...he is what he is.
The game was not his fault. He just needs to mature.
The game was not his fault. He just needs to mature.
Leave Tatum alone...
- Thread starter jamsession3
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He is taking a lot of heat but he is trying to do to much but mainly because our upperclassmen are nonexistent except for Jones for a couple of halves.
The kid has guts. I love his confidence and still feel he's going to come up big down the road. Most people couldn't stand Rivers, but I damn sure loved that dagger vs UNX. It's a learning process and I think he is getting better each game. If he makes those two lay ups, no one is blaming him tonight. I didn't like the behind the back dribble at the end, he should of just took it straight to the basket. I thought Rowan was out of position and about to foul.
Too many 3pt shots from our players. Jason must attack the basket and finish with authority, Grayson too. These cute layups suck!
The Tatum talk is complete garbage..... But totally expected this day and age.
Maybe we can have an anti Tatum protest, I hear those are cool these days.
I sure **** won't give up on Duke, or Capel, or Tatum.... But close to throwing it in on this FD up, never satisfied, whiny, needy *** society
I'm 100000x more frustrated with the way a fan base can treat kids and a program when they don't get a result they don't want.
GO DUKE....... Far from Fing Done
Maybe we can have an anti Tatum protest, I hear those are cool these days.
I sure **** won't give up on Duke, or Capel, or Tatum.... But close to throwing it in on this FD up, never satisfied, whiny, needy *** society
I'm 100000x more frustrated with the way a fan base can treat kids and a program when they don't get a result they don't want.
GO DUKE....... Far from Fing Done
Rivers played like he owned Duke. Jason plays like he is a special visitor. There is a difference.
I consider Matty Amile and Grayson upperclassmen. Luke is only a soph but if that's upperclassman then everybody but Luke
Tatum is a cancer to team basketball.
Jason Tatum had an excellent game going until he missed those couple of layups, and I think it mentally affected him. He'll learn and get better, that's what experience is. And we need him, make no mistake about it.
OFC
OFC
Again, he missed two lay ups. Grayson shoots 4-13 and 1-9 from 3 pt line and has 2 turnovers just like Tatum. Tatum gets trashed and it's all his fought, that's pure bull ****.
Pretty much. I think people just need somebody to point their anger at all the time. Tonight it's Tatum. Early in the season it was Matt because he struggled. Two weeks ago it was Bolden. Grayson has obviously had his whole deal. People just are angry and need to point fingers.
I am not going by tonight only. Tatum is a player that will score points but not be a great player. If he has a really good game, it makes you forget what a game stopper is his. He fits horribly with this team. Ingram would eat his breakfast.
New to the boards, but certainly not new to Duke basketball or being diehard fan. That said, I think he showed more of an effort to be more team oriented, tonight. Generally, when you're young and get tight, you revert. I think that's what happened down the stretch tonight. He went back to the 1v1 or 'me' brand that can have big reward or kill game flow.
Rivers produced what? Yes he hit a huge shot that gave us a win against UNC but I remember the same type of play from him that helped cost us a lot of games like it did tonight. Let's not act like that was a good Duke team.
Yep, Matt did hold his guy to only 14 points above his average and that's his specialty...
We win as a team. We lose as a team. I challenge every Duke fan that post here to be a better Duke fan. OFC
Rivers was in a completely different situation. He was asked to be the scorer on a team that had little offensive depth. He may not have been the correct answer throughout the season, but he did what he was asked to.
Tatum, whether it is his fault or not, doesn't have the same qualities. He can rack up some points, but he doesn't bring any leadership qualities at all. He may end up being a hell of an NBA player, but he will never be a difference maker in college.
The 2012 team didn't lose a single road game in the ACC. Not a single one.
Rivers was tough as nails. The 2014 team was, imo, much softer than the 2012 team. Rivers was far and away the best player on his team....I'm not sure the same applies here to Tatum. We needed Austin to be who he was because no one else on that team could. Jayson can draw back....we couldn't afford Austin to do the same. Too many people harp on the 2012 because of their loss to Lehigh....which is understandable because it shouldn't have happened, but they fail to see that was a team that was pretty good during the conference season and made a habit of winning tight, close games.
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If we're pointing fingers, shouldn't the first finger be pointed at K and staff?
I mean they spend a lot of time recruiting and looking at and into these young men! If Tatum was doing something so wrong why wouldn't he sit? Matt went to the bench, Allen and Luke as well.
This is a complete " TEAM" problem and I always thought team meant, Together everyone accomplishs more!"
I mean they spend a lot of time recruiting and looking at and into these young men! If Tatum was doing something so wrong why wouldn't he sit? Matt went to the bench, Allen and Luke as well.
This is a complete " TEAM" problem and I always thought team meant, Together everyone accomplishs more!"
There is a lot of blame to go around, whether it be coaching, Grayson, or anyone else on the team. But Tatum does deserve his fair share of blame. He is a ball stopper and that does not fit our offense well. He is a great individual talent but at this point in time I don't feel he is making us better. That can change, obviously but it needs to in a hurry.
Got it. We will defer to you instead of a former beat writer for the team.
If Tatum would use his ability to kick the ball out on the drive he would be great, he has guys standing open everywhere and continues to barrel out of control down the lane, he needs to remember this isn't high school anymore he isn't the biggest guy on the floor.
I'll be honest again....I thought Tatum was really good last night for the first 32 minutes. He got away from doing what frustrated me when watching other games. And in his defense, even in the last eight minutes he was getting the shots he absolutely needs make.
In two instances, once when we were up seven and another time when we were up five, he made spectacular plays to get at the rim, only to miss. I'm more frustrated he completely blew those chances than I am in him taking the shots. Both of those plays were at point-blank range and shots he must finish. Like I've said all year....he has been a ball-stopper at times, but last night I thought he played more within the flow of the offense. He just couldn't finish plays. He makes those two baskets, hell, even one of them, and there's a good chance Duke wins the game.
In two instances, once when we were up seven and another time when we were up five, he made spectacular plays to get at the rim, only to miss. I'm more frustrated he completely blew those chances than I am in him taking the shots. Both of those plays were at point-blank range and shots he must finish. Like I've said all year....he has been a ball-stopper at times, but last night I thought he played more within the flow of the offense. He just couldn't finish plays. He makes those two baskets, hell, even one of them, and there's a good chance Duke wins the game.
DukieJay, you're completely right on Tatum. It was the best he had played all season. I thought the starting 5 actually moved the ball around better than any group on the floor. Tatum missing those two lay ups were huge, but I thought Grayson missing the 3's were even bigger.
Tatum was our best rebounder on the floor last night. Yes the missed lay-ups and last play were devastating, but he was not the reason we lost.
Matt Jones played the most minutes last night, now I understand he was the only guy with a chance of slowing down Smith JR, but he should not be playing 13 minutes more than Frank, and 7 more than Luke.
Matt Jones played the most minutes last night, now I understand he was the only guy with a chance of slowing down Smith JR, but he should not be playing 13 minutes more than Frank, and 7 more than Luke.
My reaction to Irving gushing over Tatum at the Florida game; was a cautious one. Sure he had a strong performance but arguably only 3rd best that night. Yet he stole the headlines. Locker rooms that are not clear with roles/leadership can be slightly derailed by outside factors even when it's positive attention. Kennard, Allen and Amile are all more important to our success in 2017 than the 1 & Dones but yet the youngsters will most likely be floating in wealth this time next year. It is an uncomfortable dynamic.
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I, assuming unlike most on this board, am a Duke fan first, NBA fan second. I really could care less about programs outside of Duke. However this is a fantastic post.
We as a program have fully embraced the 1-and-done era (face it, we have) and we have to live with the uncomfortable dynamic that exists.
Now, I love how we recruit, and how we blend 1-and-dones with vets. Seems to make every March more unpredictable for us, but at least we aren't peaking in January and being bounced in the Sweet16 each year.
He's our most talented. I'm not sure he's our best when looking at it from the team dynamic, though.
He ain't our most talented player either. If you say that on "potential" fine but otherwise just no