Dukies in the NBA 2021-22

[KandG]

What I am sick of is his lack of focus on his current team (as Redick stated) and the focus of those close to him to get him to NYC. Be a professional, focus on the team that is paying you quite a bit of money, and worry about Madison Square Garden a few short years from now.

He's been getting bad advice all along, as evidenced by his signing with the notorious non agent. No excuse for that at all.

Where is this “lack of focus on his current team” coming from? Last night during the Pelicans game, there was an extended sequence with footage of Zion working out — including yes, some spectacular dunks — and a detailed explanation of the Pels organization’s thought process in being very cautious in bringing him back.

They haven’t ruled him out for the season totally, which leaves the door open for him coming back in the unlikely event of the Pelicans advancing far in the playoffs. But it was clear from the ESPN segment that NO is pleased with Zion’s progress but continues to ramp up his activity very gradually, and monitor the recovery closely, and that it’s unlikely he’ll play anytime soon.

Zion has posted footage of his workouts and has behind the scenes expressed a strong desire to play. If there are any signs of discontent, it comes (based on beat reporters) from the caution the Pelicans have taken with every injury he’s had dating back to last season. He sees his team has made a heartening recovery from a horrible start to the season and wants to be a part of their current playoff run.

I just don’t know how this communicates a “lack of focus on his current team”, unless we’re now investing the usual hot take “he wants to go to NY!” rumors with the seriousness of a CDC announcement and maligning his character based on hot takes and rumors. (and this is coming from a Knicks fan who would love Zion in NY but doesn’t believe a single unsourced rumor)

[budwom]

https://www.sportscasting.com/zion-w...tract-problem/

Read this and let me know if it affects your opinion of whether or not Zion Williamson should “worry about Madison Square Garden a few short years from now”.

Interesting, but no, it doesn't. There are some things he can control, and some things he can't. I really like the guy and wish he'd focus on his current team and current situation, as unfair as he may think that is.

[Steven43]

Interesting, but no, it doesn't. There are some things he can control, and some things he can't. I really like the guy and wish he'd focus on his current team and current situation, as unfair as he may think that is.

Fair enough. I appreciate your response.

[godins]

I don't know of one poster, much less many posters, who ever thought Zion was faking an injury. That's utterly absurd.

Straw man, never said that. Several posters in the last page have said outright or intimated, however, that Zion isn’t focused, that his “camp” is trying to force him to New York, and that he doesn’t care about his team. This is the “narrative” we’re all talking about, isn’t it? It’s amazing to me on a Duke board of all places that this narrative is getting so much traction.

[SouthernDukie]

Straw man, never said that.

Come again? This is what you wrote earlier today:

There's been nothing substantive & well-sourced (that I can find, anyway), outside of rumblings and rumors, that Zion is forcing the Pelicans hand, pretending to be injured, and self-sabotaging just so he can force a trade to New York. Many on here read the tea leaves and extrapolate that that's exactly what's going on.

[sagegrouse]

There was a bit of a stir eight months ago when a Creative Arts Agency agent -- but not Zion's -- warned that New Orleans was in danger of losing Zion because the team wasn't improving fast enough. The report cited the Anthony Davis situation in NO as a comparison.

I dunno -- New Orleans looks like it has some talent -- C.J. McCollum and Ingram plus others -- and, with Zion, the Pels would be a pretty good team.

I am super frustrated he is not on the court, but I have no doubt that he really wants to play.

[Steven43]

There was a bit of a stir eight months ago when a Creative Arts Agency agent -- but not Zion's -- warned that New Orleans was in danger of losing Zion because the team wasn't improving fast enough. The report cited the Anthony Davis situation in NO as a comparison.

I dunno -- New Orleans looks like it has some talent -- C.J. McCollum and Ingram plus others -- and, with Zion, the Pels would be a pretty good team.

I am super frustrated he is not on the court, but I have no doubt that he really wants to play.

I heard that New Orleans had only a 6% chance of getting the first pick in the draft. I doubt Williamson was seriously contemplating the notion of being a Pelican. I’ll bet he was truly stunned when the lottery results played out.

You know how it is when your expectation about something extremely important gets completely crushed and you end up with an outcome that you absolutely did not want? It sucks.

[brevity]

Anyone have a list of Duke players on teams in the playoffs?

The Duke MBB Twitter account posted this picture:

dukenbaplayoffs2022.jpg

Putting Zion there is a bit optimistic, but possible. Jalen Johnson already saw play-in action Wednesday, with a made 3-pointer and 2 rebounds in 3 minutes.

[bundabergdevil]

The Duke MBB Twitter account posted this picture:

dukenbaplayoffs2022.jpg

Putting Zion there is a bit optimistic, but possible. Jalen Johnson already saw play-in action Wednesday, with a made 3-pointer and 2 rebounds in 3 minutes.

Zion is in the back at least. And, by the looks of him, the social media team weren’t sure quite what to do about him.

[ice-9]

There was a bit of a stir eight months ago when a Creative Arts Agency agent -- but not Zion's -- warned that New Orleans was in danger of losing Zion because the team wasn't improving fast enough. The report cited the Anthony Davis situation in NO as a comparison.

I dunno -- New Orleans looks like it has some talent -- C.J. McCollum and Ingram plus others -- and, with Zion, the Pels would be a pretty good team.

I am super frustrated he is not on the court, but I have no doubt that he really wants to play.

Right on Sage. This team would look pretty good with a starting five of CJ, Herbert, Ingram, Zion and Jonas.

CJ is a horrible defender, Zion and Jonas are good while Herbert is elite. As I was looking up numbers, to my shock, Ingram has become a solid defender as well this season!

This team can do a lot of damage and if the Pelicans can develop Hayes, Graham and others into a consistent bench this should be a perennial playoff team.

[Steven43]

Zion is in the back at least. And, by the looks of him, the social media team weren’t sure quite what to do about him.

That is a hilarious — and I think accurate — characterization of it. Nicely done. 👍

[Travis]

Technically the poster is inaccurate I think. The NBA has characterized the play-in games as potentially qualifying a team to make the playoffs and not actually as part of the playoffs. So for example, Mason did not make the playoffs because the Hornets lost their play-in game, while Kyrie has now made it after the Nets won to become the 7th seed. Some others are still TBD. So Zion’s inclusion is not the only questionable one.

But what do I care. I remember when the knock on Duke was that it did not produce NBA players. Cool to see so many of the Brotherhood showing out in the league!

[Mtn.Devil.91.92.01.10.15]

Technically the poster is inaccurate I think. The NBA has characterized the play-in games as potentially qualifying a team to make the playoffs and not actually as part of the playoffs. So for example, Mason did not make the playoffs because the Hornets lost their play-in game, while Kyrie has now made it after the Nets won to become the 7th seed. Some others are still TBD. So Zion’s inclusion is not the only questionable one.

But what do I care. I remember when the knock on Duke was that it did not produce NBA players. Cool to see so many of the Brotherhood showing out in the league!

Yes. My takeaway is that there are enough Duke players in the playoffs to augment my limited interest in the NBA.

[sagegrouse]

The Duke MBB Twitter account posted this picture:



Putting Zion there is a bit optimistic, but possible. Jalen Johnson already saw play-in action Wednesday, with a made 3-pointer and 2 rebounds in 3 minutes.

Learned something from the picture: I had completely forgotten about Jalen Johnson; I missed the trade of Rodney Hood to the Clips.

Also, see that Semi Ojeleye was recently waived by the Clippers (after trade from Bucks).

[Mtn.Devil.91.92.01.10.15]

Learned something from the picture: I had completely forgotten about Jalen Johnson; I missed the trade of Rodney Hood to the Clips.

Also, see that Semi Ojeleye was recently waived by the Clippers (after trade from Bucks).

Forgot about whom?

(Sidenote: Jalen is the only former Duke player I feel this way about)

[sagegrouse]

Forgot about whom?

(Sidenote: Jalen is the only former Duke player I feel this way about)

Yeah, if Semi were still on the clips roster, would he have made the picture? IMHO (where the liquid H evaporated long ago), he has as good a claim.

[JetpackJesus]

https://twitter.com/DukeMBB?s=20&t=R..._7rZwo4LO23CGw

[Billy Dat]

Agent Zero shares some of 32's coping habits
https://twitter.com/fuboSports/statu...11421507457027

[budwom]

Not trying to start another Kyrie festouche, but it would appear that the bloom is off the Kyrie-Nike rose:https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/...on-sources-say

Meanwhile, who knows what the Nets may be thinking...

[awhom111]

I never found the time to have the same scale G League and overseas updates as past seasons so I figured that I would just drop some quick summaries in this thread.

First is G League, including players who started at Duke, then transferred:

Quinn Cook signed a contract with the G League after his time in Russia ended. Since no team held his rights, he went through the waiver process and Stockton claimed him. He quickly showed how effective players with strong experience at the level can be.
https://stats.gleague.nba.com/player/1626188/

Frank Jackson did get assigned to Motor City by the Pistons to practice in his recovery from injury, but did not play in any games.

Harry Giles was signed by the Clippers before training camp, but ended up being waived and being an affiliate player with Agua Caliente. He only played three games in the showcase event before the league's regular season before injuries cost him the rest of his season.
https://stats.gleague.nba.com/player...nType=Showcase

Trevon Duval signed a contract with the G League and entered their draft pool. He was picked Grand Rapids with the sixth pick of the second round and had a solid season for them.
https://stats.gleague.nba.com/player/1628979/

Marques Bolden signed with the Jazz for training camp and was an affiliate player for Salt Lake City after he was waived. He missed large portions of the early part of the season due to injury, but was back in action later.
https://stats.gleague.nba.com/player/1629716/

Javin DeLaurier signed with the Bucks for training camp, but was waived. In order to play for Wisconsin, the team had to trade for his rights from Greensboro, which they did by sending the rights to Luke Maye the other way. Other than a 10-Day contract, he spent the season with Wisconsin.
https://stats.gleague.nba.com/player/1629602/

Vernon Carey was assigned frequently to Greensboro by the Hornets again. The Wizards also had him suit up for one game with Capital City after he was traded to them.
https://stats.gleague.nba.com/player/1630176/

After being waived by the Pistons during training camp, Cassius Stanley ended up with Motor City as one of their affiliate players. Though the Pistons did sign him again multiple times, he spent most of the season in the G League.
https://stats.gleague.nba.com/player/1630199/

Matthew Hurt had signed a two-way contract with the Rockets, but was waived before training camp. With an available affiliate player spot, the Grizzlies signed and waived him to get him on the roster of Memphis (their G League team plays in Mississippi) and he played at the start of the showcase event, but had his season ended by injury.
https://stats.gleague.nba.com/player...nType=Showcase

DJ Steward signed with the Kings at the start of training camp, but was later waived and ended up with Stockton as an affiliate player where he settled into his role by the middle of the season.
https://stats.gleague.nba.com/player/1630569/

As was expected, Jalen Johnson was assigned to College Park multiple times by the Hawks to get him more minutes than were available in the NBA.
https://stats.gleague.nba.com/player/1630552/

Michael Gbinije signed a G League contract to enter the draft pool where he was picked ninth by Iowa. He was later traded to Oklahoma City and played for them for nearly all of the season even though he was waived and re-acquired a couple of times.
https://stats.gleague.nba.com/player/1627771/

Jordan Tucker started his professional career after attending a tryout with Windy City and signing with the team. He was waived by them and later picked up by Rio Grande Valley only to be waived again and picked up at the end of the season by Sioux Falls, but did not appear in a game for them.
https://stats.gleague.nba.com/player/1630733/