Duke Basketball: 5 Best Blue Devil Lineups for the 2012-13 Season

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Mike Krzyzewski will have lots of lineup combinations to choose from in the 2012-13 season.

Seth Curry, Mason Plumlee, Ryan Kelly and Andre Dawkins (Note: I anticipate that AD will play in '12-13) will provide senior leadership for this next edition of Blue Devil basketball.

Two red-shirt freshman (Marshall Plumlee and Alex Murphy) will add talent and depth to Duke's front line.

Two talented McDonald's All-Americans (Rasheed Sulaimon and Amile Jefferson) will hit campus this summer and challenge for a place in the starting five.

Here's a quick look at some possible potent lineup combinations for the upcoming season.

All-Length 5

C Mason Plumlee (6'10")

F Marshall Plumlee (6'11")

F Ryan Kelly (6'11")

G Andre Dawkins (6'4")

G Rasheed Sulaimon (6'3")

 

If Coach K wanted to "go big," the above combination would be the biggest lineup that would make even the slightest amount of sense.

This would be Kelly's "dream come true" scenario—he'd officially get to play on the perimeter at SF.

I am curious to see how often we will see MP2 and MP3 play together this coming season. If Marshall has come along during his redshirt season, the two brothers could deliver a nice high-low option that could create matchup problems for their opponents.

Tough-as-Nails 5

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C Mason Plumlee (6'10")

F Josh Hairston (6'7")

F Amile Jefferson (6'7")

G Quinn Cook (6'0")

G Tyler Thornton (6'1")

 

If Coach K wanted to put a gritty, "get after it" group on the floor, this may be his lineup.

What Hairston, Cook and Thornton lack in polished scoring ability, they more than make up for it with tenacious determination.

Even if for just a short burst, the intensity level of this quintet would scare the bejeebers out of most teams.

Lights-out 5

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F Alex Murphy (6'8")

F Ryan Kelly (6'11")

G Seth Curry (6'2")

G Rasheed Sulaimon (6'3")

G Andre Dawkins (6'4")

 

If Krzyzewski wanted a group where every player on the floor would be a legit three-point threat, this could be a killer combo.

The three seniors (Curry, Dawkins and Kelly) have proven that they can knock down shots from beyond the arc. Each of them are more than capable of shooting at least 40 percent from distance.

After winning the 2012 McDonald's All-American three-point contest, Sulaimon knocked down four shots from downtown at this year's McDonald's All-American game.

Murphy's versatility, which reminds some of Kyle Singler, will help buy him some playing time and keep him on the court in '12-13.

Veteran 5

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C Mason Plumlee (6'10")

F Ryan Kelly (6'11")

F Josh Hairston (6'7")

G Seth Curry (6'2")

G Andre Dawkins (6'4")

 

It's hard to beat maturity and experience on the court.

While being a senior (which all of the above are, except third-year forward Hairston) doesn't mean that you don't make mistakes, it usually means that you play more under-control and that your decision making has improved over time.

This group would be a high basketball IQ group—not many turnovers and lots of discipline.

I'm anxious to see if Seth Curry can become a bona fide playmaker in '12-13. He has the court sense and the technical skills.

The only thing he lacks is that "run the team" instinct that will transition him from primarily looking for shots to creating opportunities for his teammates.

Starting 5

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C Mason Plumlee (6'10")

F Ryan Kelly (6'11")

F Amile Jefferson (6'7")

G Seth Curry (6'2")

G Rasheed Sulaimon (6'3")

 

Even if Coach K doesn't start the season with this group on the floor at the beginning of the game, these five will become the most lethal unit by midseason.

The addition of Jefferson is the tipping point for this five.

The incoming freshman from Philly's skill set and position flexibility will allow Kelly to play more perimeter time.

Even though Sulaimon's offensive ability will be instantly obvious, his bigger contribution might be a forceful resolve that will be contagious.

Mason Plumlee didn't come back for his senior year to coast. Look for MP2 to blow up this coming season.