Henderson: A smaller Grant?

[VaDukie]

I'm not saying, I'm just saying. Look at the 2nd team all difference makers.

http://proxy.espn.go.com/espn/blog/index?entryID=3122578&name=bilas_jay

Also of note: Bilas has us as the 2nd seed in the West (Houston) playing against Kansas.

[gw67]

Henderson has improved significantly since his freshman year and may lead the Devils in scoring this year; however, the only areas, IMO, where he is better than or equal to Grant as a soph are outside shooting and the flair for the spectacular. Grant, as a soph, was a better shooter from the field and foul line, a better ballhandler and passer, a better rebounder, and a better defensive player. This is not intended to be a put down of Henderson who is a good, young player who is getting better but Grant was one of the greatest at Duke.

gw67

[phaedrus]

Gerald may be his equal as an athlete, but he's only scratching the surface as a basketball player.

Anyone else think sophomore Grant Hill would be the country's best player if he played for Duke right now?

[6th Man]

IMHO, Grant Hill was the greatest player Duke ever had in terms of all-around talent. If you could give me one player to build a team around from former Duke greats, he would be my guy. He could do almost everything. My biggest reason for him being the greatest would be that he took that '94 squad to within a blocked shot of the National Championship. If you insert any great from Duke into his role on that team, they would have never gone that far. I think Grant as a sophomore would be the best player in the country today.

[SilkyJ]

Henderson has improved significantly since his freshman year and may lead the Devils in scoring this year; however, the only areas, IMO, where he is better than or equal to Grant as a soph are outside shooting and the flair for the spectacular. Grant, as a soph, was a better shooter from the field and foul line, a better ballhandler and passer, a better rebounder, and a better defensive player. This is not intended to be a put down of Henderson who is a good, young player who is getting better but Grant was one of the greatest at Duke.

gw67

I would argue that gerald's jumper is equally good if not better than grant's at this point (it looks better for sure, grant's always looked a little strange to me)

but other than that I would agree with all your other point. let's just hope gerald sticks around for as long as grant did!

[Zeb]

Gerald may be his equal as an athlete, but he's only scratching the surface as a basketball player.


This is spot on. Even more remarkable is that Grant had more skills on a bigger frame. Grant was just a very unique player and we were lucky to have him.

I once heard Pete Gaudet say: "Thomas Jefferson was wrong. All men are not created equal. Look at Grant Hill."

[greybeard]

Watching him this year from a side angle taking a dribble and pulling up for a jump shot, I had to do a double take. Looked to me exactly like Grant. I mean exactly.

I agree with everything posted here about the comparisons, with one possible exception. As a pure scorer, or should I say shooter, I think that Henderson might well prove the better of the two. Two reasons:

First, I think that Henderson has the makings of a better jump shot.

Second, it seems to me that Henderson brings to the court a wound tightness, both physically and mentally, that gives him the potential of becoming a daringly exciting offensive player. If that jump shot gets more and more reliable from his current range of comfort on out a bit, wow!

To give himself the best chance of that happening, my guess is that he'll need to stay at Duke at least another year. As the season progresses, we should see some palable signs if this intuition has any bite.

In all other aspects of the game, I agree with the poster who said that Grant is the best he has seen in a Duke uniform. I would add that he might well have been one of the very, very best players in the history of the pros.

[jipops]

Comparing Gerald to Grant has come up several times and it seems a bit ridiculous. The only reason these guys are brought up in the same sentence is because they are both gracefully athletic (though Gerald is a bit more physical in flare). But in terms of actual basketball their games are nearly nothing alike. Grant had an outstanding handle and terrific floor awareness which he exhibited quite a bit as a sophomore in place of an injured Hurley. He was also a bad-^$%^$%^$% defender, both on the ball and off (not as great as Battier off the ball but still great).

I said nearly nothing alike because they both do/did a couple things very well, block shots and mid-range scoring. Gerald is a good defender like Grant was but not a lock down guy. Also, Gerald doesn't possess nearly the ball handling ability or floor sense that Grant did. Gerald looks for his shot then looks to get rid of it if it's not there. Grant was more in the flow of the offense distributing.

If you have to compare Gerald to another former Dukie I'd say he's more like an offensively improved version of Dahntay in terms of how he fits with the team. There are many more similarities between those two than with Grant.

[gw67]

I agree with Greybeard regarding Henderson having the makings of a better jump shot and that, in time, he may be a better shooter. Grant did not have a picture perfect jump shot but he was incredibly accurate from mid-range. He didn't shoot many 3-point shots until his senior year and he shot 39% that year. However, he shot over 61% as a soph and over 53% for his career from the field. He wasn't great from the foul line but he shot over 71% for his career. Henderson has a long way to go to reach these levels but he is very talented.

gw67

[SilkyJ]

If you have to compare Gerald to another former Dukie I'd say he's more like an offensively improved version of Dahntay in terms of how he fits with the team. There are many more similarities between those two than with Grant.

great point. when we were recruiting gerald that was the comparison I used to always make, except I didnt think he was much of an improvement offensively. now, gerald's jumper is clearly light years ahead of dahntays and he is developing that ability to square in mid-air while using his ridiculous hops.

[cajundevil74]

I think Gerald is actually a better athlete and more physical than Grant. Additionally, I think Geralds has a better jump shot than Grant had during his Soph year. With that said, I think Grant's floor presence, defensive ability, passing was all better at this point. However the biggest difference is 3 inches in height.

IMO, with 3 more inches, Geralds game would be very very similar to Kobe's at 19.

[DUKIECB]

IMO, with 3 more inches, Geralds game would be very very similar to Kobe's at 19.

This is kind of comical to me. Don't get me wrong, I think Gerald is great, but comparing him to Kobe even at 19 seems like a little much to me. :(

[Troublemaker]

Grant was a much better ball-handler and passer and could play point in a pinch, and his size allowed him to postup. He was taller, longer and one of the best defenders in the country, even as an underclassman. As talented as Gerald is, they are still worlds apart in talent. The difference between an NBA player and an NBA All-Star.

[Kilby]

Dahntay might be a better comparison, but I would take Henderson way before Dahntay and that's no knock on Dahntay. I would discribe the difference between Henderson and Grant as Grant was smooth and Henderson is explosive. I am so excited about this team because they finally show that athletism that Duke's past great teams have had.

[greybeard]

I've been straining to come up with an apt model who I could say Henderson shows me some of, and have been unable to.

The best I see is that he has the potential to remind people of a scaled down version of David Thompson, only add a touch of nasty, and take away who knows how much of everything else. No, he is not a next David Thompson. However, in his ability to stop and shoot inside the defense with a cool confidence that knows no fear, David Thompson was the closest that came to mind.

This is particularly so when he penetrates laterally from the right wing to the right edge of the lane and does a quick pull up explosion with no defender from anywhere having a prayer of a chance to match. Catch some old tape of Thompson moving to his left laterally and pulling up. See if I didn't catch something here.

[Indoor66]

I've been straining to come up with an apt model who I could say Henderson shows me some of, and have been unable to.

The best I see is that he has the potential to remind people of a scaled down version of David Thompson, only add a touch of nasty, and take away who knows how much of everything else. No, he is not a next David Thompson. However, in his ability to stop and shoot inside the defense with a cool confidence that knows no fear, David Thompson was the closest that came to mind.

This is particularly so when he penetrates laterally from the right wing to the right edge of the lane and does a quick pull up explosion with no defender from anywhere having a prayer of a chance to match. Catch some old tape of Thompson moving to his left laterally and pulling up. See if I didn't catch something here.

I like Henderson and I appreciate the effort to find a parallel, but he ain't no David Thompson.

[SilkyJ]

This is particularly so when he penetrates laterally from the right wing to the right edge of the lane and does a quick pull up explosion with no defender from anywhere having a prayer of a chance to match. Catch some old tape of Thompson moving to his left laterally and pulling up. See if I didn't catch something here.

i think his (gerald's) more "patented" move right now is starting from the top of the left wing and driving diagonally to his right across the lane (basically heading for the far corner) and then he finds a good spot somewhere in 10-17 ft. range to pull up.

On a semi-related note: this is a good spot to comment on what I have seen as improvement from both gerald and demarcus in their ability to penetrate. They have both always been able to get in the lane, but both are making better decisions once they get in traffic, be it kicking out, pulling up, etc. etc. While the improvement hasn't been so much that its something we are all talking about, I think with our "new" offense the incremental improvements made by these guys have compounded to really improve our offense.

Our offense right now is largely being setup and fueled by penetration from Demarc and G, and then either them scoring or kicking out to one of our really good 3pt shooters. Witness, demarc had 9 assists a game or two ago. This is a more detailed observation, but one of K's favorite offensive sets is to have Greg start at the top of the key, with demarc and gerald in the corners. and then have Greg move toward the one of the two wings and then either demarc or gerald comes over the top of greg and greg usually hands it off to them for a drive. This is a great play b/c it gets the ball in the hand of our best penetrators while they are moving and they can then explode to the hoop. I also think that teams will start to see this on film and overplay it, which will allow greg to fake the pass and then as the defenders move to cover demarc, greg takes one more dribble going the opposite direction and pops for a 3. Very clever from K...

[greybeard]

i think his (gerald's) more "patented" move right now is starting from the top of the left wing and driving diagonally to his right across the lane (basically heading for the far corner) and then he finds a good spot somewhere in 10-17 ft. range to pull up.

On a semi-related note: this is a good spot to comment on what I have seen as improvement from both gerald and demarcus in their ability to penetrate. They have both always been able to get in the lane, but both are making better decisions once they get in traffic, be it kicking out, pulling up, etc. etc. While the improvement hasn't been so much that its something we are all talking about, I think with our "new" offense the incremental improvements made by these guys have compounded to really improve our offense.

Our offense right now is largely being setup and fueled by penetration from Demarc and G, and then either them scoring or kicking out to one of our really good 3pt shooters. Witness, demarc had 9 assists a game or two ago. This is a more detailed observation, but one of K's favorite offensive sets is to have Greg start at the top of the key, with demarc and gerald in the corners. and then have Greg move toward the one of the two wings and then either demarc or gerald comes over the top of greg and greg usually hands it off to them for a drive. This is a great play b/c it gets the ball in the hand of our best penetrators while they are moving and they can then explode to the hoop. I also think that teams will start to see this on film and overplay it, which will allow greg to fake the pass and then as the defenders move to cover demarc, greg takes one more dribble going the opposite direction and pops for a 3. Very clever from K...

And, even if they overplay it, you still have the ball in the interior of the defense to serve as the pivot for the offense without having to use the increasingly dangerous gambit of feeding the pivot off the pass. Man that K is smart . . . .

[Kilby]

And, even if they overplay it, you still have the ball in the interior of the defense to serve as the pivot for the offense without having to use the increasingly dangerous gambit of feeding the pivot off the pass. Man that K is smart . . . .

The great thing is that the ball is in the hands of someone (Henderson) that if all else fails he can make a move and get a shot off no matter who is guarding him. Now if Paulus can just develop that floater going down the lane.

[SilkyJ]

Now if Paulus can just develop that floater going down the lane.

so funny you say that. after I posted the above comment I took about a 10 block walk (each way) to go to my cobbler and grab lunch and I was by myself so the whole time I was thinking about "what's the ONE thing that we need this year to push us over the top" and I don't know if this is the #1 thing we need, but "paulus being able to finish in the lane" was near the top of the list. It would sort of be a little bonus b/c he's such a good shooter, but I feel like his inability to finish in the lane is changing the dynamic of the team a little.

his assists are only at 4 per game, same as last year, and frankly, that's a bit suprising considering how much better he "looks" out there, ya know? And I don't think we can use the "he doesn't have the same players to pass to" excuse (don't get me wrong, I love paulus' play this year. I think he's great, just keep reading a bit). I think what's going on is that our PGs usually do a lot of penetrating and they often dish the ball but sometimes they score b/c they all have been capable of scoring in the lane (think ewing, duhon, jwill, avery, not wojo so much, hurley, quinn, amaker etc. they were all at least fairly good at finishing) That's been a staple of our offense forever, except b/c greg isn't as good of a finisher (and b/c gerald and demarcus are so versatile and athletic), I think K would rather have guys like gerald and demarc drive and create the opportunities instead of greg.

I guess I don't really have a problem with this b/c Gerald and Demarc have been great handling the ball and driving, so far. But if greg can learn to finish in the lane a little better, he will add a whole new dimension to his game that I think will help us significantly.

this is what I think about when I am bored...

(side-note, despite my explanation, I am still surprised to see Greg's assists at just under 4 per game. you would think that the combination of adding significant scoring options and running a lot which creates opportunities for him to get assists, would be enough to raise his stats, but they haven't...)

[Kilby]

If Paulus could go past his man and hit the floater it would mean that defensive players could not pressure him like they do. Right now unless he has a lane to the basket he has nowhere to go. Think about how many assists he could have once players have to respect him in the key.

[Constantstrain 81]

Comparisons are great to make and they do help to better describe a player. Gerald is graceful and talented like Grant. And sometimes, I remember the 1994 Grant Hill and think that he was that outstanding a leader for four years, when maybe he wasn't. And, I admit, several times this year I have seen a Gerald Henderson play (mainly on turn-around jumpers) and thought to myself - "He looks like Kobe on that play." This is not to say that he is Grant or Kobe or that he is "as good" as Grant or Kobe. Just that their are striking similarities in their games.

For the rest of it, however, Gerald will have to make his own way. Can he be a leader? Can he elevate the players around him to a new level? Can he hit the key baskets? Can he become a dedicated, lock-down defender? All of these questions will be fun to answer over the next 2 1/2 years (I hope). Consistency and leadership - that is what will make Gerald Henderson. I think that he can become that star in his own right. I hope we get to see it happen.

Maybe one day we'll be able to see a young budding star for Duke and say - "He reminds me of Gerald Henderson." And our friends on DBR will answer back - "No way, he'll never be as good as Henderson."

Here's to this exciting season.

[gw67]

You play with what you got and 98% of the coaches in the country would give you their right arm for the talent on Duke. Paulus is the best point guard on this team. He is playing about 27 minutes per game and I expect that to go up slightly when we get to ACC play. One of the reasons he has less than 4 assists per game, IMO, is the increased one-on-one play by Nelson and Henderson. Based on what I've seen, I prefer that approach over driving and throwing out to them for long jump shots.

Getting back to Henderson, I think that he and Nelson prefer to go to the basket rather than hang around the perimeter.

gw67

[SilkyJ]

One of the reasons he has less than 4 assists per game, IMO, is the increased one-on-one play by Nelson and Henderson. Based on what I've seen, I prefer that approach over driving and throwing out to them for long jump shots.

Getting back to Henderson, I think that he and Nelson prefer to go to the basket rather than hang around the perimeter.

gw67

I thought I was clear, but if I wasn't, this is exactly what I was trying to say. and i also agree that right now I prefer the approach of having nelson and henderson try and create...

[greybeard]

Wow, this is getting really interesting; good show gentlemen.

One thing to note as a possible credit to the K man is the apparent change in defensive focus to go with the new offense.

The defensive intensity is there but the time spent on defense on each possession seems to have diminished. K wants more shots. DeMarcus and Henderson are not being asked to expend as much of their legs on defense.

Also, last year the offense looked to occupy a lot of clock, as did the defense. I think that constrained the basketball IQs of some of the players, those more gifted athletically, in particular.

Now, guys like DeMarcus and Henderson can do it when they see it, and they see it pretty quickly and clearly. Never underestimate the intelligence of Duke players, especially those two.

You make them play in a slow down set as last year, and their ability to "see and go", which set them apart from the crowd as prep stars, is not fully utilized. Now it seems it is.

The combination of basketball skills, athleticism, and smarts on this team holds terrific promise. When you see these guys, all of them not just D and H, make terrific plays, attribute it at least in part to their being a tad smarter than their opponents. I think K is counting on it.

Before I close, I think that Scheyer's match of skills and intelligence is truly extraordinary. Some guys need to be in the game to feel and understand it. He seems to figure it out and regulate his body in the minutes that he is watching. Can hit the ground with a running start that surprises.