Sunday, November 24, 2013

Likable Blue Devils? The Good, Bad and Ugly of Duke's 2013-2014 Season

  
On November 12, when Duke battled Kansas in an early season matchup between two top-five teams, more than just bragging rights were on the line.  Both programs were vying for the services of top recruits that would be announcing their decision in just a few days.  Lucky for Duke two of the top four college prospects in the class of 2014 committed to play their college ball in Cameron Indoor.  The #1 recruit, Jahlil Okafor and the #4 recruit, Tyus Jones will join Grayson Allen (#36 ranked recruit) and small forward Justise Winslow to head up Duke's top ranked recruiting class next year.

Duke won the recruiting battle today but Kansas took the game Tuesday night, 94-83. 

I thought we'd start by reviewing Duke's performance thus far in 3 sub-sections:  The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly.  Because Duke has only played one elite team to date, most analysis will be of the Kansas game.

The Good

Jabari Parker.  This guy can flat out play the game of basketball.  It was evident in the first few minutes of the Kansas game that he is without a doubt Duke's best player, and he has continued to impress ever since.  He can handle the rock, see the floor, shoot the ball, create his own shot and be a physical presence down low.  He knows the game and I expect him to shine all year and easily compete for National Player of the Year, if not win it.  Let’s not forget that Parker is Mormon, and the Jazz are easily the worst team in the league.  Parker might wind up as the #1 pick in 2014 before it’s all said and done.

Amile Jefferson.  Last year Jefferson never looked comfortable on the floor.  Against Kansas he was assertive and seemed much more familiar with his role.  He had some strong takes to the basket and finished well.  I questioned his toughness last year, but it seems he's gotten over his tentative ways and has turned over a new leaf.  He'll be Duke's most improved player.  The biggest downside to Jefferson is that he is Duke’s most polished big man and will have a tough time matching up with more established / sizable 4’s and 5’s this season. 

Rodney Hood's passing ability - Hood struggled offensively, but it's clear he sees the court well and can pass the ball.  I suspect it will take some time for everyone to learn how they'll contribute to the betterment of the team but seeing Hood's vision is encouraging.  An athletic 6'8" forward with great passing ability is rare.  Hood’s ridiculous performances against Florida Atlantic and East Carolina show just what kind of player he can be.  I want to see similar efforts against major programs

Chemistry - Unlike recent years, the 2013-14 Blue Devils squad actually enjoys playing together.  Last year Seth Curry didn't seem to exactly bring the team together.  The year before, producers had to edit game tape before showing it on TV just to remove all the disgusted looks Austin "The blackhole" Rivers got from teammates.  It's a bright note this year seems to have the "team first" attitude. 

The Bad

Quinn Cook - Quinn's game is shaky at best.  Our PG plays concerns me as much as our lack of big men.  Quinn has some major flaws in his game that need immediate improvement if the junior PG wants to be a major contributor.  First, he never changes speeds.  He is always going full speed or no speed.  His play will end in turnovers and never surprise the defense.  Second, his lack of ball handling ability is a concern.  Quinn exposes the ball too often when he's dribbling, again leading to turnovers.  He must protect the rock. If he doesn't do this well he should be concerned Tyler Thornton could take some major PG minutes. 

Marshall Plumlee - Years ago I heard Marshall was the best Plumlee.  Whoever told me that was a damn fool.  He looked like a poor man's Brian Zoubek.  #Yikes.  Maybe I'm being a little tough on Marshall, but I'm very worried about his role on this team.  Speaking of the Plumlee’s, I am incredulous about what Miles is doing in Phoenix this season.  Where was this skill in Durham?

Rasheed Sulaimon's role - Rasheed was undoubtedly one of the brightest spots on last year's team.  I'm worried his role has diminished because of the addition of Parker and Hood.  I really like Sulaimon and hope his fit is found early in the season as we will need him to be our third scorer.  My favorite lineup right now would be Thornton, Sulaimon, Parker, Hood and Jefferson.  We don't need a scoring PG with those other 4 players but we do need Sulaimon to average 13-15 ppg.  Other than the most recent game, Sulaimon’s role still seems to be struggling with his role.

The Ugly

Free Throw Shooting - In the first half of the Kansas game, Duke shot 6-13 from the free throw line and missed the front end of three separate one-and-ones.  That's a possibility of a 10 point swing in the first half!  Historically Duke averages more free throw makes than opponent's attempt.  The team is only shooting 69.5% on the season.  On this night Duke could have even learned free throw techniques from this mope:

Post Defense - Duke had no defense down low.  A well coached team like Kansas did an excellent job all night spreading the floor and allowing for a one-on-one post-up.  This automatically caused Duke to cheat and play help side defense which allows an open man on the perimeter.  Kansas attacked this early and often and this could prove to be a very sore spot in Duke's hope to make a deep run this year.  Duke made Perry Ellis (who really isn't bad) look like Ralph Sampson. 

Questions going forward

·         Can Rodney Hood create his own shot?
·         Can Quinn Cook protect the rock and run an efficient offense?
·         Will Andre Dawkins re-appear and contribute instant offense by draining 3s?
·         Can Rasheed Sulaimon find his role and be the key contributor Duke needs to make a deep run?
·         What happens in the post when Amile Jefferson gets in foul trouble?



This is my favorite Duke team since 2010.  They will be both fun to watch and easy to cheer for.  Also, this might be the first in my lifetime Duke's best player won't be hated.  In fact, I believe Jabari Parker will be respected and adored throughout college basketball.  He's just likable.

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