Playing Time Next Season

[df64]

I also think something was physically wrong with Cam. He started the year hurt. Maybe it was just a bad fit. The games it clicked for him, he looked great.
It also seemed like he got an undeserved reputation for committing charges that just stuck to him all year. PG from MSU shoved off with his off arm every time he touched the ball for 3 straight years and never got called for it. Cam was an automatic charge call every time he attacked the hoop.

 

[HuffyJB]

Didn't Cam play a fair amount of point guard in high school/summer competition?

I wonder if having him run point 10-15% of the time, and/or having him operate as a point forward of sorts in certain half court sets would have helped him get in the flow of the offense more.

What I'm saying is I don't think Cam adjusted as well as he might've for what we needed, but maybe we didn't adjust to his strengths as well as we might've either.

Cam was a guy who had the ball in his hands a ton in high school, and with Duke's personnel makeup he needed to be a catch and shoot guy, and he clearly never got in a full rhythm. It was a completely different role for him, and he struck me as one of those guys who 15 years ago could be a role player early to a few studs (Zion and RJ in his case) and then come back as a sophomore and/or junior as the clear alpha. That is not the state of the game currently though.

 

[AlanInNJ]

 

[df64]

That game winner against FSU and the comeback against the Cards were definitely awesome. He definitely had the ability.

 

[What Would Jesus Do?]

Need some perspective here. Duke has had one season with two players over 22 ppg; 2019, with Williamson and Barrett. Laettner's career best was 21.5, Dawkins 20.2, Brand 17.9, Grant Hill 18.0, Gminski 21.3, Battier 19.9, Spanarkel 20.8, Banks 18.5. Mullins and Heyman (twice) and Gminski and Spanarkel are the only other Duke tandems to hit 20 ppg in the same season. Jason Williams and Battier barely missed in 2001. Ferry and Redick are the only other K-era Duke players to average over 22 ppg. Three of Duke's five NCAA champions did not have a single scorer over 20 ppg.

So, it might make sense to dial back the expectations. As currently constituted there's close to a zero chance that Duke will have two players at or above 22 ppg next season. Doesn't mean it can't be a championship team.

Lot of fun info there. Thanks for doing the work.

 

[bullettoothtony]

Cam was a guy who had the ball in his hands a ton in high school, and with Duke's personnel makeup he needed to be a catch and shoot guy, and he clearly never got in a full rhythm. It was a completely different role for him, and he struck me as one of those guys who 15 years ago could be a role player early to a few studs (Zion and RJ in his case) and then come back as a sophomore and/or junior as the clear alpha. That is not the state of the game currently though.

I agree for the most part.

But what would've been the downside of putting the ball in Cam's hands a little more? Not exclusively obviously, but some. Maybe he does some pick and roll action with Zion. Whatever it is, just something in addition to asking him to be a catch and shoot guy.

Obviously Tre would still be the primary.

I've often heard Coach K talk about players "changing limits." It seems to me, in retrospect, that it was a bit tougher for him to do that because his role seemed to be limited.

I may be wrong, my memory's obviously not perfect. I do remember him having the ball in his hands a few times and forcing drives and turning the ball over. That's partly why I suggested maybe just having him bring the ball up the court 10-15% of the time may have helped him... probably psychologically more than anything.

Again, I'm not saying Cam bears no responsibility for his adjustment or whatever.

 

[christophero]

I think part of the issue was him and RJ were the same type of player at the same position. Only one ball to go around. Maybe when Cam got the ball he felt he needed to go to the hoop, resulting in the charges. An oversimplification perhaps, but we do have a habit of getting multiple guys at the same position. Not that you'd turn down any of those 2, but it does create a challenge. Like Huffy said Cam would have been the alpha his second year, but it never happened. If we get ANY of our lottery picks back for a second year the last 5 years we win a title. Can't blame them for going. Even one of the second round picks back and we could have a title.

 

[dachampishere2]

Cam was put in a position that wasn't for him. He was never a spot up shooter. He's someone who's best with the ball in his hands to either create for himself or his teammates. His best games were the ones that he got to initiate a little more. Whenever we got down in games we would tend to give Cam the ball and he would make big shots. Our problem was we had 3 players with the same strengths and same weaknesses. I don't think RJ should've had the ball as much only because it literally spotlighted Tre's weakness. Individually we were so good it just didn't matter though