Does Zion make our struggles go away

[LouisiAaron]

Zion definitely mask a lot for this team. He is the final piece to the puzzle. He's the best two way player in the country. With him we are complete. We are not a perfect team but we're still the best. It would be unfair if this team had multiple knockdown shooters. This team is a great team when we have all of our pieces. Miss one player and the dynamic changes especially if it's Zion or Tre.

Coach K has done a good job with this team. SInce Zion has been hurt he has made some questionable decisions but overall he has done a good job with these freshmen

 

[dukesince91]

All this stuff about developing players in games is crazy to me. You play the best as much as possible and get them use to playing together especially if you're only going to have them one year. You take the team 8 miles down the road and have them play without 3 of their starters for many games and I guarantee you that they have a lot more losses than just 4.

 

[TheDude1]

YES.

 

[LouisiAaron]

All this stuff about developing players in games is crazy to me. You play the best as much as possible and get them use to playing together especially if you're only going to have them one year. You take the team 8 miles down the road and have them play without 3 of their starters for many games and I guarantee you that they have a lot more losses than just 4.

Exactly. 5 players will play 30+ minutes in the tournament. We're trying to win games

 

[dukehokie]

Please call me a homer and naive, but IMO, this team has better pieces now than they did right when Zion went out. The only caveat is that Tre has been thrust into the uncomfortable position of becoming a go-to scorer.

But Alex is better than he was 2 weeks ago, it seems Jack is at least mentally better, Ques is better if he’s healthy, Cam is at the very least the same, and RJ is better all around. Add a rested Zion to that and I personally think this group is better than they were 2 weeks ago when Zion was truly masking some issues.

This isn’t the team that stomped Kentucky, but at the very least, they are more mature. Talent and maturity can go a long a way.

 

[hart2chesson]

I want to point out that while he hasn't been scoring with great efficiency, I thought Jones did a GREAT job taking the ball to rim last night in the spread a couple times. He doesn't need to make a ton of 3's. Realistically, right now that's not his strong suit. But if he can at least attempt a couple 3's to keep his defender honest and then get to rim a few times a game plus hit some foul shots he becomes a solid contributor on offense. He was 4-8 from the field last night with 13 points!

Think you really hit on solid point here. Also it seems to me Tre shoots the 3 from CORNER the best. Tre will definitely be an important piece of our offense per how much success we have in going far in the NCAAs. Seems like one of our more reliable FT shooters too, so yes if he can get to hoop and draw contact thats another bonus.

OFC

 

[timo0402]

Please call me a homer and naive, but IMO, this team has better pieces now than they did right when Zion went out. The only caveat is that Tre has been thrust into the uncomfortable position of becoming a go-to scorer.

But Alex is better than he was 2 weeks ago, it seems Jack is at least mentally better, Ques is better if he’s healthy, Cam is at the very least the same, and RJ is better all around. Add a rested Zion to that and I personally think this group is better than they were 2 weeks ago when Zion was truly masking some issues.

This isn’t the team that stomped Kentucky, but at the very least, they are more mature. Talent and maturity can go a long a way.

It has forced K to figure out who he can trust in the post season. It’s allowed some guys to elevate their previous positions to ones we can look to as strengths rather than question marks. It’s also allowed us to firmly understand what we can expect from a few others. While K has made some “questionable moves” i think it’s all in the name of trying to figure out what he’s got to work with. Certainly won’t slways be pretty, certainly not always going to be correct. But this has given him basically five full games and what will be three weeks come next Thursday to figure out the perfect balance for all the ingredients he has going forward. I trust him to make this work.

 

[shicashicu]

ONE WORD.....YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[shicashicu]

Zion absolutely makes every problem but 3 point shooting go right away. As much as he helps us on defense with blocks/steals that turn directly into transition buckets, and as much as he helps us on offense with said transition buckets, easy scores inside and simply taking so much of the attention, thus making everyone else's job easier; he may help even more in a 3rd category.

Zions energy, intensity, confidence and all around intangibles, brings every player on the court with him to another level.

It's always humorous how short people's memory is with things like this. Whenever Tarhole fans(or any other team's fans)get caught up in Duke looking average without Zion to the point that they say, "this team has been exposed and even Zion can't fix all their flaws," all you have to say is remember some of their best players ever and take them off that team and how would you be? Take Hansblow off the team and how would the Holes have been? Any of the greatest players ever, you take them off that team and the team normally becomes average.

Just stop

 

[GAAP_rivals]

...While K has made some “questionable moves” i think it’s all in the name of trying to figure out what he’s got to work with...

That's an important point. The post-game armchair critics have the benefit of 20/20 hindsight. K does not have that luxury. I'm pretty sure K is dedicated to maximizing the team's performance.

 

[christophero]

Yes.