Duke Basketball: Biggest Question for Each Blue Devils Starter in 2016

Duke will play its 15th game of the 2015-16 season on Wednesday when it visits Wake Forest, meaning it is almost at the halfway point of the national title defense. There's so much left to happen, but the first two months have taught us a lot about this Blue Devils team.

And yet, there are still many questions, not just about the team as a whole but about every individual.

Grayson Allen

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Can he keep this up?

He hardly saw the court last season, but so far in his sophomore year, Grayson Allen has been Duke's best player. He's scoring a team-high 20.6 points per game and also has the most assists of any Blue Devil, with 50. The energy Allen exudes in every minute he's on the court is fun to watch but also infuriating for opponents to deal with.

But can he continue at this torrid pace? Or will he hit a wall, having already logged more minutes in 2015-16 (475) than the entirety of his freshman season (322)?

Allen only has one speed, and because of this he can play out of control sometimes. On Saturday he went for a dunk in transition but came down hard, appearing to hit his head on the court. He was OK, but Duke can ill afford to have another injury with only seven players participating right now.

Matt Jones

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Can he provide leadership?

When Amile Jefferson went down with a foot injury in mid-December, that left Matt Jones and Marshall Plumlee as the elder statesmen in Duke's rotation. Plumlee is older, as a senior, but Jones is the one with the most game experience in his college career and thus has assumed the role of mentor to the Blue Devils' young roster.

Is this a role he can maintain throughout the season, while also being able to contribute?

Jones is third on the team in scoring, at 14.9 points per game, and is Duke's top three-point shooter (45.3 percent). He's also been the most consistent player to this point, reaching double digits in 12 of 14 games.

The Blue Devils will face some tough moments as the season progresses, and it will be on Jones to guide and lead a backcourt that features two freshmen and a sophomore.

Derryck Thornton

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Can he run the offense?

Derryck Thornton has moved into the starting lineup since Duke lost Amile Jefferson, and in the last four games he's averaged 10.3 points and 3.3 assists (compared to 9.5 and 2.9 per game for the season). However, he's also turned the ball over eight times in those starts, and he's now the team leader in that stat with 25 giveaways.

The freshman is the only true point guard on the Blue Devils' roster, yet still he hasn't been given the keys to the offense. Grayson Allen and Matt Jones handle the ball in the half court just as much as Thornton, but with their interests also in scoring, this has led to a large number of 1-on-1 play.

Duke ranks near the bottom nationally in assist percentage, at 44.6 percent. Will Thornton be able to grasp the offense well enough to up that number, or will he only be out there by necessity?

Brandon Ingram

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Can he handle the contact?

At 6'9” and with a 7'3” wingspan, Brandon Ingram has length for days. Guards can't deal with him on the perimeter, and big men aren't shifty enough to deal with his lateral quickness. And after some initial disinterest in being a contributor on both ends of the court, the freshman has shown the complete package of late.

He's averaging 21.9 points per game over the last seven contests, and since moving to the 4 following Amile Jefferson's injury, his rebounding numbers have gone up. Except, that is, when he's had to deal with real size from an opponent.

The main instance of that came in the overtime loss to Utah, when Ingram was held to five rebounds (and none on the offensive glass) by 7'0” Jakob Poeltl and 6'9” Kyle Kuzma. Ingram only weighs 190 pounds, and that's up a bunch from where he was when arriving at Duke in the summer, but he still has room to grow in the strength department.

Can Ingram take the punishment that's no doubt going to come in ACC play? On Wednesday against Wake Forest, he could be matched up with any of three players who are 6'9” or taller and all of whom have at least 25 pounds on him.

Marshall Plumlee

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Can he avoid wearing down?

While he's not seeing the biggest jump in minutes from last season on Duke's roster—that goes to Grayson Allen—the rise from 9.6 in 2014-15 to 25.6 in his senior year is taking a toll on center Marshall Plumlee.

The 7-footer has started every game but is seventh on the team in minutes. He's coming off a one-point, five-rebound, zero-block performance against Boston College. It didn't impact the comfortable victory, but the team will need Plumlee to contribute more while the Blue Devils wait for Amile Jefferson to return.

Can Plumlee hold up, able to regroup quickly during his frequent trips to the bench, or will fatigue start to impact his play as the season progresses?

Follow Brian J. Pedersen on Twitter at @realBJP.