In the Empire Classic, Duke Shows How Many Ways It Can Win
This team can highlight different pieces, and play with different styles, from game to game
Different players on different nights. Heck, different players in different halves. Through six games, including an Empire Classic championship clinched Friday night, the number of ways this Duke team can win games continues to be the theme of the early season.
Consider how many players had to fill a key role in Duke’s hard fought 81-73 victory over Georgetown. Duke found themselves down 11 in the first half, and freshman Matthew Hurt, who had been a solid source of offense so far this season, was clearly not himself. Neither was Alex O’Connell, who badly missed his only two shot attempts off the bench.
Where did Coach K turn in this dire situation? I doubt very many would predict Joey Baker, but it was the sophomore nonetheless who was inserted off the bench.
But Baker responded. Less than a minute after he stepped on the court, Baker made a beautiful mid-range jumper after being run off the three-point line. His shot was clearly on, which he paid off with a corner three a minute and a half later. That shooting presence spread the floor after the Hoyas had begun keying on Vernon Carey in the post, allowing Carey more room to operate. Carey scored the next four Duke points, bringing his first half total to 16, and the teams entered the half tied.
The first half box score was remarkably skewed by Carey’s dominant performance, with the freshman scoring his 16 points on 7-of-10 shooting. Meanwhile, only Baker and freshman Wendell Moore contributed more than one bucket alongside Carey. And while Baker shone in his eight minutes not just with his shooting, but also with surprising contributions on defense and on the glass, Moore’s overall first half was less sparkling, with his six points dulled by three turnovers.
Common sense would say the game plan in the second half would follow the end of the first half’s script: spread the court with Baker and feed Carey. Yet, Duke found an entirely different way to beat Georgetown after the break. Carey only scored four more points, and Baker only played two more minutes. Instead, Tre Jones regained control of the game, contributing not only 11 points, but five assists. Moore and fellow freshman Cassius Stanley were the beneficiaries of much of that playmaking, with Stanley scoring 20 points in the second stanza (including a very encouraging 3-for-3 from beyond the arc), and Moore scored 11 of his own. Both freshmen showed the ability to carve up the defense in transition and slash to the bucket in the half-court. It looked like a completely different team, with a completely different set of stars, and a completely different game plan.
Oh, and while the youngsters were grabbing all the spotlight, all senior captain Jack White did was fill in for the struggling Hurt, play 18 strong minutes in the second half, and finish the game with a plus/minus rating of +20 despite only adding five points of his own.
Some will harp on the negatives of the performance against the Hoyas: the first half struggles, Hurt’s disappearing act, Javin DeLaurier’s continued struggles to score at the rim or stay on the floor. But the mere fact that Duke could win a game against a quality opponent with those limitations says something about the makeup of this team. The fact that the Blue Devils could do so in two completely different fashions shows all the different weapons that this squad can bring to bear against an opponent.
Not convinced? Look at the season as a whole. Against Kansas, Duke’s offensive attack was balanced, with Jones leading the way with 15 but three freshmen (Hurt, Carey and Stanley) scoring double digits. In the next game it was Stanley leading the way in a blowout of Colorado State with 19 (Carey, it’s worth noting, only played 15 minutes in that contest). Against Central Arkansas it was Hurt scoring 19 off the bench to lead the way, going 3-for-3 from deep. Then Jones had a transcendent performance against Georgia State, followed by Carey’s own historic performance against Cal.
In six games, that’s four different leading scorers and seven players who have scored in double digits. And even that fails to encapsulate the contributions of players like White and Jordan Goldwire, both of whom have seemed to embraced their roles as glue guys off the bench.
Last season, the Blue Devils’ three star freshmen, all lottery picks, had to combine for upwards of 50 points for Duke to win competitive games. When you have players that talented, a team can go very far with that model. But it also makes it easier for the opposition to game plan, and for one off night by one of those stars to hamstring the entire team. This season, Duke can win in at least half a dozen different ways, with just as many potential star performers on any given night, as well as a handful of veterans willing to serve as pivotal glue guys. That’s not necessarily better or worse than last year’s strategy. But if you aren’t going to overwhelm a team with pure talent and athleticism, it’s perhaps the most efficient way to contend for a national title.
This Blue Devil team is young and has flaws, no question. But it’s easier to overcome those issues when you have a full first-aid kit at your disposal, rather than a single bandaid. If Coach K can continue to foster that versatility, and a culture that anyone can be the star on any given night, there’s a lot to be optimistic about as this team develops.