I think that player development — especially with regards to bigs — has hurt our team, as well as other teams, more than it ever did in The Beforetimes. Our guys are just now developing the chemistry that would have manifested months earlier.
And yes... some players look to have had an adverse affect on that chemistry. Specifically, I’m thinking of players who, during the Coronapocalypse, sought to raise their own draft status at the expense of everyone else on the team. And, this problem is clearly not unique to Duke.
I get it. The world is, from their vantage point, likely screwed. Again? I get it. But, if you come to play on a team, sometimes you have to subordinate things to make the team better.
Williams looks like he’s going to have the potential to become a special player. He’s not there yet. Syracuse was the perfect scenario for a coming out party, as was predicted by one of the articles here. The bigger test comes in a little over a week. I am not sure if he’s going to be a huge impact there or not, yet I hope he plays with all the confidence he’s gained of late.
But... here’s where it gets interesting. Imagine him next year, with 20 extra pounds of muscle, having worked out with our conditioning team for a solid year.
We knew Johnson was gone after this season, rain or shine. And, given the stakes, Hurt is likely gone as well. But the rest? It’s conceivable that they all return... including Goldwire.
That’s kinda scary.
