
The Rock was famous for his various catch phrases in the WWE and one of his most popular was, "Know your damn role." I'd say...

[in best Rock voice] It doesn’t matter what you would say! [end Rock voice]. :p

For the topic at hand, I think I’d take Tyus as the best balance between clutch shot maker who doesn’t compromise the team defense. Grayson would probably be 2nd on my list.

PS - I bet the Rock would love to get in on a pie bet. The Rock loves pie.

jipops
03-17-2019, 07:32 PM
Luke Kennard. Easy. It’s not even close. He was a fantastic shooter. And he wasn’t a liability defensively either. In fact, he had a better defensive rating than the ACC player of the year Justin Jackson (should have been Luke btw).

kako
03-17-2019, 07:41 PM
This team lacks 3 point shooting and is weak FT shooting.

The best player from this past period? It would be Tatum or Bagley.

But to meet the needs above? Allen, Kennard, Tyus Jones or Cook. Given those players, I'd take Allen.

9F

I re-read the OP. For a player that could still be playing, I'd take Kennard.

Steven43
03-17-2019, 08:05 PM
Luke Kennard. Easy. It’s not even close. He was a fantastic shooter. And he wasn’t a liability defensively either. In fact, he had a better defensive rating than the ACC player of the year Justin Jackson (should have been Luke btw).

Absolutely Luke should have been the ACC Player of the Year. He was a significantly better player than Jackson.

richmclean
03-17-2019, 08:10 PM
Justice would cement a ferocious press defense no doubt. But who would be the best replacement player. I’d lean to Wendell Carter to fill the donut hole.

Steven43
03-17-2019, 08:26 PM
Justice would cement a ferocious press defense no doubt. But who would be the best replacement player. I’d lean to Wendell Carter to fill the donut hole.

Was Carter even a starter much of the year? I didn’t think he was. I apologize if I’m mistaken.

Frankly, I am confused as to some of these selections. This is one of the worst three-point shooting teams in all of college basketball. It is the main reason pointed to over and over again on a daily basis by DBR posters, by tv and radio basketball commentators, and by ex-coaches as to why Duke might not win the championship even though they are regarded as having the most collective talent. How does Carter help remedy this?

Bigwayne17
03-17-2019, 08:42 PM
I thought about starting this thread a few days ago, but being new to the board I didn’t know how well it would go over and I didn’t want my first “started thread” to be a flop. Looks like I missed my opportunity!

To me it is between Kennard and Frank Jackson. Luke because of his deadly accuracy from three. Frank because I just liked him...he really developed well during his year and I think he would’ve been very versatile by now. Shooting/slashing/driving were all things that he seemed to do well and I think he could really open things up for this years team.

wsb3
03-17-2019, 08:43 PM
Winslow is the man 'cause Jeff Mullins is too old.

Indoor. I was going to go with Verga because we need an outside threat.

richmclean
03-17-2019, 08:50 PM
Weakest is the 5. Best Replacement is Carter. This is not hard folks.

jipops
03-17-2019, 09:12 PM
Weakest is the 5. Best Replacement is Carter. This is not hard folks.

I loved Carter as a player. But this isn’t the 80’s. Offenses and defenses don’t start with a skilled big man anymore. Great teams need shooters. We already score most of our points in the paint (see 50 vs. the cheats). And we’re doing just fine defensively in the paint with the likes of Zion, Javin, Marques, and Jack.

This team needs a shooter that doesn’t hurt the defense. Luke fits that role better than anybody between 15-18.

Steven43
03-17-2019, 09:16 PM
I loved Carter as a player. But this isn’t the 80’s. Offenses and defenses don’t start with a skilled big man anymore. Great teams need shooters. We already score most of our points in the paint (see 50 vs. the cheats). And we’re doing just fine defensively in the paint with the likes of Zion, Javin, Marques, and Jack.

This team needs a shooter that doesn’t hurt the defense. Luke fits that role better than anybody between 15-18.

Thank you

ndkjr70
03-17-2019, 09:22 PM
I know you guys are saying Quinn or Tyus or Luke because of the three-point shooting ability. But we’re getting *major* minutes from Javin and Vrankovic this upcoming tournament.

If that’s Jahlil Okafor instead? Night night, tournament.

Saratoga2
03-17-2019, 09:24 PM
I think Gary Trent, Jr would have fit in nicely

Nice idea but to play him significant minutes, someone has to sit. Who would that be? Javin? But them we lose inside presence. Cam? But then we would lose on defense. Maybe Carter would fit our needs better but then he didn't have what you would want for a 3 point shooter. Ingram? He could shoot the 3 and score around the basket but again might have to go in for Cam and play defense well enough to matter. Quinn as a second guard who could defend and also hit the 3? Maybe he would perform the Goldwire role but with a scorinng threat.

Dukehky
03-17-2019, 09:24 PM
Bagley had the second best freshman year he would make us unguardable because he can kind of shoot sometimes.

The realistic answers, of players who might have stayed are Trent, Jackson, or Kennard.

I'd take Trent.

Acymetric
03-17-2019, 09:35 PM
Was Carter even a starter much of the year? I didn’t think he was. I apologize if I’m mistaken.

Frankly, I am confused as to some of these selections. This is one of the worst three-point shooting teams in all of college basketball. It is the main reason pointed to over and over again on a daily basis by DBR posters, by tv and radio basketball commentators, and by ex-coaches as to why Duke might not win the championship even though they are regarded as having the most collective talent. How does Carter help remedy this?

Are you asking if Wendell Carter was a starter at Duke? I can't tell if I'm misunderstanding you or if you're joking.

Dukehky
03-17-2019, 09:36 PM
Are you asking if Wendell Carter was a starter at Duke? I can't tell if I'm misunderstanding you or if you're joking.

I think Carter might actually be the right answer he. He can shoot the three, score in the paint, and he's the best defender big that we've had since Sheldon.

KandG
03-17-2019, 10:02 PM
This is one of the worst three-point shooting teams in all of college basketball. It is the main reason pointed to over and over again on a daily basis by DBR posters, by tv and radio basketball commentators, and by ex-coaches as to why Duke might not win the championship even though they are regarded as having the most collective talent. How does Carter help remedy this?

I would lean toward picking a low usage two-way guard/wing shooter like Winslow or Matt Jones for this hypothetical, but Carter is not as bad a choice as you make it sound.

We frequently play lineups with a 5 (either Javin or Bolden) alongside Zion, and Carter would elevate our defense to even higher levels and allow Zion more range to roam as a free safety. Carter was a 41% 3 point shooter and would give our high-low options on offense more space and more juice, as defenders sagging on Zion or playing the driving lanes from other teammates would give Carter plenty of good outside looks.

Watch the ACC tournament games and look how much Javin and Vrank's defenders are sagging off of them -- at times, it looks like they could walk right into an open 10 to 15 footer, that's how little respect they're getting. Carter would help a lot with that. (On a side note, that's why the coaching staff was encouraging Bolden to take the occasional 3 pointer early in the season -- he's a good shooter in practice and the spacing benefits would have been immense if he had the ability to make them in games).

CDu
03-17-2019, 10:07 PM
I think Carter might actually be the right answer he. He can shoot the three, score in the paint, and he's the best defender big that we've had since Sheldon.

Carter was a great defender... as long as he was the anchor in a zone defense. He was awful in man-to-man whenever he was asked to step out more than 10 feet from the hoop.

Steven43
03-17-2019, 10:10 PM
Are you asking if Wendell Carter was a starter at Duke? I can't tell if I'm misunderstanding you or if you're joking.
Nah, I wasn’t joking. It’s just that I have trouble remembering certain details about these OAD-dominate teams. I knew Carter started quite a few games, but I also thought there were a significant number of games he didn’t start. Anyway, these OAD guys are here for a minute and then gone. It’s all a bit of a blur to me at this point.

Acymetric
03-17-2019, 10:13 PM
Nah, I wasn’t joking. It’s just that I have trouble remembering certain details about these OAD-dominate teams. They are here for a minute and then gone. It’s all a blur at a certain point.

Ah. Well, yeah, Carter started every game that season.

DukieInBrasil
03-17-2019, 10:17 PM
Luke Kennard, who would be a Senior this year had he stayed. His 3pt shooting would put this team in the stratosphere. Having Luke would probably mean either Cam or RJ wouldn't have come to Duke. Still, Sr. Luke >>>RJ and >>>>>>>>>>Cam

AtlDuke72
03-17-2019, 10:21 PM
I'm actually going with Matt Jones here.

Is it April Fool’s Day?

kAzE
03-17-2019, 11:55 PM
Is it April Fool’s Day?

I don't understand why this is such a controversial pick. He fits the team's holes more than any other player I can think of from those 4 years. He was a career 37% 3 point shooter and arguably the best perimeter defender on any of those 4 teams. Justise Winslow and Quinn Cook are also good picks, but I just think Matt has the best mix of shooting and defense to go with not ever needing the ball. The team is missing a reliable role player, it absolutely doesn't want another ball dominant player.

Ryan Kelly might actually be a pretty good pick as well. He was a really good defender when he was fully healthy, and obviously compliments Zion beautifully in the front court.

BeachBlueDevil
03-18-2019, 12:05 AM
Luke Kennard.... His defense wasn't great but on this team it wouldn't matter to much. Especially if he was in the court with Zion, Tre and Bolden. I'd take his 3pt shot to sacrifice some defense on the other end.

ndkjr70
03-18-2019, 12:48 AM
When you add one of these players you’re sending someone to the bench. So you’re swapping Kennard with Cam? I think that’s a net-negative when you talk about how much better Cam is on defense.

When you switch Javin out with Jahlil Okafor, you get so. Much. Better.

ndkjr70
03-18-2019, 12:49 AM
I don't understand why this is such a controversial pick. He fits the team's holes more than any other player I can think of from those 4 years. He was a career 37% 3 point shooter and arguably the best perimeter defender on any of those 4 teams. Justise Winslow and Quinn Cook are also good picks, but I just think Matt has the best mix of shooting and defense to go with not ever needing the ball. The team is missing a reliable role player, it absolutely doesn't want another ball dominant player.

Ryan Kelly might actually be a pretty good pick as well. He was a really good defender when he was fully healthy, and obviously compliments Zion beautifully in the front court.

Ryan Kelly is a fine answer if you disregard the question. If we’re allowed to do that, I change my answer to JJ Redick or Elton Brand. Or Jason Williams.

Steven43
03-18-2019, 12:50 AM
I don't understand why this is such a controversial pick. He fits the team's holes more than any other player I can think of from those 4 years. He was a career 37% 3 point shooter and arguably the best perimeter defender on any of those 4 teams. Justise Winslow and Quinn Cook are also good picks, but I just think Matt has the best mix of shooting and defense to go with not ever needing the ball. The team is missing a reliable role player, it absolutely doesn't want another ball dominant player.

Ryan Kelly might actually be a pretty good pick as well. He was a really good defender when he was fully healthy, and obviously compliments Zion beautifully in the front court.

Just to be sure I understand, you think Duke would be better this year if they had Matt Jones — who as a senior averaged 7 points, 3 rebs, 2 assists, 1.5 steals and shot 34% from three — instead of Luke Kennard — who averaged 20 points, 5 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 1 steal and shot 44% from three? Not to mention the fact that Kennard was First Team All-ACC and should have been the ACC Player of the Year. I mean, Matt was a pretty good college player, but he was never in Luke’s class.

Steven43
03-18-2019, 12:55 AM
When you add one of these players you’re sending someone to the bench. So you’re swapping Kennard with Cam? I think that’s a net-negative when you talk about how much better Cam is on defense..

Wait......so you actually think Cam Reddish has been a better player at Duke than Luke Kennard? This is getting very very confusing.

kAzE
03-18-2019, 01:13 AM
Just to be sure I understand, you think Duke would be better this year if they had Matt Jones — who as a senior averaged 7 points, 3 rebs, 2 assists, 1.5 steals and shot 34% from three — instead of Luke Kennard — who averaged 20 points, 5 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 1 steal and shot 44% from three? Not to mention the fact that Kennard was First Team All-ACC and should have been the ACC Player of the Year. I mean, Matt was a pretty good college player, but he was never in Luke’s class.

Yes, and if you had actually read any of my posts, you would understand why.


Ryan Kelly is a fine answer if you disregard the question. If we’re allowed to do that, I change my answer to JJ Redick or Elton Brand. Or Jason Williams.

Oops, you're right, he was earlier than 2015.

Like I said, Shane Battier would be the perfect guy, but he fits on any team. He's the greatest 3&D player Duke's ever had.

Steven43
03-18-2019, 01:38 AM
Yes, and if you had actually read any of my posts, you would understand why.



Oops, you're right, he was earlier than 2015.

Like I said, Shane Battier would be the perfect guy, but he fits on any team. He's the greatest 3&D player Duke's ever had.
With all due respect, 3-point shooting is by far the biggest weakness of this team and Kennard shot 44% from 3-point range. Forty freaking four percent!! Can you imagine what a shooter like that could do for this offense? They would be virtually unstoppable. And Luke could do a lot more than shoot from outside. As an FYI he was a career 87% free throw shooter, and free throw shooting happens to be Duke’s second biggest weakness. All by himself Kennard shores up this team’s two biggest areas of deficiency.

kAzE
03-18-2019, 01:59 AM
With all due respect, 3-point shooting is by far the biggest weakness of this team and Kennard shot 44% from 3-point range. Forty freaking four percent!! Can you imagine what a shooter like that could do for this offense? They would be virtually unstoppable. And Luke could do a lot more than shoot from outside. As an FYI he was a career 87% free throw shooter, and free throw shooting happens to be Duke’s second biggest weakness. All by himself Kennard shores up this team’s two biggest areas of deficiency.

I understand that Luke Kennard is a much more talented player than Matt Jones. It's not about that. It's about the fit . . .

I'm not saying either of us are right or wrong, no one will ever know that. I was just explaining my reasoning. Teams either come together or they don't. We had by far the most talented team in the country last year. They didn't win any post season championships.

You don't get to just add Luke's 20 points to our total. That's touches and shots that Zion, RJ, Cam, and Tre are no longer getting. Sometimes, players aren't happy if they don't get the number of touches they need. It's too many mouths to feed.

Again, look at the Celtics. Are they less talented than the Bucks? Hell no. They have 10 times the offensive firepower of the Bucks. But the Bucks are a coherent unit where everyone understands their role and is happy playing that role. You have your primary and secondary guys (Giannis and Middleton, who would be Zion and RJ in my analogy), and a bunch of dudes who are just role players who play defense and space the floor.

This is already the most talented Duke team ever. The only problem is, we have stars, but we don't have consistently great glue guys. Jack has been great at times, Javin, Bolden, Alex, and Jordan have all had their moments. But we haven't had the 5th guy who we absolutely trust in crunch time.

I just think Matt would happily play that role, score 7 points a game, play incredible defense, and let Zion and RJ do their thing. Once you introduce Luke to the equation, he demands touches. That fundamentally changes the team, maybe for the better, maybe not. I'm pretty happy with this team as-is. It's the best, most exciting team we've had in a long time. Also, I'm not sure what Cam's role on the team would be with Luke on the roster, that would be really tough for him.

Steven43
03-18-2019, 02:08 AM
I understand that Luke Kennard is a much more talented player than Matt Jones. It's not about that. It's about the fit . . .

I'm not saying either of us are right or wrong, no one will ever know that.
Fair enough. Either way — Luke or Matt — it’s fun to speculate.

InSpades
03-18-2019, 04:16 AM
It's an interesting question because no one seems to fit perfectly...

The obvious position of need for this team is center... but Okafor, Carter and Bagley all don't really fit this team defensively (and none of them add the missing offensive piece in outside shooting). Any of them would obviously help but... none is perfect.

What if we just want a shooter? Luke is the best shooter in this time period but his defense could be a liability. I can't find fault w/ anyone picking Luke... he was a monster. Personally I'd take Gary Trent Jr. over Matt Jones. I thought Gary gave some decent defense and while Matt was obviously really good... his offense was lacking. His senior year he was basically afraid to shoot. Gary was 40%+ from 3 on 6 attempts per game. I see him as sort of the middle ground w/ some of Luke's shooting but a bit better defensively.

I can see that argument for Tatum or Ingram as just studs who you'd like on any team but RJ they both kind of overlap a lot w/ RJ.

In the end... my choice is Justise Winslow. Almost a 42% shooter in his lone year at Duke. Add another physical beast to the defensive end of the court. Another great fast break guy. I'd say he overlaps w/ Zion a lot but can you really have too many guys like that?! You'd go small w/ Zion at the 5 but you'd still have a lot of length on the court. Plus I just love watching Winslow play.

Bluedevil114
03-18-2019, 05:32 AM
I know we need shooters but I would take senior Amile Jefferson. His leadership and ability to rebound and make layups would be so impactful with this team. I am hoping Javin has a similar leap next season.

ndkjr70
03-18-2019, 11:44 AM
Wait...so you actually think Cam Reddish has been a better player at Duke than Luke Kennard? This is getting very very confusing.

I think you oversimplified and thus eroded my point.

If Luke Kennard’s offense is a 10, Cam’s is a 6.

If Cam Reddish’s defense is a 10, Luke’s is a 6.

I would rather Kennard on this team than Cam, but since I can only pick *one* player I would focus elsewhere. Namely, at the 5 where we have an injury to our starter and unspectacular backups.

Steven43
03-18-2019, 11:49 AM
I think you oversimplified and thus eroded my point.

If Luke Kennard’s offense is a 10, Cam’s is a 6.

If Cam Reddish’s defense is a 10, Luke’s is a 6.

I would rather Kennard on this team than Cam, but since I can only pick *one* player I would focus elsewhere. Namely, at the 5 where we have an injury to our starter and unspectacular backups.

Okay, I get you. I don’t agree that Duke needs an upgrade at the 5 position more than they need an elite shooter (Luke Kennard). But I understand the point you were trying to make. Which particular 5 were you wishing for?

JNort
03-18-2019, 11:58 AM
I gotta agree with anyone who said Luke, Grayson, or Justise. For my money though I would want Frank Jackson or Luke.



Bagley also seems a great choice to me.

Reddevil
03-18-2019, 11:59 AM
Biggest challenge with this exercise is that if you don't choose a center you have to send one of our four freshmen to the bench (unless our fantasy player is a super-sub off the bench).

Yeah so Jah, Carter, or how's about another year for Amile?

Of course adding a shooter would be smart. I know it falls outside of the realm of this exercise, but can you imagine this team with J.J.? Wow!

rsvman
03-18-2019, 12:57 PM
Yeah so Jah, Carter, or how's about another year for Amile?

Of course adding a shooter would be smart. I know it falls outside of the realm of this exercise, but can you imagine this team with J.J.? Wow!

JJ wouldn't even have to shoot the ball at all to improve this team. If he were just wandering around outside the three-point line it would require the other team to focus defensive effort there, which would open up the middle for RJ and Zion.

CrazyNotCrazie
03-18-2019, 01:54 PM
I know we need shooters but I would take senior Amile Jefferson. His leadership and ability to rebound and make layups would be so impactful with this team. I am hoping Javin has a similar leap next season.

I agree (and I think someone else gets credit for mentioning him first upthread). We could use more inside depth. Amile was a veteran leader, rebounder, very good D vs. a variety of positions, and he knew when he was needed to contribute and when to just stay out of the way. He would fit in perfectly with the four freshmen - choosing a guard would mean benching a freshman or having Zion play a lot of 5.

kAzE
03-18-2019, 01:59 PM
I know we need shooters but I would take senior Amile Jefferson. His leadership and ability to rebound and make layups would be so impactful with this team. I am hoping Javin has a similar leap next season.

I don't disagree that Amile would be a great addition to the team, but it's hard to take into account all of the factors for this question. Are we assuming that we know Marques is out? Because we don't really have a big man depth problem if he was healthy right now. I approached the question as if we were adding a player to the full healthy roster.

Matches
03-18-2019, 02:02 PM
Winslow, especially if we can get the version of him from 2019 where his handle and shot have improved. Honorable mention to Trent just because he was an excellent shooter. Kennard was a better marksman but his D was a liability and he'd be a problem with the type of pressure MTM we're playing this year. (See also: Grayson Allen).

Onlyduke
03-18-2019, 02:20 PM
Grayson Allen.

brlftz
03-18-2019, 02:45 PM
I understand that Luke Kennard is a much more talented player than Matt Jones. It's not about that. It's about the fit . . .

I'm not saying either of us are right or wrong, no one will ever know that. I was just explaining my reasoning. Teams either come together or they don't. We had by far the most talented team in the country last year. They didn't win any post season championships.

You don't get to just add Luke's 20 points to our total. That's touches and shots that Zion, RJ, Cam, and Tre are no longer getting. Sometimes, players aren't happy if they don't get the number of touches they need. It's too many mouths to feed.

Again, look at the Celtics. Are they less talented than the Bucks? Hell no. They have 10 times the offensive firepower of the Bucks. But the Bucks are a coherent unit where everyone understands their role and is happy playing that role. You have your primary and secondary guys (Giannis and Middleton, who would be Zion and RJ in my analogy), and a bunch of dudes who are just role players who play defense and space the floor.

This is already the most talented Duke team ever. The only problem is, we have stars, but we don't have consistently great glue guys. Jack has been great at times, Javin, Bolden, Alex, and Jordan have all had their moments. But we haven't had the 5th guy who we absolutely trust in crunch time.

I just think Matt would happily play that role, score 7 points a game, play incredible defense, and let Zion and RJ do their thing. Once you introduce Luke to the equation, he demands touches. That fundamentally changes the team, maybe for the better, maybe not. I'm pretty happy with this team as-is. It's the best, most exciting team we've had in a long time. Also, I'm not sure what Cam's role on the team would be with Luke on the roster, that would be really tough for him.

The factors you cite do matter, but Matt just wasn't a good enough shooter that he would make a major difference for us. He shot 34% his senior year, and he was only taking wide open ones. Quinn Cook also brought a lot of intangibles, accepted a reduced role for the good of the team, and also managed to hit 40% of his threes as a senior on almost double the volume. Matt's a better defender, but that's not a weakness of ours, whereas Cook's superior shooting, ball handling, passing and free throw shooting would be valuable on this team.

Native
03-18-2019, 03:21 PM
...Quinn was a passable defender as senior...

You might want to go back and re-watch some game tape from that year. If the other team's guard was their first scoring option, Quinn drew the assignment in nearly every case (https://www.greensboro.com/sports/accxtra/quinn-cook-leading-duke-s-defensive-renaissance/article_5b98a066-d7e7-11e4-b4d7-2b749d7fe990.html):


The principal architect of Duke’s success on the defensive end of the floor has been Quinn Cook. “Quinn may have been the most valuable player down there,” Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski said, “because of what he did defensively.”


In the NCAA tournament, Cook has been the primary defender on two of the best perimeter players in the country: Gonzaga’s Kevin Pangos and Utah’s Delon Wright. Those two players have combined to shoot 6 of 21 for 14 points in two games. Gonzaga’s 52 points in the loss was a season-low for the Bulldogs.

Cook also had strong man-on-man matchups in the regular season, holding Notre Dame’s Jerian Grant and North Carolina’s Marcus Paige to 4 of 21 shooting in Duke’s wins against those teams in Cameron Indoor Stadium. On Saturday, he’ll be matched up against yet another dynamic perimeter scorer in Michigan State’s Travis Trice.

Don't get me wrong — I love what Justise brought to our team in 2015. But Quinn's defensive contributions also can't be overlooked. I think his shooting ability, both from distance and at the foul line, defensive tenacity, and senior leadership make him the choice here.

mattyoung18
03-18-2019, 03:26 PM
Luke K. Without a doubt his last year he was really awesome.Especialy against the pale blue cheats

Acymetric
03-18-2019, 03:26 PM
Winslow, especially if we can get the version of him from 2019 where his handle and shot have improved. Honorable mention to Trent just because he was an excellent shooter. Kennard was a better marksman but his D was a liability and he'd be a problem with the type of pressure MTM we're playing this year. (See also: Grayson Allen).


The factors you cite do matter, but Matt just wasn't a good enough shooter that he would make a major difference for us. He shot 34% his senior year, and he was only taking wide open ones. Quinn Cook also brought a lot of intangibles, accepted a reduced role for the good of the team, and also managed to hit 40% of his threes as a senior on almost double the volume. Matt's a better defender, but that's not a weakness of ours, whereas Cook's superior shooting, ball handling, passing and free throw shooting would be valuable on this team.

FWIW, if we aren't going with Carter at center and want to improve our defense without hurting our offense, the answer is probably Winslow over Matt Jones. Winslow was actually a pretty decent outside shot, and we wouldn't lose much (any) on defense if he were to slot in over, say, Cam. Then you can bring Cam off the bench for instant offense, and maybe he thrives offensively in that role.

Of course, this is just a fun thought exercise, because I wouldn't want to mess with the way this team is set up. I like this team! (But if Cam and RJ suddenly developed reliable outside shooting I wouldn't be opposed)

Lord Ash
03-18-2019, 03:47 PM
Quinn Cook is a GREAT answer to this question.

summerwind03
03-18-2019, 03:55 PM
Quinn Cook is a GREAT answer to this question.

Quinn for his leadership, defense and 3 point shooting.

Lord Ash
03-18-2019, 03:56 PM
Quinn for his leadership, defense and 3 point shooting.

Exactly my thoughts.

Acymetric
03-18-2019, 03:59 PM
Quinn Cook is a GREAT answer to this question.


Quinn for his leadership, defense and 3 point shooting.

Totally changes the look and feel of the team though. We either lose Tyus, or we play both together and go from an extremely tall/long team to one of the smallest backcourts in the country, have to bench Cam, and change RJ's role on the offense as ballhandler 1a. That team's style of defense was very different from this one's, and you can probably chalk at least some of that up to lack of size at guard.

Dukehk
03-18-2019, 04:12 PM
I honestly can’t believe more people wouldn’t take Quinn cook!!!

He basically fills every weakness we have. 3 pt shooting, he is lights out. Free throw shooting? Close to a 90 clip if I remember correctly. Him and tyus just closed out games on folks from the line.

Leadership? Yes. One of the most underrated captains we have had. To this day I still think he owns the greatest quote in duke history: “Duke is never the underdog”. A true floor general and leader of men.

Not to mention that a common theme in coach K’s last 3 national champions is having TWO ball handling guards in the backcourt. Jason and Duhon. Nolan and Jon. Tyus and Quinn. Probably should have been Kyrie and Nolan too, if it weren’t for injury.

Which is why I’m really liking the emergence of J Gold in our new “death lineup”.

Reddevil
03-18-2019, 04:25 PM
I honestly can’t believe more people wouldn’t take Quinn cook!!!

He basically fills every weakness we have. 3 pt shooting, he is lights out. Free throw shooting? Close to a 90 clip if I remember correctly. Him and tyus just closed out games on folks from the line.

Leadership? Yes. One of the most underrated captains we have had. To this day I still think he owns the greatest quote in duke history: “Duke is never the underdog”. A true floor general and leader of men.

Not to mention that a common theme in coach K’s last 3 national champions is having TWO ball handling guards in the backcourt. Jason and Duhon. Nolan and Jon. Tyus and Quinn. Probably should have been Kyrie and Nolan too, if it weren’t for injury.

Which is why I’m really liking the emergence of J Gold in our new “death lineup”.

I think this is the best answer yet. He does check a bunch of boxes.

Acymetric
03-18-2019, 04:29 PM
I honestly can’t believe more people wouldn’t take Quinn cook!!!

He basically fills every weakness we have. 3 pt shooting, he is lights out. Free throw shooting? Close to a 90 clip if I remember correctly. Him and tyus just closed out games on folks from the line.

Leadership? Yes. One of the most underrated captains we have had. To this day I still think he owns the greatest quote in duke history: “Duke is never the underdog”. A true floor general and leader of men.

Not to mention that a common theme in coach K’s last 3 national champions is having TWO ball handling guards in the backcourt. Jason and Duhon. Nolan and Jon. Tyus and Quinn. Probably should have been Kyrie and Nolan too, if it weren’t for injury.

Which is why I’m really liking the emergence of J Gold in our new “death lineup”.

Quinn Cook is quite possibly my favorite player since Redick (there are some other guys in contention but we don't need to has that out here). That said, teams are not necessarily equal to the sum of their parts, there can be subtraction by addition depending on how those parts fit together (and that does not require chemistry or attitude issues, it can purely be fit). My point about Cook is just that it makes us a totally different team on both ends of the floor. Is that an improvement? Hard to say, fun to speculate, but I don't think you can unilaterally say yes.

throatybeard
03-18-2019, 04:37 PM
Lexie Brown.

kAzE
03-18-2019, 06:50 PM
I honestly can’t believe more people wouldn’t take Quinn cook!!!

He basically fills every weakness we have. 3 pt shooting, he is lights out. Free throw shooting? Close to a 90 clip if I remember correctly. Him and tyus just closed out games on folks from the line.

Leadership? Yes. One of the most underrated captains we have had. To this day I still think he owns the greatest quote in duke history: “Duke is never the underdog”. A true floor general and leader of men.

Not to mention that a common theme in coach K’s last 3 national champions is having TWO ball handling guards in the backcourt. Jason and Duhon. Nolan and Jon. Tyus and Quinn. Probably should have been Kyrie and Nolan too, if it weren’t for injury.

Which is why I’m really liking the emergence of J Gold in our new “death lineup”.

Never said I wouldn't take Quinn, he was my #2 choice, but okay, you've convinced me. Quinn might just be the best answer because of his intangibles and presence as a vocal leader. It has the be the senior version of Quinn, though. That was when his defense became really good.

johnb
03-18-2019, 09:45 PM
It’s interesting to wonder if this team would be substantially improved by any of those guys.

Kennard is probably the best answer. He could start, or come off the bench, and he’d make up for our biggest weakness. Though, if he came, we wouldn’t have recruited Cam, who is clearly a better defender and seems so close to becoming a star.

Bringing back any of our lottery centers might be nice, but none was a great 3 point shooter, and I’m fine with Delaurier/Bolden. I loved Quinn, but his eligibility would be long gone, and ball handling isn’t a problem.

Overall, I think I’d go with Justise. I’m not sure the team would actually be better, but it would be awesome to watch our muscular fast breaks, wondering which opposing player was about to get inadvertently knocked into the bleachers.

Steven43
03-18-2019, 09:51 PM
I honestly can’t believe more people wouldn’t take Quinn Cook!!!
He basically fills every weakness we have. 3 pt shooting, he is lights out. Free throw shooting? Close to a 90 clip if I remember correctly. Him and Tyus just closed out games on folks from the line.
This is what scares me to death. Duke needed every bit of those great FT shooters — Quinn, Tyus, and even Grayson — to win the 2015 title, and that was with a totally STACKED team that included Quinn Cook, Amile Jefferson, Marshall Plumlee, Matt Jones, Grayson Allen, Tyus Jones, Jahlil Okafor, and Justise Winslow.

Who are the clutch ballhandlers and FT shooters on this year’s team? Basically, Duke has one great ballhandler — Tre Jones — with ZERO great FT shooters (as defined as hitting at a minimum threshold of 85%) other than Jack White, and he’s not a primary ballhandler. I think this is the main reason — even more than season-long consistently terrible 3-point shooting — that might well keep this team from winning it all.

R.J. darn near cost Duke the game the other night with two badly-missed FTs near the end of the UNC game. Neither Quinn, Tyus, nor Grayson would have dreamed of missing those FTs — no way, no chance, no how.

Mtn.Devil.91.92.01.10.15
03-18-2019, 09:54 PM
This is what scares me to death. Duke needed every bit of those great FT shooters — Quinn, Tyus, and even Grayson — to win the title, and that was even with a totally STACKED team that included Quinn Cook, Amile Jefferson, Marshall Plumlee, Matt Jones, Grayson Allen, Tyus Jones, Jahlil Okafor, and Justise Winslow.

Who are the clutch ballhandlers and FT shooters on this year’s team? Basically, Duke has one great ballhandler — Tre Jones — with ZERO great FT shooters (as defined as hitting at a minimum threshold of 85%) other than Jack White, and he’s not a primary ballhandler. I think this is the main reason — even more than season-long consistently terrible 3-point shooting — that might well keep this team from winning it all.

R.J. damn near cost Duke the game the other night with two badly-missed FTs near the end of the UNC game. Neither Quinn, Tyus, nor Grayson would have dreamed of missing those FTs — no way, no chance, no how.

I agree that free throws scare me more than threes. If we match up against a team who can hang with us and decides to send us to the line for the last four minutes, we could be in trouble.

jimmymax
03-18-2019, 11:43 PM
Assuming Marques comes back, what's needed is an upgrade to the 3-point shooting. To me that means it has to be Grayson or Luke -- defense be damned. Tatum would be next, and serious consideration for Bagley or Carter if no more Marques. Don't see Gary Trent or Matt Jones as pieces in this puzzle.

jimmymax
03-18-2019, 11:50 PM
Oops. Did not read all the way through. Quinn Cook would also be an excellent choice!

stedge
03-19-2019, 06:45 AM
I just want Jack back, the way he can play. Great defender, good size, good shooter and FT, and another strong person.

arnie
03-19-2019, 06:49 AM
I agree that free throws scare me more than threes. If we match up against a team who can hang with us and decides to send us to the line for the last four minutes, we could be in trouble.

Would have agreed, but Tre has improved dramatically and I trust his FTs now. If we’re in one of those games, hope K puts in Jack for Javin (he did that late in either the FSU or Syracuse game) as a secondary handler. I think Cam and Goldwire will be ok in late game situations too.

However, we may need to keep the ball away from Zion and RJ which could be hard to do.

Steven43
03-19-2019, 07:19 AM
I just want Jack back, the way he can play. Great defender, good size, good shooter and FT, and another strong person.

Wouldn’t that be amazing? If peak Jack were to somehow come back and everybody else continues playing the way they did in the ACC tournament, Duke would absolutely win this thing. No doubt in my mind.

mkirsh
03-19-2019, 09:07 AM
The former player I want back is the UK/@FSU/@UVA Cam Reddish - that guy averaged 21 points, 2 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals, 1 block and only 1 TO per game while shooting over 50% from 2 and 3 (yes, it's a complete cherry pick of his best games, but he has it in him!)

Other than that put me in the Winslow/Tatum camp - both marginally improve our 3 pt shooting, but more importantly they would slot in defensively at the 4 giving the line up of death ridiculous defensive length and athleticism. So while they wouldn't improve our shooting as much as Cook or Kennard, no one would score on that team at all.

elvis14
03-19-2019, 03:51 PM
Right now we start:

Tre
Cam
RJ
Zion
Ques/Javin

Our defense is great. Our 3 point shooting isn't. Our 5's are an area for improvement.
So:

1) Grayson Allen - consummate Duke player, champion, not a OAD, can spot up and shoot and be backup PG to give Tre some rest, UNCheaters hate him so much
2) Tatum - he can shoot, play defense and gives us size. A 3 headed monster of Cam, RJ, Jayson is nasty
3) Bagley - I suspect his defensive deficiencies would be covered up somewhat by Tre, Cam, Zion and his offense and rebounding were fantastic

Truth is there are quite a few good answers. QC works because of leadership and shooting. Ingram works because of talent. Carter works because of talent and he's an upgrade at the 5 (but I'd rather have Marvin and I don't want Carter's Mom back). Frank Jackson works. Amile works, leadership, defense, rebounding. Justise works because he's a straight badI'm a real wanker for saying this.I'm a real wanker for saying this.I'm a real wanker for saying this.I'm a real wanker for saying this.I'm a real wanker for saying this.. Matt Jones works, 3 and D. Big Jah works because of his ability to collapse the defense and willing ness to pass out of the post. MP3 works, 100% 3point shooting, defense, heart, leadership. I have to say, that as much as I loved LukeK and his offense, his defense was so bad that he wouldn't work.

Steven43
03-19-2019, 09:12 PM
I loved LukeK and his offense, his defense was so bad that he wouldn't work.
If Luke were as bad at defense as you say, I doubt he would be an important player on an up-and-coming NBA team that is quite possibly going to make some noise in the playoffs. Do you think he was only asked to play defense by his coaches in Detroit? You don’t think Coach K and staff demanded it from him, too?

Luke Kennard made the All-ACC first team as a sophomore, should have been ACC Player of the Year, and was drafted just outside the top 10 in the NBA draft. And all that while outright sucking at defense? I don’t think so.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.detroitbadboys.com/platform/amp/2019/3/8/18254851/detroit-pistons-the-real-luke-kennard-has-finally-arrived-detroit-pistons-nba

GopherBlue
03-20-2019, 11:55 AM
As others have rightly commented, the 2018-2019 team might benefit from a tenacious defender, depth in the paint, dead-eye 3pt shooting, and upperclass leadership.

There can only be one choice: Marshall Plumlee

senior leadership (4 year contributor and captain)...check
defensive toughness (Active Duty US Army Infantry Officer)...check
Duke leader in career 3pt efficiency with at least 1 attempt (1.000)...check

...all this, and formidable locker-room interview skills...check!