Another bold move by Krzyzewski
Feb 24, 2009
Perhaps it’s his military background. Capt. Mike Krzyzewski has shown once again that it’s never too late to change tactics or redeploy personnel in an attempt to alter the course of a campaign.
Coach K’s decision to start Elliot Williams in the back court, shifting Jon Scheyer to point guard, just may transform Duke from a squad vulnerable to an early round NCAA ambush to a special unit with the firepower to launch an all-out assault on places like Atlanta (the ACC Tournament) and Detroit (the Final Four).
There are several layers to Duke’s new strategy, but it all begins with Elliot Williams. There is just one “t” in Elliot, but everything else about this guy comes in bunches. He plays taller and faster than his 6-foot-4, 180-pound listing. His long arms move quickly into passing lanes, making Duke a team that can force turnovers in multiples. He also gives the Blue Devils another offensive player who can elude defenses and slash his way to the basket, a quality you can’t have too much of when you’re a team without a major post presence. In two games as a starter, Williams has hit 10 of 14 shots. His four steals against Wake Forest, not to mention his dunks, helped set the tone when Duke took a 41-19 lead.
The second and equally important part of the Blue Devils’ new thrust puts Scheyer at point guard. For most of this season, Scheyer has played shooting guard, opposite Nolan Smith and Greg Paulus. Although his talent and versatility are evident, Scheyer has rarely shot the ball well this season-until the move to point guard. Suddenly he has the ball in his hands more, along with the freedom to drive, shoot off the dribble, and create for others. In two games at point, Scheyer has hit 11 of 24 from the field, including seven of 14 from the three point area. Prior to the change, Scheyer was hitting just 38 percent. The real genius of putting Scheyer at point is that he gets to the free-throw line more, where he shoots 83 percent. His 48 points in two games at point guard include a whopping 19 free throws. To this point, Scheyer has answered any questions about his ability to handle the ball against smaller, quicker defenders. He has committed just one turnover in two games.
The personnel changes may not have had the same impact without an accompanying shift in offensive thinking. Duke now spreads the floor, even more than before. Over the past few years, we have often seen the Devils use the “drive and kick” offense, which works well when the three-point shooters are on, but not so well when they are off. Now Duke has fewer reasons to settle for jumpers. Using spacing and screens to advantage, this line-up has four starters who can get to the basket, led by the incomparable Gerald Henderson and Williams. Scheyer and Kyle Singler may not always finish against tall interiors like Wake Forest and Florida State, but they can at least draw the defense and dish.
One other benefit of Duke’s “spread formation”: Lance Thomas, a wiry athletic type who sometimes gets lost in lanes that are heavily clogged, seems to thrive in Duke’s more open spaces. Thomas has 16 points and 10 rebounds in the two games since the big change – well above his season averages.
In 2001, after Duke lost center Carlos Boozer for most of March with an injury, Krzyzewski put guard Chris Duhon in the starting five and installed a high octane, three-guard attack that carried the Blue Devils to the national championship. I have always considered that to be Coach K’s finest hour, where overnight he reshaped a team that lost a game at home on its senior night, (not to mention its top rebounding and inside scoring threat) into a totally different unit that no one in the country could beat.
Two games in, this latest big move looks like another bold decision that Duke fans will talk about long after Mike Krzyzewski is done coaching.
