Rethinking VCU end game

[HDB]

This has been bothering me since the VCU game ended. Why did we have Scheyer guarding Maynor for the last 3 possessions of the game (possessions in which he repeatedly beat Scheyer and scored every time). Why not put Nelson on him? I realize he had 4 fouls, but he's our best perimeter defender. What are you saving him for? We get one stop in those 3 possessions and we win that game.

Oh well, I guess it was only putting off the inevitable, but it still bothers me.

HDB

[Demosthenes]

This has been bothering me since the VCU game ended. Why did we have Scheyer guarding Maynor for the last 3 possessions of the game (possessions in which he repeatedly beat Scheyer and scored every time). Why not put Nelson on him? I realize he had 4 fouls, but he's our best perimeter defender. What are you saving him for? We get one stop in those 3 possessions and we win that game.

Oh well, I guess it was only putting off the inevitable, but it still bothers me.

HDB

Why not double him early to get the ball out of his hands before they could set up their offense? (Particularly on the "last play." Just double him with whomever... Jon or Nelson... and the guy guarding the inbounder to get the ball out of Maynor's hands and make VCU take time coming up the court.) These things seem obvious to me, but I haven't won 3 championships or been watching Duke for 30+ years, so maybe I am oversimplifying things. I mean when you double a guy, it leaves someone else open, right? That guy could theoretically score... maybe not as easily or consistently as Maynor was scoring, but he might.

[MikeBinDC]

3 championships or not, this was Coaching 101 stuff. Why not some sort of press at the end? They walked it up inimpeded. Why not put Demarcus on Maynor? Worst case, he fouls him and we lose on free throws. That's no worse than losing how we did. Or do what Pitt did. Double him and make him give it up. Make someone, ANYONE, else beat us.

[CMS2478]

Why not double him early to get the ball out of his hands before they could set up their offense? (Particularly on the "last play." Just double him with whomever... Jon or Nelson... and the guy guarding the inbounder to get the ball out of Maynor's hands and make VCU take time coming up the court.) These things seem obvious to me, but I haven't won 3 championships or been watching Duke for 30+ years, so maybe I am oversimplifying things. I mean when you double a guy, it leaves someone else open, right? That guy could theoretically score... maybe not as easily or consistently as Maynor was scoring, but he might.

As soon as we made that shot to tie the game, I started yelling at my tv "double Maynor, double Maynor." I guess the players didn't really think about that in the heat of the moment, but did we not have anymore timeouts?? I don't remember......I know it would have given them a chance to set up an offense, but I'm sure their play would have been to given the ball to Maynor and let him do exactly what he did!!! So we could have doubled him to make someone else beat us.

[HDB]

I agree with all of the above. The guy beat us on the last 3 possessions doing the exact same thing. It blows my mind that we didn't try something different -- at the very LEAST we should have put our best on ball defender on him (Nelson).

[JH22255]

Coach K is awesome, but my one complaint about his coaching style is what appears to be the inability to adjust during the course of the game. I agree and wondered why Scheyer was on him....Jon is great, but there was no way he was the right player to be guarding the hottest guy on the court.

[CMS2478]

Coach K is awesome, but my one complaint about his coaching style is what appears to be the inability to adjust during the course of the game. I agree and wondered why Scheyer was on him....Jon is great, but there was no way he was the right player to be guarding the hottest guy on the court.

I just want everyone's opinion, so don't bite my head off here saying that I am a Coach K basher. Could it be that his success actually hurts him as far as adjustments go. If he is used being successfull he may have the mindset that he refuses to change based on past success. But not all teams are alike and you have to adjust. I think he adjusted the offense this year, but maybe playing more zone or just "backing off" quick point guards would have helped. If Paulus/Sheyer is up in their face they usually go around them no problem. Just a thought.

[calltheobvious]

I was screaming at the tv, but not anything more specific, because in the heat of the moment, the only thing that I knew was that I didn't want Maynor to be able to take the in-bounds pass in a free-flowing situation. I'm not sure what optimal tactics would have been, but I do think that 30 seconds spent regrouping defensively would have aided the cause.

[Baracus]

I don't understand why pressure wasn't put on the ball either. I believe there was 10.8 sec. left on the clock when the ball was inbounded. I really believe putting pressure on the ball would have forced VCU to call a time out. If the time out is called Coach K would have been able to set up some kind to defence to obviously keep the ball out of Maynor's hand. Instead he comes right down the floor and gets a really good look at the basket and does what is expected of him.

[calltheobvious]

If Duke calls the TO, this is moot. Further, K could have discussed offensive strategy should it have turned out to be necessary.

[feldspar]

If Duke calls the TO, this is moot.

Wow. That's a pretty long limb you're going out on there.

[calltheobvious]

Wow. That's a pretty long limb you're going out on there.

Well, apparently it wasn't that obvious; Baracus was questioning defensive tactics, proposing that if the tactics had been better, we could have forced a VCU time-out; I'm just wondering why one's strategy would not include calling a TO in that situation.

[bluedev_92]

I think coach K is great. I do admit, however, that I was wondering (at the time it was happening) why we didn't put pressure on the inbounds pass & down the court, why Jon was guarding him, etc... I'm guessing K thought they would have no trouble breaking the press and score an easy layup.

[HDB]

There is no logical arguement for having (at best) your 2nd best perimeter defender guarding Maynor in that situation --- which is why I suppose nobody is defending that decision in this thread. It seems that most of us are in agreement that an alternate defender or defensive strategy would have been preferable.

[Baracus]

If Duke calls the TO, this is moot. Further, K could have discussed offensive strategy should it have turned out to be necessary.

Duke should have called the time out after the made basket. I just couldn't understand why if you aren't going to call a time out do you not pressure the ball.

[jaimedun34]

Watch Scheyer's interview from wral.com if you can. Scheyer just said he didn't know where to pick up Maynor, didn't know if he should get up and pressure full court. My guess is that the first thing that went through everyone's mind is to get back down the court and don't let them get an easy bucket.