Is the Sky Falling at Duke? 3 Ways the Blue Devils Can Grow

The Duke Blue Devils suddenly seem human.  The untouchable team of last March has went cold and appears beatable by every team that suits up against them.  After a loss to Florida State, Duke played a terrible first half against a sub-par Virginia team.  Until the snipers started stroking, it looked like Duke could be in danger of losing two straight and starting an untimely slump.

Duke may be the reigning champs, but they have a long way to go if they hope to become the first back-to-back champs since Florida.  That goal is not out of reach, but to create such magic they have to get better at the following three areas of the game.

1.  Front Court Presence

No. 1 could be the most obvious thing in Duke Basketball since a J.J. Redick three-point shot.  Last season they were able to make a run at Indy because of the impressive play of Brian Zoubek down low.  The rebound machine played with a surprising toughness that ignited the team time and time again.  His 7' frame and rebounding prowess allowed for second chance shots that just aren't here this year.

Additionally, Duke has no true presence down low.  The Plumlee Brothers are in the paint, but neither has stepped up to be the dominant big guy that many hoped.

Fixing this problem is vital to Duke's success.  In all honesty this weakness may not be fixed this season, and a 7' Plumlee may not do it either. 

At some point Duke will have to avoid the post game, but not abandon it.  They will need someone to step up and play strong down low.  Lance Thomas and Big Z are certainly missed in terms of his strength, toughness and defense.

Allowing the Plumlees to be interchangeable and to rack up fouls could be a short-term answer.  Making the other team's big men work to get points.  Making them force shots takes them out of the game and allows Duke to run the court keeping the advantage on their side.

2.  The Drive and Dish

When Kyrie Irving went down, Duke lost the Thanksgiving turkey before the yams were done.  The biggest hole he left was an ability to drive and dish hitting open shooters.  Just because Kyrie is on the bench with crutches doesn't mean this tactic should be excluded from the O.

Nolan Smith has shown glimpses of Jason Williams at times this season and has played his best when he was able to get to the rim.  His ability to break his opponent down off of the dribble is much better than he gets credit for and needs to be a fixture in Duke's offense.

If Duke spreads the floor and gets driving lanes, it will also open the court for the shooters improving accuracy and point totals.

3.  The Reserves

Every great movie has an incredible supporting cast.  Basketball is no different.  It is rare that one superb player can carry a team completely through the NCAA tourney.  If Duke is going to make a strong run, then they will need players such as Andre Dawkins and Seth Curry to step up and be consistent scorers.

This team can't afford to rely on Smith and Singler alone.  They need the other players to score their share.  

If Dawkins, Curry, Plumlee (either) or Kelly can step up and become a double-digit scorer, then this team becomes dangerous.  Dangerous as in difficult to guard, virtually impossible to stop and a true No. 1 on Selection Sunday.

The sky is not falling around Durham.  The Duke Blue Devils have not called it quits, and no one in blue has thrown in the towel.  Having a Hall-of-Fame caliber coach is something this Duke team has, and over time it will be interesting to see how he makes the best out of his team.

Time will tell if this Duke team is poised to be something special or another flop.  If they can correct the three things on this list, then they will be well on their way and primed for a strong NCAA run.