Duke Basketball: Blue Devils' Biggest Concerns Ahead of ACC Play

Bad news, Duke fans. The Blue Devils basketball team is not perfect, despite what the 10-0 record indicates.

With ACC play rapidly approaching, there are some things that should be on the Christmas list of every Duke supporter, and I’m not just talking about that ugly Blue Devils holiday sweater. There are some legitimate reasons for concern with only a couple of games remaining until ACC play.

A quick note before delving into those reasons—this is more nitpicking than anything else. After all, Duke boasts a perfect record and already has impressive wins over the likes of Michigan State, Temple, Stanford, Wisconsin and Connecticut on its resume.

No team has even come within single digits of the Blue Devils, including the Badgers in Madison, and there may not be a better team in college basketball this side of Lexington. Still, these are the reasons that Duke is not perfect before ACC play begins.

Interior Depth/Rebounding

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The lack of interior depth and any potential rebounding concerns are naturally tied in with each other, although the rebounding is certainly better than it was last season.

Jahlil Okafor is averaging 8.9 boards a night, while Amile Jefferson is pulling in 8.4. However, the next highest Duke player after that is grabbing 4.5 boards a game, and that is Justise Winslow, who, despite his versatility, is more of a perimeter player than someone who can bang down low.

Outside of Okafor and Jefferson, which is about as good of a one-two punch as you can ask for down low, there is not much else on Duke’s roster in terms of interior players. Marshall Plumlee is what he is at this point of his career and is really not much more than a space-eater and extra body to use in case of foul trouble.

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Sure, he has his moments, but are there any Duke fans out there who are comfortable with Plumlee and his 2.9 points and 2.8 rebounds per game as the primary center in a critical tournament showdown or clash with North Carolina or Louisville if Okafor got into foul trouble? 

There are very few weaknesses on this team, but Duke could be exposed if Okafor or even Jefferson ever got into serious foul trouble or had to miss time against an elite opponent down the stretch of the season.

Short Bench

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With Semi Ojeleye transferring, Mike Krzyzewski’s traditionally short bench got even shorter, and not just down low where there is the aforementioned lack of interior depth.

In a recent win over Connecticut, only six Duke players were on the court for more than six minutes—the five starters and Rasheed Sulaimon. What’s more, only seven players were on the court for more than eight minutes against Wisconsin, with Matt Jones adding his name to that list.

Coach K typically shortens his bench, especially when ACC play begins, but there could be some reason for concern with freshmen playing such a major role on this year’s team. Okafor, Winslow or Tyus Jones have never experienced the physical rigors of a full college season, and there is always the chance that the freshmen hit a wall at some point during conference play. 

If that happened, Duke simply doesn’t have the bench depth to cover it up.

Opposing Point Guards and Dealing with Ball Pressure

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Jones has been excellent, and this is more of an entire backcourt concern rather than just him.

Still, Traevon Jackson scored 25 points in the game against Wisconsin, Travis Trice tallied 15 points, eight assists and six rebounds in the game against Michigan State and Ryan Boatright finished with 22 points, seven rebounds and three steals in the game against Connecticut. If there is a pattern here, it is opposing point guards having big statistical games against Duke.

To Jones’ credit, he also had impressive contests on the offensive side of all three of those games, so it’s not as if he is losing the individual battles. However, it would be nice from Duke’s perspective if the opposing point guard didn’t stuff the stat sheet every time the Blue Devils play a quality opponent.

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Perhaps more concerning moving forward was the Blue Devils’ trouble with Connecticut’s pressure defense. Duke ended up with 19 turnovers in that game, which was the only reason the 10-point win wasn’t a complete blowout.

Yes, Boatright and company feature one of the better perimeter defenses that Duke will face all season, but the turnovers and general level of discomfort bringing the ball up the court against the Huskies were concerning. 

Duke won’t be able to beat Kentucky in the Final Four or national championship game with 19 turnovers.

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