Eric Is The Duke Prophet

I never like saying Eric is right about anything.  But if I don't tell him directly, Eric makes damn sure you know he was right by reminding you 10 times in the first 15 minutes of seeing him. As I begin to talk about the Duke Blue Devils, everything Eric said here came to fruition in the final 4 minutes of the Duke-Michigan game on Sunday afternoon. The chemistry seemed to be lackluster, and the Blue Devils looked out of sorts. I blame Coach K for a decision that I hope is not the future for this team in next week.

During the final two minutes, Coach K gave Kyrie Irving the keys to the offense even though it has been Nolan Smith's ride for most of the year. It's like if my parents gave my car to my younger sister because she is the better driver of the kids in the family. This might be true, but it still doesn't warrant taking something away that rightfully belongs to the other person. I could sense the team had some confusion having the offense run through another player not named Nolan Smith. Even the biggest Duke Fan has to recongize the newfound problems with Duke's late game possessions.

I felt the Blue Devils lacked any sort of motion in their offense, and it had a lot to do with Irving not splitting the 1-3-1 zone. I agree he opens up chances on the perimeter, but only goes so far when facing a zone.  I am not saying Irving doesn't deserve to be on the court, I would just rather have Smith running the point and Irving being the off-guard. It seems like a logical decision that Coach K would make, instead of his Rick Barnas-like choice to let Irving control the team.

The best thing about Duke's near meltdown (remember Michigan ended the game on a 13-2 run) is this will probably not happen for the remainder of the tournament. Kyle Singler and Smith missing free throws like they did was uncharacteristic, and I hope when Duke faces another close game, the offense will be all about Smith, not Irving.

-Charlie.

Not So Fast Blue Devil Nation

Coach K announced on Tuesday that freshman point guard Kyrie Irving could return to action in Duke's opening round game against Hampton.  Irving hasn't seen any action since injuring his toe on December 4th.  Jay Bilas was on Mike and Mike this morning and said that Irving's return would make Duke the front runner to win the national championship.  But, as Coach Corso would say, "NOT SO FAST MY FRIEND"



Irving's injury forced Nolan Smith to move over to the point, a move that has resulted in Smith being a top candidate for National Player of the Year honors.  Does Duke really want to take the ball out of his hands at the most critical time of the season?  Coach K has said that if Irving does play, he won't start and would likely see limited action.  But, you have to assume that he would at some point be on the floor with Smith and the Dukies could have an identity crises.  Teams spend the entire season figuring out each player's role and getting accustomed to a certain rotation.  The last thing you want come tournament time is your guys not knowing what is expected of them.  Coach K is a great coach and I'm sure he has discussed this with his guys, but it still has to worry you as a Duke Fan.

The best example I can come up with to demonstrate this is the 2009 NBA Finals.  The Orlando Magic won the Eastern Conference with all-star point guard Jameer Nelson watching from the sidelines with an injured shoulder.  Nelson came attempted a comeback for the finals and the Magic got ran by the Lakers.  Granted, the Lakers were a better team anyways and would have probably won anyways, but the Magic looked out of sync the entire series. 

If I was a Duke fan, I think I would prefer to see Irving keeping the bench warm this March.  Not only will the team fare better in the tournament, but Irving not playing this season all but guarantees he will be back for his sophomore year.