Duke Basketball: 10 Lessons Coach K May've Learned in China and Dubai

With the trip to China and Dubai a few weeks ago, the Duke Blue Devils basketball team gained some important experience and, with four straight wins, built some confidence before the regular season.

After the departure of Kyle Singler, Nolan Smith and Kyrie Irving, several returning players are expected to step up, and some new players will be needed on the court.

As such, there are questions regarding this Blue Devils team, and this trip gave Coach Mike Krzyzewski a chance to ascertain some answers.

Here are the 10 lessons Coach K may have learned from taking his team to Asia.

Duke's Winning Tradition Can Be Extended to an International Level

The Duke Blue Devils had an undefeated overseas exhibition run, winning three consecutive games against the Chinese Olympic Team and a matchup with the United Arab Emirates National Team.

If Coach K ever gets tired of beating the same ACC opponents year after year, he now knows he can travel to another continent and still experience the same level of success.

China Has Been Very Good to Him

Coach Mike Krzyzewski has now amassed an 11-0 coaching record in China over the past three years, with LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and the US Men's National Team going 8-0 at the Beijing Olympics, and his Duke Blue Devils now winning three straight against the Chinese Olympic Team.

The Blue Devils Are Prone to Slow Starts

In the first game against the Chinese Olympic Team the Duke Blue Devils were tied at the end of the first quarter, and in the game against the United Arab Emirates National Team they only held a two-point lead after the opening period.

Despite winning the four games by an average of 17.5 points, Duke had single-digit halftime leads in all three games against the Chinese.

But Duke Closes Well

On the other hand, the Duke Blue Devils did an excellent job of closing out theses exhibition matches.

In the four games, the Blue Devils outscored their opponents in every single third and fourth quarter except one (the first game against China when they already had a 14 point leading heading into the fourth).

Coach K's team has always been known for being good closers, and this year's squad looks no different.

Andre Dawkins Outside Shooting Is Still Deadly on the Other Side of the Globe

Junior Andre Dawkins, who shot 42.7 percent from three-point range last season, was even more accurate from long distance during the Asian exhibition tour, hitting 14 of his 29 attempts from outside the arc.

Dawkins will be a pivotal member of the Duke Blue Devils team this season, and his outside shooting abilities will be very useful, especially if Seth Curry is having a bad night.

Austin Rivers Is Experiencing Some Growing Pains

Austin Rivers may have averaged 14.25 points per game in the four game series, but the highly touted guard struggled along the way.

Rivers had 13 turnovers in the three games in China, and he only shot 39 percent from the field (and 23.8 percent from three-point range) throughout the trip.

This may have just been early jitters (and the regular season is still far off), but Rivers did not look as good as advertised in his first games in a Duke Blue Devils uniform.

Seth Curry Is Trying to Take the Leadership Role

Coach K had nothing but positive things to say about Seth Curry at the close of the exhibition tour.

With seasoned veterans Kyle Singler and Nolan Smith departing and Kyrie Irving opting for the NBA, one of the big questions was regarding the leadership of this Duke Blue Devils team.

While many players got extensive playing time and most had their ups and downs, the younger brother of NBA star Stephen Curry provided consistently solid play, averaging 13.5 points per game. Seth Curry looks like the leader of this team.

Ryan Kelly Is Ready to Contribute

Ryan Kelly had a very solid week, one which should build his confidence heading towards the season.

The 6'11" junior recorded a double-double in the opening game against the Chinese Olympic Team, and notched 20 points in the second matchup.

The versatile forward has big shoes to fill with Kyle Singler moving on, but this trip showed he's ready to step in.

The Plumlee's Are Producing

Miles Plumlee had a very productive four game stretch, scoring 14 of 23 field goal attempts and hauling in 39 rebounds.

At the same time his brother Mason Plumlee was very efficient, making 18 of his 22 shots and bringing down 24 rebounds himself.

The Plumlee brothers will need to continue that production in the regular season to carry the Duke Blue Devils' inside game.

Sometimes the Team Just Needs Some Time Away from Basketball

Along with getting some different experience on the basketball court, the Duke Blue Devils team got to see the tallest building in the world and visit the Great Wall of China.

While what happens on the court is obviously most important, sometimes trips and recreational activities are solid team building exercises. Getting away and having fun can help make the countless hours of basketball more tolerable.