Here's the release
https://goduke.com/news/2020/8/31/me...yer-award.aspx
A well deserved honor for BI!
Here's the release
https://goduke.com/news/2020/8/31/me...yer-award.aspx
BI is still just becoming 23 years of age. What a career he should have. Way to go kiddo!
Upon BI getting drafted, I predicted he would be the greatest Duke NBA player. While that isn't likely to be possible, he is already an All-Star (at the age of 22) and has tons of potential left. He's a much better shooter than I thought and a significantly worse defender then I thought.
As for best Duke NBA player, it's still Grant Hill, right? Maybe closely followed by Kyrie? I think it's a moot point, cus Tatum, with his excellent combination of offense, defense, and ability to stay healthy (unlike Grant and Kyrie), who will likely take that honor. Also, it helps that Tatum is the "star" player on a really, really good team.
Criticism may not be agreeable, but it is necessary. It fulfils the same function as pain in the human body. It calls attention to an unhealthy state of things. - Winston Churchill
President of the "Nolan Smith Should Have His Jersey in The Rafters" Club
Tatum has a shot for sure. I had high hopes for him (was present for his first game at Duke). I thought his ceiling would be a Melo/T-Mac hybrid. Now prime Melo might be his floor. Smooth, but long. He is a fabulous defensive player now. His shot selection has also improved so much. No way he doesn't make a couple First Team All-Nba's over the course of his career. He'll be on the 2nd, or 3rd team this year.
I think in terms of pure talent Grant Hill is still the guy. Dude was proto-Lebron, and had a wonderful stretch from 1995-2000, where he was perennial top ten player. He was in the discussion for being a top 5-8 player, from 1997-2000. Injuries suck, but he had a nice renaissance with those fun Suns teams. What could have been. Still incredible career.
Kyrie's is right up behind. The ring is one thing, but really that shot, that basically won them the chip in 2016 (never mind his Game 5 performance) is an all time basketball play and comeback. Kyrie has been injured way more than I'd like, and he has exited some teams in a, uh let's just say... not the best ways, but dude is an all-time gamer. He should be in the discussion with Iverson,CP3, and Curry, for being one of the most purely skilled primary ball handlers in the history of the game. A wizard with the basketball (Best handler of all time), an all time finisher at the rim (with either hand), can make impossible shots (ala Kobe), and he is never afraid of the moment. He is as frustrating and as complicated as the artists and philosophers he *so* admires.
When its all said and done, Tatum might have more accomplishments, but I don't know if any Duke player will have a moment as big as Kyrie's shot in 2016 anytime soon, and not to mention, if we are talking about in terms of pure basketball ability, talent, and IQ in a vacuum there's very, very few players who challenge Grant Hill at his peak.
Rooting for Ingram (and Zion) too, if him and Zion can go exist (keep shooting BI!), they both could easily climb into this conversation. This summer is huge for New Orleans' future.