Isaiah Evans
- Thread starter RCDuke77
- Start date
The thing that has to be difficult for Evans is that with playing time, he could conceivably play his way into the first round of the draft. Let’s be real, that is the true goal for all these kids. And yes perhaps Evans is the rare exception - if so then he is quickly one of my all time favorite Duke players already.
DukieInBrasil
Member
Mark Mitchell is off to a decent start at Mizzou. In fact, so far, his stats are almost identical. He's playing 2+ minutes less per game, he's shooting a little worse from the floor and from 3, but scoring 12.5 vs 11.6 ppg. He's assisting a bit more (1.5 vs 1.1 apg), so it appears he is more of a focus and gets more useage in the offense at Mizzou than at Duke. Then again, he played rather poorly vs Memphis, and has played very well vs. 3 less competitve team.
SlapTheFloor
Member
Has he changed his three point form or is it still flatter than Kyrie's Earth?
bluedevilwildcats
Member
Cal is perhaps the dumbest coach in college sports so this is a useful starting point.
I'm wondering about the argument that minutes are earned in practice. Practice against who? The same guys with the same strengths and weaknesses. If our goal was to win a scrimmage then that makes sense. But we're playing 30 different teams with totally different approaches and personnel. Why aren't we customizing our lineup based on each of our opponents' strengths and weaknesses and how our personnel match up against them? Why are we hoping Evans sticks around despite not getting many minutes when we don't even know if he could have helped us win against UK because he never got in the game? Maybe that was a great matchup for him and not for Kon. We'll never know.
Having a diversity of options to choose from each game is better. Playing the same 7-8 (especially this year) no matter what is like Cal - dumb.
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I reject the premise that playing time or lack thereof this year will have a significant impact on a player's decision to transfer. Both Roach and Mark Mitchell played significant minutes last year and transferred anyway. Coach should make decisions based on maximizing this year's team's chance of a title.
*that calculation might reasonably include helping Evans be ready to step up in the tourney...
*that calculation might reasonably include helping Evans be ready to step up in the tourney...
SkyBrickey
Member
You're betting on a 9-man rotation. Not impossible, but when was the last time Duke played a 9-man rotation?
The coach has limited time in a college season to fine-tune your top 8 playing together. That's why almost all coaches play 7-8 guys during their toughest games.
No, I am not assuming that Mason is low man. Mason is Duke's backup 4. Evans can't fill that role and I don't think we have seen a Maliq and Man Man frontcourt much if at all.
Evans is a perimeter player, so if he earns more minutes it will likely come from players who spend a majority of their time on the perimeter.
SkyBrickey
Member
We've had one competitive game so far. Kentucky.
Khaman + Maliq = 40 min
Proctor + Foster + James = 78 min
K2 + Flagg + Gillis = 82 min
So things could change, but right now Mason is Cooper and Kon's backup at the 3/4.
I don't think Jon is viewing Evans as an alternative to James at the 1/2.
They took a look at that lineup in the last game — Sion and Evans in while Proctor and Foster were out. We’re still in the early/blowout “mad scientist” part of the season.
DukieInBrasil
Member
To be fair, he played well vs. Wofford, a not bad team. Otherwise, he a) didn't score vs. Maine, and b) scored 6 vs Army. Neither of those performances were worthy of any sort of description of NBA potential. So, in one performance Isaiah played pretty well, and that's oozing NBA potential? I dunno, maybe.
Ha, well he got six minutes vs Maine, and he scored those six points in only nine minutes vs Army....not sure what that proves other than he isn't getting a lot of playing time. But I think he will, many here don't think so, and that's fine.
mph
Well-known member
Love the reference. I’m probably the only person on DBR who regularly uses the slap chop. No fancy Santoku knife for me! Last week I made Texas chili and slap chopped onions, peppers, and garlic until my hand hurt.
sagegrouse
Member
We should not be stuck in the past -- and I am not saying you are. Reference to past practices is sketchy. (1) Duke has 11 quality players, who, it seems, can make positive contributions -- never happened before; (2) those who don't play, don't stay -- and no rules keep them from going elsewhere -- c.f. Evans and Harris; (3) the players get paid -- why are we paying players that won't play or stay?
I am predicting nine, maybe ten players get 300 minutes this year.
And, of course, any injuries would make more time available for players.
But, as always, YMMV.
NYBri
Member
Sporks.
Mtn.Devil.91.92.01.10.15
Member
Oh right. One of my most sporked comments was on a pic some shared of their (very cool) Duke basketball floor in their basement I believe. And I said "we've finally found where MM practices his three pointers."
Mason has backed up Cooper for 50% of his minutes, backed up Kon for 25%, and played with both for 25%.
If Jon is going to stick with an 8-man rotation (the most likely outcome given history and Jon's comments) and Isaiah is going to earn minutes, the minutes can't come from Mason because Mason is Cooper's main backup.
I agree that Evans is not a 1, but he is also not a 4 or 5. Given positional overlap, it is far more likely that potential Evans minutes would come from Kon, Tyrese, Caleb, or Sion than Mason.
Dr. Maturin
Member
Jon's first year. 9 guys played at least 29% of the team's minutes. Some of this was due to injuries, and Jon didn't play 9 guys in every game. But in our close win over Iowa, the 9th man got 9 minutes. In our close win over Ohio State, the 9th man got 13 minutes
I think an 8 man rotation is probably the sweet spot most of the time. In fact, Jon's first team hit its stride and won 10 straight after Jaylen Blakes was squeezed out of the rotation. Still, I don't think it's crazy for Evans to be getting Blakes-level minutes on this team, at least in the early going. I also think Evans is better than the typical 9th man on a Duke roster.