Duke Basketball: Biggest Adjustments Blue Devils Must Make in 2016-17

Even after adding one of the country's best recruiting classes, Duke will still have to work to reach its goals this upcoming season.

The Blue Devils will have plenty of talent next year, but as we have seen throughout college basketball, this alone won't guarantee a championship. The most recent squad had seven McDonald's All-Americans, but those players couldn't prevent inconsistent play and a disappointing Sweet 16 exit.

Heading into the 2016-17 season, the players and coaching staff will have to learn their lessons from what went wrong last year as well as what has gone right in the past.

There are a list of adjustments that need to be made both physically and mentally if the team hopes to bring home its sixth national championship under head coach Mike Krzyzewski. Here is a look at some of the bigger issues to focus on heading into the summer.

Improve Focus on Defense

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This is all-encompassing regarding the biggest problem that held the team back last season.

According to KenPom.com, Duke finished the season ranked seventh in the country in offensive efficiency but just 107th in defensive efficiency. The Blue Devils have been in the top 10 offensively in each of the past eight years, but the defensive marks have read 107, 12, 116, 31, 81, 21, 8, 36 in that stretch.

You shouldn't be surprised to find out the two national championships were the best defensive teams, ranking 12th in 2015 and eighth in 2010.

As much fun it is to watch a high-powered offense, the defense is truly the difference between a good team and a great one.

While last year's team had the physical tools necessary to excel on that end of the court, one of the biggest problems was focus. Players would get beat off the dribble, and then rotations would be slow behind them. There were also no real rim protectors to make up for a mistake.

The upcoming season should be different with athletic, long players capable of guarding on the ball as well as helping off it. They also could get their hands in passing lanes and make things much tougher for opposing teams trying to run a set.

As long as the players care as much about their defense as their offense, this team could be elite.

Attack the Basket

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Duke is consistently one of the country's most prolific three-point shooting teams, but relying on outside shots can get you into trouble. This is especially true in a single-elimination tournament like March Madness.

The Blue Devils mostly stayed around the perimeter last season, ranking 226th in college basketball in percentage of field-goal attempts at the rim, according to Hoop-Math.com. This is even more impressive considering the role Marshall Plumlee had while rarely moving more than a foot or two away from the basket.

According to KenPom.com, the squad ranked 315th in the country in points from two-point baskets.

If the team wants to be successful next season, it will need a lot more balance on the court. Frank Jackson will add some athleticism to attack the paint, while Jayson Tatum has a developed mid-range game, two areas that will provide some more versatility offensively. With Grayson Allen coming back for his junior year, there is yet another person who can create shots off the dribble.

Meanwhile, incoming freshman Harry Giles has the tools to score in the post when healthy, taking some of the pressure off the guards.

Knocking down shots from deep helps in a lot of games, but the best teams find ways to win in other ways. 

Stick with Bigger Lineup

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Coach K likes a smaller lineup's versatility, usually turning a small forward into an undersized 4. Brandon Ingram played the role last year, as have Justise Winslow, Jabari Parker and others in past seasons.

While this creates a deadlier offense, it also really hinders the squad on the defensive end. Ingram specifically didn't have the strength to handle legitimate power forwards in the post, like Brice Johnson of North Carolina or even Syracuse's Tyler Roberson. This led to easy baskets in the paint as well as tons of offensive rebounds allowed all year long.

There wasn't much of a choice for the coaching staff this past season, but next year's squad will have a lot more depth in the post with Amile Jefferson's return and the additions of Giles and Javin DeLaurier. Chase Jeter should also be better with another year under his belt. If Marques Bolden decides to sign with the team, this could be one of the country's top units.

Although there would be a temptation to slide Tatum down low like Duke has done with similar players in the past, the positives are simply not worth the negatives. Besides, this team shouldn't have much problem scoring no matter the lineup.

Whether Giles is ready to return from his ACL injury on day one or not, the Blue Devils should still try to form a more traditional lineup with two legitimate big men on the court at all times. It will help balance the offense, improve the defense and keep rebounding from being the major issue it was all last season.

Utilize Depth at Disposal

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Not counting Jefferson, who played in just nine contests last season, Duke's rotation consisted of just six players averaging more than eight minutes per game. The four-man group of Allen, Ingram, Plumlee and Matt Jones represented the core, while Luke Kennard and Derryck Thornton shifted playing time based on who was the hot hand.

Aside from Jeter's few minutes every now and then, the bench was mostly barren. The team allotted just 20.9 percent of its minutes to the bench, sixth-lowest in the nation, per KenPom.com.

At first glance, it's easy to say next year will be different with so many more options available. However, replacing Jefferson, Tatum and Jackson for the departed Plumlee, Ingram and Thornton brings us virtually to the same spot. If Giles is unable to play right away, then Krzyzewski could be looking at relatively few trustworthy options once again.

However, the team needs to give its younger players a chance to contribute, at least in small doses.

Jeter and Sean Obi could be valuable in the frontcourt rotation, along with DeLaurier and Jack White out of Australia. No matter who starts in the backcourt, Jackson, Jones and Kennard should all get reasonable minutes alongside Allen.

After last year was spent worrying about fatigue and foul trouble for the starters every single game, Duke needs to take advantage of its depth this time around.

Know Your Role

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Every championship team is built differently. Some have one or two elite scorers, while others have much more balance. However, all of them have an entire roster of players buying into the idea of what is best for the team.

What helped the 2015 team is the fact each player knew his role on the roster. Jahlil Okafor and Quinn Cook became the primary scorers as part of an inside-out tandem. Tyus Jones was a pass-first point guard who could take over if needed in big games. Justise Winslow was a versatile defender who was excellent in transition.

If you look at last year's squad, all you see is a bunch of players who wanted the ball in their hands and struggled to play defense. Plumlee did his work in the post, and Jones was a solid defender, but the rest of the players failed to help the team with specific roles.

The 2016-17 roster will be filled with players who were stars on their high school teams and are used to being a primary option offensively. Will they be able to unselfishly play together? Will they do the little things that don't necessarily show up in the box score? Will these highly touted players care if they don't put up high-scoring totals?

These questions are extremely important heading into next season, and they will help decide how successful Duke will be.

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