Devil's Advocate: Stop Saying Jon Scheyer Isn't a Point Guard

Welcome to Devil's Advocate, my new weekly column.  Each week, I'll take on a common argument or criticism against Duke used by analysts and/or Duke haters.  My opinion might not be correct, but I'm just playing Devil's Advocate.

Point guard play hasn't exactly been a strength for the Duke Blue Devils in recent years.

Ever since Chris Duhon graduated in 2004, Duke has struggled to find an elite guard to lead the Blue Devils' offense.

Greg Paulus spent a few years trying to establish himself in that role, but his leadership ability couldn't compensate for his lack of athleticism in a league known for athletic guards.

Last season, Nolan Smith started at the point from day one.

He looked promising at the beginning of the season, but when Duke got into conference play, he struggled (especially with the mental aspect of the position) against the elite point guards in the ACC.

Midway through last year's ACC season, Jon Scheyer took over the reigns of the Blue Devils struggling offense and found more success than Paulus and Smith.

Leading the Blue Devils to 10 wins out of their last 12 games, Scheyer averaged 18.6 points per game with 2.4 assists and only 1.2 turnovers.

Despite his numbers, however, he looked out of place against Villanova in Duke's Sweet 16 loss in March, leaving analysts and fans questioning whether or not he could really be successful at the point this season.

With Duke's first three games in the books, Scheyer may have answered many of those questions with a resounding, "Yes, I can play the point with the best of them!"

In Duke's first three games of the season, Scheyer is averaging 16 points, 4.7 assists and zero turnovers—not bad for a player who, according to analysts, isn't a point guard.

Scheyer has always taken care of the ball at Duke; he averaged less than two turnovers per game in his first three seasons.  But to play three games averaging over 34 minutes per game and log zero turnovers is ridiculous.

Sure, the Blue Devils haven't played anyone of significance yet, and their opponents haven't been deep or athletic, but regardless of the competition, playing three consecutive games without a single turnover is a rare accomplishment for even the most elite point guards in the country.

Point in case, Ty Lawson averaged two turnovers per game in his first three games last year, and it's not like anyone (even at Kentucky last year) was much competition for him.

Greivis Vasquez, probably the most complete guard in the ACC, averaged nearly three turnovers in his first three games last season against the likes of Bucknell, Youngstown State, and Vermont, so the "Scheyer hasn't played against good competition yet" line doesn't hold water.

People will still be quick to say that Scheyer isn't really a point guard, but what exactly is the role of a point guard?

The last time I checked, it's someone who can take care of the ball, initiate the offense, distribute, and get teammates involved.

Scheyer is certainly doing all of that and more so far for the Blue Devils.

How long will his zero turnover streak last?

Probably not much longer, especially if the Blue Devils play an athletic team like Connecticut in the NIT preseason tournament finals (that game will likely be Scheyer's first real test of the season, as the Huskies can throw the same kind of speed at Scheyer that Villanova did last year).

But it's not like Scheyer hasn't played against speed before—he's spent his whole career as a guard in the ACC, and he's never averaged more than 1.6 turnovers in a season despite playing big minutes even as a freshman against quick ACC guards.

Say what you will about Scheyer, but please don't say that he's not a point guard.

He does everything that a team could ask from their point guard and then some.