Phase V - 2018-2019 - UNC#1 through UNC#2

[cato]

I’m okay with it. I read “UNC#1” and “UNC#2” as potty options.

Still, in the phase reports of the past, we used Roman numerals, which also works with the movie theme.

You are virtually spork proof, my friend, as I always seem to need to spread some sporks around when I try to send sporks your way.

[cato]

Rashomon

There are many ways to look at defensive rebounding.

Told from the perspective of the shooting team, a defensive rebound is a guilt-laden tragedy both in regards to the missed shot and the lost opportunity for Redemption.

Told from the perspective of a defensive traditionalist, few things are as romantic to Witness as a solid block out between Gladiators.

From a different perspective, a large number of defensive rebounds might mean that our big guys have simply planted themselves near the basket and aren't actively switching, chasing, and creating the sort of defensive mayhem that has made them Notorious.

Told from the perspective of our freshmen, a defensive rebound is delightful--the defensive rebound (or steal, or blocked shot) can instantly transform into to an individual coast to coast sprint of Speed, or maybe a Vertigo-inducing game of keepaway (between 2 of The Usual Suspects, or maybe with the Third Man), or a 30 foot pass to one of our team's many great finishers--which, in turn, can lead to an efficient 2 points, a demoralizing turnaround, and a Sportcenter Memento for one of our Natural Born Killers.

👏 👏 👏

[JasonEvans]

The Fault In Our Stars – aka Please let our players stay Healthy
This section does not need to be long. Duke is simply not a deep enough team to absorb an injury and not take a step back. We saw in the first Syracuse game how losing Tre left the team somewhat flummoxed on offense against that zone. The truly unique nature of our four freshmen make them irreplaceable. Cross your fingers, toes, and any other appendage you can cross that we don't have to deal with any injuries any more this season.

$%*@#*!&#$@%@

'Nuf said.

[CDu]

Fun Phase thread idea. Sadly, I think we have to add a few to the mix now:

The Departed: With Zion's injury, he's now out. Will he come back in this Phase? Ugh, this sucks.
Titanic: Does Zion's absence sink our chances of an ACC regular season title? An ACC title? Or worse? We went from being in the driver's seat to hoping to claw our way to a rematch still in position to win it. These next two games are going to be dogfights for us.
A Beautiful Mind: With Zion out, it will be interesting to see what Coach K comes up with to get this team going. He figured it out when Boozer went down. He figured it out when Tre Jones went down. We didn't fully recover from some other injuries though. And this year's team is lighter on talent depth and experience than Coach K is used to when we have had to overcome such injuries.
Gladiator: I would expect RJ Barrett to play 40 minutes a game from now until Zion returns. Hopefully he's up to carrying the team better than he was early in the season. We're going to need him to play like the #1 recruit in the country now.
Platoon: This season, we've basically only played Bolden and DeLaurier in a platoon. With Zion out, will we see more of the two together? Or will we go smaller with White at PF and maintain the C platoon?
Ordinary People: We haven't had to rely on our bench much this year. Well, now we may need them to step up. Can White regain his confidence/touch from 3? Whither O'Connell's silky offensive skill set? Can Goldwire maintain his frenetic defensive energy consistently, while also not being a complete liability on offense? Can DeLaurier and Bolden make themselves consistent presences?

[robed deity]

Fun Phase thread idea. Sadly, I think we have to add a few to the mix now:

The Departed: With Zion's injury, he's now out. Will he come back in this Phase? Ugh, this sucks.
Titanic: Does Zion's absence sink our chances of an ACC regular season title? An ACC title? Or worse? We went from being in the driver's seat to hoping to claw our way to a rematch still in position to win it. These next two games are going to be dogfights for us.
A Beautiful Mind: With Zion out, it will be interesting to see what Coach K comes up with to get this team going. He figured it out when Boozer went down. He figured it out when Tre Jones went down. We didn't fully recover from some other injuries though. And this year's team is lighter on talent depth and experience than Coach K is used to when we have had to overcome such injuries.
Gladiator: I would expect RJ Barrett to play 40 minutes a game from now until Zion returns. Hopefully he's up to carrying the team better than he was early in the season. We're going to need him to play like the #1 recruit in the country now.
Platoon: This season, we've basically only played Bolden and DeLaurier in a platoon. With Zion out, will we see more of the two together? Or will we go smaller with White at PF and maintain the C platoon?
Ordinary People: We haven't had to rely on our bench much this year. Well, now we may need them to step up. Can White regain his confidence/touch from 3? Whither O'Connell's silky offensive skill set? Can Goldwire maintain his frenetic defensive energy consistently, while also not being a complete liability on offense? Can DeLaurier and Bolden make themselves consistent presences?

Nice post. Also, Return of the Jedi, hopefully.

[jv001]

Fun Phase thread idea. Sadly, I think we have to add a few to the mix now:

The Departed: With Zion's injury, he's now out. Will he come back in this Phase? Ugh, this sucks.
Titanic: Does Zion's absence sink our chances of an ACC regular season title? An ACC title? Or worse? We went from being in the driver's seat to hoping to claw our way to a rematch still in position to win it. These next two games are going to be dogfights for us.
A Beautiful Mind: With Zion out, it will be interesting to see what Coach K comes up with to get this team going. He figured it out when Boozer went down. He figured it out when Tre Jones went down. We didn't fully recover from some other injuries though. And this year's team is lighter on talent depth and experience than Coach K is used to when we have had to overcome such injuries.
Gladiator: I would expect RJ Barrett to play 40 minutes a game from now until Zion returns. Hopefully he's up to carrying the team better than he was early in the season. We're going to need him to play like the #1 recruit in the country now.
Platoon: This season, we've basically only played Bolden and DeLaurier in a platoon. With Zion out, will we see more of the two together? Or will we go smaller with White at PF and maintain the C platoon?
Ordinary People: We haven't had to rely on our bench much this year. Well, now we may need them to step up. Can White regain his confidence/touch from 3? Whither O'Connell's silky offensive skill set? Can Goldwire maintain his frenetic defensive energy consistently, while also not being a complete liability on offense? Can DeLaurier and Bolden make themselves consistent presences?

Right about now, I dream of Tre getting Tyus offensive game. Well the offense of late 2015. We need one more scorer to step up. GoDuke!

[Saratoga2]

Fun Phase thread idea. Sadly, I think we have to add a few to the mix now:

The Departed: With Zion's injury, he's now out. Will he come back in this Phase? Ugh, this sucks.
Titanic: Does Zion's absence sink our chances of an ACC regular season title? An ACC title? Or worse? We went from being in the driver's seat to hoping to claw our way to a rematch still in position to win it. These next two games are going to be dogfights for us.
A Beautiful Mind: With Zion out, it will be interesting to see what Coach K comes up with to get this team going. He figured it out when Boozer went down. He figured it out when Tre Jones went down. We didn't fully recover from some other injuries though. And this year's team is lighter on talent depth and experience than Coach K is used to when we have had to overcome such injuries.
Gladiator: I would expect RJ Barrett to play 40 minutes a game from now until Zion returns. Hopefully he's up to carrying the team better than he was early in the season. We're going to need him to play like the #1 recruit in the country now.
Platoon: This season, we've basically only played Bolden and DeLaurier in a platoon. With Zion out, will we see more of the two together? Or will we go smaller with White at PF and maintain the C platoon?
Ordinary People: We haven't had to rely on our bench much this year. Well, now we may need them to step up. Can White regain his confidence/touch from 3? Whither O'Connell's silky offensive skill set? Can Goldwire maintain his frenetic defensive energy consistently, while also not being a complete liability on offense? Can DeLaurier and Bolden make themselves consistent presences?

The only one showing any real offensive potential is O'Connell. Perhaps running him off of screens and advising him to take shots when he has them might get him going. He seems to have regressed instead of progressed. Jack at one time could hit an open 3. He has no other offensive game and with that part totally missing he doesn't look reliable. DeLauier and Bolden set up dunks or other dunks only. Goldwire nothing. Good luck to K finding a magic elixir.

[simplyluvin]

Back when Tre went out, a lot of outside prognosticators and posters here said he is our most important player. I still think he is, and he will have to be in this next stretch of 5 games.

The key to our success without Zion will be how well Tre sets up the team. Would love to see him dribble and penetrate more and kick it out to guys like Cam and Alex, and maybe even Jack. Tre playing his usually amazing D is also a must-have, but if Tre elevates his facilitation and keeps up his Ast/TO ratio, I don't think we need Tre to be a scorer, although that will really help. Having to do this against the Cuse zone will be a big challenge, but it's a winnable game, although I like our chances better against VT if Robinson is still out.

[superdave]

Fun Phase thread idea. Sadly, I think we have to add a few to the mix now:

The Departed: With Zion's injury, he's now out. Will he come back in this Phase? Ugh, this sucks.
Titanic: Does Zion's absence sink our chances of an ACC regular season title? An ACC title? Or worse? We went from being in the driver's seat to hoping to claw our way to a rematch still in position to win it. These next two games are going to be dogfights for us.
A Beautiful Mind: With Zion out, it will be interesting to see what Coach K comes up with to get this team going. He figured it out when Boozer went down. He figured it out when Tre Jones went down. We didn't fully recover from some other injuries though. And this year's team is lighter on talent depth and experience than Coach K is used to when we have had to overcome such injuries.
Gladiator: I would expect RJ Barrett to play 40 minutes a game from now until Zion returns. Hopefully he's up to carrying the team better than he was early in the season. We're going to need him to play like the #1 recruit in the country now.
Platoon: This season, we've basically only played Bolden and DeLaurier in a platoon. With Zion out, will we see more of the two together? Or will we go smaller with White at PF and maintain the C platoon?
Ordinary People: We haven't had to rely on our bench much this year. Well, now we may need them to step up. Can White regain his confidence/touch from 3? Whither O'Connell's silky offensive skill set? Can Goldwire maintain his frenetic defensive energy consistently, while also not being a complete liability on offense? Can DeLaurier and Bolden make themselves consistent presences?

I would expect Javin to replace Bolden at the 5 and O'Connell to be added in to Zion's spot and for us to go small, press a lot and play faster.

I would also expect RJ to initiate the halfcourt offense a lot more with Javin setting a high pick and RJ going to work. Think Nolan running the offense when Kyrie went out.

We are less dynamic now (much, much less) so we need to run more set offense. We also need more scoring, so here's hoping Alex can step up. We need more energy, so Javin, Alex and Jordan will be expected to generate some energy in newfound minutes.

We shall see. Hope it doesnt last too long.

[jv001]

Back when Tre went out, a lot of outside prognosticators and posters here said he is our most important player. I still think he is, and he will have to be in this next stretch of 5 games.

The key to our success without Zion will be how well Tre sets up the team. Would love to see him dribble and penetrate more and kick it out to guys like Cam and Alex, and maybe even Jack. Tre playing his usually amazing D is also a must-have, but if Tre elevates his facilitation and keeps up his Ast/TO ratio, I don't think we need Tre to be a scorer, although that will really help. Having to do this against the Cuse zone will be a big challenge, but it's a winnable game, although I like our chances better against VT if Robinson is still out.

If we can turn the Orange over and create points off said turnovers that will help offset our inept 3 point shooting. Also getting the ball to a player at the foul line will be critical to our success against their zone. Some teams were able to do this and they came away with a win. Others didn't and walked away with a loss. We'll have to take good shots and not force things. I guess all this should be n the Cuse game thread. Sorry. GoDuke!

[superdave]

I would expect Javin to replace Bolden at the 5 and O'Connell to be added in to Zion's spot and for us to go small, press a lot and play faster.

I would also expect RJ to initiate the halfcourt offense a lot more with Javin setting a high pick and RJ going to work. Think Nolan running the offense when Kyrie went out.

We are less dynamic now (much, much less) so we need to run more set offense. We also need more scoring, so here's hoping Alex can step up. We need more energy, so Javin, Alex and Jordan will be expected to generate some energy in newfound minutes.

We shall see. Hope it doesnt last too long.

I was right about Javin and Alex starting but wrong about the press. I think it was an energy move for Coach K - Alex and Javin are higher energy than Bolden, so it made sense with Zion (THE energizer bunny) out.

I also really liked Tre moving off the ball vs Cuse and getting into the elbows to shoot. He need to shoot a little better, so running plays for him like that is welcome.

Also, I loved Coach K putting Tre on Tyus Battle. Between that, Tre at the hole in the zone, AOC getting big minutes and pushing the right Javin/Bolden buttons at the right time....my goodness, we are blessed to have Coach K. Enjoy it.

[Jeffrey]

The one surprise is Jack White’s minutes have declined. He has not topped 20 minutes since the January 22nd game vs. Pitt.

Given Jack's play, since January 22nd, is that truly surprising? History repeats and the rotation was going to tighten.

Where's kAzE and Troublemaker? I doubt they approve of less minutes.

No comments the first time. Now, Jack has a DNP. Any comments about Jack's minutes?

[Utley]

This is really well done. Can I add to the movie list - with a little artistic license - The Fabulous Baker Boy

Fun Phase thread idea. Sadly, I think we have to add a few to the mix now:

The Departed: With Zion's injury, he's now out. Will he come back in this Phase? Ugh, this sucks.
Titanic: Does Zion's absence sink our chances of an ACC regular season title? An ACC title? Or worse? We went from being in the driver's seat to hoping to claw our way to a rematch still in position to win it. These next two games are going to be dogfights for us.
A Beautiful Mind: With Zion out, it will be interesting to see what Coach K comes up with to get this team going. He figured it out when Boozer went down. He figured it out when Tre Jones went down. We didn't fully recover from some other injuries though. And this year's team is lighter on talent depth and experience than Coach K is used to when we have had to overcome such injuries.
Gladiator: I would expect RJ Barrett to play 40 minutes a game from now until Zion returns. Hopefully he's up to carrying the team better than he was early in the season. We're going to need him to play like the #1 recruit in the country now.
Platoon: This season, we've basically only played Bolden and DeLaurier in a platoon. With Zion out, will we see more of the two together? Or will we go smaller with White at PF and maintain the C platoon?
Ordinary People: We haven't had to rely on our bench much this year. Well, now we may need them to step up. Can White regain his confidence/touch from 3? Whither O'Connell's silky offensive skill set? Can Goldwire maintain his frenetic defensive energy consistently, while also not being a complete liability on offense? Can DeLaurier and Bolden make themselves consistent presences?

[brevity]

Fun Phase thread idea. Sadly, I think we have to add a few to the mix now:

The Departed: With Zion's injury, he's now out. Will he come back in this Phase? Ugh, this sucks.
Titanic: Does Zion's absence sink our chances of an ACC regular season title? An ACC title? Or worse? We went from being in the driver's seat to hoping to claw our way to a rematch still in position to win it. These next two games are going to be dogfights for us.
A Beautiful Mind: With Zion out, it will be interesting to see what Coach K comes up with to get this team going. He figured it out when Boozer went down. He figured it out when Tre Jones went down. We didn't fully recover from some other injuries though. And this year's team is lighter on talent depth and experience than Coach K is used to when we have had to overcome such injuries.
Gladiator: I would expect RJ Barrett to play 40 minutes a game from now until Zion returns. Hopefully he's up to carrying the team better than he was early in the season. We're going to need him to play like the #1 recruit in the country now.
Platoon: This season, we've basically only played Bolden and DeLaurier in a platoon. With Zion out, will we see more of the two together? Or will we go smaller with White at PF and maintain the C platoon?
Ordinary People: We haven't had to rely on our bench much this year. Well, now we may need them to step up. Can White regain his confidence/touch from 3? Whither O'Connell's silky offensive skill set? Can Goldwire maintain his frenetic defensive energy consistently, while also not being a complete liability on offense? Can DeLaurier and Bolden make themselves consistent presences?

Let's get recent.

Cold War: One of the truly underrated aspects of Coach K's success is that he did it against the perils of winter weather in Durham. There are many harsher places, but nothing compares to the near-urinary drizzle that afflicts Duke's campus for months at a time, making it a constant breeding ground for colds and related afflictions that take up long-term residence. Can the Duke team work its way into better respiratory health?

First Man: I feel like there is something here, but I can't put my finger on it. Maybe if Duke had a guy with a #1 jersey that will probably go first in the NBA Draft...

Green Book: Will Nassir Little's jealousy of the press Duke receives spur him to improve his play in Round 2, or will Duke have a plan for him now that he invites the attention?

Vice: Zion or no Zion, will Duke continue to resort to an old habit of not feeding the post, in favor of short possessions where we just launch the first open three?

Free Solo: In the past two games, Duke is not necessarily getting the calls. How do we get back to the charity stripe, and will we continue our recent trend of converting well above our season average?

The Favourite: How will Duke handle the relax-but-not-really-relax vibe of playing two unranked, bottom-tier ACC opponents (Miami and Wake) at home?

A Quiet Place: The regular season finale looms. What, or who, will Duke use early in the rematch to silence the Dean Dome?

Roma: Why does Buzz Williams' head look like a tomato?