Scheyer at the point

[Bay Area Duke Fan]

About midway thru the first half, Jon Scheyer was playing point guard for over one minute. Neither Paulus nor Smith was in the game at that time.

Does this mean that Coach K is losing confidence in Nolan Smith? I think this is the first time this has happened this year.

[Lotus000]

About midway thru the first half, Jon Scheyer was playing point guard for over one minute. Neither Paulus nor Smith was in the game at that time.

Does this mean that Coach K is losing confidence in Nolan Smith? I think this is the first time this has happened this year.

Scheyer's played at the 1 before a couple of times this year; I don't think it's necessarily indicative that K's lost any confidence in Nolan Smith.

[Truth]

About midway thru the first half, Jon Scheyer was playing point guard for over one minute. Neither Paulus nor Smith was in the game at that time.

Does this mean that Coach K is losing confidence in Nolan Smith? I think this is the first time this has happened this year.

A full minute? ;-)

I doubt that K is losing confidence in Smith. While it is infrequent that neither Paulus nor Smith are in the game, it is definitely not the first time this has happened...

[MChambers]

Remember that the staff brought in Scheyer with the idea he could be a backup point. He's got a lot of skills. I like him handling the ball more and not being just a scorer.

[Dukebacker]

Nolan just came in for Greg.


I sure don't mind Nolan resting, especially if he isn't 100 percent yet. Were going to need him Saturday.

[Saratoga2]

Remember that the staff brought in Scheyer with the idea he could be a backup point. He's got a lot of skills. I like him handling the ball more and not being just a scorer.

Scheyer is very good with the ball and doesn't make many bad decisions. He tends to stabilize the possession when he touches the ball and to have him play point for a few minutes is very reasonable. it doesn't mean that anyone is losing confidence in either Paulus or Smith. It means that they really have three guys who can handle the point should fouls or injuries limit a player.

[OZZIE4DUKE]

Scheyer is very good with the ball and doesn't make many bad decisions. He tends to stabilize the possession when he touches the ball and to have him play point for a few minutes is very reasonable. it doesn't mean that anyone is losing confidence in either Paulus or Smith. It means that they really have three guys who can handle the point should fouls or injuries limit a player.

And Scheyer is a pretty darn good foul shooter!

[Jumbo]

I logged in to start this thread and, lo and behold, it was already there!

Here's the deal -- Scheyer is absolutely running the point. And this change has been coming. First, let's flash back a few games ago, where I noticed that when Jon and Nolan were in together, Jon was in more of the "playmaker" role with Nolan playing off the ball. Someone (I forget who) told me I was seeing things.

Next, in three of the last four games, Duke used lineups without either Paulus or Smith in the game. Scheyer was running the show in those lineups (although it helps that Duke's offense essentially functions without a true point guard, because of all the side pick-and-rolls). Duke went to a Scheyer-Nelson-Henderson perimeter twice tonight.

But, the biggest change was that tonight, it became apparent that offensively, Nolan Smith will be playing off the ball. He got a lot of his minutes at the same time as Paulus. And when he was in with Scheyer, Jon was the guy who brought the ball up.

This is a smart move. Whether it's due to injury or other circumstances, Nolan hasn't looked comfortable setting up the offense, and Scheyer is a playmaker who does so very nicely. Nolan can still guard opposing PGs, but right now he isn't one of Duke's best options to initiate the offense, and kudos to Coach K for making such an adjustment this late in the season.

[mgtr]

I am not at all unhappy to see Scheyer handling the ball, particularly if we are in a situation where they are likely to foul. Because he is so good, they may refuse to foul Scheyer, thus allowing us to millk the clock.

[Scorp4me]

I don't see Jon handling the point as anything new. I've seen him handling it especially late in the game when we go to our slow down offense and always felt great with it in his hands. But maybe I'm not noticing the subtleties that others are. Plus he did play a little point last year didn't he ;)

[pamtar]

I read an article recently about Nolan being in the game late. I cant rememeber which one it was (maybe here) but if I do I'll post it. Basically what it said was that Nolan had earned the label of Duke point. But, K had "fallen in love with another scrappy PG" in Paulus. Therefor, GP would run the game with Nolan in as a ball handler only.
While I agree with this lineup, I do think that Mr. Everywhere can handle the point and is definitely smart with the ball. Especially if, God forbid, GP and Nolan get in foul trouble. I think K is just preparing for whatever may be necessary in the NCAAs.

[dukelifer]

Scheyer is a remarkable player. The game is slowing down for him and he always seems to be the right place on the floor. The late second half rebound and flip over his head for the layup was just one example. K looks to be throwing in some late season wrinkles. The team is responding and may be energized a bit by the changes. Tonight is a tough game to judge given that UVa was pretty tired- but Duke did limit mistakes and seemed to make adjustments through the game. This is a very good sign. Also getting Henderson to play at this level again is a huge plus.

[pamtar]

Scheyer is a remarkable player. The game is slowing down for him and he always seems to be the right place on the floor. The late second half rebound and flip over his head for the layup was just one example. K looks to be throwing in some late season wrinkles. The team is responding and may be energized a bit by the changes. Tonight is a tough game to judge given that UVa was pretty tired- but Duke did limit mistakes and seemed to make adjustments through the game. This is a very good sign. Also getting Henderson to play at this level again is a huge plus.

Thats why he's Mr Everywhere!

[mgtr]

I agree with the two preceding posts. I am definitely SOS -- Sold on Scheyer! He does indeed seem to be Mr. Everywhere. I posted on another thread that I thought that he and Singler really understood the game.

[Jumbo]

Thats why he's Mr Everywhere!

Among his many excellent qualities, I'm amazed by the number of loose rebounds he gets his hands on and the number of passes he deflects on D. The rebounds -- with tips to teammates for baskets -- don't even count as boards, but they've been happening too often for them to be accidental. The kid just has a nose for the ball and a feel for where his teammates are at all times.

[Troublemaker]

This is a smart move. Whether it's due to injury or other circumstances, Nolan hasn't looked comfortable setting up the offense, and Scheyer is a playmaker who does so very nicely. Nolan can still guard opposing PGs, but right now he isn't one of Duke's best options to initiate the offense, and kudos to Coach K for making such an adjustment this late in the season.

*Nods*. Agree 100%. Jon is the player on the team I'm most comfortable with handling the ball. He doesn't turn it over, he makes plays, and he's a great free throw shooter. He's our most efficient offensive player overall (and perhaps just our plain best player overall); the geek stats bear this out as well -- http://www.kenpom.com/sr.php?team=Duke . It's a good move by Coach to get him into a playmaking role and kind of force him to be more aggressive. The more Jon handles the ball, the better for Duke.

[duke211]

Jon is so smart with the ball and is a threat when he drives, this creates the spread which is great for our shooters esp. Greg

[dukelifer]

Among his many excellent qualities, I'm amazed by the number of loose rebounds he gets his hands on and the number of passes he deflects on D. The rebounds -- with tips to teammates for baskets -- don't even count as boards, but they've been happening too often for them to be accidental. The kid just has a nose for the ball and a feel for where his teammates are at all times.

Sometimes it seems that the ball finds him. I swear the kid is on skates on the floor- he seems to float rather than run. If he can get more consistent with his outside shot- he will be a force.

[Cameron]

How about Jon's great touch pass to Kyle (I believe it was) as he was falling out of bounds underneath the basket? Kyle catches and scores two. Bam! Jonny Three-Ball with another brilliant move!

Man I love his style.

[CDu]

Here's the deal -- Scheyer is absolutely running the point. And this change has been coming. First, let's flash back a few games ago, where I noticed that when Jon and Nolan were in together, Jon was in more of the "playmaker" role with Nolan playing off the ball. Someone (I forget who) told me I was seeing things.


That would be me, although I think you've misstated our disagreement. Sorry to rehash old and pointless stuff (just defending my honor now that the discussion has been mentioned!), but the contention I had was your attribution of Scheyer's statistical disappearance in the second half of a game to his not being the playmaker in the second half (because Paulus was back in). My point was that Scheyer's points and assists all came in non-"playmaker" situations (shots from kickouts, technical foul shots, assists from offensive rebounds). I don't believe I argued that he didn't do ANY playmaking (if I did, it certainly wasn't my main point), just that his "disappearance" in the second half statistically was due to other factors as his stats were not a result of assuming the playmaking role.

I completely agree that he's taken on more and more of a playmaking role in recent weeks. I suspect that a large part of that has been due to injuries (Smith and Henderson) necessitating him taking on an expanded role. Not that he shouldn't be - he's a very solid playmaker and has always been a heady player at both ends - but just that the injuries emphasized more of a need for him to do so.

[greybeard]

This was an add on to my post the other day on the UVA after-game thread. It seems this is a better home:

A word about Scheyer: who he reminds me of is a mixing between two greats, Clyde and Pistol. When he dribbles on the exterior or is near the basket (that shot off the rebound I have never seen before; I have seen guys shoot back to the basket from that position many, many times; have done it myself hundreds (when I was a much younger man), but never with the delivery and type spin Scheyer put on it. Pure Pistol, as is often the case when he is dribbling high near his hip, looking the defender dead in the eye, near half court. Pure Pistol. But, then there is the economy, the humility, the focus, of Clyde.

No, Scheyer does not have the skills of either, at least not yet, and Clyde was perhaps the best in the NBA for at least several years, but if you saw those guys play, and then you watch Scheyer, I think you'll see some of [them in him].

[yancem]

Don't discount the possibility that K is having Scheyer is handle the ball more to give the opposing teams new looks to worry about. I think that Smith's injury (not to mentions Paulus' recent hot shooting) is definitely part of the reason but showing a different look (and Scheyer is certainly up to the task) forces the defenses to adjust to one more thing. This is especially important when you're playing a team for a second time.

[ricks68]

I think that Nolan is also still nursing that hyperextension that he re-injured, remember? That's why his minutes have gone down some. It appears to me that K may be limiting his playing time a little to try to help it heal up some for the coming critical games.

ricks

[dukemomLA]

JS is so valuable to this team. He can do most anything! 6th man, 1st man -- doesn't matter. The BB IQ of JS and KS amaze me. GO DEVILS! I'm waiting with bated breath for Sat.