K knows best and he proves it again by inserting for the second straight game Ryan Kelly into the starting lineup. Kelly has seemed to adjust not only to his new physique but to the speed of the college game. Kelly is quick and more deliberate than Miles Plumlee so far this year and has earned his starting role. Kelly Played 16 minutes and provided hustle play after hustle play in this game. He only had 5 rebounds and 9 points but these were impact rebounds and his two steals came on successive plays and let to fast break opportunities one which Kelly finished himself.
Miles may have lost his starting role but he still played 24 minutes and was a key reserve in this game scoring 9 points and pulling down 8 rebounds and stealing the ball 3 times. Clearly his best game of the season so far, so perhaps Coach saw something in practice or in games where switching the roles of Plumlee and Kelly triggered better performance by both. That’s why he’s a Hall of Fame coach and I write a blog. Kyrie had is typical 9 assist game, with 13 points on top of that. Kyrie is clearly a better shooter than advertised. Getting to the rim is only one facet of Irvings game, he can stretch the D with his shot and split the double team with his speed.
Kyle Singler lead all scores with 18 points, although not a great shooting night for Kyle he still had a major impact on the game. With the multitude of weaponry on this team, no one has to shoulder the scoring load, this should keep everyone loose. Nolan Smith also didn’t have a great shooting night but scored 16 points and 9 assists.
Duke ratcheted up the pressure in this game and collectively Duke held the Colgate guards, 5 of them, to 25 points. Duke also forced 24 turnovers and was off and running with Irving and Smith connecting on passes for alley oops and open 3 point opportunities.
Still, even in this win there are things this team still needs to work on, mostly on the defensive end. There are still too many blown assignments and positioning mistakes but these will come with repetition and practice. On the offensive end there is still some sloppiness but that crispness will come when this team plays more as a unit.
