***DUKE VS. FLORIDA POST-GAME THREAD***

dukehokie

All-American
Jun 27, 2005
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Big win for the boys tonight. Luke and Amile carried the team for much of the night.

Jayson came alive in the second.

Grayson despite an awful shooting night, found a way to be effective.

Defense was good in places and rough in spots as well.

All-around a nice showing in MSG.

What were your takeaways from the game tonight?
 
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OldasdirtDevil

Heisman
Nov 16, 2009
19,469
15,753
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Big win for the boys tonight. Luke and Amile carried the team for much of the night.

Jayson came alive in the second.

Grayson despite an awful shooting night, found a way to be effective.

Defense was good in places and rough in spots as well.

All-around a nice showing in MSG.

What were your takeaways from the game tonight?

My take, Dukehokie, is that this team has a very high ceiling. Can't predict what will happen, but this team has a good shot at cutting down the nets in the NCAA tourney.

OFC
 

2 skerz 3_rivals208847

All-American
Mar 7, 2011
48,400
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Jayson=awesome
Luke=awesome
Amile=awesome

Matt has to at least help us some on offense.

Bolden needs to earn his minutes

Jeter will continue to improve (althougj min. Will shrink)

Frank has to shoot it better from perimeter, similar to Matt.

LETS GO DUKE!!!!!!!!
 

dukehokie

All-American
Jun 27, 2005
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My take, Dukehokie, is that this team has a very high ceiling. Can't predict what will happen, but this team has a good shot at cutting down the nets in the NCAA tourney.

OFC

This team has a great shot because they can play in multiple ways and they have so many different guys who can take over on any given night. Matchup nightmares abound.
 
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timo0402

Heisman
Feb 24, 2009
13,868
13,709
57
Sloppy at parts like I expected. Almost nailed the game score. Florida hit a lot of threes to keep it closer than it could have been, credit to them.

Grayson is hurting, has little explosiveness but like you said he finds other ways and hopefully with the addition of these other guys he will get some easier looks to get him going.

If you were a Duke fan tonight and have been waiting for glimpses of what we can be, the last four minutes or so of the first half and the stretch in the second where Luke and Jay were going nuts- will show you a small bit of what can happen.

What more can you say about Amile, he reminded me of Shane on Defense and not even sure who to compare him to on offense but he was spectacular. Very good win.
 
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dukehokie

All-American
Jun 27, 2005
19,624
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Jayson=awesome
Luke=awesome
Amile=awesome

Matt has to at least help us some on offense.

Bolden needs to earn his minutes

Jeter will continue to improve (althougj min. Will shrink)

Frank has to shoot it better from perimeter, similar to Matt.

LETS GO DUKE!!!!!!!!

I think it's obvious at this point Matt will help on O some nights and some he won't. But I'm ok with that because his offense is option 5 maybe even 6 on this team.

Frank is going to be inconsistent from 3 all season. However, unlike Matt, he has the athleticism in his tool belt to help supplement any shooting woes. I wish he would play his mid-range game some. He actually has a really pretty mid-range.
 

Mpm277

All-Conference
Nov 23, 2010
7,445
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Got to give some credit to Grayson, his shot wasn't falling but found other ways to make an impact by getting his teammates open looks. He racked up 8 assists. For a guy who has a scoring mentality it's pretty impressive to see him adapt when things aren't working well.

Oh, I absolutely agree. It wasn't a shot at Grayson; I actually meant it in a way to demonstrate how many options we have when it comes to scoring.
 

Guy Smiley

Junior
Jan 5, 2012
2,864
297
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Tatum's defense and rebounding played a large part in building the first half lead. We looked like a team trying to figure it out a little with Tatum in, Allen playing hurt, etc. Still, we pretty much coasted to a 10 pt. win over a ranked team in MSG. If Giles comes back and is anything like he is hyped up to be, look out.

Bolden needs to show me something. He looks lazy out there.
 
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timo0402

Heisman
Feb 24, 2009
13,868
13,709
57
I think it's obvious at this point Matt will help on O some nights and some he won't. But I'm ok with that because his offense is option 5 maybe even 6 on this team.

Frank is going to be inconsistent from 3 all season. However, unlike Matt, he has the athleticism in his tool belt to help supplement any shooting woes. I wish he would play his mid-range game some. He actually has a really pretty mid-range.
I think Frank will have the biggest adjustment to make with these guys coming back. Matt doesn't take many shots and just finds room in the corner and let's the other guys opperate after bringing the ball up. Frank is a slasher and a scorer. He had a ton of opportunities when these guys were out so now he needs to adjust.
 

timo0402

Heisman
Feb 24, 2009
13,868
13,709
57
Tatum's defense and rebounding played a large part in building the first half lead. We looked like a team trying to figure it out a little with Tatum in, Allen playing hurt, etc. Still, we pretty much coasted to a 10 pt. win over a ranked team in MSG. If Giles comes back and is anything like he is hyped up to be, look out.

Bolden needs to show me something. He looks lazy out there.
I think that is pretty unfair of Bolden. Give the kid a chance my goodness.
 

dukehokie

All-American
Jun 27, 2005
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I think Frank will have the biggest adjustment to make with these guys coming back. Matt doesn't take many shots and just finds room in the corner and let's the other guys opperate after bringing the ball up. Frank is a slasher and a scorer. He had a ton of opportunities when these guys were out so now he needs to adjust.

Frank is going to be much better when Jayson starts with Luke and Grayson and Frank comes in off the bench as the backup to one of those three as a third scorer. I think he will also thrive on playing with Marques and maybe even Harry because he gets so low with penetration, having a big to send a bail out pass adds an extra dimension to his game.
 

hallside

Junior
Sep 18, 2005
850
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I have complete confidence K knows what he is doing, but I really thought we would see a deeper bench this year. I just don't understand why we resort to the 6-man rotation so much, this year especially. I know Bolden is on a minute ceiling but he had what, 5 today? Only way to build trust is to play them in these situations.

Otherwise, it was great to see Tatum light it up in the second half (16 points on 4 shots??!!). Luke is turning into the offensive juggernault we all knew he could be, and IMO is becoming a better defender every game. Amile is just giving that Senior effort on both ends and is really turning heads. I feel bad for Grayson because he depends on his athleticism so much, but just can't do what he normally can with his foot. That said, he is our best passer and he showed that missing shots will not hinder his effectiveness as a team player.

Florida surprised me in the second half and showed great effort. Those threes they made kept them in the game, I couldn't believe how effective they were from there. Good win against a tough team.
 

dukehokie

All-American
Jun 27, 2005
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I didn't say he won't be good. I just said he looks lazy out there. It's just an honest opinion.

He missed some hustle opportunities, but he could be being told not to go all out yet. Against Maine he was all over the place. His motor used to be an issue in high school, but he had seemed to fix that this summer.
 

timo0402

Heisman
Feb 24, 2009
13,868
13,709
57
Frank is going to be much better when Jayson starts with Luke and Grayson and Frank comes in off the bench as the backup to one of those three as a third scorer. I think he will also thrive on playing with Marques and maybe even Harry because he gets so low with penetration, having a big to send a bail out pass adds an extra dimension to his game.
I agree I am just saying it will take him some time to adjust since it's a new role.
 
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mo.st.dukie

Junior
Jan 20, 2007
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I didn't say he won't be good. I just said he looks lazy out there. It's just an honest opinion.

He's not lazy, just not quite back into game shape. K said after the Maine game that Marques hadn't done anything in 5 weeks. He was medically cleared the night before the Maine game. It'll take him a bit to get back into things. All the reports about him in the preseason were that he is a long, active presence in the paint. The NBA scouts were impressed with his play during the open practice/pro days. Just give him some time to get back to where he was in October.
 

Guy Smiley

Junior
Jan 5, 2012
2,864
297
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He missed some hustle opportunities, but he could be being told not to go all out yet. Against Maine he was all over the place. His motor used to be an issue in high school, but he had seemed to fix that this summer.

I don't think Coach K would ever put a guy in a competitive game and tell him not to go all out. Now, Bolden might be physically sluggish coming off the injury. That's my hope-that he's just not physically back yet. We'll see, but I prefer Jeter because he plays hard.
 
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timo0402

Heisman
Feb 24, 2009
13,868
13,709
57
I didn't say he won't be good. I just said he looks lazy out there. It's just an honest opinion.
Right you're entitled to it but my point is he only played two min. He was very solid in the Maine game. Before he got hurt he was playing fantastic.
 

dukehokie

All-American
Jun 27, 2005
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I have complete confidence K knows what he is doing, but I really thought we would see a deeper bench this year. I just don't understand why we resort to the 6-man rotation so much, this year especially. I know Bolden is on a minute ceiling but he had what, 5 today? Only way to build trust is to play them in these situations...

I think it comes down to lack of practice. I think the more these guys practice, the more you'll see Marques and Chase and maybe even Javin and/or Vrank from time to time. Down the stretch of games, K is always going to play whoever is out there grinding, maybe pop them out for a quick rest. I think we'all see a solid 9 if everyone is healthy. No way Marques, Harry, Frank and Chase can't find the floor behind Matt, Amile, Grayson, Luke, and Jayson.
 
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dukehokie

All-American
Jun 27, 2005
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I don't think Coach K would ever put a guy in a competitive game and tell him not to go all out. Now, Bolden might be physically sluggish coming off the injury. That's my hope-that he's just not physically back yet. We'll see, but I prefer Jeter because he plays hard.

He told Brand that very thing early in his comeback in '98-'99. I'm not saying he's telling him not to go out and play for his team, but I have seen coaches tell a recently injured player to let "player x" get down for a ball instead.

I don't know if you were able to catch the Maine game or not, but Marques was just a hound all over the ball and floor and what not. He hasn't been practicing and it did look like it he pulled up lame after a couple of those plays (calves mainly).

My main point, I think Marques has done enough since the summer to prove he's shaken the lazy stigma.
 

Guy Smiley

Junior
Jan 5, 2012
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He told Brand that very thing early in his comeback in '98-'99. I'm not saying he's telling him not to go out and play for his team, but I have seen coaches tell a recently injured player to let "player x" get down for a ball instead.

I don't know if you were able to catch the Maine game or not, but Marques was just a hound all over the ball and floor and what not. He hasn't been practicing and it did look like it he pulled up lame after a couple of those plays (calves mainly).

My main point, I think Marques has done enough since the summer to prove he's shaken the lazy stigma.

I did watch the Maine game (I watch every game, usually twice lol). Bolden didn't impress me much in that one, but it was his first game. It's not the performance so much as the intensity level. Vrank has way less ability, but that kid plays hard. I want to see Bolden play like somebody stole something from him.

Again, I'm not writing the kid off, I just want him to show me something.
 
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gottagonow

All-Conference
Apr 14, 2010
4,838
2,739
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hokie my take on the game is we were still a bit ragged at times due to disruption caused by injuries, too many mistakes to call us a great team but we are slowly coming around and we are going to be great eventually. So blessed to have the number of weapons we have and amazed how Amile and Luke are playing and so hyped over Tatum. I think Grayson will be fine and he's just in a little funk right now.
I think its important to remember that our coaches are still trying to figure who to play.
 
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BlueDevils725

Junior
Jan 12, 2015
348
292
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Luke is one with the force now...
Tatum is an absolute beast defensively and offensively....
Amile is also an absolute beast...
Bolden looks slow and not playing with much intensity as of yet, he looked so pissed on the bench.

After this game though I think non Duke fans may have crapped their pants.
 
Jan 19, 2014
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First post of the new season. Whoa this roster might be more talented than the 2015 Title Team. I have a feeling the regular season will be more enjoyable also.

Kennard's rise is especially important because it is doubtful we will have a go to point guard this postseason. I love our length and versatility.
 

Dukesince90

Senior
Nov 27, 2013
1,975
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I loved watching Tatum able to rebound and bring the ball up court so quickly. That will be a nightmare to defend with the shooters we have.
I agree with OAD the ceiling for this team is higher than I can ever remember for a Duke team. I'm anxious to see Giles added to the mix, holy moly!
 

Laettner

All-Conference
Mar 11, 2002
6,249
1,390
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Luke is an offensive assassin. Tatum is a matchup nightmare for opposing teams. Amile is Battier type leader. Grayson needs to get healthy. Frank needs to play more, Jones cannot run the point.
 
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Get Nasty

Junior
Jul 26, 2006
793
243
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Amile- Awesome in every aspect of the game. Hope he cuts down on his travels. He might have 20 this year (not all were travels though).

Tatum - Started poor then was awesome on both ends for the last 25 minutes. I do think he doesn't have his explosiveness back yet, he would have had a dunk or two but he went for lay ins. His defense and rebounding are going to be huge because of his length and feel for the game.

Luke - Playing at such a high level offensively. One of his better games defensively against a solid team, i didn't seem he get burned too much.

Grayson - Really poor first half. Terrible shot selection. K post game said grayson is just rushing everything and trying to score too hard. It's crazy because Grayson probably took 4 drives to the hoop and I don't think the ball even hit the rim once, he was just throwing it up. End of the first half and 2nd grayson looked for others more so hopefully he got the message.

Frank - Played kinda blah. Didn't shoot well. He is still learning when to attack or not. My problem with what's happening now is I think Frank should be playing over Matt more to get through some of these growing pains. He clearly is extremely talented and is our best option at PG.

Matt - It was 4 on 5 on offense last night, I don't know what else to say. I also thought it was his worst game defensively of the year, and he made a few bone head plays that he normally doesn't make, yet he still logged 36 minutes. That's just absolutely crazy to me. Matt will struggle vs athletic teams, Florida was an athletic team.

Not enough sample size to form an opinion on anyone else.

K clearly stated they just aren't practicing, and to me that shows at the beginning of games, even against maine. Although I don't completely agree with the lineup, I'm pretty sure you'll see grayson, luke, matt, tatum, amile start vs UNLV.

What kept the game close was the fact Florida shot the ball really well from 3, and they made more FTs than we attempted.
 
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dadecodevil

Junior
Aug 4, 2009
1,645
347
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My two takes are:
1. Florida is a pretty impressive squad. They had really good guard play and some athletic big men that hit their free throws, and a few wing slashers that were not scared. They are going to give the Wildcats and Gamecocks a run for their money.

2. The worry about Tatum interrupting the chemistry was just that, a worry. He fit in greatly with our guys that have been playing. It bodes well for future recruits as well to see how flawlessly you can implement three alpha dogs on the court, watch them share the rock and win games. I am interested to see Giles get out there and do his thing and see if/when he takes over a starting spot. Even without him, we have a great shot at cutting down those nets.
 
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dukehokie

All-American
Jun 27, 2005
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My two takes are:
1. Florida is a pretty impressive squad. They had really good guard play and some athletic big men that hit their free throws, and a few wing slashers that were not scared. They are going to give the Wildcats and Gamecocks a run for their money.

2. The worry about Tatum interrupting the chemistry was just that, a worry. He fit in greatly with our guys that have been playing. It bodes well for future recruits as well to see how flawlessly you can implement three alpha dogs on the court, watch them share the rock and win games. I am interested to see Giles get out there and do his thing and see if/when he takes over a starting spot. Even without him, we have a great shot at cutting down those nets.

I was one of those worried about the chemistry with Tatum and like you said, no need for worry. He fit in like a puzzle piece. My man was clinical down the stretch.
 
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CRAZIE4LIFE

All-Conference
Feb 16, 2011
3,748
3,452
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Bolden looked great at CTC and the exhibition he was in. He just has to get his rhythm and confidence built up. He hardly practiced before the Maine game if he got too at all. I think by ACC time he will be fine. Jackson is going to have to learn his role with all the changes in the lineup. He will be fine, we seen glimpses of it in the earlier games.
Matt...keep play D, who care is you don't score
The rest of the team Bravo
 
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Duke-23

Redshirt
Dec 5, 2016
119
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My takeaways
Kennard
Jefferson
Tatum
are our 3 permanent starters going forward imo! Good golly molly theses guys are great on offense and defense especially Tatum.The other 2 spots are a unknown Lol i would start Jackson and bolden/Allen I guess .hell I don't know but the 3 up top are a lock imo the rest of the season. i don't know why anyone here is worried about boldens confidence or calling him lazy.or k not trusting him.He hasn't practiced in 5 weeks and we just so happen to play a really fast transition offense team. I'm not worried about him at all.he will be a starter imo by acc play or first off the bench when he gets back into game shape.
Matt jones - he just continues to stay on the floor with all of the talent we have some kind of way. He doesn't help us on the boards ,he can't run the point,he doesn't score.i love him but even he would say when everybody gets healthy enough we have better offensive players who rebound better,who are just as good defensively and much bigger then him to be getting the minutes he's getting
The same for jeter.which that only took Tatum getting healthy to put him on the pine lol
Overall I'm happy. Hopefully these next couple of games K works on getting our guys that are going to be playing extending minutes for us some chemistry,instead of going deep into the rotation early and resting people these next couple of games.
Cheers! It's gonna be an exiting season and really fun to watch by acc play! Hell it already is!!
Ps.tatum just looks like a man playing amongst men out there holy moly. When Jackson builds his confidense he's gonna be a beast also.
Allen will be ok 8 assists I love it
 
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HuffyJB

All-Conference
Jan 13, 2005
5,931
3,890
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As players get more acclimated and cohesive, it is exciting to think about a line-up like Allen, Kennard, Jackson, Tatum, and Jefferson. Outside of UCLA and the way they are playing offensively, no team in the country can put up a group as difficult to guard.
 
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Showenuff

Heisman
Nov 21, 2006
21,624
14,224
0
Still a team in progress. None of us have even seen the final version. As we plug in players one by one, it will be sloppy. But still, there's almost always 5 highly talented players out there continuously so the winning will continue. Luke has gone to another level and I don't think he's the type of player who reverts. He's locked in now, the best thing about him is he's comfortable. He rushes nothing. His shots are never forced, he waits for the right time and if it's not there he has no problem dumping it off. He also makes some fantastic passes. I've always hated his defense but now, even that is climbing. The injection of Tatum is a REAL game changer. This kid is a presence on the court. He's tall long and strong. He creates so many problems for opposing defenses it's pitiful. He is by no means there yet but he seemed to start purring there towards the end. Once his confidence reaches 100%, this team is going to be ridiculous. Amile. My GOD man ! Amile ate all of his Wheaties this season. Even the big men cant handle him. His determination is unwavering. He is rebounding like a beast. And he is verbally leading the team now, it's not even a question who the General is out there. He was barking out orders and our team was responding. I absolutely love it. I think Graysons little slip is simply his having to adjust to not being the main option every single play now. I think he will make it and he will be fine. I love his will to win. His assists clearly showed him recognizing what was going on. He's a winner. Frank is still in Freshmen mode. He has ability that is amazing but he's still not letting loose yet. You can see him second guessing out there, I think he to gets through that soon. I love that kid. Matt will be Matt.He's the old school give you the D and make a big play when you need it. I think he had an off night but he's still an important piece of this puzzle. As for Bolden, I feel he has the farthest journey. Giles , Jackson and Tatum are ready, but he's still got the biggest learning curve ahead. As long as Amile is out there killing the bigs, he's not going to get the time Amile does. There will be times Amile is in FT or worn and Bolden can make his move then. He's got to learn how to not foul so much though, it's really gonna hurt him. I don't know what to think when Giles returns. Another difficult adjustment for sure. K has a lot on his plate. If the GEL does happen for this group, good God it's going to be fun to watch. That's going to be turning into really ugly blowouts of the opposition. I hope we get connected and catch rhythm by ACC play. We can really be special this season.
 

Duke-23

Redshirt
Dec 5, 2016
119
18
0
When Giles comes back it will be .Jackson kennard Jefferson Tatum ..how do you defend that .simple you can't ...I kinda like the idea though of Grayson running some point .so hell man I don't know good luck K! I'm just going to sit back and enjoy! Only way we lose this year will be if we beat ourselves .i don't see anybody flat out beating us imo.
It's funny listening to opposing coaches say just a subtle and calm.."they just got too much talent" lol