AskChron: Mason, Rivers and Murphy

This week on Twitter, we used our account @dukebasketball to ask people if they had any questions they would like the Chronicle's men's basketball beat writers to try and answer.

We thank everybody for their questions, and here are three questions and our responses.

@erniepantuso asked, "@dukebasketball, Mason Plumlee improving on offense tremendously? Wojo or does he just get it now?"

Watching Mason Plumlee play this season, it is clear he is a different player than he was his freshman and sophomore seasons. Although he is averaging only 11.7 points per game, he has been extremely efficient from the field, with an absurd 61.9 FG%. What's more is that he is now working to create his own baskets -- since the team's first game against Belmont this season, he has shown a commitment to making moves in the low post, often showcasing a hook shot that he has made a regular part of his game. The key for him in the second half of the season, offensively, will be to demand the ball more. While he has improved, the offense still does not run through him, and considering how it has stalled the past few games, he will need to assert himself more. He will also have to improve on his 42.2 FT% because if he continues to shoot that poorly, opposing teams will just start sending him to the line with little repercussions. Additionally, he must learn to be more careful with the ball - as he has become a more integral part of the offense this year, his turnovers have increased to 2.3 per game.

@Illmatic2 asked, "@dukebasketball do u believe Rivers will leave after this year? #AskChron"

If the season ended today? No. Scouts still believe in his potential as a future top pick, but Austin Rivers has been inconsistent this season and is clearly in need of more seasoning before jumping atop anybody's draft board. He has hit a rough patch recently, and even though he still leads the Blue Devils in scoring with 14.7 points per game, he has not proven he can be a reliable go-to scoring threat on a nightly basis. Over the team's last three games, Rivers is averaging just 9.3 points on 31% shooting from the field. Nobody can deny that Rivers has the potential to be an elite shooter and driver, but he has not put it all together yet. To keep everything in perspective though, a lot can change between now and draft day. If he turns it on in ACC play and the NCAA tournament, his stock could skyrocket putting him back on track for being a one-and-done. Still, as of now it seems like there is a good shot he suits up for the Blue Devils as a sophomore next year.

@RonIzKing asked, "@dukebasketball #askchron why was Alex Murphy redshirted and Gbinije may be our best perimeter defender but doesn't get any mins"

It looks like both Alex Murphy and Marshall Plumlee will be redshirted, though that is a process that cannot become official until after the season. Plumlee's redshirting was more expected — he clearly could use the extra year to put on muscle and develop — while Murphy's was less expected. He was injured at the beginning of the season, and the program must be hoping that he can jump in next year and be ready with four full years of eligibility ahead of him, rather than wasting one this season when he would only see limited action. As for Michael Gbinije, he has shown he hustles and can be a strong perimeter defender. He did not play against Georgia Tech, but had been working himself into the rotation prior to that, averaging over 10 minutes per game in the prior four contests. He should see more action as his offensive game develops because one thing about this Duke team is that it lacks a true swingman. Over the next few years, those shoes are Gbinije's and Murphy's to fill.