Duke Basketball: 5 Things Blue Devils Must Prove Early in 2014-15

The Duke basketball team is ranked No. 3 in the country and is a clear national championship contender, but there will be things besides winning that are important early in the year.

After all, five of the Blue Devils’ first six games come against the likes of Presbyterian, Fairfield, Temple, Furman and Army, so they should be able to win those ones rather easily. There will still be a number of things Duke must prove and establish moving forward before the competition heats up.

With that in mind, here is a look at five things in particular that Mike Krzyzewski and his squad must do early in the season.

Figure Out Point Guard Rotation

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Outside of Jahlil Okafor’s dominance, the point guard battle is arguably the most intriguing Duke storyline as the season is set to begin.

Athlon Sports set the stage:

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Few position battles will be juicier than the one between Jones and senior point guard Quinn Cook.

Thus far, Cook has shown himself to be capable of electrifying highs and puzzling lows. Last season offered a glimpse of his inconsistency. He scored in double figures in 13 of the Blue Devils’ first 15 games but was left out of the starting lineup in the final 10.

Krzyzewski has pointed to a lack of on-court leadership as one of last season’s downfalls, while praising Jones’ leadership ability.

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There are a number of factors to consider here. Quinn Cook is the senior who brings experience and leadership to the table, but Tyus Jones is incredibly talented. Both will clearly play this year and need to establish some on-court rapport with their teammates, but the early season can be something of a testing ground to see which one works best as a starter or late in the game.

Don’t forget about Rasheed Sulaimon either, who spent the majority of the second half of last year sharing and taking over the point guard duties in big moments.

However, Sulaimon has the most experience off the ball, so he may just slide in at shooting guard.

Establish Small-Ball Lineup

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The best player on Duke’s roster is its big man, Okafor, but Krzyzewski will likely use some form of a small-ball lineup throughout the year.

With Jones, Cook, Sulaimon, Justise Winslow, Grayson Allen, Matt Jones and even Semi Ojeleye as possible rotation pieces, there is athleticism all over the roster. There will be times when Duke plays Okafor and Amile Jefferson or Marshall Plumlee together, but there will also be times that the team simply needs a spark with a more athletic group.

Krzyzewski will also need to figure out which of his big men works the best in that situation. Yes, Okafor is the most talented one, but Jefferson brings speed and the ability to run the floor to the table.

Duke could theoretically put four guards/small forwards around Jefferson and run the opponent ragged for a five-minute stretch.

Having a small-ball rotation does not mean Okafor will ever be marginalized. It is just a nice luxury for Duke to have in its back pocket in case it ever needs to speed up the tempo of the game or tire out an opponent’s legs in the early going.

Get Everyone Involved

Andrew Nelles/Associated Press

Occasionally, Krzyzewski has the tendency to shrink his rotation down the stretch of games and seasons. That was certainly the case last year.

There is no better time to find out what you have from a depth standpoint than in early-season contests that should be victories. Guys like Okafor, Sulaimon, Jones, Cook, Winslow and Jefferson are relatively known commodities, even if the freshmen are yet to prove it on a collegiate level, but there could be some serious depth on this team.

It would prove beneficial in the long run if players like Allen, Matt Jones and Ojeleye saw serious playing time early in the year.

The Blue Devils are going to beat the likes of Presbyterian whether Okafor plays 35 minutes or 25 minutes. It is worth seeing what is there from a depth perspective.

Unleash Justise Winslow

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On paper, Winslow has the chance to be one of the best defenders in the country.

He is incredibly quick with his hands and feet, has bothersome length that can interrupt passes and dribble penetration and is a legitimate shot-blocker. He is still a freshman, though, and Krzyzewski needs to fully understand what Winslow is capable of on the defensive end when the lights get bright.

Winslow can almost single-handedly solve a lot of Duke’s problems from last year if he reaches his potential. The perimeter defense resembled a turnstile at times, which exposed the lack of a dominant rim protector. Winslow can keep ball-handlers outside of the paint and will also help in the rebounding department, which was a serious weakness in 2013-14.

The best strategy against some of the weaker competition early in the season would be to unleash Winslow as a ball-hawk on the perimeter against the opposing team’s best player. Only then can the Blue Devils be absolutely sure that he is ready to do the same in ACC play.

Win Big When Expected

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It may sound obvious to say that Duke must win early, but this is a young team with high expectations. Nothing would be better from a confidence standpoint for the freshmen than a few early-season blowouts to get used to collegiate competition.

Jefferson discussed the team’s dynamic heading into the season, via Amrith Ramkumar of The Chronicle:

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Upperclassmen can see and feel the difference in this team, that we're going to have a lot of fun and be really good. We have a legit big and his presence is noticeable from the tip. Our guys are learning to play with him and play off of him because he's going to demand so much attention.

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That legit big is a freshman, as is the best defender on the team and arguably the top guard. For as incredibly talented as they may be, there will be something of a learning curve and adjustment period for the youngsters. 

A few big wins would likely speed that adjustment up early in the season.