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.
