MBB: Duke 87, Cheaters 91 Post-Game Thread

[Mtn.Devil.91.92.01.10.15]

Actually, eating a cake is exactly what one can do if one has one.

What one cannot do is eat their cake and have it too.

Well, you certainly can't have my cake.

[Green Wave Dukie]

The more I think about it, luck/law of averages or whatever you want to call it does play a part in a win or loss. For instance, I would have to say last season Duke's win over the Cheats was lucky. Tre's amazing play on the intentional missed FT and then the shot or pass that Wendell caught and put in the basket could very well be put in the lucky category. This season we've had so many close losses that could have been wins with a little luck here or there. In the 1995 season Duke had many close losses but with a little luck that season could have been much better. This season looks to be the payback season for some close wins that Duke has over the years. However, with better defense and less turnovers we could have overcome some of the bad luck and we probably wouldn't even be discussing LUCK.

GoDuke!

Not to be snarky, nor is this directed at you jv001, but I am of the opinion that the term 'luck' to explain things is way over-used. To, me, luck is luck, not skill.

if UNC hits 10-15 from 3, or whatever it was, that isn't luck. it may be be bad defense, it may be a logical result of us packing the paint and leaving the outside shot open, it may be due to a lot of practice, it may be extra motivation due to being snubbed by Duke on the recruitment, but it's not luck. it may, and clearly is, better than anyone could have rationally expected, but to me, that doesn't make it luck. it is UNC's (in this case) good fortune, sure. But I guess my thought is if we didn't like them hitting all those shots, we ought to do something about it. I wouldn't call UNC lucky we had 15 (or 16) turnovers. We didn't value the ball. Nor would I call UNC lucky to outrebound us.

When Zion blows out his show, and is out for the rest of a big game, I think that is (bad) luck. When Kevin Ware blows out his leg in the E8 in 2013, it's (bad) luck. (turns out it was bad luck for us in that it seemed to motivate them to win it for him).

When Tre hits a free throw off the rim, gets his own rebound and hits a shot to tie a game, I'm not even sure that is (pure) luck (since I read later he put some thought and practice into it). We were fortunate to win that game? Absolutely. But we won it on performance, which in my opinion, even though it was highly unlikely (as Gordon Heywood's half court heave was) to go in, it did.

Last night I saw a highlight of (I think) a UCONN women's player hitting a falling down, off-balance, 3, with the shot clock winding down, that hit the rim went straight up about 8 feet, came back down and went in. i think that was highly lucky. But more often than not, I find myself in disagreement with what I feel is the way too liberal use of the term 'luck'.

Do I think we've played better than our record indicates and could have easily won a few more games? Yes. But again, I don't call that luck (and I noticed jv001, you also refer to it as 'law of averages', which I can get on board with).

As always, YMMV.

[uh_no]

Last night I saw a highlight of (I think) a UCONN women's player hitting a falling down, off-balance, 3, with the shot clock winding down, that hit the rim went straight up about 8 feet, came back down and went in. i think that was highly lucky. But more often than not, I find myself in disagreement with what I feel is the way too liberal use of the term 'luck'.

I'm pretty sure I heard Paige call "brick-and-in" on that one

[kako]

How, then, do you rationalize 2012 and 2014?

I said that coaches matter more than players. I didn't say that players did not matter. It's not binary. Sometimes it works and overcomes (like 2007), sometimes it doesn't (maybe this year). This season isn't over yet, and I am putting my faith in K for a turnaround of this team. I would like to see the team make the tourney. I haven't ruled it out yet because of that faith. Neither you nor anyone else will shake that faith.

9F

[CDu]

I was responding in kind to Kako's sample of a few games to demonstrate the the importance of a coach over the players. One can't have their cake and eat it, too.

I don’t see any sample of a few games in kako’s posts. He/she seemed to be talking more generally. Your two posts were the ones focusing on small sample sizes as far as I can tell. But, whatever.