Outstanding game on both ends CR. You keep giving us anything close to this and we'll go to another level.
Shout out to Cam
- Thread starter bullettoothtony
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His defense on Chatman was about as good as Tre on Bowman. Cam was exceptional on D and has been really good all season. Guys are finding strides at the perfect time. I’d much rather see this type of play now than in December.
Cam may be even better on D than Tre. Cam is guarding "out of his position" in college. He's ideally suited to guarding true sfs and most PFs in college. In the NBA, he'll be an ideal wing defender, capable of guarding 4 positions at a high level.
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In college, we ask him to guard the opposing team's SG more often than not. Ideally, he'd guard the other team's best wing, period, while RJ locked up the other team's weaker wing scoring threat. RJ is effective enough on D, but he's probably struggle more vs college SGs (which are PG sized and just more mobile than RJ has success vs at this point).
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Cam would be LOCKING DOWN some college wings. He is great on SGs, but he'd be an absolute terror vs true SF.
Cam has been great on D, but I think Tres on-ball pressure makes defense easier on the other 4. Tre makes everyone around him better on both ends.
Tre defense is so good sometimes that when I watch him, I just want to go to the gym and lock somebody up. It’s contagious through the TV
Coach K compared Cam to Grant Hill last night. That’s all I need to hear. Grant was SPECIAL. Of all players he has coached he picked Grant as a comparison. Cam has a bright future as long as he doesn’t get hurt
Agreed OP. Cam has NEVER let his O affect his D and I was glad K mentioned that after the St. John’s game. THESE freshmen are not like our other OADs. They play D and don’t let their O affect their D.
This group is special! Hopefully all incoming classes can start group texts to become THIS close!
This group is special! Hopefully all incoming classes can start group texts to become THIS close!
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It's true. When Tre got hurt you could tell how it effected everyone in their body language. They were worried about him the rest of the Syracuse game and wanted to win for him against Virginia. That's their leader.
Cam and Tre have been very disruptive on D. Just plain helps everything else. Cam has also been very good with deflections. A lot of Zions steels come off of their pressure. Add in the way the bigs have been covering screens and improved help D and things are looking really good. Lots of blocks too. All of this and guys are staying out of foul trouble except for Javin.
Your passive aggressive jabs are always fun to read. Carry on.
I don’t know that I’d say he’s out of position. Just because he’s 6’8 doesn’t mean he isn’t quick enough and can’t get low enough to guard smaller players. On the contrary, I think he’s proven he can do that.
The Grant thing was huge. Haven’t heard that comp since Deng. I think Tatum was mentioned in a sentence with him, but not a mention like that.
He's "out of position" in the sense that he's not playing his ideal position. .
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If a wing can't guard the 1-3, he has no future in this game. That is a basleine requirement for the position. One simply assumes that a wing at Duke can guard those positions at a high level. When they can't, well, we've seen that movies the last few seasons, and it is a real heartbreaker.
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Cam isn't guarding his optimal assignment. In the NBA, it won't matter, because SFs and SGs are interchangeable. In college, most SGs guard move like PGs, making it a tougher assignment.
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How well he's done, out of position, only underscores my argument. If he's done this well guarding guys who aren't his optimal covers, how well will he do vs guys in his wheelhouse?
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Cam is so long and quick and he also communicates well. That's one reason why he stayed on the floor during his little offensive woes he was going through. He always plays defense matter how the offense is going that game. This team shows that Freshmen can commit to defense in college unlike last years team who for what ever reason could not play defense for anything.
We have yet to see Cam's best basketball. It's coming soon, I think the BC game was a sign of what we have in store the rest of the year.
Bad Cam versus Cam playing at an elite level is the difference between Duke being "one of a half-dozen teams having a chance at the title" or "Duke versus the field, it will take an incredible effort and some luck to take down Duke."
Basically...we get the Cam from the UK game, we can't lose, mathematically impossible.
Bad Cam versus Cam playing at an elite level is the difference between Duke being "one of a half-dozen teams having a chance at the title" or "Duke versus the field, it will take an incredible effort and some luck to take down Duke."
Basically...we get the Cam from the UK game, we can't lose, mathematically impossible.
If we get that Cam, and everyone else stays the same, I don't think we have a game in the tourney that we don't win by double digits
Cam may very well have a feast in Charlottesville.
I do get what you’re saying, but I look at the out of position argument as doing something outside of what you’re used to. If he was playing point, or guarding 4’s and 5’s, he’d be out of position. Nothing Cam has had to do this season is out of position to me.
Either way, I think we all can agree that Cam has been an excellent teammate when he isn’t playing well, but has been downright exceptional when he’s on.
I do most humbly beg thine forgiveness. at
Cam is a guy who has been incredibly effective, even when he isn't scoring the ball. Worst case scenario, in the NBA he's a mediocre three point threat, and top tier defender. And he'll be way, way better than "worst case scenario."
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Still, I think once the NBA measures him, we'll find out that he's closer to 6-9 than 6-7, and possibly closer to 6-10 than 6-8. In other words, the prototypical college face up 4. And we're basically playing him at SG. As I said, in the pros it is less of a distinction, because SGs and SFs are basically interchangeable, and PFs are becoming more mobile and perimeter oriented as well. But in college, the vast majority of SGs are PG sized, and are far more mobile than their bigger teammates. It is an incredibly tough cover for a guy whose ideal position in college is PF, and whose NBA position will be SF.
I watch the NBA every night, much more NBA than college ball.
I think the whole comparing a guy to a current NBA player is stupid, for example...there is no one to compare Zion or RJ too.
However.....I've never seen a player in college so closely resemble an NBA guy. Cam IS Paul George. It is scary how similar their traits/games are. Both extremely long, both excellent defenders, both have a great 3 point stroke. Both can defend any position except center. Both are "passive-aggressive." Both don't need the ball constantly to be effective.
Oh, and by the way, Paul George is gonna make either 1st or 2nd Team All-NBA this year, he is an absolute boss.
I think the whole comparing a guy to a current NBA player is stupid, for example...there is no one to compare Zion or RJ too.
However.....I've never seen a player in college so closely resemble an NBA guy. Cam IS Paul George. It is scary how similar their traits/games are. Both extremely long, both excellent defenders, both have a great 3 point stroke. Both can defend any position except center. Both are "passive-aggressive." Both don't need the ball constantly to be effective.
Oh, and by the way, Paul George is gonna make either 1st or 2nd Team All-NBA this year, he is an absolute boss.
So, I think Cam only hit a wall because we were winning too easily.
He seems to always want to take that big shot and he seems to deliver when he takes that big shot. His shots down the stretch yesterday were daggers, particularly the tying 3 and the winning FTs.
Really happy for this kid and excited to see him continue improving.
He seems to always want to take that big shot and he seems to deliver when he takes that big shot. His shots down the stretch yesterday were daggers, particularly the tying 3 and the winning FTs.
Really happy for this kid and excited to see him continue improving.