Duke Bball Alumni

[StopThePumpFakesShav]

I refuse to rewatch this game. The only time I ever saw it was live in Cameron on a screen. But I'm remembering that Deng took a bad three from the top of the key , which may have actually been the one at 2:51, not 0:46.

 

[WorldStar HipHop]

Deng's 3 (with like 15+ (maybe 20+) seconds left in the shot clock) was bad because it was essentially a 5 to 6 point swing.

I clearly remember that it led to an open UConn transition 3 at the right corner. Duke's lead went from 8 to 5 and you could just tell that UConn started believing as soon as it went win...

It would've been better for Duke to have a shot clock violation because 15-25 more seconds would've come off the clock and Duke would've been able to set its defense.

 

[torontoduke]

Deng's 3 (with like 15+ (maybe 20+) seconds left in the shot clock) was bad because it was essentially a 5 to 6 point swing.

I clearly remember that it led to an open UConn transition 3 at the right corner. Duke's lead went from 8 to 5 and you could just tell that UConn started believing as soon as it went win...

It would've been better for Duke to have a shot clock violation because 15-25 more seconds would've come off the clock and Duke would've been able to set its defense.

That 2004 game was a tough pill to swallow. F UCONN

 

[SeanMayTriedToEatMe]

Zach Lowe article on finding the next Shane Battier:
http://www.grantland.com/story/_/id/922 ... m-suggests

If I were running an NBA team — ha! — I'd be scouring the world for role players who can do all of the following three things:

• Defend shooting guards.

• Defend small forwards.

• Shoot 3-pointers proficiently.

This is the perfect role player, a sort of New Age Shane Battier. (The old-age Shane Battier actually fits the bill, for the most part.) I'd strongly consider using my second-round "flier" draft pick on someone who might someday fit this description, even over a droolworthy project big man.1 There has long been the notion that wing shooters, or even "3-and-D" guys, are easy to find — that they're just sort of laying around, waiting for the Spurs to discover the next Bruce Bowen or Danny Green (another candidate). But in talking with GMs and personnel types at all levels, there is something close to broad agreement that players who have checked off all three boxes are relatively rare, that their development is unpredictable, and that the ones who have proven themselves probably don't earn enough money. "They are very, very hard to find," says Bob Myers, the Warriors' GM. "And they are probably undervalued."

A question posed to me by a few different people recently: Is it easier to teach a defense-first player a serviceable jumper, or an ace shooter to be a serviceable defender? Nobody really knows the answer; there are a lot of non-shooters who turned themselves into decent shooters, including Serge Ibaka and Anderson Varejao, but J.J. Redick and Kyle Korver stand as long-range gunners who turned themselves into playable defenders via hard work, good coaching, and a sophisticated understanding of rotations.

Gerald Henderson: The jury's out for Henderson, a free agent this summer. But if Henderson signs a deal that pays him something like $7 million or $8 million per season and elicits some Twitter guffaws, know that it will be because some GM considers him a safe bet to emerge as a solid New Age Battier. Defending bigger small forwards might be an issue, though Henderson has done it, and this was really his first season shooting 3s in anything like a high volume.

Kyle Singler: Singler shot 35 percent from deep and provided some valuable spacing for the shooting-challenged Pistons while logging time at both wing positions. Has to prove he can hold his own defensively.

 

[StopThePumpFakesShav]

Only because nobody else (to my knowledge) has actually posted it here:

http://www.dukechronicle.com/articles/2 ... estigation

 

[rome8180]

I found my own personal violations. Mostly violations of good taste and common sense. But I'm considering sanctions.

 

[DurhamSon]

This is what Battier looks like now:

 

[rome8180]

I like to think the guy in the background is facepalming response to the stache.

 

[aiw]

"In a perfect world, we'd all love to be stoic, immovable forces where the force of very large men throwing themselves into you doesn't affect you," Battier said. "Yeah, that'd be great. But unfortunately, there's a thing called physics involved that seems to win out more often than not."

 

[SeanMayTriedToEatMe]

 

[best4heisman]

How can you not love Bilas?

 

[rome8180]

He's really taken Jay Will under his wing and shown him how to properly love Carolina and downplay his Duke affiliation.

 

[rhfarmer]

How can you not love Bilas?

I absolutely love Bilas.

 

[DrKlahn]

Oh great now Bilas is literally preventing Duke players from scoring

 

[best4heisman]

2 Duke players retired today.

Grant Hill retired officially, and Battier retired symbolically.

 

[torontoduke]

Grant Hill, greatest Blue Devil ever (in the NBA). Had a truly dominant run the first few years, but I would agree with Steve Kerr that his greatest moment was coming back from the injuries to play 9 years.

He'll be missed - I wonder if he would ever have a role in the Duke program again?

 

[dukebluedevils05]

He has a pretty big role already with the Legacy Fund. His exact position escapes my mind (I believe it's something like player director of the Legacy Fund or co-president or something along those lines) but I know he's definitely heavily involved at present.

 

[rome8180]

Cool to see all the tweets about him by other NBA players.

http://www.slamonline.com/online/nba/20 ... irement/#1

 

[torontoduke]

Thanks for the link.

Some great words from Igougala, Nash & Crawford.

 

[rome8180]

Saw Scheyer and Zoubek at the coffee shop/bakery/food place today. Didn't talk to them because I figured they get hassled enough. Plus, they were surrounded by kids wanting their autographs.

Zoubek is very very large.