Devil of a Question: Who Will Start for Duke?

The Duke Blue Devils were supposed to be unathletic, average in talent, and unable to compete with the Kentucky's and Kansas' of the nation.  Final Four Most Outstanding Player Kyle Singler was supposed to be a first round draft pick.  Starting guard Nolan Smith was assumed to be following Singler to the league.  The Duke Blue Devils were supposed to lose their starting five...

Wow...  Guess a lot of people were wrong.

The wave of emotion that followed suit was nothing short of pure humor.  Duke fans were not only gloating from being crowned champions, they were also bragging that their returning nucleus is more than worthy of back-to-back title conversation.

The rest of ACC Country wasn't as impressed.  UNC faithful looked at it as no big deal. After all, they had won it the year before.   Carolina fans usually followed up that comment with some sort of "Barnes is better than Irving" remark...

If UNC is going to dethrone the reining ACC and NCAA Champs, they are going to have to contend with a devil of a team.  This team is not only going to be good, they are scary.

If you are going to fall under the category of scary, then you must have talent, athletes, experience, and depth.  The new look Devils have every bit of that and some.

Here is a look at their roster for next year.

The starting five of many NCAA teams change on a regular basis.  Duke's is no exception.  Coach K plays the guys who is going to give him the best chance of winning.  Don't take my word for it, just ask Greg Paulus and Nolan Smith (both of whom were benched in favor of junior players).

The Point

In American basketball today, the point guard is easily the most important position on the court.  Big men like Tim Duncan no longer dominate the ACC.  Back to the basket centers are almost extinct.

This team has a bright spot at the one guard.  Freshman Kyrie Irving stepped in and is expected to take the helm.  One common denominator from every Duke championship is the point guard. 

Bobby Hurley, Jason Williams, and Jon Scheyer all led their teams as a coach on the court.  Irving may be a freshman, but he will have his chance to shine.  This is his spot to lose!

Just because a freshman is supposed to be great, does not mean he will be.  If Irving struggles and does not become the player Coach K thinks he will, then the spot could quickly belong to senior Nolan Smith.

Smith is more of a two guard, but his senior leadership automatically signs him up for this spot should Irving fail.

The Two

Smith will be a starter.  The perfect spot for him in this lineup is at the two.  Smith is a much better shooting guard.  Many may still remember that it was Smith who got benched in favor of a very athletic freshman by the name of Elliot Williams a few years ago.  Since that day, he has never regained sole possession of that spot.

That being said, don't get it twisted.  Smith is the second best player on this team and is a captain for a reason.  He will have several chances to take over games throughout the season.

Smith can drive, shoot, and pass.  If it wasn't for Kyle Singler, Smith would be the true superstar on this team.  Smith was Second Team All-ACC last year, he is a First Team candidate this year. 

If Smith can not avoid the injury bug, a UFC type battle between Seth Curry and Andre Dawkins may ensue.  Both will get plenty of PT, but don't expect either to start at the over Smith at the two.

The Three:  Another Guard or Singler Spot?

The three guard, or small forward position, may already be locked up.  Duke will run a Phoenix Suns pro type offense next season, which means this may turn into a three guard spot. 

Three guard means that Curry, Dawkins, and Ryan Kelly will split time making sure fresh legs are always on the court.

The better answer of who will start at this spot is Singler.  The true star of this team, Singler will be the go-to guy late in games.  He is the reining Final Four M.O.P. for a reason; he can play.  Singler turned down the show for a chance at back-to-back titles, he gives this team a fighting chance.

Singler is arguably the best player in the ACC, and is a lock for First Team honors.

The Four

who knew that Duke would turn into a family affair?  Coach K has the option to start two Plumlees!  If that is the case expect one of them to lay claim to this spot.

Miles Plumlee would be the better suited for the four.  He will be asked to fill Lance Thomas' shoes which includes charges, rebounds, and hustle.  He can do that, but will be more exciting and a better scorer.

This is where Duke makes an immediate upgrade.  While Thomas filled his role and was extremely important, Miles will be able to do more at this position and come seasons end, he may be more of a consistent contributor.

The Big Man

Last year Brian Zoubek became one of the best stories in the country.  He overcame injury after injury before blossoming into the big man K thought he was recruiting.

Now that he is trying to make an NBA roster, Duke has to replace him.  The person to do so may be Mason Plumlee.

Plumlee Volume Two is more athletic than Miles.  Mason was a often a spark plug off of the bench; this year, he will get plenty of time to dunk all over the competition.

While Big Z and Lance Thomas are both hard to replace, the combination of the Plumlees very well could result in a better on court pair. 

The Starting Five: Going Small

1.  Kyrie Irving

2.  Nolan Smith

3.  Seth Curry

4.  Kyle Singler

5.  Miles Plumlee

Don't be surprised is you see Curry turn into a regular starter.  He is often the forgotten player on this team, and he will quickly made his presence felt!

The Starting Five: Going Big

1.  Kyrie Irving

2.  Nolan Smith

3.  Kyle Singler

4.  Miles Plumlee

5.  Mason Plumlee

The Wildcards

No matter what, we are not Ms. Cleo.  Unforeseeable events will happen to change the starting lineups.

Watch out for Kelly, Curry, and Dawkins.  All three have been working diligently in the offseason.  Any of the three could steal a spot!

Kelly has been working just as hard as anyone on this team.  He WILL be ready for the season and is as motivated as anyone in the ACC.  He is a welcome addition, and if his talent and work ethic come together, he could slide into a starting spot.

Curry has basketball in his blood.  Dell Curry (father) has said that he is just as good as Stephan Curry (brother).  Steph Curry single-handedly carried Davidson throughout the NCAA Tourney several times, and was a true superstar in college.  If he is as good as his brother was at this point, then K will have to start him.  He is the true wildcard on this team.

Dawkins was a bomber last season, and not in a bad way.  He has the confidence of Reggie Miller, and has a shot to go with it.  If he plays like he has over the summer (scored 30+ on several occasions), then he will not only earn a spot, he will single handily steal one!

Although it is a good problem, Duke will have players that can't get on the court because of the talent already on it.

The starting five will change a ton early in the season. Coach K always does it, but, by Christmas, his core will be set, and this team will be doing everything they can to get Duke another banner and K one more title.