Game Thread [2021-22] Duke vs. Lafayette

[SeanMayTriedToEatMe]

I think Griffin probably transfers midseason as the coaches will continue to give Roach more playing time over him.

 

[SeanMayTriedToEatMe]

“Hey, if you don’t play me more, I’m transferring. I have a 150 offensive rating.”

“We just think Jeremy gives us a better chance to win. We’ve enjoyed having you in the program.”

 

[mkvl04]

Damn missed this. I see griffin balled out

 

[aiw]

kenpom updates immediately now

 

[rome8180]

I was actually pretty encouraged by this. Offense was disgusting in the 1st half, and Roach sucked. Banchero was mediocre. But Mark seems to be all the way back. And AJ is looking great. Moore has strung together enough of these performances in a row that I'm starting to believe in it. He might be our best overall player at this point.

 

[aiw]

He might be our best overall player at this point.

Insane to even think about, but true.

 

[SeanMayTriedToEatMe]

Moore might be the best overall player in the ACC.

 

[physicsfactor]

AJ coming back from his injury like the Marquis de Lafayette overcoming gunshot wounds to rally the Continental Army at Brandywine

This is the kind of post Axe would love. I will love it for him.

 

[Pantone287]

Holy fucking shit, just finished the second half and still buzzing on that AJ saiyaning. Got such an insta-boner from his first stepback - it was so striking, like he snapped out of amnesia and all at once remembered he was a lottery pick. Really looked like night and day.

I can't think of an outcome that would have made me much happier. Moore and Williams are my two favorite guys to root for, but also (IMO) our two most important players, and both had basically perfect games. Throw in the AJ revelation and life is pretty good.

 

[Pantone287]

Also, AJ seems like the nicest kid ever. Even during the game, you can see him have these little interactions with opposing players where he's helping them up and laughing with them and stuff. Kind of funny and I'm glad we have a bunch of bullies too, but he seems pretty lovable.

 

[Slap the Floor]

 

[SeanMayTriedToEatMe]

Lafayette vs. Duke Box Score (Men), November 19, 2021 | College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com

Lafayette vs. Duke Box Score (Men), November 19, 2021

www.sports-reference.com

Mark continues to be a game-warping eater of worlds type player against bad college competition. We will see if any of this holds up against Gonzaga. These are obscene, broken numbers against Lafayette: 35% OReb, 34% DReb, 21% Blk, 30% Usg, 120 ORtg, 62 DRtg.

Long term (March/April 2022), I hope the coaches can find a way for him to be playable against every good team, regardless of matchups. You can’t leave a Gobert-impact player like this out of a game. They’re should be experimenting with zone defenses a lot more against the dregs in blowouts. There’s no reason for Quin Snyder to not be consulted on how to avoid the mistakes of Quin Snyder with Gobert in the playoffs.

 

[Pantone287]

We've got good enough man defenders this year that I can begrudgingly concede that man as primary defense makes sense, but I will forever die on the hill that, if an opponent successfully schemes to play a gamechanging rim protector like Mark unplayable in your base man, a backup option of zone with him in the middle >>>>>>>> letting the opponent "force" him to the bench in exchange for a less impactful player.

It would be at least slightly debatable if we didn't have 2018 as such an obvious example of how a basic zone around an elite shotblocker can immediately turn even a disastrous K defense into the best in the country. The upside is clearly enormous.

 

[aiw]

Beat #79-->94 Rutgers 53-51 last night.