Why the defensive struggles?

[sagegrouse]

Exactly. If we didn't force a turnover, they scored on 41 of 53 possessions. That's pretty bad. Also, the fact that they scored on over half of their possessions is pretty bad, considering that Maryland is (including the Duke game) barely in the top-100 in scoring efficiency according to Pomeroy.

For comparison, in their home game against a decidedly mediocre defensive team (NC State, #145 in Pomeroy), Maryland scored just 51 points despite turning it over 13 fewer times in a somewhat similarly-paced game.

We did one thing notably well defensively: force/get turnovers. We defended the 3pt line just okay (Maryland missed some open looks), and were atrocious defensively inside the 3pt line.

My impression of Maryland in that game was that everything it threw up went in -- hot team vs. bad defense? Maybe a little of both, but definitely the former!

Maybe next time the Terps won't be so lucky.

sagegrouse

[subzero02]

After reading the last two posts, the Maryland loss just got a little worse... Is there any word about a possible injury to Mason? K sat him quite a bit and I don't believe it was due to foul trouble... I think he was conceding that "mason just doesn't have it today". Either way, his play in that game is gigantic concern... All eyes on him on thursday

[Kedsy]

After reading the last two posts, the Maryland loss just got a little worse... Is there any word about a possible injury to Mason? K sat him quite a bit and I don't believe it was due to foul trouble... I think he was conceding that "mason just doesn't have it today". Either way, his play in that game is gigantic concern... All eyes on him on thursday

Before the game, some internet sites listed Mason as nursing a sore ankle. However, as far as I know, nothing like that was mentioned or even alluded to by Duke sources.

[CDu]

My impression of Maryland in that game was that everything it threw up went in -- hot team vs. bad defense? Maybe a little of both, but definitely the former!

Maybe next time the Terps won't be so lucky.

sagegrouse

But the facts don't really support this. Maryland shot only 30% from 3pt range, so it's not like everything they threw up was going in. In fact, they shot below their season average on 3s. The reason it seemed like everything they threw up went in is because most of their shots were taken close to the basket, and usually without suffocating defense contesting the shot.

Here's the play-by-play. Notice how many of those Maryland buckets are layups, dunks, or free throws. And note that at least two of Wells' jumpers and one of Allen's jumpers was inside of 10 feet.

I'd say there was very little about this that could be attributed to luck. Maybe 3 or 4 shots. And when you consider Maryland's offensive rebound rate, that equates to 1 or 2 fewer possessions for Maryland. Would that have been enough for the win? Maybe. But it's still a pretty poor defensive performance.

[Listen to Quants]

Yeah, I think this is big. I don't buy the stuff on other threads about Mason not having true post offense or whatever, but the one area of his game that I've always been just a little bit disappointed in is his shot blocking. He "should" be one of the best shot blockers in the country with his height and athleticism. But, it's clearly at least partly intentional to avoid fouls, which is even more important now with Kelly out. Sometimes it's taken to a ridiculous and hilarious extreme like in the first few minutes of the 2nd half of the UNC game when he literally wasn't trying to play defense, but overall I think it's probably a wise strategy on his/K's part.

Would be lovely. On an, otherwise, weak rebounding team, it might not be wise for the dominant rebounder to be skying for blocks too too much. At least, it is a double edged sword, it's nice to get blocks, both for themselves and put the thought in the head of inside shooters. But, it's deadly to remove the one good rebounder.

[CDu]

But the facts don't really support this. Maryland shot only 30% from 3pt range, so it's not like everything they threw up was going in. In fact, they shot below their season average on 3s. The reason it seemed like everything they threw up went in is because most of their shots were taken close to the basket, and usually without suffocating defense contesting the shot.

Here's the play-by-play. Notice how many of those Maryland buckets are layups, dunks, or free throws. And note that at least two of Wells' jumpers and one of Allen's jumpers was inside of 10 feet.

I'd say there was very little about this that could be attributed to luck. Maybe 3 or 4 shots. And when you consider Maryland's offensive rebound rate, that equates to 1 or 2 fewer possessions for Maryland. Would that have been enough for the win? Maybe. But it's still a pretty poor defensive performance.

Whoops, didn't actually link the play-by-play. Sorry:
http://espn.go.com/ncb/playbyplay?gameId=330470120

[Billy Dat]

Interesting take on Mason's fouling via Luke Winn of SI:

Duke Blue Devils (22-3)
When the Terrapins upset Duke on Saturday, they came in with a plan to attack Mason Plumlee, All-American and anchor of the Blue Devils' thin frontcourt. "We said Plumlee doesn't want to guard you," Maryland guard Seth Allen told the Washington Post. "He averages two fouls per game. Just go at him. Every play. That's what [center Alex Len] did. He didn't do any fadeaways. Just took it right to [Plumlee's] chin."

Plumlee stayed foul-free in the first half, but was whistled five times in the second, resulting in his first DQ of the season. Plumlee was remarkably good at foul-avoidance during the first six ACC games, but teams seem to be attacking him more of late. I used play-by-play data to calculate the average game time* of each of his fouls, and came up with some striking splits:

Read More: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/col...#ixzz2LTSu0QkZ

[daveyro]

Let me start by saying I am not bothered by the negativity on these forums about the team esp after losses, but I am offended by the lack of civility, name calling (troll, stupid, ignorant, you must have watching a different game). We are all Duke fans here, but not everyone watches a game three times plus all the other teams as some do. We are held together by a common thread. Maybe it's the anonymity on-line. I have lot's of great bar arguments about sports, but no one insults anyone to their face.

Anyway, having watched for 31 years, I've always loved the on ball overplay, shutting down passsing lane. A Duke standard. You don't have to have the speed of Kyrie Irving to body up and overplay, just a little help/rotation. I don't believe I've seen that consistently this year. If I am wrong, let me know and call me a stupid troll.

[greybeard]

Before the game, some internet sites listed Mason as nursing a sore ankle. However, as far as I know, nothing like that was mentioned or even alluded to by Duke sources.

If it was his left leg that seemed sore, it seemed to me that he was favoring it when running down the court several months ago. Ankle injuries tht are not bad can get to feel better but are a tweak from being sore again, a little ankle collapse and you are not the same. I'm nt saying that I was right back then, he did go on to play spectacular basketball for a long run after that, and did not see the Maryland game.

For what it's worth, I think that Len will be the most successful pro from among all current ACC players. If he stys 2 more years, which I doubt, he might well be the one-one in the draft.

Duke's defensive weaknesses stem, in my view, from its lack of an athletic front court, in particular a lanky but strong athletic 6'6" to 6'8" three with a killer mid range jumper he can get off in a number of ways, with an ability to get to the basket and score in a variety of ways, can rebound the ball and fly and finish/score on the fast break. Most teams have 2 or 3 such players, if you count the number of 65'4" big guards with similar games as Rashead but another 15-20 lbs of muscle. Those guys open the floor and really hurt the other team on the offensive end. They also animate the defense.

Right now, especially without Kelly, Duke creates defense off its 3-ball game. If Seth is making crazy 3s, and Cooke and Rashead can lend some support, it puts ever incresing pressure on the other team's offense to keep up. Then, you take or try to take away what each of them "like," they take what they don't like and miss shots you'd think they'd make only it is not the shot that they want, they miss a few, try creating off the dribble or pass and start getting turned over. A run of that and Duke shoots a good percentage of 3s and start hurting the other team at the rim, and Duke then is in control. When the three-ball is nopt so good, the pressure flips and Duke's defense suffers. I know that this sounds like a flip on convention--good defense creates good offense--but I am not alone in thinking that it works the other way in a number of instances. Listen real carefully and you will hear it.