Hiring a Defensive Coordinator

[BlueDevilWildcat]

I suggested this a month or so go. Given the issue isn't the players but the defensive approach, and 70+ year olds simply can't rethink how they do things, is now a good time to conduct a national search for a coordinator who can adjust the approach to fit the times and his personnel?

Or do folks on this board feel more loyalty to the coach than the team? Because we've seen this enough years (let's be honest, 2015 was largely matchups in the tourney) to know things won't change.

 

[BNM79]

Things will get better than they are right now but defense will continue to be questionable like it has the last 10 years or so. I personally have no problem with this. There needs to be some type of adjustment or shake up

 

[Kingbluedevil]

It used to be when you got burnt on defense Coach took the player out next stoppage. Now you get to keep playing

 

[Whutadrag2]

I feel when we start playing 2x/week the defense will get better. We played too many games early and not enough to get into a rhythm lately.

 

[Testkid]

Things will get better than they are right now but defense will continue to be questionable like it has the last 10 years or so. I personally have no problem with this. There needs to be some type of adjustment or shake up

what?????. our defense is what will keep us from winning number 6. I don't get how people can't see that anymore

 

[Laettner15]

Yup... I was the person that said after the BC loss that this team needs practice time to get the defense clicking.... they have had 3 games since that BC loss.. forget the Evansville game, they gave up 93 points at home to FSU and 95 (maybe more as I’m writing this) to NC St. yeah I’m concerned now. Defense is about want, will, desire... something this team needs to learn and fast!

 

[Mpm277]

Dom Capers is available, though I wouldn't hire him.

 

[SwlaDukie]

I have seen some bad defense before. But this is bordering on Doug Moe at Denver in the 80s bad. Correction, this defense is worse, because they were not attempting to play defense at all. It amazes me that a team with Jon Sheyer on the staff being this bad defensively. You might have to break up the starting lineup some. Let Goldwire or O'Connell start or both until Grayson Allen and Duval starts competing on both ends. I know it's hard to get young bigs to understand hedging on screens, but they have to do better job than this. Duke has lost 2 games on their schedule to some of the weakest teams in the conference. This team will not get out of the first weekend of the tournament again if this defense isn't fixed fast. Duke is giving 90 points a game in conference. This team will not win a national championship if Grayson isn't going to take the lead.

 

[bullcity gamer]

Our defense needs to improve SIGNIFICANTLY and Coach K needs to give more minutes to O’Connell, DeLaurier, and one other. Strictly playing 5 guys in the post season is not going to get it done.

 

[bullcity gamer]

The bigs weren’t getting back tonight and I don’t know how many times I have seen Duke give up uncontested dunks/layups.

 

[bullcity gamer]

Grayson definitely did not take the leadership roll tonight.

 

[BOOGIEMAN1914]

Fatigue has to be some factor in defensive effort....play more guys

 

[bullcity gamer]

At this rate Coach K is turning into Thibs playing his starters 35 minutes a game.

 

[dukiejay]

My vote is for Buddy Ryan. He was great for the Bears.

 

[hallside]

I don’t think any of us have a great answer for the lack of effort. It’s almost funny at this point....

 

[ticket2ride04]

My vote is for Buddy Ryan. He was great for the Bears.

Matt Patricia is a hot name right meow.

 

[dukiejay]

Matt Patricia is a hot name right meow.

What about Sgt. Hulka? We need him to take that big toe and shove it up some ‘you know what’s’ right now.

 

[K-oach Q]

I don’t think any of us have a great answer for the lack of effort. It’s almost funny at this point....

Players on the floor are not held accountable...starting five...they know they are playing the entire game..no matter what...

Bench players know they won’t see the floor...when they do...it’s for like 1-2min...where is the enthusiasm and excitement for that...

Fatigue...we don’t run the court...make dumb plays...because we are tired....

 

[kingfox35]

I have seen some bad defense before. But this is bordering on Doug Moe at Denver in the 80s bad. Correction, this defense is worse, because they were not attempting to play defense at all. It amazes me that a team with Jon Sheyer on the staff being this bad defensively. You might have to break up the starting lineup some. Let Goldwire or O'Connell start or both until Grayson Allen and Duval starts competing on both ends. I know it's hard to get young bigs to understand hedging on screens, but they have to do better job than this. Duke has lost 2 games on their schedule to some of the weakest teams in the conference. This team will not get out of the first weekend of the tournament again if this defense isn't fixed fast. Duke is giving 90 points a game in conference. This team will not win a national championship if Grayson isn't going to take the lead.

I agree totally with Duval/Grayson comment. Let them sit some and watch.

 

[tripleb71]

I really do not understand how we get these highly ranked kids and then keep them on the bench. But other teams are constantly subbing in any average john doe and getting quality minutes.

 

[pisgah101]

Call Rick pitino baby!!!

 

[Mac9192]

Players on the floor are not held accountable...starting five...they know they are playing the entire game..no matter what...

Bench players know they won’t see the floor...when they do...it’s for like 1-2min...where is the enthusiasm and excitement for that...

Fatigue...we don’t run the court...make dumb plays...because we are tired....

Don't worry guys, we got Barrett, Jones and Reddish coming next year.

 

[SWEc/o95]

Add Bobby Huggins to the staff...

 

[BlueDevilWildcat]

Krzyzewski on Duke radio: "We have not been able to convince our players that we're going to get everybody's amazing shot. ... We did not have any poise at all tonight. I don't have the answer."

Exhorting should support strategy, not replace it. I feel bad for the staff and the players. The only good news is we have enough talent and depth that if properly managed, this season can still turn out well. But something significant is going to have to happen.

 

[ttk2002]

too much switching on D,

 

[hart2chesson]

Don't worry guys, we got Barrett, Jones and Reddish coming next year.

Thats rite, rev that engine up boys- we're gonna have a hot rod smoker!! VROOM, VROOM!!!!!! SOS.... OFC

 

[Dad2ze]

Call Rick pitino baby!!!

I’m convinced that this board has people more capable of coaching than these people that are being named.

 

[nets on nets on nets]

These kids are 18/19 years old, I'm not buying the fatigue argument. Not too long ago, these kids were playing 10 basketball games in a weekend.
I'd assume they have gone through an insane conditioning program since stepping on campus, and we haven't played in a week.

The only one fatigued should be Bagley, his back probably hurts from carrying us.

 

[Kingbluedevil]

Last night State had a open shot just inside the foul line with three or four passes. That's a shot anyone can make if uncontested

 

[K-oach Q]

I’m just going to repost this here....I would be all for anyone coaching our defense other than whomever does it know....because it’s terrible....


Our tournament results defensively are alarming...

2017 Second half to USC 65pts
2016 Second half to Oregon 46pts
2014 Second half to Mercer 44pts
2013 Second half to Louisville 50pts
2012 Second half to Lehigh 47pts
2011 Seond half to Arizona 55pts
2009 Second Half to Villanova 51pts
2008 Second half to WV 44pts

I can’t seem to pull up earlier than that...anyways you can see the trend...these are horrific amount of pts given up in the second half of our tournament losses going back to 2008....this isn’t a player problem it’s a philosophical problem...we could have easily stayed in some of these games, and I would argue we could of won a few of them..

 

[DukeCorey21]

Next year will probably be the same way. Are any the recruits good at defense??

 

[nets on nets on nets]

I’m just going to repost this here....I would be all for anyone coaching our defense other than whomever does it know....because it’s terrible....


Our tournament results defensively are alarming...

2017 Second half to USC 65pts
2016 Second half to Oregon 46pts
2014 Second half to Mercer 44pts
2013 Second half to Louisville 50pts
2012 Second half to Lehigh 47pts
2011 Seond half to Arizona 55pts
2009 Second Half to Villanova 51pts
2008 Second half to WV 44pts

I can’t seem to pull up earlier than that...anyways you can see the trend...these are horrific amount of pts given up in the second half of our tournament losses going back to 2008....this isn’t a player problem it’s a philosophical problem...we could have easily stayed in some of these games, and I would argue we could of won a few of them..

THIS. Everyone wants to blame our youth, and sure that may factor in. But our defensive struggles are purely schematic. This isn't the 90's, can't destroy guys with physicality on defense, and K just hasn't adjusted.

 

[Dattier]

I know a GREAT defensive coordinator! Debbie Allen! I saw her in an airport once and I was like, "Hey, Debbie Allen! What a surprise!" And she was like, "WHY?!? IS IT BECAUSE I'M BLACK?!?1?!"











Oh... wait... she's a defensive choreographer. Duh!

 

[dukehokie]

THIS. Everyone wants to blame our youth, and sure that may factor in. But our defensive struggles are purely schematic. This isn't the 90's, can't destroy guys with physicality on defense, and K just hasn't adjusted.

They aren’t even physical though. It’s almost as if they know they’re playing 40 minutes and refuse to come out because of fouls. I watched Grayson on multiple occasions simply just reach for a defender as opposed to getting in his way on help. Trevon was the same story. The bigs are constantly late as well and get silly fouls when they could’ve been on time and got a stop.

The funny thing is, if you go back and watch the Texas and Florida games, you’ll see this same behavior for about 35 minutes. Then all of a sudden, these fools know how to guard the perimeter shot, play the passing lanes, switch on screens and collapse on drives. They know what to do and how to do it. At this point, it’s simply a matter of want.

It’s no longer a scheme issue, a zone issue, a thought issue, or a senior leadership issue. It’s a desire, want and “protect my body for the draft” issue. I’m sick of that style of play.

 

[pisgah101]

They aren’t even physical though. It’s almost as if they know they’re playing 40 minutes and refuse to come out because of fouls. I watched Grayson on multiple occasions simply just reach for a defender as opposed to getting in his way on help. Trevon was the same story. The bigs are constantly late as well and get silly fouls when they could’ve been on time and got a stop.

The funny thing is, if you go back and watch the Texas and Florida games, you’ll see this same behavior for about 35 minutes. Then all of a sudden, these fools know how to guard the perimeter shot, play the passing lanes, switch on screens and collapse on drives. They know what to do and how to do it. At this point, it’s simply a matter of want.

It’s no longer a scheme issue, a zone issue, a thought issue, or a senior leadership issue. It’s a desire, want and “protect my body for the draft” issue. I’m sick of that style of play.

Winner right here!!! Nobody has touched on the just not wanting to play D because of draft but that is a HUGE part of it

 

[nets on nets on nets]

They aren’t even physical though. It’s almost as if they know they’re playing 40 minutes and refuse to come out because of fouls. I watched Grayson on multiple occasions simply just reach for a defender as opposed to getting in his way on help. Trevon was the same story. The bigs are constantly late as well and get silly fouls when they could’ve been on time and got a stop.

The funny thing is, if you go back and watch the Texas and Florida games, you’ll see this same behavior for about 35 minutes. Then all of a sudden, these fools know how to guard the perimeter shot, play the passing lanes, switch on screens and collapse on drives. They know what to do and how to do it. At this point, it’s simply a matter of want.

It’s no longer a scheme issue, a zone issue, a thought issue, or a senior leadership issue. It’s a desire, want and “protect my body for the draft” issue. I’m sick of that style of play.

Well..I gave up on Grayson playing solid defense in 2016, it is what it is. He still plays hard, but will never be a "plus" defender. Trevon can actually stay in front of his man, but his help defense is non-existant. Gary is our best defender, but nobody wants to admit it because he is this teams scapegoat (along with K.)

The "protect my body for the Draft" is ridiculous. Bagley played harder than anyone last night, and last I checked, he has more to lose than anyone. These guys want to win even more than we do. Right now, our best formula to win is to play 2-3 Zone. I guarantee K knows this, but will playing 2-3 Zone in January make our defense any better come March?? Maybe, but only if we commit to being a zone team for 40 minutes, which I don't think is best. We gotta play some man-to-man, go through our lumps now, and hopefully it makes us more prepared come March, again hopefully, not a guarantee.

Now, if were playing man-to-man to better prepare these kids for NBA man-to-man defense, than yeah, that's terrible. I'm assuming K is doing this for the stretch run.

 

[dukehokie]

Well..I gave up on Grayson playing solid defense in 2016, it is what it is. He still plays hard, but will never be a "plus" defender. Trevon can actually stay in front of his man, but his help defense is non-existant. Gary is our best defender, but nobody wants to admit it because he is this teams scapegoat (along with K.)

The "protect my body for the Draft" is ridiculous. Bagley played harder than anyone last night, and last I checked, he has more to lose than anyone.

Is it though? Justise Winslow fully admitted to “playing for the draft” before he turned things around. And before anyone says he had a rib injury, you could clearly see him pulling punches before it. Other guys wouldn’t admit it, but they do too.

Bagley isn’t the issue here. But what about Tre, Gary and Grayson. They’re protecting themselves physically on defense. Not to mention, post players have it easier on defense typically than guards do. You exude more energy on the perimeter. And usually when you play that hard, your offense suffers. And if a guard looks bad on O, he looks bad on draft boards. So maybe it isn’t total draft protection, but they’re saving themselves for the other end at the very least.

I’m not saying these guys aren’t invested in Duke basketball, but I am saying there is a distraction, it’s pretty clear.

I will say, the one thing this team doesn’t have is a Matt Jones/Chris Duhon/Sean Dockery. That guy who can capably guard the other team’s most effective offensive weapon and not care one iota his offense in the other side. I wish Gary would take that mantle, because he is our most capable perimeter defender at this point.

 

[Duke Bluu]

Hey guys, this is formerly Tru Cane.

One thing that does happen in football all the time is coaches often go consult with other coaches to get better in desired areas. I’m sure this occurs in basketball too, as I believe Coach K took some zone concepts from Jimmy B during the Olympics. At any rate, as some have mentioned, defense has been a significant issue for years now.

Brad Stevens I believe has proven to be one of the best in the business. Granted, at Butler he had stability with upper class leadership but to go to the NBA and transform Boston into one of the best defensive teams in the league is all the proof you need to see that he KNOWS how to teach defense in a way that STICKS with the students. I’d love to see members of the Duke staff take a visit to Boston, sit in on some practices and try to come up with some new and innovative ways to TEACH defense. There’s no new defense under the sun, concepts are all the same as they’ve always been BUT what changes is HOW you TEACH it so that the students retain the material. When I watch Duke, it’s not just about will and desire. Those kids are lost. They have no idea when to help, how to help (run out and sit don’t just run out not under control) etc.... it may be too late to take a trip now I don’t know but it’s clear, this staff needs help.

 

[ticket2ride04]

What about Sgt. Hulka? We need him to take that big toe and shove it up some ‘you know what’s’ right now.

 

[pisgah101]

Hey guys, this is formerly Tru Cane.

One thing that does happen in football all the time is coaches often go consult with other coaches to get better in desired areas. I’m sure this occurs in basketball too, as I believe Coach K took some zone concepts from Jimmy B during the Olympics. At any rate, as some have mentioned, defense has been a significant issue for years now.

Brad Stevens I believe has proven to be one of the best in the business. Granted, at Butler he had stability with upper class leadership but to go to the NBA and transform Boston into one of the best defensive teams in the league is all the proof you need to see that he KNOWS how to teach defense in a way that STICKS with the students. I’d love to see members of the Duke staff take a visit to Boston, sit in on some practices and try to come up with some new and innovative ways to TEACH defense. There’s no new defense under the sun, concepts are all the same as they’ve always been BUT what changes is HOW you TEACH it so that the students retain the material. When I watch Duke, it’s not just about will and desire. Those kids are lost. They have no idea when to help, how to help (run out and sit don’t just run out not under control) etc.... it may be too late to take a trip now I don’t know but it’s clear, this staff needs help.

If we could trade K for Stevens right now I'd do it