Should Coach K Have Left Irving on the Bench??

• Prescott

  duke played really well in the ACC tournament without Kyrie Irving. The dukies did not play great against Michigan and absolutely tanked the second half of the Arizona game.I know Irving got his, but the other perimeter players, who contributed so much while Irving was out were non-factors. Did the dukies lose some chemistry when Irving started getting serious minutes??
  
  Some of the players who got duke to this point in the season lost serious minutes. Did their attitudes change??Tough call for a coach because Irving is ultra talented.
• Azubuike24

  

  We'll see if he is loyal and returns to school.
• karen lotz

  

  I don't think Irving caused Duke's defense to give up 93 points.
• Prescott

  I don't think Irving caused Duke's defense to give up 93 points.

  I agree, but I also thought that duke's offense in the second half was stagnant because they were all watching Irving do his thing. There wasn't much movement and N. Smith seemed disconnected completely.
• ironman02

  Azubuike24;723733 wrote:We'll see if he is loyal and returns to school.

  That's probably gonna be the negative from this whole situation. Irving will be heartbroken over the loss and will return to school to make it right.
  
  He and Austin Rivers will be quite the backcourt. The loss of Singler and Smith will be tough to overcome though.
• Azubuike24

  

  Hate to say it, but you're right. I actually hope the lockout has some effect on guys staying. Imagine the talent next year some of the traditional powers keep their talent.
• Laley23

  

  Azubuike24;723744 wrote:Hate to say it, but you're right. I actually hope the lockout has some effect on guys staying. Imagine the talent next year some of the traditional powers keep their talent.

  
  Isnt the date to declare before the lock-out would happen though? I guess they could go no agent, but if the draft is still gonna happen (like NFL), thats a huge risk.
• Azubuike24

  

  Yeah it is, but the ability to "wait another year" for the NBA Draft is much easier, especially with less risk of injury.
  
  NFL players, even if a lockout came, would be signed under the OLD CBA, meaning signing bonuses that aren't slotted. There really wasn't anything to persuade players coming into the NFL to think about going back because of the impending labor stoppage.
  
  I think in the NBA, there will be. Not everyone, but if even 30% more stay, it will make the college game that much better. Add to that, next year's high school class is pretty awesome coming in.
  
  Rivers, Teague, Gilchrist, Nash, McAdoo, Christmas, Davis, etc...if we just get some of the great talents to come back another year (like Thompson at Texas is) that would be great.
• hoops23

  

  Yes he should have. Kyrie Irving is the best player on the team, however the team went a LONG part of the season w/o and developed some very good chemistry with Nolan Smith running the point.
  
  When Kyrie came into the picture, Duke jsut didn't look the same and Nolan became lost.
• Hb31187

  

  No, he shouldnt of IMO. Kyrie was the only player for Duke who was on his A game tonight. Best case Scenario if Kyrie sits...Smith drops 28 or 30(same as irving) and they still lose because they played absolutely no defense
• cbus4life

  Idk...
  
  Is Irving the reason the Plumlees turned into giant pussies in the post tonight during the 2nd half?
• georgemc80

  Had to play him. Duke's defense wasn't stellar. But you have to admit that Arizona hit several jumpers that were very well defended. The problem with this loss was the way they lost. I could've accepted a poor shooting percentage from 3. At least they would have resembled a duke offense.
  
  I still think that nobody in the country beats Arizona this particular evening. Underdogs playing a perfect game is what makes this tourney an awesome event.
• se-alum

  

  I don't think Duke gained anything by bringing Irving back. Chemistry is a big part of a team this time a year, and it seems to have completely thrown Duke off.
• vball10set

  far be it for me to question a guy with 900 wins
• thedynasty1998

  

  He had no choice but to play Irving. Irving is a top 3 pick in the NBA draft, and you don't bench a guy like that. Could he have played him less? Yea, maybe. But he isn't the reason they lost. Duke lost because their lack of athleticism was exposed by a team that did whatever they wanted offensively, in the 2nd half.
• Abe Vigoda

  

  Irving destroyed the chemistry. I wash he had not come back.
• thedynasty1998

  

  Duke scored 77 points, I think they were fine offensively and from a chemistry standpoint. They just got exposed defensively. Nolan Smith, Singler, Curry and Kelly are all below average defenders. And the Plumlee's are efficient against nonathletic bigs, however they get exposed when they face bigs of equal talent, which was the case last night.
  
  Hard to blame Irving, as he's probably Duke's best defender.
• rydawg5

  lol... he scored 28 points.
• Prescott

  lol... he scored 28 points.

  What kind of game did Nolan Smith play? What did Seth Curry give duke last night? Irving got his, but at what expense?
• se-alum

  

  rydawg5;724148 wrote:lol... he scored 28 points.

  Jimmer scored 32 last night, but it wasn't good for the team. Scoring points isn't all there is to the game.
• rydawg5

  Prescott;724151 wrote:What kind of game did Nolan Smith play? What did Seth Curry give duke last night? Irving got his, but at what expense?

  
  Oh, Irving caused Nolan Smith to have an off game... maybe irving caused Taylor from Wisconsin to have a bad game too. Some kind of mind voodoo. When Nolan smith would take a shot he'd peak at Irving and wonder why he's not on the bench. Caused him to be off that night.
• rydawg5

  se-alum;724156 wrote:Jimmer scored 32 last night, but it wasn't good for the team. Scoring points isn't all there is to the game.

  
  How do you know? I know they took Florida OT and we aren't fortune tellers to know how it'd gone without the way Jimmer played his game.
• rydawg5

  It's mind blowing that I Hear bitching about Irving playing (who was the best player on the court for Duke) when it was apparent that it was just Arizonas night. They bitch slapped Duke and it wouldn't have mattered if Bobby Hurley was on the court.
• gport_tennis

  rydawg5;724160 wrote:How do you know? I know they took Florida OT and we aren't fortune tellers to know how it'd gone without the way Jimmer played his game.

  
  I would say that because he was 11-29 shooting that it wasn't good for his team.. took to many unnecessary bad shots last night
  
  Sent from my ADR6400L using Tapatalk
• Prescott

  Oh, Irving caused Nolan Smith to have an off game...

  While Irving was out, Nolan Smith was the man with the ball in his hands 80% of the time. When Irving returned to the point Smith had to play without the ball. You don't think that change affected Smith in a negative way?