Originally Posted by
Kedsy
You and Sagegrouse have taken opposite sides of a debate that presumably will rage on DBR throughout the 2015-16 season. Assuming we have 9 players taking up the minutes (i.e., Justin Robinson and Antonio Vrankovic will both either redshirt or, alternatively, just not play), at least one and probably two of the nine most likely aren't going to be in the regular rotation.
Sorry to gum up the works, Keds, but I was just asking a question about whether a small line-up can properly be said to be playing a "4." This is important only when some one says, as surely they will, "Ingram can't play the 4 -- he's too skinny." Well, IMHO (where the H is silent), this is putting the cart in front of the horse -- reasoning in the wrong direction.
Traditionally, in close games after January 1, Coach K has played a rotation of 4 (sometimes 5) perimeter players and 3 interior players. The question of whether Brandon Ingram plays as a perimeter player or an interior player will therefore have a great impact on who else plays. And by this I mean, what position will he play on defense. Ryan Kelly, for example, played on the perimeter a lot, but by my definition he was an interior player.
If Brandon plays as a perimeter player, as you seem to believe, then one of our other perimeter players, most likely Luke Kennard, will probably not get regular rotation minutes. (In that case, one of our interior players will also not get regular rotation minutes.) If Brandon plays as an interior player, as Sagegrouse contends, then Luke will play regularly (we only have four perimeter players, not counting Brandon) but in all likelihood only two other big men (among Amile, Marshall, Chase, and Sean) will see regular rotation minutes.
I have no idea which way it will go. I agree with Sagegrouse that Coach K has gone small whenever he could, over the years. Even this past season, by tourney time Justise Winslow was the starting PF. On the other hand, all four of our non-Brandon bigs would seem to have resumes deserving of playing time. I'd love to see him find 10+ mpg for all nine of them, but historically speaking that's very unlikely. This debate may not be settled until March 2016.[/QUOTE]
I agree that all four of our "bigs" should play. In fact, I have gone so far in past years as predicting that "everyone" will be in the rotation. That's really only nine players (excl. Vrank and Justin). Sure, K hasn't done it much (1998 and maybe 1999), but this is a different world. The old model of tight rotations, consisting of players highly trained in Duke defense and an emphasis on upperclassmen, looks to be gone for good in the one-and-done era.
Sage Grouse
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'When I got on the bus for my first road game at Duke, I saw that every player was carrying textbooks or laptops. I coached in the SEC for 25 years, and I had never seen that before, not even once.' - David Cutcliffe to Duke alumni in Washington, DC, June 2013