Duke Basketball Season Breakdown Part Three: Bench Brings Offense, Experience

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This is the final preview breaking down the Duke basketball season.

This series represents a collaboration between members of the Bleacher Report Duke Basketball Page and looks at the Blue Devils' frontcourt, backcourt, and bench.

The Blue Devils are a much different team than Duke teams from the past few seasons.

At the start of the 2006-07 and 2007-08 seasons, Duke was extremely young and inexperienced.

Last season, the Blue Devils had experience but lacked size in the frontcourt (that has certainly changed this season, as Duke will be one of the biggest teams in the country).

With Duke's added size, experience, and the addition of a talented recruiting class, the Blue Devils look poised to defend their ACC title and, depending on how they develop, make it past the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2004.

Perhaps the biggest change for the Blue Devils this season is the makeup of their bench players, particularly in terms of experience and offensive firepower.

Coach Mike Krzyzewski's primary bench players (players who averaged close to or more than 10 minutes per game) last season were Greg Paulus, David McClure, Brian Zoubek, and Elliot Williams.

It should be noted that the starting lineup changed quite a bit last season, with Williams starting over Nolan Smith toward the end of the year and Lance Thomas taking Zoubek's starting spot around the same time.

Paulus was supposed to be the Blue Devils' bench offense last year, having been particularly potent from behind the arc in his previous seasons, but he never found his stroke and saw his playing time steadily decrease as the season went on.

Williams played well as a starter for the last 12 games of the season but only averaged 2.5 points per game as a reserve.

McClure was a fantastic role player who provided experience off the bench, but he was never an offensive threat, and Zoubek, while bringing size to clog the lane on defense, struggled to produce as a low-post scoring option once conference play started.

Duke's bench only averaged 15.1 points per game last year (more than 10 points less than the previous season's bench) and, more importantly, lacked a player who had the offensive firepower to demand the attention of defenses.

When Duke's starters were in foul trouble last season, their scoring options dwindled, which allowed defenses to focus on fewer players.

This season, however, should be different.

Duke will likely bring Thomas, Zoubek, Ryan Kelly, and Andre Dawkins off the bench this season (although it wouldn't be surprising if Thomas breaks into the starting lineup if one of the Plumlee brothers struggles).

Thomas and Zoubek will provide senior leadership and make excellent backups to the more talented, but younger, Plumlee brothers.

Zoubek's playing time may decrease significantly if Miles Plumlee has progressed as much as reported (he looked great in the team scrimmage and first exhibition game), but the elder Plumlee struggled mightily with fouls last season.  

Zoubek will be needed to give breathers and foul trouble support to the younger post players, and his size makes him a defensive commodity at the very least. He's also a fairly good passer from the high post.

Thomas could have his best season as a Blue Devil this year.

He has added muscle to his frame and will likely get to play his natural position as a forward this year instead of being forced to play exclusively in the post.

Thomas has been a starter for the vast majority of his games at Duke, and his experience off the bench will be a key strength for the Blue Devils.

He has the ability to guard nearly every position on defense, and his offensive production could increase with him being able to play more minutes as a face-up forward rather than an undersized big man.

Freshmen Kelly and Dawkins provide something the Blue Devils haven't had from their reserves in a few years—instant offense.

Dawkins, coming in a year earlier than expected, has the potential to be a star player for Duke in the years to come.

He gives the Blue Devils their purest stroke since J.J. Redick graduated in 2006, and he sports an athleticism reminiscent of Gerald Henderson.

Expect Dawkins to average double figures (or at least close to that mark) in scoring from day one, playing starter minutes due to the Blue Devils' lack of guard depth.

In fact, he could end up as one of the Blue Devils' top five scorers by the end of the season. 

Kelly is one of the Blue Devils' most overlooked players (although he was the highest ranked recruit to join the team), but he will surprise a lot of people this season.

Often misunderstood as a power forward who looks unable to hold his own in the post, Kelly is more of a small forward with added height.

He will be one of the best shooters on the Blue Devils squad this season, and he has an incredibly developed and diverse skill set that makes him a definite offensive weapon.

He is a particularly impressive ball-handler for a player of his size, giving him the ability to play primarily on the perimeter despite his 6'10" size.

Kelly may not average double figures in scoring, but similar to Taylor King a few years ago (although they are very different players), expect him to go off in several games and put up big numbers while defenses focus on players like Kyle Singler and Jon Scheyer.

All in all, the Blue Devils' bench is vastly improved over last season.

The reserves will bring in a fantastic mixture of leadership, experience, and offensive firepower while allowing the Blue Devils to run a legitimate-nine man rotation for most of the year.

Key Players: Andre Dawkins and Lance Thomas combine to give the Blue Devils offensive talent, athleticism, and experience.

Wild Card: Ryan Kelly may be invisible behind Singler in some games, but he has the ability to go off with a hot hand on any given night.

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