Bolden knee vigil

[Troublemaker]

UVA doesn’t have guards who can blow by you one on one. The biggest way that they can hurt you is by hitting the three, so it makes sense to switch on screens and not allow them the split second of an opening to get a clean look. For more conventional lineups, switching everything doesn’t make as much sense. You wind up with Javin guarding Coby White in isolation, leading to an open three and an easy drive for an and-one on consecutive possessions.

Or Tre Jones guarding Luke Maye or Kerry Blackshear in the post. It is a great defense against UVa, but like you said it isn’t great against everybody.

The bottom-line results say differently, though, as the defense yielded 111 and 113 offensive efficiencies to UVA in two games while against UNC, we held them to 101 and 103 offensive efficiencies despite missing Zion both games. (Although, I would still switch against UVA because -- at least through two matchups -- they've turned the ball over against us, which helps our offense.) The defense has been great against UNC, especially once you adjust for how good UNC's offense typically is and for Zion being out, even though yes, sometimes a mismatch gets scored on.

In basketball, you have to choose what you want to give up, as you guys know. It's not a shutout sport as opposed to baseball, soccer, football, what-have-you. I'm okay with occasional mismatches on certain possessions if the bottom line is great overall defensive efficiency. Switching gives, but it also takes away -- it makes it hard for opponents to run their regular stuff.

[CDu]

The bottom-line results say differently, though, as the defense yielded 111 and 113 offensive efficiencies to UVA in two games while against UNC, we held them to 101 and 103 offensive efficiencies despite missing Zion both games. (Although, I would still switch against UVA because -- at least through two matchups -- they've turned the ball over against us, which helps our offense.) The defense has been great against UNC, especially once you adjust for how good UNC's offense typically is and for Zion being out, even though yes, sometimes a mismatch gets scored on.

In basketball, you have to choose what you want to give up, as you guys know. It's not a shutout sport as opposed to baseball, soccer, football, what-have-you. I'm okay with occasional mismatches on certain possessions if the bottom line is great overall defensive efficiency. Switching gives, but it also takes away -- it makes it hard for opponents to run their regular stuff.

We weren’t switching on all screens against UNC though.

[Troublemaker]

We weren’t switching on all screens against UNC though.

I mean, I'd have to go back and look to log the percentages, but we switched a heck of a lot out there.

Plus, you seem to imply differently in the below criticism. Can you reconcile the two posts into an overall statement about how you would defend UNC in the halfcourt that outperforms what Duke actually did? Thanks in advance.

Or Tre Jones guarding Luke Maye or Kerry Blackshear in the post. It is a great defense against UVa, but like you said it isn’t great against everybody.

[WVDUKEFAN]

I didn't think our defense was too bad, other than getting beat in transition. We shot 34% from the floor and 25% from beyond the arc. Tough to win with those kinds of percentages. Kenny Williams hit 3's he normally doesn't hit and we took shots we shouldn't have taken. Simple as that. We're going to need someone from the bench to step up in Bolden's absence. Hopefully, we get some good news today that the sprain is minor.

[baldtimer]

One big plus to Bolden is his free throw shooting...one of the better free throw shooters for his height...DeLaurier brings a lot of energy and athleticism, but is a brick layer from the line...hope Bolden gets better soon...its nice to have a big body down low and the poor kid has had his share of injuries.

[CDu]

I mean, I'd have to go back and look to log the percentages, but we switched a heck of a lot out there.

Plus, you seem to imply differently in the below criticism. Can you reconcile the two posts into an overall statement about how you would defend UNC in the halfcourt that outperforms what Duke actually did? Thanks in advance.

That was a hypothetical. I don’t remember many instances of that happening. Also, I wasn’t suggesting we should do something different than what we did against UNC. I am in fact on record as saying our defense did a great job against them. I just don’t think we switched everything like we did against UVa in game 1.

[ns7]

One big plus to Bolden is his free throw shooting...one of the better free throw shooters for his height...DeLaurier brings a lot of energy and athleticism, but is a brick layer from the line...hope Bolden gets better soon...its nice to have a big body down low and the poor kid has had his share of injuries.

He's also our second most efficient player on offense after Zion. I think K was going to use him as a matchup problem against UNC because Bolden would have been the tallest player on the floor. After he went down, we had zero post presence on offense.

I think we'll be fine if he returns for the EE. That would give him about a three week recovery time.

[ns7]

That was a hypothetical. I don’t remember many instances of that happening. Also, I wasn’t suggesting we should do something different than what we did against UNC. I am in fact on record as saying our defense did a great job against them. I just don’t think we switched everything like we did against UVa in game 1.

Do we always switch when Javin is in the game? I remember Coby White hit at least one big three over Javin (I think after a switch). That may have caused us not to switch as much.

[WVDUKEFAN]

He's also our second most efficient player on offense after Zion. I think K was going to use him as a matchup problem against UNC because Bolden would have been the tallest player on the floor. After he went down, we had zero post presence on offense.

I think we'll be fine if he returns for the EE. That would give him about a three week recovery time.

We don't even know the extent of his injury.

[CDu]

Do we always switch when Javin is in the game? I remember Coby White hit at least one big three over Javin (I think after a switch). That may have caused us not to switch as much.

I definitely remember him hitting a 3 where there was a screen and neither guy stepped out to defend him. Seemed like confusion between DeLaurier and either Jones or Barrett as to whether we were supposed to switch.

[Troublemaker]

That was a hypothetical.

Ah, gotcha. Thanks for the clarification. The flow of the conversation made it seem like you were agreeing with UrinalCake's criticism of Duke's strategy.

[CDu]

Ah, gotcha. Thanks for the clarification. The flow of the conversation made it seem like you were agreeing with UrinalCake's criticism of Duke's strategy.

Sorry - I may have been guilty of not reading the entire conversation and just the last post. Well, definitely guilty of that, but that may have resulted in my misinterpreting the thread. I had thought it was discussing the possibility of switching back to the "switch everything" approach in the absence of Bolden. So I was just commenting on that. Sorry for causing the confusion.

[fan345678]

One of my biggest concerns is Bolden's confidence. We've seen him grow into the player that he is capable of being, and he's had some very good games without Zion in the lineup, although he has the occasional off game. His ability was evident on his injury play- recovering for a clean block (despite the foul call).
His little injuries held him back for a few years, and now I fear that a big injury is going to shake that confidence again. A refrain from our players has always been that their teammates trust them, so I hope that that trust over the course of a breakout year is manifested in confidence when he returns.
While he's out, I hope we can feed him a constant stream of his own highlights.

[elvis14]

His ability was evident on his injury play- recovering for a clean block (despite the foul call).
His little injuries held him back for a few years, and now I fear that a big injury is going to shake that confidence again.

As they were showing that replay time and time again as Bolden was gathering himself after the injury, I'm sure you guys noticed what I noticed: clean block no foul, bad call. Would have been nice for that to be called out by someone on the broadcast. Frankly, even though Bolden was on defense, I'm shocked they didn't call a charge on him.

[UrinalCake]

So if it does turn out that Bolden is lost for the season (and I'm still really hoping that is not the case), do you think K will actually announce this? Or will he list it as another day-to-day thing until after Selection Sunday, so that the committee won't ding us for not having him moving forward? K is definitely not above playing games with the selection committee. He's played up the fact that Zion will return, and I also remember in 2011 when he had Kyrie come out during the ACC tournament and do some sprints on the sidelines just to put out the message that his return was imminent.

[SavDukeGrad]

So if it does turn out that Bolden is lost for the season (and I'm still really hoping that is not the case), do you think K will actually announce this? Or will he list it as another day-to-day thing until after Selection Sunday, so that the committee won't ding us for not having him moving forward? K is definitely not above playing games with the selection committee. He's played up the fact that Zion will return, and I also remember in 2011 when he had Kyrie come out during the ACC tournament and do some sprints on the sidelines just to put out the message that his return was imminent.

I was at the tournament in 2011. Kyrie not only dressed out before the final with UNC, but he also warmed up with the team before changing back into street clothes for the game. I have pictures!

[johnb]

As they were showing that replay time and time again as Bolden was gathering himself after the injury, I'm sure you guys noticed what I noticed: clean block no foul, bad call. Would have been nice for that to be called out by someone on the broadcast. Frankly, even though Bolden was on defense, I'm shocked they didn't call a charge on him.

Not that it really matters, but definitely a clean block.



Marques, get better!

[johnb]

... We're going to need someone from the bench to step up in Bolden's absence....

There's been some discussion that we will soon be getting back a guy who has been on the bench since the beginning of the 1st Carolina game.

I'd love to see Bolden get back into the rotation before the end of the season, if only because it would mean that we made it to the NCAA's 2nd weekend.

[devildeac]

As they were showing that replay time and time again as Bolden was gathering himself after the injury, I'm sure you guys noticed what I noticed: clean block no foul, bad call. Would have been nice for that to be called out by someone on the broadcast. Frankly, even though Bolden was on defense, I'm shocked they didn't call a charge on him.

Not that it really matters, but definitely a clean block.



Marques, get better!

Well, thanks guys. My weekend was ruined with work and the outcome of the game but you've managed to ruin my Monday now with your posts and embedded video.

()

[wgl1228]

I was at the tournament in 2011. Kyrie not only dressed out before the final with UNC, but he also warmed up with the team before changing back into street clothes for the game. I have pictures!

Same here. I was taking pictures and sending it to my friend with such high hopes! Luckily we didn't need him.