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View Full Version : Improvements since last year



DukieInBrasil
02-11-2008, 07:07 PM
I'm so happy for the guys on the team who had to scrap it out last season because they are playing beautifully and have improved individually, but also collectively I was looking thru the stats and was impressed at how much all the returning players have improved their efficiency.
Scheyer's scoring is down from last year as are his minutes, but his %s are way up, actually everything else is up for Jon across the stat sheet. And his non-stat %s are up too, like ball-smarts and defensive presence. Jon is a very mature player and compliments the PG, Paulus or Smith, so well that he actually has a better a/to than anyone on the team.
Paulus has seen a similar drop in scoring, but like last year has really started scoring more in the second half of the season. Greg is starting his late-season surge a little earlier this year. His FT% and a/to have improved quite a bit while his FG and 3pt% are bout the same as last year. What makes Greg a better player this year is the improvement in ball control.
Nelson started slow but has caught fire in ACC play, raising his ppg over last year. Everything about his game has improved dramatically, which makes it even more impressive. I thought his rebounding would go down from last year as our frontcourt was gonna be able to a better job, but his rebounding has been a big reason for Duke being able to play the way it does. He rebounds like an additional PF. Nelson has put together some decent FT shooting lately and his 3pt shooting has improved since last year. Nelson won't be running PG for Duke but the way his ball-handling has evolved is another key factor for Duke spreading the floor so much. His a/to is + this year for the first time in his career and this helps the flow b/c possessions don't stop with Nelson as frequently.
Gerald has basically doubled his scoring and rebounding from last year while shooting an elevated FG%. Gerald would be a much more dangerous player if he wasn't shooting low 60s FT, which is a decline from last year. His 3pt % is also down but he didn't shoot much from deep last year.
LTs solid play of late has finally given him a statistical edge over his play from last year. Not that we need Lance to be a great passer but he has improved his handle this year enough that the O doesn't necessarily stop flowing when he gets the ball. Somehow I thought he got more rebs last year than he actually got, but he is rebounding at a better rate this year. Unlike Paulus, Scheyer and Nelson, LTs minutes have gone up since last year.