My response to my thoughts "
First, Kyle Singler. I would say my thoughts about him have changed a little but really i have the same philosophy. He's 6'9 230 and he's jacking up outside shots. Yes he is a matchup nightmare defensively on the wing and that's the really underrated part of his game....but his shot has been off for a while...whether it be because of his knee or not....and it doesn't seem like he's getting out of his funk. I suggest that Singler is used considerably more in the post...it seems to make alot more sense imo. That doesn't mean he shouldn't play some wing..especially on defense as said earlier...but from he would playing more inside-outside like he did as a freshman and sophomore.....it would really give him some confidence to get fed on the low block inside and get some easy scores....THEN you let him play some wing and take some shots...singler should be taking 2 or 3 threes a game at the most...midrange and post is what i want to see...sure NBA scouts like to see the diverse range...but right now the way singler has been playing on the wing and trying to drive as a wing player is hurting the team and ironically hurting his draft stock. There's also the arguement about how he played last year...especially in the Final Four. Well, that team was completely different offensively...which set up Singler easier with Scheyer and Nolan to worry about as well as Zoubek attacking on the glass and inside. Also....Singler shot 41% last year...his games in the Final Four were really just the luck of the shot....
Singler plays off the ball inside the arc and plays fantastic...gets some great inside play..singler is our best offensive post player...also 0-4 from 3...singler just isn't a 3 point shooter...he needs to continue to take midrange and get some close shots off the glass
Also a common thought on Nolan and Singler...why they neglect to really throw the ball inside...it's because they've been used to not throwing the ball inside their whole careers...singler has been an inside player himself..and nolan hasn't really been a pg nor is one....duke has been heavily perimeter oriented since both players came because duke hasn't had any real good big men or even decent big men except maybe zoubek and singler to the extent of his post use....now we do have the plumlees...who are raw offensively and big and athletic. Should duke throw it inside more to the plumlees.....yes and no. They should be using the plumlees more especially in the beginning of the game to establish the offense and spread out the attack for our notorious shooting game....getting inside easy scores first is better than trying to attack from outside early and missing,resulting in loss of confidence...but the fact that we don't have a real PG kills us in that it takes away some ability of the plumlee....without a pg to create...the plumlees have less opportunities...therefore less efficient on offense...so yes the plumlees should be used but be used at the right times...like when our outside shots aren't falling or at the beginning of the game...or for fouling...etc.etc.
Plumlees show they are capable of getting scores tonight...also some great rebounding...but really showing that if Nolan or Seth or anyone else gives them good looks inside they will take advantage
I also wonder why we get to such slow starts and we always seem to have poor shooting games especially from outside...it's because we don't have post presence and a high % of our shots are outside shots....and it's really amazing on how many of our shots are jump shots yet we still shoot like we do and win...really amazing..
take less outside shots...more inside the arc and establishing inside game..and boom! we play well in the beginning of the game....god i am good
I have also wondered why we don't run a structured offense...I questioned K again and again for this...but you know what..it comes down to the PG and post play...especially the PG...we have a bunch of wings and raw offensive forwards...we don't have a PG nor really a cerebral leader who can set up a good offense...this team just doesn't have the cohesion nor the PG play or leadership for such an offense and it really kills us..this team is really not capable of running an offense without cerebral leadership or PG
You know I actually realized something...it was from something i heard on the Duke scout board(and it was actually a post from a very very familiar person) explaining that during the regular season there wasn't enough time to really establish an offense without confusion..therefore K really just waited until a long break like the week before the ACC tourney to really bring out the structured offense when it matters most...although because our poor offensive effort vs UNC....maybe im wrong but ya know it makes some sense...also want to see Seth play some more PG...great ballhandler...good floater...sets up our bigs inside...im up for it
MORE MIDRANGE...this team shoots so well inside the arc..it's perplexing that we take so many outside shots..when we haven't shot well from outside in forever...take way less and rely on inside first..then work your way outside...either way Duke is a great 2 point shooting team...yes take 3s but cut down on shooting 3s because without a PG we dont have the spacing for a lot of open 3 point opportunities..the midrange is something i want utilized..especially with guys who can knock it down like Singler and Kelly..yet prefer taking the 3 and it hurts us because it's such a lower % shot
Kelly and Singler take more midrange and make them...god.i.am.a.genius. lol K should make me assistant coach damn it lol jk
MORE DRIVE and DISH....no and i dont mean Kyle Singler..in fact i dont want to see Singler really driving that much anymore unless he relearns about passing to his teammates...his assist rate is ridiculously low...i'm talking to you Nolan and you Seth Curry...with Nolan's ability to drive...yes he should continue to take it himself and lay it up...but he should also use this to drive....bring in the defense...and then pass it a big man for an easy opportunity or foul...or pass it out...more driving and passing from our good ball handlers can help the spacing issues we have without a PG...in the first half especially, i saw our guards and kyle really attacking and kicking out and passing...love the aggresiveness and it really spread out and balanced our offense...love it love it love it
Just confidence...this team is seriously lacking that...we have veterans yet on the road we seem scared......we can't score against UNC's walk ons...really it's just perplexingConfidence
Change of Lineup might be helpful...duke's lineup needs a little bit of a change imo..i'm thinking to start the game:
C-Mason
PF-Kyle
SF-Dawkins
SG-Curry
PG-Nolan
Start out throwing inside to the two best post players in Kyle and Mason and let them go to work as well as letting Curry and Nolan dish..then work it outside with Curry and Dawkins as well as Nolan in the midrange and 3 point department..then switch in Miles for Dawkins and move singler to the 3 and set him up on some screens from some midrange and let nolan and curry do their thing...or put in Kelly and let him take some midrangeok i like that kelly is spark off the bench...love the plumlees coming back to start...really play well as a unit rebounding and inside game...great way to start spreading out by attacking inside first
Some Postive Stuff:
Miles and Mason are excellent rebounders....also very athletic and good shot blockers..really liked what i saw from miles against unc..good to see
Dawkins seems to be gaining some confidence back...although i'd like to see some more out of him...meh
Nolan is nolan and curry is fantastic.....Really awesome that these guys struggled yet we played very well...although Curry still looked overall good despite a shooting slump
more probably coming later...but these are my initial thoughts
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