|
This year is definitely a "down year" for Duke, but I am actually very happy watching this team.
It's a special feeling to watch a team grow into Champions, and this current team is primed for that next year. I was at Duke during the "down year" featuring a team led by Battier and C-Well, with a group of talented freshman named Williams, Boozer and Dunleavy. This team performed well given their youth, and by the next year they were cutting down the nets in Minneapolis.
This year's Duke team is going to be doing the same thing next year. They have a group of talented freshman, headed by Redick. Dockery, Williams and Randolph have all produced and have shown they will be big time players next year. Even Mike Thompson and Lee Melchionni, who haven't gotten many minutes, have shown they can play. Next year we bring in two top talents -- Luol Deng and Kris Humphries -- who are expected to contribute right away. And in fact it probably wouldn't surprise anyone if Deng is the team's best player.
Add this talented group of freshman and sophs to a veteran core of Duhon, Horvath and Ewing and you can see why this team is ready to dominate. They will be 11 guys deep and oozing with talent at every position.
So I'll take a "down year" right now and will enjoy watching this team continue to grow into Champions.
And BTW, Deng is less likely than you'd think to be a "one and done" player. The Sudanese (not Senegalese, DaFuture) value education very highly, and Deng has said on several occasions that graduating from college is a priority in his life and it would ultimately be looked at more favorably by his parents (who happen to be Sudanese diplomats) and relatives than a career in the NBA. That said, he is probably too talented to stick around for more than 3 seasons, but I believe he is someone who will graduate at some point and that's tough to do when you only play one season. I'd bet on at least two years in Durham.
|