Re: Duke Blue Devils
Inviato: 25/03/2009, 11:56
nuova analisi...stavolta su come affrontare..e battere Villanova!
Deliver The First Blow
Villanova might not be big, but they're strong and tough, and they're going to look to attack. But this Duke team isn't soft. And the guys need to prove that right away. So, go at right at their guards. If someone has an easy layup, it's worth a hard foul. Duke needs to let Villanova know right away that they won't be able to punk us the way they did UCLA. Winning that battle early in the game will be huge for both teams' attitudes.
Help! (And Recover)
By now, it should be clear to everyone that A) Villanova wants to spread and drive against everyone; B) That's generally the way teams attack Duke; and C) Texas was successful with that strategy in the second round. But even if Duke plays its man D as tight as usual, the help can be better and quicker. Everyone needs to talk really well, cut off the lane quickly and then recover and rotate in anticipation of the kickout pass. This is critical, because Villanova is a solid three-point shooting team (although they can be streaky). Duke can't give them a bunch of wide-open looks off kickouts. That's where the recovery part of the equation has to be in top form.
Force Reynolds To Over-Dribble
On the other hand, there's some value to allowing Villanova to spread the floor (and not countering with a sagging man-to-man or even some bits of zone). Scottie Reynolds will, occasionally, dribble too much and force too much action. When that happens, Villanova can be turnover prone. And if Nova turns the ball over more than usual, that bodes very well for Duke. So, we need to find a way to tempt Reynolds into becoming his own worst enemy.
Go To The Hoop -- Hard
Dante Cunningham is the only Nova player who remotely resembles a shot-blocker. Yes, Villanova's perimeter players are long, quick and strong. But Kyle and G can still post them up and beat them off the bounce, with the goal of getting to the rim. And they won't encounter many obstacles when they get there. Also, Scheyer hasn't attacked as much as earlier in the year, but we know that he's quite adept at getting into the lane, drawing contact and getting to the foul line. Villanova wants to spread and drive on Duke? Great, our guys will bring that style right back at them.
More McClure
As I mentioned in the recap of Phase VI, there are "Zoubek Games" and there are "McClure Games." This is the textbook McClure game. Villanova is small and quick, and it's not like we're going to look for Zoubek on the block. Meanwhile, he'll have a lot of trouble guarding Cunningham. So, I don't expect him to see more than spot minutes, unless Duke is in serious foul trouble. McClure, on the other hand, is the perfect counter to what Villanova does well. He's a terrific on-ball and help defender. He lets Duke switch all screens. He's an excellent offensive rebounder. The lineup with Kyle at the 5 and Dave at the 4 has been quite effective all year. I think Dave needs to play a critical role for Duke to win, and he should be up to the task.
Be Opportunistic, But Not Reckless
For Elliot Williams, that means taking advantage of smaller gurds by crashing the offensive glass ... but not at the expense of transition D. For Jon Scheyer, that means taking a smaller guard off the ball, working him through screens and looking to catch and score closer to the hoop. (Can we run that double screen for the quick curl that he used so successfully against UNC at Cameron?) For Lance Thomas, that means anticipating the way Cunningham likes to pick and pop and cheating a bit when he hedges, trying to get a hand on the pass. And so forth. Villanova does a lot of things well, but their players can be mistake-prone and out of control at times, which opens up opportunities for Duke. We have to capitalize on them.
Take Care of the Ball
Duke has done this extremely well of late, and that has to continue. If you limit turnovers, you limit Villanova's runouts. If you limit their runouts, you force them to execute in the half-court, against a set defense that should be well-schooled by now in defending against their spread attack. Duke needs to be the team that gets more freebies.
Be Aggressive, But Unselfish
This applies mostly to Gerald and Kyle. Neither guy was afraid to shoot against Texas. That's a good thing. But both guys -- especially G -- are prone to forcing shots early in the clock. That's not necessary, especially since G can get his fadeaway off whenever he wants. They need to be aware of their teammates, look to kick the ball and trust that they'll get it back with a better chance to score, eventually. So, they need to keep attacking, but their shot selection needs to be smart. Duke can't afford to waste possessions.
Play Loose, Play Free, Play Confidently
This team won an ACC title. It has already won 30 games. It just got over the first-weekend hump. The guys should be feeling great about themselves. That doesn't mean they should be content with reaching this point -- if anything, they should be hungrier than ever. But it does mean they need to stop putting so much pressure on themselves, and instead simply believe in all they've done already and all they know they can do going forward. They have what it takes to keep advancing, and they should know that by now.
Go Duke!
Deliver The First Blow
Villanova might not be big, but they're strong and tough, and they're going to look to attack. But this Duke team isn't soft. And the guys need to prove that right away. So, go at right at their guards. If someone has an easy layup, it's worth a hard foul. Duke needs to let Villanova know right away that they won't be able to punk us the way they did UCLA. Winning that battle early in the game will be huge for both teams' attitudes.
Help! (And Recover)
By now, it should be clear to everyone that A) Villanova wants to spread and drive against everyone; B) That's generally the way teams attack Duke; and C) Texas was successful with that strategy in the second round. But even if Duke plays its man D as tight as usual, the help can be better and quicker. Everyone needs to talk really well, cut off the lane quickly and then recover and rotate in anticipation of the kickout pass. This is critical, because Villanova is a solid three-point shooting team (although they can be streaky). Duke can't give them a bunch of wide-open looks off kickouts. That's where the recovery part of the equation has to be in top form.
Force Reynolds To Over-Dribble
On the other hand, there's some value to allowing Villanova to spread the floor (and not countering with a sagging man-to-man or even some bits of zone). Scottie Reynolds will, occasionally, dribble too much and force too much action. When that happens, Villanova can be turnover prone. And if Nova turns the ball over more than usual, that bodes very well for Duke. So, we need to find a way to tempt Reynolds into becoming his own worst enemy.
Go To The Hoop -- Hard
Dante Cunningham is the only Nova player who remotely resembles a shot-blocker. Yes, Villanova's perimeter players are long, quick and strong. But Kyle and G can still post them up and beat them off the bounce, with the goal of getting to the rim. And they won't encounter many obstacles when they get there. Also, Scheyer hasn't attacked as much as earlier in the year, but we know that he's quite adept at getting into the lane, drawing contact and getting to the foul line. Villanova wants to spread and drive on Duke? Great, our guys will bring that style right back at them.
More McClure
As I mentioned in the recap of Phase VI, there are "Zoubek Games" and there are "McClure Games." This is the textbook McClure game. Villanova is small and quick, and it's not like we're going to look for Zoubek on the block. Meanwhile, he'll have a lot of trouble guarding Cunningham. So, I don't expect him to see more than spot minutes, unless Duke is in serious foul trouble. McClure, on the other hand, is the perfect counter to what Villanova does well. He's a terrific on-ball and help defender. He lets Duke switch all screens. He's an excellent offensive rebounder. The lineup with Kyle at the 5 and Dave at the 4 has been quite effective all year. I think Dave needs to play a critical role for Duke to win, and he should be up to the task.
Be Opportunistic, But Not Reckless
For Elliot Williams, that means taking advantage of smaller gurds by crashing the offensive glass ... but not at the expense of transition D. For Jon Scheyer, that means taking a smaller guard off the ball, working him through screens and looking to catch and score closer to the hoop. (Can we run that double screen for the quick curl that he used so successfully against UNC at Cameron?) For Lance Thomas, that means anticipating the way Cunningham likes to pick and pop and cheating a bit when he hedges, trying to get a hand on the pass. And so forth. Villanova does a lot of things well, but their players can be mistake-prone and out of control at times, which opens up opportunities for Duke. We have to capitalize on them.
Take Care of the Ball
Duke has done this extremely well of late, and that has to continue. If you limit turnovers, you limit Villanova's runouts. If you limit their runouts, you force them to execute in the half-court, against a set defense that should be well-schooled by now in defending against their spread attack. Duke needs to be the team that gets more freebies.
Be Aggressive, But Unselfish
This applies mostly to Gerald and Kyle. Neither guy was afraid to shoot against Texas. That's a good thing. But both guys -- especially G -- are prone to forcing shots early in the clock. That's not necessary, especially since G can get his fadeaway off whenever he wants. They need to be aware of their teammates, look to kick the ball and trust that they'll get it back with a better chance to score, eventually. So, they need to keep attacking, but their shot selection needs to be smart. Duke can't afford to waste possessions.
Play Loose, Play Free, Play Confidently
This team won an ACC title. It has already won 30 games. It just got over the first-weekend hump. The guys should be feeling great about themselves. That doesn't mean they should be content with reaching this point -- if anything, they should be hungrier than ever. But it does mean they need to stop putting so much pressure on themselves, and instead simply believe in all they've done already and all they know they can do going forward. They have what it takes to keep advancing, and they should know that by now.
Go Duke!