Moving forward from thrilling win

[KoubekFF]

In spite of the tremendous victory last night, the win obscured an inconsistent performance in which we were fortunate to come out on top. It might have been different if Carolina didn't miss a couple free throws and turn it over in the final minutes of regulation.

The offense looked stagnant for large stretches of the second half. Too many guys were going 1-on-3 and not making the extra pass. Granted, if Jah played at full strength he would have drawn more double teams and the offense would have had a better flow to it.

On defense, we weren't blocking out at times and we gave up multiple offensive rebounds on single possessions. In addition, we had way too many careless turnovers in the first half when we were up by double digits. We had a chance to increase the lead to 20 at that point and run Carolina out of the gym. We could have if we took better care of the ball.

Even if we win our final five games in the regular season, it's likely that Kentucky, Gonzaga and Wisconsin will all run the table. Virginia still has some tough games on the road at Syracuse and at Louisville. If they lose one of them and we lose to Carolina in Chapel Hill, an ACC final against Virginia could be for a No. 1 seed.

We have to avoid the long stretches of inconsistency if we're going to beat a Kentucky or a Gonzaga in the Final Four. The stretches are going to happen, but they have to be limited to two or three minutes instead of six or seven.

 

[rob5894]

The number one thing to me defensively is sprint back on D. We did not get back very good tonight. I love ya Jah but SPRINT BACK ON D!!

 

[barkingpumpkin]

Originally posted by rob5894:
The number one thing to me defensively is sprint back on D. We did not get back very good tonight. I love ya Jah but SPRINT BACK ON D!!

Definitely not the first time this year that transition defense has been an issue.

 

[Showenuff]

This was DUKE /Carolina, a 1 point win is all I ever expect, anything else is gravy. I wouldn't worry about what we need to beat Gonzaga in the final four, they won't be there.

 

[BuckinElkin!!]

UNC doubled Jah the whole game with few exceptions except when K went small with just a few minutes remaining.

 

[DiehardDukeFan4Life]

Originally posted by KoubekFF:
In spite of the tremendous victory last night, the win obscured an inconsistent performance in which we were fortunate to come out on top. It might have been different if Carolina didn't miss a couple free throws and turn it over in the final minutes of regulation.

I agree but at the same we also missed a lot of free throws throughout the game and specifically late in the game that if we had made them then things might have been different.

 

[GAAP]

Originally posted by KoubekFF:
We have to avoid the long stretches of inconsistency if we're going to beat a Kentucky or a Gonzaga in the Final Four.

Would be very surprised to see Gonzaga in the Final Four...ever.

 

[timo0402]

We absolutely have to move on from this thrilling win to the next game. Because for this season there is a bigger picture. ESPN can talk about this game as long as they'd like, and we as fans, also, but for this season we've got to move on as a team.

I'm encouraged that we didn't play our best game, and we fought like dogs to get a win. That to me was encouraging. We also have to know that there are plenty of things we can do to get better, a lot of them are simply cleaning up mistakes, where we get into situations that are beating ourselves.

I'm highly encouraged.

 

[JCColsCane]

I agree with timo, and I also think we must get Grayson and Marshall more minutes before the ACC & NCAAT's. After seeing what happened to Okafor last night, and the thought of anything happening (God forbid) to Tyus, Quinn, or Matt, we need as much experience and depth as possible.
Would love to see Okafor's playing time Saturday limited as much as possible to help the healing process. I do not want to go into the Tournaments with him having a nagging ankle injury!
I have all the faith in the world in Grayson, and if Marshall will just settle down, he could do alright for spurts.
Go Duke!!


JC-OFC

 

[dukiejay]

Unfortunately, ankle sprains are the very definition of nagging. The only cure is not playing for a prolonged period of time. That isn't happening until the season is over.

The offense being stagnant in the second half had a lot to do with Jah's ankle, IMO. He was just limited in what he could do. And I agree that sometimes hustle isn't always his forte, but last night he was noticeably hobbled in the second half....and I think that played a big role for him.

One of the biggest attributes of this team, and I don't even think it's up for debate, is their mental toughness. We saw that last night, against Virginia, @ Louisville and @ Syracuse. Mentally, this team is as tough as the 2010 team. Hell, our best bench player was dismissed three weeks ago today and he haven't lost since then. And the wins haven't been over sisters of the poor, either.

 

[aah555]

Originally posted by dukiejay:
Unfortunately, ankle sprains are the very definition of nagging. The only cure is not playing for a prolonged period of time. That isn't happening until the season is over.

The offense being stagnant in the second half had a lot to do with Jah's ankle, IMO. He was just limited in what he could do. And I agree that sometimes hustle isn't always his forte, but last night he was noticeably hobbled in the second half....and I think that played a big role for him.

One of the biggest attributes of this team, and I don't even think it's up for debate, is their mental toughness. We saw that last night, against Virginia, @ Louisville and @ Syracuse. Mentally, this team is as tough as the 2010 team. Hell, our best bench player was dismissed three weeks ago today and he haven't lost since then. And the wins haven't been over sisters of the poor, either.

Though, we do have about a month before the NCAA tournament even begins, and 5 weeks before the 2nd weekend. While we obviously can't afford to sit Jah out for a month, the way our schedule sets up does hopefully allow us a little more flexibility to limit his minutes both in practice and games for the next couple weeks -- and we'll probably get a 5 day break before the first round of the ACC tournament. He may not be 100% again this season, but -- assuming he doesn't seriously reinjure it -- I think he should (hopefully) be sufficiently healthy to be highly effective when we need him.

Personally, I'm more concerned about Jah's foul shooting. His foul shooting at ND pretty much cost us that game, and his foul shooting last night in OT nearly did the same again. Have to worry (i) that these performances may negatively impact him in late game situations; and (ii) the mere fact of the inconsistency may prove fatal to us in March. Roy isn't the type of coach to engage in a Hack-a-okafor type strategy late, but I wouldn't be surprised at all to see some coaches try something like that in the second half of games like ND did -- i.e., whenever Okafor gets the ball in scoring position, just foul and send him to the line (particularly if we're in the one-and-one). If we basically can't give Okafor the ball in late game situations b/c we're afraid of him getting fouled, I think it will be very very difficult to see us win a title. Okafor doesn't need to be a 90% foul shooter. But he has to at least be good enough where it doesn't make sense to just give him FT opportunities. He's got to be able to at least get 1-2 each time there (and occasionally 2-2) in important moments for us to really make a run.

 

[timo0402]

Well, the time off for him, meaning he won't be doing extensive labor at practice, and the days off will give him plenty of extra reps at the line.

Look, his form is good, he's just got to get some confidence, hopefully he can get it.

 

[aah555]

Originally posted by timo0402:
Well, the time off for him, meaning he won't be doing extensive labor at practice, and the days off will give him plenty of extra reps at the line.

Look, his form is good, he's just got to get some confidence, hopefully he can get it.

Yes, hard to know whether it can be corrected in the short run (I would guess not). Although he's certainly not always bad, he really hasn't made a ton of foul shots under pressure in late game situations. It's pretty startling to see him shooting 40% from the line over the past 8 games.

 

[JCColsCane]

The thing is, with the training staff at Duke, I don't think it is a matter of prolonged period of time. Depending on the severity of the sprain, he could recover pretty quickly. These kids have already proven that they can do pretty well without him, and with Clemson and VT next, this would be an ideal time to rest him. After all, we are only concerned with the ACC & NCAAT's now. Yes, I know, #1 seed also. We might not get one anyway, and I sure don't want to lose him trying.
I realize that Clemson will be a tough game, and maybe even VT, but I would rather take a loss (if need be), and have a healthy Okafor come Tourney time, than to have to listen to excuses that the offense is stagnant due to his ankle problems.
I honestly believe that this team can beat Clemson & VT without Okafor (naturally would rather have him), and we could sure use some more experience for the bench.
There is no real good answer here, but I wouldn't want Okafor to play on a sore ankle game to game, then lose him for good. What are we trying to accomplish here anyway? Can we not exist without him for a game or two?
This team will rally around each other, no matter what the circumstances, but I definitely want them at full strength and healthy come Tourney time. Remember, we sucked it up last night when we were tired, but the ACCT, you may have to play 3 days in a row! Asking a lot from a young team.
Go Duke!!


JC-OFC

 

[JCColsCane]

Originally posted by BuckinElkin!!:

UNC doubled Jah the whole game with few exceptions except when K went small with just a few minutes remaining.

Really enjoy seeing Duke go small now and then, with and without Okafor in the line up, seems to be a match-up nightmare for most of the teams we play.
When we go small with Okafor, it really eliminates the option of doubling up on him. We all know what happens if you don't double him! Like to see these adjustments along with a little zone, just for a change of pace. Seems to be causing confusion for opposing teams offense.
Go Duke!!


JC-OFC

 

[stanleyduke]

I thought a lot of the problems in the second half had to with Jah's ankle and our guys being a little gassed. UNC recognized this and was sprinting down on offense. Jah wasn't able to get down the court fast and he had almost no lift on defensive rebounds. Like to see the staff get some more minutes for Plumlee and Grayson. I think UNC showed we probably can't afford to get into too many up and down offensive games.

 

[skysdad]

We just need to keep playing hard and consistent. We have a big game with Clemson tomorrow and if we don't look at it as a big game we can get beat at home just like we did against Miami. OFC

 

[bleediteveryday30]

Originally posted by skysdad:
We just need to keep playing hard and consistent. We have a big game with Clemson tomorrow and if we don't look at it as a big game we can get beat at home just like we did against Miami. OFC

^This. And with Jah, if he can play, he should play. If he cannot, he shouldn't. It really is that simple. The pain could be too much and he could re-injure himself or be a liability on the defensive end again. I look for Plumlee to see an increase in playing time come tomorrow. I'd rather Jah rest up and be ready for the long run instead of risking it all now.

 

[KoubekFF]

This is a Duke forum, but since you don't think Gonzaga will ever make the Final Four -- why not? They still have a number of key pieces from the team that earned a 1 seed two years ago, plus a couple notable additions. The '13 team received a bad draw by getting Wichita State in R32, which had the eventual national champion in Louisville on the ropes for most of the game. They've also added one of the most versatile offensive players in the nation in Wiltjer and another decent big man in Sabonis. Although their schedule isn't as close to being as challenging as ours, they still have a number of good wins against SMU, Georgia, St. John's, UCLA, Saint Mary's and BYU. They are two baskets away from being undefeated.