Singler and Love article

[vango]

Nothing new here I guess. But worth a read...

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/200...ops/index.html

[Patrick Yates]

This article reeks of damage control by Love's camp. Shortly before the McD's game, there was an article about Love where he really whined about winning all the national awards but had to split the Oregon award.

Never mind that Singler lead his team to victory over Love's team in the state Championship. That would have been the place to talk about the friendship, history, and competition between the two. Love could have played it off as saying they were both deserving, but he really whined about it. This article comes at a time when there are few other basketball stories (none outside of the PP/Lucas neverending recruitment).

Love did not look great in the post season games, and his comments earlier were derided on this board as being whiney to the extreme. Those comments led some of us (with me in the forefront) to predict that the kid will be a lockerroom cancer at UCLA. Now, there are some sour grapes there as well, because Duke would be a preseason top 3 if he were coming here, but I think we will be more than fine without him, especially in the long run.

I really disliked that article. Nothing new, and very revisionary as far as thier recent history. I do not think they liked each other at all, probably for understandable competitive reasons. We do not like UNC, and KS and KL have a similiar situation between the two of them. Still, it reeks.

Patrick Yates

[vango]

That's an interesting take and I do see your point. It is a little different than what we were hearing pre-McDonalds game...hadn't really thought about that.

I think Singler has a real fire in him. A chip on his shoulder but in a good way. I thought I saw him playing "handsies" (a little shoving and pushing hands away) with Love once on an inbounds play in the McDee's game and also thought I saw some subtle chippiness with Patterson at one point under the basket. I thought his effort on the East's last shot at the basket in that game spoke volumes. He played defense and was very heady.

I actually think King has a fire too. Smith is a little more reserved I sense. Nice mix of demeanors....

[kydevil]

That's an interesting take and I do see your point. It is a little different than what we were hearing pre-McDonalds game...hadn't really thought about that.

I think Singler has a real fire in him. A chip on his shoulder but in a good way. I thought I saw him playing "handsies" (a little shoving and pushing hands away) with Love once on an inbounds play in the McDee's game and also thought I saw some subtle chippiness with Patterson at one point under the basket. I thought his effort on the East's last shot at the basket in that game spoke volumes. He played defense and was very heady.

I actually think King has a fire too. Smith is a little more reserved I sense. Nice mix of demeanors....

I saw the "chippiness" with Patterson in the Mc'd All American Game, it was right under the basket when the ball went out.

[Patrick Yates]

I do not think PP was very interested in competing for PT. There is comp at FL and Duke, but not at KY. If KS would D-up in the McD's game, PP wanted no part of him at practice.

I also like the aggressive, gritty air of our kids. They will be fine, long term, for sure.

Patrick Yates

[ScreechTDX]

They don't try to make Kyle play in the post next year. I think his strength is going to be playing facing the basket. I dont even want him gaurding the post. I think it retard his development in his natural position. Thoughts?

[Troublemaker]

When folks are suggesting that Kyle can play some "5" for Duke next season, I don't think they mean that he will be forced to play with his back to the basket on every possession. He'll play his game and do what he does. He'll take his big opponents outside and use his driving skills and long-range shooting to beat them, and should the opposing coach put a smaller, quicker guy on him, Kyle will probably take that opponent inside and use his post skills. As for guarding the post, a future NBA small forward or 3/4 hybrid like Kyle will have to get used to doing that as well. You can't go up against the Tayshaun Princes and T-Macs in the league and not know how to defend in the post.

[Patrick Yates]

I see KS as a 3-4 in Duke's system, which can be interchangeable depending on the players on the court at any given time. KS is like Shane, or perhaps a late model Dunleavy, in that he has great perimeter skills, with the ability to go inside.

Shane was more ready for the interior work, but less prepared for the perimeter as a frosh. Frankly, forcing KS to work inside will be good for him. It will force him to play D and rebound, which he will have to do in the pros.

People, we need to quit projecting KS out over 3-4 years. That is delusional on our part. He will never be here long enough, nor will we have the players in place, for him to ever be a truly dominant Swing Forward who spends all his time there. In the pros maybe, but not at Duke, where we will need his rebounding and post D.

Frankly, I think KS is 50-50 as to whether or not he is a 1 and done type player. He might not be at Duke beyond next year. Obviously, we will know more once the season starts, I am merely conjecturing based on projections and reports, and limited viewing.

KS supposedly has good, advanced, offensive skills, be it passing, rebounding, and scoring. Really, the only knocks on him are athleticism and size.

The athleticism knock is not that he is a bad athlete, merely that he is not an elite athlete. Neither was Shane, but KS is more polished offensively than Shane as a frosh. As far as size, that is a real stickler.

If KS is 6-8 he is more likely to be at Duke for a few years. If he is closer to 6-9, it gets iffy.

Reportedly, KS is hard at work in the weightroom. If he is 6-9 and close to 220-225 next year, he could be a strong candidate for 1 and done. He will be forced to carry a scoring load in a way that Shane wasn't until his Jr year.

KS could really blow up next year. If he does, great, cause that probably means that Duke will exceed our expectations. But, KS could really explode at a time of year (NCAAs) where is pro stock will rise dramatically. He could easily play his way into the top 10 of the draft. Comming back will probably do little to improve his stock, so he might go.

I am not saying that KS will go after 1 year. Only that he could, and we should not be surprised if he does. I know this is true of any player, but it is especially true of KS. Since he is not an elite athlete, he is not a sure 1 and done a-la Gordon, Rose, or even Love (not elite athlete, but has pro size and skill set). Conversely, he is not so unathletic or raw that he definitely needs 2+ years to polish his game. Basically, he is good enough that a strong summer and frosh year could propell him to the top of the draft. Frankly, he is one of the few players who could go either way, much like Crittendon at GT this year. I believe the uncertainty arround KS is the highest of any incoming FR next year.

What I am saying is do not plan for him to be here beyond this year. It might not work out that way, and I hate for people to be surpised and angry when this occurs. Or, he could be 3-4 year player. We just do not know.

So, I do not expect (or even want) K to develop KS over the long haul. K needs to play KS in whatever way will help the team win now, because it can't really hurt him, and he may not be here long term anyway. My $.02.

Patrick Yates

[freedevil]

Whatever they do with Kyle, I hope it is the exact opposite of what they did with Shavlik.

[ikiru36]

Whatever they do with Kyle, I hope it is the exact opposite of what they did with Shavlik.

Point taken, though this is perhaps a tad unfair to the Duke staff. Shav was a top rated stud going into his Junior year of high school, but he had dropped pretty far in rankings by his Senior year due to a back injury. He probably would have dropped further, except that he was so highly rated to begin with, going to Duke, and already had been built into a State legend (partly based on his pedigree, not just his play), prior to his injury.

I'm not saying that Duke maximized Shav's in-game potential while he was at Duke (because he was/is a skilled player). It's honestly hard to say when a back injury is involved. Clearly, at the least, they helped him maintain and further develop his skills such that he was able to be an NBA contributor as a 21 year old NBA rookie. I tend to think (and hope for his sake) that Josh McRoberts might be a similar case, including the injury issue.

Now, why Duke has seemed to have a penchant for targeting top ranked, multi-faceted, talented big men who suffer back injuries prior to enrollment, I just can't say. But hopefully any bad luck, in this regard, has been worked through by now!

Go Duke!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Go Devils!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! GTHCGTH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Clipsfan]

Shane was more ready for the interior work, but less prepared for the perimeter as a frosh.

I am sad to admit that I don't remember how well Shane played on the perimeter as a frosh, but I do remember that he was the McDonald's 3-pt contest winner. His % wasn't all that great his first year, but he took limited shots. He didn't shoot worse than 41% the next 3 years.