Just like I thought

[Classof06]

I've noticed a decent amount of people saying there is absolutely no way that Greg Paulus can lose his starting job next year. I've disagreed with that since I first saw it in some threads, but I believe whatever does happen will only benefit the team overall. After reading the Watzone Q&A, I won't be changing my mind anytime soon.


Q: How do you guys see the point guard position panning out next year? Is it mostly going to be one player or could more than one guy man the position?


Collins & Wojo: We feel the best teams have competition for minutes at every position, and the best thing for a coach is to have competition every day in practice. Heading into next season, we feel that no positions are set in stone and we anticipate great competition amongst the guys on our team. We have never seen a coach in any sport on any level who did not play his or her best players and the players who gave the team the best chance to win. We would like each of our returning and incoming players to come into next season with the goal of competing to become a starter. If that is the case, our guys will push one another to maximize our potential as a team.

[houstondukie]

Greg Paulus is our best option at point gaurd. The last 2-3 months, the kid averaged over 15+ points and showed amazing toughness while battling countless critics and a broken foot. What we should be worried about is our frontcourt issues.

[Dukefan4Life]

I dont think greg will lose his job. I do think nolan smith should get sime time at the PG spot! he would bring a whole new type of game that greg simply can do. He is so quick off the dribble, he can penetrate and plays very good D. K will have have to find nolan mins next year! he would help our team a great deal!

[Duke15304]

to guard quick guards but paulus is the man on offense and i think he will be better on both sides of the ball with a healthy foot

[Waynne]

Collins and Wojo would probably say the same thing about every position on the team. Greg was our starting point guard the last two years, and he will be next year too, unless his foot turns out to be a major problem. Who would replace him? Jon is a much better shooting guard than a point, and the 2 times I saw Nolan play on TV, he did not play the point and looked a lot more like a shooting guard to me. If Greg does not have a very solid season at the point next year, we are in big trouble.

[dukestheheat]

houstondukie-

i agree with you on paulus' shooting; he's a solid shooter and in fact that is where his true talent lies in my opinion at the college level (versus the high school level). i believe that he will serve Duke best at a shooting guard spot; Nolan Smith will push for more time at that starting PG spot early in the season imo, and this will open more time for Paulus to shoot and really help Duke.

GO DUKE!

dth.

[Boston Dukie]

Paulus was without a doubt the team's best shooter, so why not play him with Nolan Smith (so you have 2 good ball handlers and 2 guys to bring the ball up court, etc) and let Paulus play the Humphries role and drain open 3s when the defense collapses - more shooting gaurd-like then PG

Makes the team hard to press and creates minutes for Smith at the PG slot so Paulus can get a break (he was exhausted in the VCU game after having to break the pressure for 40 mins)

Whose loses miniutes? Well, Paulus for one, who played way too many minutes last year because we had no other PG (no one should average more than 30 ish minutes on a team this deep) and Scheyer who also played too many minutes, and is not as good of a shooter or ball handler as Paulus

Hoping we see a huge difference in Greg's lateral quickness on defense with a healthy foot

[Beezer7]

The main problem I have w/ Paulus is that he doesn't create easy scoring opportunities for other players. He may be our best ballhandler (and shooter for that matter), but in the half court offense he CANNOT create anything. That needs to be addressed by the start of next season for us to have a great year IMO.

[kydevil]

Paulus was without a doubt the team's best shooter, so why not play him with Nolan Smith (so you have 2 good ball handlers and 2 guys to bring the ball up court, etc) and let Paulus play the Humphries role and drain open 3s when the defense collapses - more shooting gaurd-like then PG

Makes the team hard to press and creates minutes for Smith at the PG slot so Paulus can get a break (he was exhausted in the VCU game after having to break the pressure for 40 mins)

Whose loses miniutes? Well, Paulus for one, who played way too many minutes last year because we had no other PG (no one should average more than 30 ish minutes on a team this deep) and Scheyer who also played too many minutes, and is not as good of a shooter or ball handler as Paulus

Hoping we see a huge difference in Greg's lateral quickness on defense with a healthy foot

With Smith and Paulus on the court playing together a lot and K always playing man that could be a defensive nightmare against certain teams with taller guards!

[VaDukie]

Were any of you paying attention to the fact that Paulus just had foot surgery? Don't you think that had a little to do with his quickness and playmaking ability?

[houstondukie]

I remember watching Paulus play in high school many times and what I liked the most about him then was his ability to find open teammates and to make unbelievably difficult passes with great accuracy and timing.

At the start of his freshmen year, I saw more evidence of his playmaking ability when he would drive the lane, draw two defenders, and then make a nice around-the-defender's-back pass to Shelden for a dunk. This happened less often as the season progressed and I think this had a lot to do with his injury (hand?) - not to mention the effect it had on his shooting percentage.

I feel the same could be said this year. I really believe that injuries throughout his first 2 yrs, including his broken foot this past year, have prevented us from seeing what Paulus can really do. Go back and look at tapes of Paulus in high school against the best competition and you'll see a guy that consistently beat his man and found the open teammate.


Hopefully next year we'll see more of Paulus the playmaker and not just the great outside shooter.

[Bob Green]

I expect to see lots of different line-up combinations next year so Paulus will play the point, Smith will play the point, and Paulus and Smith will play at the same time. Next year, we will have a deeper team than we have had in a number of years. I expect Coach K to employ a deep bench, especially in November and December. Once ACC play kicks off, the best players will play the most minutes. I strongly believe that no one's position is guaranteed.

This past season, seven players averaged double digit minutes. Next year, IMO, nine players will average double digit minutes. With all scholarship players returning, the strong incoming class, and Pocius and Paulus 100 percent healthy; practice sessions will involve some extremely intense competition.

"You" pick any five players on the roster and I believe I can pick a different five and beat you in a scrimmage. (Hypothetically speaking of course, because I know absolutely nothing about coaching basketball at the collegiate level).

For example, "you" take this year's remaining starting four: Paulus, Nelson, Scheyer, & Thomas, plus Kyle Singler.

I'm comfortable playing "you" with: Zoubek, King, Pocius, Henderson, & Smith.

Bob Green
Yokosuka, Japan

[Chicago 1995]

Were any of you paying attention to the fact that Paulus just had foot surgery? Don't you think that had a little to do with his quickness and playmaking ability?

Was his foot broken as a freshman too?

[VaDukie]

I'm not sure which player you're thinking of, I thought he was damn good his freshman year.

[Chicago 1995]

I'm not sure which player you're thinking of, I thought he was damn good his freshman year.

His lack of lateral quickness defensively was a problem as a freshman as was his inability to create off the dribble in the half-court against teams with high level athletic backcourts.

His assist numbers were better because of the experience around him, but the shortcomings that really became obvious in Greg's game this year were just as evident as a frosh.

Greg's our PG for better or worse, but let's just be realistic about what he can and can't do.

[VaDukie]

He had a big problem creating off the dribble because defenders would give him space, daring him to shoot. Given that he shot about 30% from 3 as a freshmen, it wasn't a bad decision. He's clearly established himself as an outside scorer and that will open up more opportunities to drive. He's not going to be J-Will, but I think he's going to show a lot more with two healthy feet.

[dukemomLA]

Okay, my veins bleed Duke blue, but... we've had a lot of players over the past few years that 'haven't lived up to their potential.' I've really found myself questioning Coach K's -- rotation, # of minutes of PT being distributed properly, the lack of a 'shooting coach' on the bench.

Come on, guys, for Duke to not have a team FT % of at least 75% is shameful! And for guys to 'wear out' by March, 'cause suitable, talented players bench sit too much is not making this Cameron Crazy happy. Any thoughts?

[mgtr]

I think Bob Green has it figured out - we will have a lot more backcourt options next year than we did this year. I would imagine GP still at point with significant relief from Nolan Smith, and JS returning to his more natural position as a 2/3. Time, as they say, will tell.

[feldspar]

People, even Duke fans, for some reason, are ALWAYS going to find something to criticize about Greg for some reason. That's fine. They're entitled to. I just don't buy it.

[Jumbo]

Come on, guys, for Duke to not have a team FT % of at least 75% is shameful!

315 of the other 335 teams in Division I shot less than 75% from the line too. Are they shameful as well?