Isaiah Evans

So, Cooper Flagg, a heckuva player in every way, has little or no ball-handling or shooting skills? I think our coaches would have a chortle over that assertion.
that is not what the OP said. Khaman certainly doesn't have the ball-handling skills to do much as an outside player. He has made 1 3 in 7 games, so i'm not sure it's fair to say he has the shooting skills/confidence for it either. As for, Flagg, he's shooting 27% from 3, so whether he has the shooting skill for 5-out is still up for debate. Maybe he's just a good game or two away from forcing teams to respect his outside shot, right now he's not. Flagg has shown himself to be a good, sometimes a very good, and willing passer, but he has also shown that he has trouble dribbling around/through defenders. He gets the ball stolen from him a lot, far too much for my liking anyway. Does that mean he has "ball handling .. skills needed" for the 5-out style? Not if you want him dribbling to create offense. There are other ways for Flagg to create offense for others in the scheme that Jon wants Duke to play, but it's not from Cooper dribbling through defenses.
 
that is not what the OP said. Khaman certainly doesn't have the ball-handling skills to do much as an outside player. He has made 1 3 in 7 games, so i'm not sure it's fair to say he has the shooting skills/confidence for it either. As for, Flagg, he's shooting 27% from 3, so whether he has the shooting skill for 5-out is still up for debate. Maybe he's just a good game or two away from forcing teams to respect his outside shot, right now he's not. Flagg has shown himself to be a good, sometimes a very good, and willing passer, but he has also shown that he has trouble dribbling around/through defenders. He gets the ball stolen from him a lot, far too much for my liking anyway. Does that mean he has "ball handling .. skills needed" for the 5-out style? Not if you want him dribbling to create offense. There are other ways for Flagg to create offense for others in the scheme that Jon wants Duke to play, but it's not from Cooper dribbling through defenses.
Six games, so far, which is what we have to analyze. I am confident Cooper will meet challenges to his game.
 
Duke has a top rated point guard coming in next year. Unfortunately he is often overshadowed by his twin brother

Maybe I’ll get some push back with this, but I’m not going to be excited about next year’s pg situation if Cayden Boozer is the starting pg. IMO, I’d prefer Scheyer recruit an experienced transfer to run the offense for 1 year. We haven’t really gone after starting caliber high usage players lately in the portal, but maybe we should.

Right now, I don’t see a guy on next year’s roster who you can give the ball, and can go get a bucket for himself. (This is actually somewhat of an issue with this year’s team as well) That’s not really Cam Boozer’s game. He needs someone to set him up, and Cayden himself is not really a scorer.

Not that I think Cayden is bad, it’s just that I’d rather not have a freshman at pg. Even some of the best pgs in Duke’s history struggled quite a bit as freshmen, especially towards the beginning of the season.
 
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Not that I think Cayden is bad, it’s just that I’d rather not have a freshman at pg. Even some of the best pgs in Duke’s history struggled quite a bit as freshmen, especially towards the beginning of the season.
With Kyrie as the exception.
 
Six games, so far, which is what we have to analyze. I am confident Cooper will meet challenges to his game.
Duke is 5-2, which is 7 games. I think Cooper is playing exceptionally well so far. I actually like him as a initiator of our offense, he's a gifted passer. He needs to tighten up his ball-handling. That is a challenge he needs to meet, and i hope he does.
 
Duke is 5-2, which is 7 games. I think Cooper is playing exceptionally well so far. I actually like him as a initiator of our offense, he's a gifted passer. He needs to tighten up his ball-handling. That is a challenge he needs to meet, and i hope he does.

It’s not really his fault. Could he improve? Of course. For one thing, stop spinning blindly into the paint. Especially at the college level, where 2nd and 3rd defenders are always lurking in the paint. But he’s a 6’9” forward, tight ball handling is not really a common skill for someone at that size.

His skill set would shine much more in the NBA, with the improved spacing he would have, and not being asked to be the primary offensive hub on the team. Cooper is one of a kind elite at all the hustle/role player/glue guy/intangibles, but he’s just above average as a shot creator/scorer right now.
 
Maybe I’ll get some push back with this, but I’m not going to be excited about next year’s pg situation if Cayden Boozer is the starting pg. IMO, I’d prefer Scheyer recruit an experienced transfer to run the offense for 1 year. We haven’t really gone after starting caliber high usage players lately in the portal, but maybe we should.

Right now, I don’t see a guy on next year’s roster who you can give the ball, and can go get a bucket for himself. (This is actually somewhat of an issue with this year’s team as well) That’s not really Cam Boozer’s game. He needs someone to set him up, and Cayden himself is not really a scorer.

Not that I think Cayden is bad, it’s just that I’d rather not have a freshman at pg. Even some of the best pgs in Duke’s history struggled quite a bit as freshmen, especially towards the beginning of the season.
I've wondered why we haven't had an elite PG for a while and the only thing that makes sense is that Jon doesn't think we need one. Every shooter on our team would get better shots (and a ton of lobs to MM and Flagg) if we had a good PG who could penetrate against an elite defense. I think it's kind of bizarre that we're in a "5-out switch everything" mode when we don't have the players for that.
 
We’re not really playing a 5-out offense. Neither Maluach nor Brown, one of whom is almost always in the game, has the ballhandling or shooting ability to play on the perimeter and to either shoot or drive the ball to the basket from there.

Nor are we switching everything on defense when Maluach is in the game. He is strictly a drop coverage guy, as he should be.
 
Maybe I’ll get some push back with this, but I’m not going to be excited about next year’s pg situation if Cayden Boozer is the starting pg. IMO, I’d prefer Scheyer recruit an experienced transfer to run the offense for 1 year. We haven’t really gone after starting caliber high usage players lately in the portal, but maybe we should.

Right now, I don’t see a guy on next year’s roster who you can give the ball, and can go get a bucket for himself. (This is actually somewhat of an issue with this year’s team as well) That’s not really Cam Boozer’s game. He needs someone to set him up, and Cayden himself is not really a scorer.

Not that I think Cayden is bad, it’s just that I’d rather not have a freshman at pg. Even some of the best pgs in Duke’s history struggled quite a bit as freshmen, especially towards the beginning of the season.
I pray we don't start Cayden next year. And I highly doubt we go into next year with Cayden, Foster and Harris as our backcourt. I think we will be in the portal for 2 back court players.
 
I've wondered why we haven't had an elite PG for a while and the only thing that makes sense is that Jon doesn't think we need one. Every shooter on our team would get better shots (and a ton of lobs to MM and Flagg) if we had a good PG who could penetrate against an elite defense. I think it's kind of bizarre that we're in a "5-out switch everything" mode when we don't have the players for that.
I definitely agree with this but I think another big issue is we haven't been able to retain a legitimate 2 guard. From Jackson, Trent, Steward, Keels and McCain. Proctor is our best PG but since Caleb can't shoot we have to put Tyrese there or else we may never make a jump shot. This is where I wanted an upper classman Jaden Schutt type guy. I hope and think Harris can be that guy.
 
I pray we don't start Cayden next year. And I highly doubt we go into next year with Cayden, Foster and Harris as our backcourt. I think we will be in the portal for 2 back court players.
Is there a sense that Proctor will declare for the draft?
 
Is there a sense that Proctor will declare for the draft?
Not sure. I think he has played very well thus far and it might be time to just declare. His game might be better for the NBA because of the spacing and he can defend at that level right now. If I were a GM I would take if him in the ladder part of the 1st rd.
 
I think he will declare -- no sources but I think because of size, quickness and D he's an NBA player -- and now he's a shooter.
I’d love to have a senior Proctor on this team. I suppose the hope of using NIL as another potential reason/carrot for him to return doesn’t apply because he’s not a US citizen (I believe). I retain hope that he’ll get good guidance and understand the value of getting more experience with another talented Duke team and earning a Duke degree.
 
I’d love to have a senior Proctor on this team. I suppose the hope of using NIL as another potential reason/carrot for him to return doesn’t apply because he’s not a US citizen (I believe). I retain hope that he’ll get good guidance and understand the value of getting more experience with another talented Duke team and earning a Duke degree.
Proctor's father is from Mississippi. I assume Tyrese has US citizenship due to his father. Australia permits dual citizenship.
 
Tyrese is a bit small and not rangey enough to be a 3 and D wing in the league. He’s not quick enough to be a plus guard on offense, but he can certainly D up true guards. I see him as a second rounder ar best. If we can pay him 500-700k, he’d be a hell of a SG next season for Duke.
 
I've wondered why we haven't had an elite PG for a while and the only thing that makes sense is that Jon doesn't think we need one. Every shooter on our team would get better shots (and a ton of lobs to MM and Flagg) if we had a good PG who could penetrate against an elite defense. I think it's kind of bizarre that we're in a "5-out switch everything" mode when we don't have the players for that.
Which specific player do you think we should have brought in to be a point guard?
 
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