Duke’s last outing against Michigan State was alarming, plain and simple. It didn’t play remotely to the caliber that one would expect from a No. 6 team and left many Duke fans in a combination of awe and disappointment. Those fans caught a breath of fresh air last night in Duke’s win over Bellarmine. The Blue Zone is here to break down the game as simply as we can: in one word.
One word: Reassuring
These Blue Devils are not the same ones we saw against Michigan State or even Coppin State for that matter. Quite on the contrary, the Blue Devils who took the court against Bellarmine look like a top-10 basketball team. And while they were playing Bellarmine in its first ever Division I game, the opportunity provided a time and place for Duke to feel out its identity, which it desperately needed.
After Coppin State, it appeared that Jalen Johnson or DJ Steward would be the one to lead the team, and while they’re certainly still options, each game it’s looking more likely that Matthew Hurt will be the one to fill those shoes. His 3-point touch was lethal, going 6-for-8 from downtown, and gave the Blue Devils a shot of adrenaline when they most needed it.
This isn’t to say that Matthew Hurt will routinely carry the team like he did last night. Rather, it’s that Duke has now seen three different star-caliber performances and there are legitimate options; the burden doesn’t rest on the shoulders of a freshman. Phew.
Another reassurance was the revelation that this Duke team is capable of playing team basketball. In the last few games, the Blue Devils lacked cohesion on the floor. It more closely resembled the beginning of the Hunger Games: every man for himself. And while last night was no Spurs-like team basketball, Duke showed a promising amount of ball movement with 20 assists, 12 of which came from Steward and Jordan Goldwire.
To be reassured is not to be absolved of all worry. And there is still plenty of worry to go around about this team.
As with the rest of the season, Duke’s first half was plagued by turnovers and generally sloppy play. The Blue Devils are averaging an abysmal 17.3 turnovers per game, and even more disturbing, it’s an even spread effort. Against Bellarmine, only one player didn’t record a turnover (shoutout to Jaemyn Brakefield).
Additionally, this Duke team seems to fall into the same trap as last year’s did. It does not perform at a high level until it is thoroughly frightened by an opponent. The first half is seen as a warm up/size-up and it’s not until the second that the real play begins. This is all fine and good when dealing with a Bellarmine, but as soon as ACC play starts, this will become a costly approach.
Suffice to say that Duke has a long way to go, but maybe just not as long as we might’ve thought two days ago.
Regardless of ranking or the fact that Duke was favored by over 30 points, this game reassured me that Duke is capable of playing a dominant brand of basketball. And more importantly, it should have that effect on the players. The Michigan State game left as bad a taste in their mouths as it did in the fans’ and that frustration showed against the Knights. It’s not a bad thing to be humbled at the start of a season, as long as you take the opportunity to bounce back.
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