Toggle sidebar

K strategy this final week of regular season...

H

hart2chesson

Heisman
Oct 13, 2012
14,303
16,574
0
How does THE GOAT play it this week in terms of STRATEGY and ZION.

Lets go on Saturday's K quote of "Zion wasnt close to playing," and to my knowledge not practicing. Lets go a step further and RULE HIM OUT for Wake.If he's out, but makes subsequent progress, does K RISK him vs UNC???

Think about this: we know the likes of Zion is some phenomenon we've never seen, but even the Z is subject to some rust and stamina issues. My point or question: Do two losses to UNC w/o Zion hurt us seed wise as much as one loss w/him to the Cheats AND one loss w/o him? Will the committee take that into account? K could choose to hold him out and unleash him the next week in the tourney.

Beating Duke a 3RD TIME and w/Zion back for the 1ST time would put UNC at a heavy psychological DISADVANTAGE. Just a theory to consider.....

OFC

OFC
 
H

hart2chesson

Heisman
Oct 13, 2012
14,303
16,574
0
Quavarius said:
Winning that second UNC game is VERY important to me. Not for bragging rights, but the winner usually goes far in the tournament. I don’t see us winning that game without Zion.
Click to expand...

Well Q its "VERY important to me" as well buddy. Quite frankly w/o Zion at UNC I realistically view it as a loss, but could see this current group playing a SIGNIFICANTLY MORE COMPETITIVE game than the first time. I think K has adjusted as best as anyone possibly could. I just wonder in LONG RUN (rest of year) if it would in interest of strategy, etc it would perhaps behoove us to hold him out vs UNC..OFC
 
A

AlanInNJ

All-Conference
Feb 25, 2014
1,665
2,462
0
I am sure like most of us I have been all over the map with what's going to happen with Zion. Early on I thought he was out a 2-3 games and would be back with a vengeance vs Clemson or WF. Lately I have been swaying more to the side that we might not see Zion again in a Duke uniform. I am probably being more reactionary than anything. In my heart I agree with Dukiejay in the other thread, I do think he plays, but nothing more than a hunch.

I think the question become prioritizing the season for K. If the ultimate goal is the win the NC, and I think we can generally agree that is the case, then I think he plans his strategy accordingly with that as the end game. Yes, I think seeding is important, but I also think as a fully healthy team we are the favorites by far.

So, my crystal ball now says we don't see Zion until the first NCAA game. K has clearly been plotting, tweaking, and planning over the past few games. I think he assumes no Zion for UNC or for the ACC. I am NOT however counting out the real possibility that we compete very well in both. In case you haven't noticed we have some pretty talented players on the roster.

I'm calling it now.....Duke over UNC in Chapel Hill. Duke over UNC in the ACC semis. Duke loses a tight one to UVA in the ACC champ game. All without Zion.

And then we roll in the NCAA's with Zion.
 
  • Like
Reactions: hart2chesson and dukiejay
D

dukiejay

Heisman
Mar 2, 2005
11,293
16,311
0
It's the ultimate guessing game right now, isn't it?

I was hoping we would see Zion by tomorrow night, at the latest. I think it's still possible, only because one practice with contact and he's ready to go. When K said "he wasn't close", I think he was gauging it by him not going through a contact practice. But, that's just my opinion.

Without Zion we're not a heavy underdog at UNC. It's less likely we win, but we're still a pretty good team. With exception to the game in Blacksburg, we've been pretty damn good on the road. I like that about this bunch. Plus, it's UNC. We'll be focused...whether Zion is in the lineup or not.
 
  • Like
Reactions: hart2chesson and skysdad
L

LetsGoDuke83

All-Conference
Feb 21, 2019
1,549
2,239
0
Without Zion I just don't see how we have a chance Saturday, makes me sick if he misses that game. Would mean him and Kyrie logged a total of 36 seconds against unc in their careers.
 
C

chov1125

All-Conference
Oct 15, 2008
3,044
1,826
73
dukiejay said:
It's the ultimate guessing game right now, isn't it?

I was hoping we would see Zion by tomorrow night, at the latest. I think it's still possible, only because one practice with contact and he's ready to go. When K said "he wasn't close", I think he was gauging it by him not going through a contact practice. But, that's just my opinion.

Without Zion we're not a heavy underdog at UNC. It's less likely we win, but we're still a pretty good team. With exception to the game in Blacksburg, we've been pretty damn good on the road. I like that about this bunch. Plus, it's UNC. We'll be focused...whether Zion is in the lineup or not.
Click to expand...

I think K is playing it close, not revealing much. I see him doing this as a means of not putting undue pressure on Zion. The media is going to scrutinize every word he utters and create expectations based off that. If he says Zion is close and then Zion doesn’t play, that will be twisted in so many ways, most of which will be used against the kid. If he says he’s not close and then plays or doesn’t play, well no harm done. We’ve never seen a college athlete get this much attention, he doesn’t need to enable any expectations whatsoever. If people want to make them, so be it. And they will for sure. But if any situation ever called for a coach not tipping his hand, it is this. Just wouldn’t be fair to the kid.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Hurley22, Quavarius, dukiejay and 2 others
B

BeerPoisoning

Senior
Feb 17, 2019
1,260
980
0
If Zion is ready to play, he will play. There won’t be “seeding strategy” behind it. I get your though process but imagine that conversation... “Well son the medical staff says you’re good to go but just incase you’re rusty and we lose, I’m afraid of losing the 1 seed so I’m going to sit you out.”

As much as I want to beat UNC for bragging rights, I care way more about the ACC T. I’d rather him shake any rust in regular season.
 
H

hart2chesson

Heisman
Oct 13, 2012
14,303
16,574
0
BeerPoisoning said:
If Zion is ready to play, he will play. There won’t be “seeding strategy” behind it. I get your though process but imagine that conversation... “Well son the medical staff says you’re good to go but just incase you’re rusty and we lose, I’m afraid of losing the 1 seed so I’m going to sit you out.”

As much as I want to beat UNC for bragging rights, I care way more about the ACC T. I’d rather him shake any rust in regular season.
Click to expand...

Believe me such a "conversation" would NEVER take place. Talking K's thought process exclusively.. I will order a drink though...JK


OFC
 
D

dadika13

Sophomore
Oct 19, 2007
114
128
43
Yeah I'd bet 15-20 minutes in your blowout against Wake tomorrow then full practice and game for UNC Saturday. Then full speed for the rest of the season.
 
B

BeerPoisoning

Senior
Feb 17, 2019
1,260
980
0
hart2chesson said:
Believe me such a "conversation" would NEVER take place. Talking K's thought process exclusively.. I will order a drink though...JK


OFC
Click to expand...

Gotcha - Hard to tell... You make a good point in your OP. I’d like to think that K would rather him shake off rust sooner rather than later. Losing to UNC regardless of Z’s playing time is crucial to seeding though. The committee definitely gives record-sympathy for losses in seeding but they aren’t going to discredit a conference champ on a hot-streak.
 
  • Like
Reactions: hart2chesson
D

DBM0828

Junior
Jun 6, 2012
222
269
0
I believe that K will give the Crazies one last home game to see Zion. So I'll say that he plays tomorrow at Wake. I'm still in the mindset that, Zion isn't as badly hurt that K suggested. Just a precautionary holdout from these games. But I feel he will get some clock vs Wake, be 100% the rest of the season. I say this because, you wanna be used to playing together again, before Acc tourney and March madness... This team will be full strength and making a push for an Acc championship and 6.
 
  • Like
Reactions: hart2chesson
D

dukiejay

Heisman
Mar 2, 2005
11,293
16,311
0
HuffyJB said:
In addition, with the AD change, you feel like Manning and his players have to know that the end is near.
Click to expand...

If they part with Manning, isn’t Wake forced to pay out nearly $20 million to him? I can’t imagine they have that kind of money just laying around. They’re making an expensive decision.
 
L

LetsGoDuke83

All-Conference
Feb 21, 2019
1,549
2,239
0
dukiejay said:
If they part with Manning, isn’t Wake forced to pay out nearly $20 million to him? I can’t imagine they have that kind of money just laying around. They’re making an expensive decision.
Click to expand...

That and who else is going to want that job? Recruiting against duke, unc, and even ncsu cant be a very desirable job at the moment.
 
D

dukiejay

Heisman
Mar 2, 2005
11,293
16,311
0
LetsGoDuke83 said:
That and who else is going to want that job? Recruiting against duke, unc, and even ncsu cant be a very desirable job at the moment.
Click to expand...

Bingo. It's not like Wake is any kind of destination. Skip Prosser was outstanding and Dino Gaudio had a few nice runs....but even the two of them never did it consistently.
 
  • Like
Reactions: skysdad
H

hart2chesson

Heisman
Oct 13, 2012
14,303
16,574
0
Well they're about to clean house w/that basketball staff A Deacon Club member told me at our civic club luncheon today. Of course talk's just that, but we'll see what happens. Personally I think theres a lot more high energy self-starter type guys than Manning available. You just have to beat the bushes.

Believe it or not there was a time in the 70s (pre Bill Foster) when the Duke job was not an attractive position. End of Bucky Waters era, and I am sure Sky, Dirt remember Neill McGeachy......That was a nightmare, and Foster had to dig us out of there.....OFC
 
  • Like
Reactions: skysdad
L

LetsGoDuke83

All-Conference
Feb 21, 2019
1,549
2,239
0
hart2chesson said:
Well they're about to clean house w/that basketball staff A Deacon Club member told me at our civic club luncheon today. Of course talk's just that, but we'll see what happens. Personally I think theres a lot more high energy self-starter type guys than Manning available. You just have to beat the bushes.

Believe it or not there was a time in the 70s (pre Bill Foster) when the Duke job was not an attractive position. End of Bucky Waters era, and I am sure Sky, Dirt remember Neill McGeachy......That was a nightmare, and Foster had to dig us out of there.....OFC
Click to expand...

Wonder if they would go the Euro/Fiba route and find a top assistant out there, just a thought
 
  • Like
Reactions: hart2chesson
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top Bottom