At first glance, Duke’s offense last season may not have seemed elite. The Blue Devils frequently employed a slow, sluggish style that rarely made for flashy play. According to metrics created by former ESPN analyst Ken Pomeroy, however, Duke posted the top offensive season in the nation, even though they frequently didn’t have the look of an offensive powerhouse.
This year’s squad will not have that problem, with additional firepower that should shine both qualitatively and in Pomeroy’s complex efficiency statistics.
“We’re trying to play a different style on offense,” head coach Mike Krzyzewski said. “This is a very good shooting team, and we want to have more possessions. We want to have a lot of possessions, and we feel that we’re going to get shots.”
Krzyzewski hopes this year’s faster tempo is the perfect recipe to exploit this squad’s deep corps of perimeter scorers. Seniors Kyle Singler and Nolan Smith are accompanied by Andre Dawkins, transfer Seth Curry and freshman Kyrie Irving in what some consider the strongest backcourt in the nation.
That depth on the perimeter is the key to the Blue Devils’ new system. Duke will tirelessly pressure their opponents, starting on the defensive end. Krzyzewski has repeatedly mentioned that Duke will extend more into the passing lanes this year in an attempt to use defense to create easy offense.
Should the fast break fail, however, look for the Blue Devils to still have some quick set plays in the half court, using a motion offense similar to that seen a season ago.
“We have tried to get some half-court stuff in,” Krzyzewski said. “You’re not going to be able to run all the time. If you start off running, the guys might never pay attention to the halfcourt like they should.”
The halfcourt will be Duke’s biggest challenge offensively this season. Not only were graduated seniors Brian Zoubek and Lance Thomas fantastic defenders, but they also relentlessly set screens. A considerable question mark will be the ability of the Plumlee brothers and Ryan Kelly to set effective picks to help free the talented shooters.
Regardless of whether Duke is in a halfcourt set or on the break, though, it’s a safe bet that Irving will be calling the shots.
“He’s very mature in the fact that his body’s mature,” Singler said. “He’s just a solid point guard, easy to play with and takes care of the ball.”
While last year’s schemes focused primarily on action off the ball, much of Duke’s new offensive style will depend on Irving’s ability to create. Fortunately for the Blue Devils, all signs indicate that he is more than capable. Krzyzewski adorned him with the number one and even went so far as to compare him to Chris Paul.
“He deserves everything that the coaches say,” Singler said. “Also, we don’t say anything he doesn’t know.”
Some of that confidence shone through in the preseason opener. Only minutes in, Irving casually tossed an alley-oop to Mason Plumlee from behind halfcourt. The message was clear—this season is going to be different.
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