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NBA.com Duke Stats/Player Widgets
Click here to view live stats of Duke players in the NBA.
Top Performer
Mike Dunleavy continues to demonstrate that last year’s trade to Indiana was a great move for both the Pacers and his career. The former Blue Devil had two games over the span of five days last week that earned him top-performer honors. On December 17th, Dunleavy notched a career-high 36 points on 13-of-18 (.722) shooting to go along with 7 rebounds and 4 assists in a 27-point smashing of the New York Knicks. After recording only 19 points two days later in a victory over the Sixers, Dunleavy again broke the 30-point barrier on December 21st against the Timberwolves, with 30 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 assists. It marked the third time this season that Dunleavy, who leads the Pacers in scoring, field-goal percentage, free-throw percentage, and three-point percentage, has notched 30 or more points. Thanks to Dunleavy’s breakout performance this season, Indiana is one of the surprise teams in the Eastern Conference, currently second in the Central Division standings at 15-14.
Line of the Week
It happened more than a week ago, but some performances just have to be recognized. On December 17th, Carlos Boozer simply dominated the Atlanta Hawks’ frontline to the tune of 39 points on 15-of-24 (.625) shooting, 12 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 steals. The point total is two points shy of his career high.
 Former Duke stars Carlos Boozer and Shelden Williams battle in the paint
Grant Hill and Family
It’s becoming difficult to keep up with all the articles documenting the success of Grant Hill’s move to Phoenix, but here is another great one that takes a look at his family life and his wife (and recording star) Tamia. Despite choosing to become just one of many stars on the high-powered Suns roster this summer, Grant is having is best statistical season since 2004-05, averaging 15.9 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 3.6 assists. Here is an article on just how much of a bargain Grant has been for Phoenix. Blue Devils Strong among Western Conference Forwards New Coach for the Bulls Duke Blue Planet NBA Fantasy League Update 1. North Carolina Tar Heels: 6762.3 Quote of the Week “The thing people don’t realize is he played at that level for about five or six years in this league. It’s not anything new. You see what he adds to our team and everything he does. I don’t see how anybody could possibly be even close (to a better bargain). It’s great, because as good of a player as he is, he’s the most professional human being. He’s solid character-wise. I was hurting for him (in the Orlando years). To see him where he is now is extremely satisfying.”
-Phoenix Suns Assistant Coach Alvin Gentry, on Grant Hill, in the December 19th Arizona Republic (Gentry coached Hill in Detroit as well)
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Dahntay Returns to the League (and to the Highlight Reels)
After being waived by the Boston Celtics following training camp this fall, Dahntay Jones spent the past month evaluating his options for a return to the NBA. While he received interest from Cleveland and Orlando, among others, Dahntay chose to sign with the Sacramento Kings, providing them with an experienced perimeter defender and a spectacular athlete on the wing. He wasted no time before announcing his presence to the league in a big way. In his second game in a Kings uniform, the 6’6” guard scored nine points on 3-of-6 shooting in only 16 minutes, but it was this dunk that earned him the Top Play of the Day on both Sportscenter and NBA.com. The return of Jones to the league gives Duke 13 players in the NBA, tied with Connecticut for the most of any college program.
After being waived by the Boston Celtics following training camp this fall, Dahntay Jones spent the past month evaluating his options for a return to the NBA. While he received interest from Cleveland and Orlando, among others, Dahntay chose to sign with the Sacramento Kings, providing them with an experienced perimeter defender and a spectacular athlete on the wing. He wasted no time before announcing his presence to the league in a big way. In his second game in a Kings uniform, the 6’6” guard scored nine points on 3-of-6 shooting in only 16 minutes, but it was this dunk that earned him the Top Play of the Day on both Sportscenter and NBA.com. The return of Jones to the league gives Duke 13 players in the NBA, tied with Connecticut for the most of any college program.
Elton Brand Update
As mentioned in last week’s blog, Elton Brand had a checkup with his surgeon in Delaware last week. The news was good, as Elton has been cleared for increased activity and remains on target for a possible February return to the court. Here’s more…
Line of the Week
The Chicago Bulls are starting to turn their season around, with a 6-3 record in their last nine games, and Luol Deng is a big reason why. Predicted to compete for an All-Star selection in the preseason, Luol struggled early along with the rest of his team, but the last couple of weeks have seen the emergence of the player everyone expected to see this year. In those nine games, Deng has had 29 or more points three times, and Friday was Luol’s best all-around performance of the season in a win against the Knicks, as he recorded 29 points on 13-of-19 (68.4%) shooting along with 10 rebounds and two assists.
Top Performer
The initial returns for the NBA’s All-Star balloting are in, and Carlos Boozer is currently fourth in the voting among Western Conference forwards behind Carmelo Anthony, Dirk Nowitzki, and Tim Duncan. Regardless of the fan vote, Boozer is a virtual lock for his second All-Star selection thanks to his consistently dominating performances throughout the season. Last week was no exception, as Carlos averaged 24.0 points, 13.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and 3.0 steals in four games. You can go to NBA.com to vote for the All-Star starters, or just follow this link… Several other Blue Devils are on the ballot, including Grant Hill, Corey Maggette, Mike Dunleavy, Jr., and Luol Deng.
Blue Devils Leading NBA Teams
Few statistics tell the whole story of a player’s contribution to his team, but 82games.com comes close with its “Roland Rating.” The Roland Rating is based on a net +/- score much like that used in professional hockey. The +/- score for a player is the difference between how a team performs with that player on the court versus how that team performs with that player off the court. In other words, if the Bulls outscore their opponent by 15 points during the time that Luol Deng is on the court, but get outscored by their opponent by five points when Deng is off the court, then his net +/- score for that game is +20. The Roland Rating takes net +/- scores and adjusts for several factors including game tempo and which players are on the floor together. The resulting statistic is a great measure of just how much a specific player contributes to his team. As you might expect, several Blue Devils are first or second on their respective teams in Roland Ratings: Luol Deng (+6.1), Mike Dunleavy, Jr. (+8.6), Corey Maggette (+7.3), and Carlos Boozer (+8.9). These players aren’t simply putting up good statistical numbers… they are helping their teams win games.
Duke Blue Planet NBA Fantasy League Update
There was not much movement in the standings this week, as Duke continues to hold its ground within striking distance of the lead while waiting for Elton Brand’s return. The Blue Devils have separated themselves from the middle of the pack, however, now leading fourth place Arizona by over 1000 fantasy points.
1. North Carolina Tar Heels: 5666.8
2. Connecticut Huskies: 5534.1
3. Duke Blue Devils: 5206.4
4. Arizona Wildcats: 4190.8
5. Flordia Gators: 4101.6
6. Kentucky Wildcats: 3635.6
7. Kansas Jayhawks: 3161.3
Scoring summary: one point for each point scored, 1.5 point for each rebound, two points for each assist, steal or block, 0.5 points for each 3-pointer made, and -1.2 points for each turnover. Field-goal percentage is included by subtracting 0.2 points for each field goal attempt and adding 0.5 points for each field goal made, which would mean you break even by shooting 40% from the field.
One of the reasons Duke trails the leaders in the standings is the simple fact that they have played fewer games. The Blue Devil players have played 12 fewer games on the season than UNC’s alumni and 23 fewer games than the alumni from Connecticut. The addition of Dahntay Jones to the league could help make up for some of that difference.
Quote of the Week
“There is something of a Grant Hill love-in raging across the league, his tale of perseverance serving as a welcome counterpoint to the melee in Detroit between Pistons fans and certain Pacers. Hill is Everything That Is Right with the NBA. So he receives a line of well-wishers before games, a steady stream of shoulder bumps (an NBA player’s equivalent to sending flowers) from opponents and cheers from enemy crowds.”
-Sports Illustrated’s Chris Ballard
BP: What brings you to Duke today?
Lee Melchionni: Any excuse to come back to a Duke is a great thing. I am back in the area to see the guys. I got to watch practice yesterday and I am going to the game tonight. Just to come back here to my roots and realize how much you miss this place is great.
BP: You are out in California working for WMG. What is your role there?
Lee: I am in the role of a young sports agent, the low man on the totem pole in the company. My role is to develop relationships with coaches and kids so that hopefully we can one day represent them. Basically, my day-to-day role is handling stuff for our clients, whether it is marketing, or appointments or things they need to do. Also, I help out in recruiting and in whatever way I can.
BP: That sounds awesome. Do you get to attend any interesting sports games and events, or is most of your time spent in the office?
Lee: I have been in the office a lot, but I get paid to go to games, meet people, travel the country, things I would do for free. Doing that provides a great opportunity to network and meet people. It is a great job overall.
BP: You live with Arn Tellem, one of the most highly-respected sports agents in the business. How did that come about and what is that like?
Lee: Well, that came about because I had gone out there to look for a place to live and I figured out that I was going to live with another guy in the office who was buying a place. He was in the process of looking for a place and had a bid in that fell through so Arn said I could stay with him until he found a place. It has taken a little longer than expected so I have been in Arn’s house. They have treated me like a son and an extension of their family, so it is has been nothing but great.
BP: Tell me something about Coach K and Duke Basketball that most people wouldn’t know.
Lee: For Coach K, most people wouldn’t know he is a phenomenal dancer. For Duke Basketball, the unbelievable amount of hard work and attention to detail that goes into the success of the program is something behind the scenes that people who watch all of the games on TV don’t get to see on a daily basis.
BP: Do you still follow the team and watch the games?
Lee: It is funny, being a former player I try to watch every single game that is on TV, check every box score, and still feel a part of it in some way.
BP: What do you think about this year’s team?
Lee: This year’s squad seems like an unbelievably cohesive unit, a true team. They are really fun to watch, their style of play. I think they are super athletic and have a chance to be very good.
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Inside the Mind of Jon…
 Funniest Teammate: Brian ZoubekMost Exciting NBA Player: LeBron James
Favorite TV Sitcom: The Office
Favorite Sports Movie: Sandlot
ACC Arena You Most Look Forward To: Maryland
Favorite Food: Buffalo Wings
Favorite Off-Day Activity: Bowling
Favorite Song: Any song by Kanye West
Favorite Video Game: FIFA & Halo
Favorite Sport to Watch Excluding Hoops: Football
Top Dunker on the Team: Gerald Henderson
Strongest Teammate in the Weight Room: DeMarcus Nelson
All-Time Favorite Movie: Forrest Gump
Smartest Teammate: Steve Johnson
Hardest Teammate to Guard: DeMarcus Nelson
Teammate with Best Hoops IQ: Kyle Singler
Best Duke Player Ever: Christian Laettner
Favorite U.S. City to Visit: Chicago
Favorite Duke Class: Any History Class
Favorite Pro Teams: Chicago Cubs, Bears & Bulls
Best Athlete in Sports: LeBron James
Favorite Sporting Event to Watch: Chicago Cubs at Wrigley
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Season’s Greetings! I hope everyone’s holiday season is off to a great start!
Our players are wrapping up their exam week and working very hard to finish up strong academically. This week is always a very challenging one for our players because of the demands on them academically. As a result, we have to be flexible as a staff to build a schedule that allows them to do everything they need to do to be successful. Even still, most of our guys will want to get in the gym at some point every day even if it is just to clear their head and get a good sweat. Overall, our players have handled this week really well.
The completion of exam week marks the beginning of a month-long period where we can really just focus on basketball and building our team. There are no classes, no study halls, and almost all Duke students head home for the holidays. If we use this time correctly, we can really grow as a team.
Before our players go home for Christmas, they will have two more tests on the basketball floor against teams that have a great shot at winning their respective conference titles. We play Albany, who is predicted to win the America East Conference, and Pittsburgh, a top-ten team who will have a great shot at winning the Big East Conference. Albany is a veteran team that can really shoot the basketball at every position. Those strengths, coupled with exam week and all that goes along with it, make it a dangerous game.
We then make our annual trek up to New York City and Madison Square Garden to play 8th-ranked Pittsburgh. The trip to New York has been a great one for our program. We have been able to set up top-flight games year after year against the likes of Texas, Oklahoma, and Gonzaga which has given us a chance to see how we match up against other top programs. We get to play in Madison Square Garden which is a venue that all basketball players grow up dreaming of playing in. It has been amazing to see the support that we have received up there from Duke alums and Duke fans. The Garden has become a home away from home for us. We will need all the support we can get this year because we are taking on an outstanding and unbeaten Pittsburgh team. Pittsburgh returns a number of key guys from last year’s 29-win team. They are well-coached, physical, and athletic. Their guard play is seasoned and confident. The 1-2 punch of Sam Young and DeJuan Blair in the post has been outstanding. We will need to be at our best to have a chance to win. If history is our guide, it will be an outstanding and highly-competitive game in an electric atmosphere.
From all of us here at Duke Basketball, have a happy and safe holiday season. Thank you for your support of our players and program!
Sincerely,
Steve Wojciechowski
