Duke defeated Siena handily at 92-74, so the game's specifics have to be taken with a grain of salt. But during the time period when the score was close, it all honesty it wasn't too pretty considering the overwhelming talent mismatch. If Duke had played without Grayson Allen, the end result may have been in doubt. There is a lot of work in store for coach Mike Krzyzewski and his staff, and it may actually help for the team to have another game less than 24 hours later against Bryant.
One Overall Thought:
The good from Siena probably isn’t as good as it seems in the moment, and the same goes for the bad. It’s better to think of these factors as “reasons for optimism” and “teachable moments.”
1. Grayson Allen Came, Saw, and Conquered
There is no doubt Allen, who started his first game as a Blue Devil, will be among the most athletic players on the floor each game of Duke’s season, but against Siena, it was almost unfair. During a 15-minute span of the first half (17:39-2:28), he put the Blue Devils on his back, scoring 20 of the team’s 35 points. His aggressiveness was Dwyane Wade-esque combined with the balance and craftiness of Kyrie Irving in the ways he’d contort his body to free himself for shots at the rim once in the lane. Against better teams, a mid-range game will serve him well, so it would be good for him to work on that skill. His two highlight dunks will receive the most attention, but his ability to drive, draw the defense, and dish to Amile Jefferson for dunks just before the first half ended as well as with 6:48 left in the game were an example of his maturity, patience, and development of his game. Those assists were not just Grayson doing any of the things being mentioned most at this point (athletic, determined, plays hard). Those were professional basketball moves, and high IQ plays. An interesting note is that Allen’s 26-point performance was his second highest of his Duke career, passing the 18-point effort against Presbyterian last year, which was the season’s first contest.
2. Amile Jefferson: A Reliable, Calming Presence
To say that Amile Jefferson performed well is an understatement (19 pts, 12 rebounds), but he typically shows out against mid-tier teams that don’t have a power forward who can handle his length and fluidity. Without knocking his performance at all, the true test will be against teams that are physical with him in the post and don’t allow his sweeping bank shot while fading to the right. A good sign was knocking down 3-4 free throws. He has eliminated the hitch in his motion. The big question remains, though…Can he hit a mid-range jump shot to space the floor and make his inside moves even more lethal? He has yet to attempt one so far during exhibitions or the first regular season game. As always, he was talking nonstop, staying in the year of all the freshmen, and keeping the youngers’ confidence up. Good start to Amile’s senior season.
3. Brandon Ingram: The Offense Will Come. The Defense/Transition is Here
It would be nice to see Brandon Ingram start to exhibit some of the range that many scouts gush over so often, but it will ebb and flow. Hopefully this ends all Kevin Durant comparisons, and is a good lesson to those who only watch mixtape highlights on YouTube or hype videos. Ingram’s halfcourt offense will be something to watch, but on defense and in transition, Ingram is a special, special talent; and unlike his offense, the evidence exists in the here and now. Playing on top of the 1-3-1 zone was a site to behold, and he got his hands on many passes while affecting countless others. Ingram will be a force no matter what, and it will translate far beyond the box score.
4. Other Individual Player Thoughts
Marshall Plumlee picked up two fouls within the first ten minutes, wandered off from the basket at times on defense, and fell into a previous, thought to be corrected habit of bringing the ball down instead of going straight up for shots. With Duke’s lack of depth on the interior, Plumlee is vital to this team, and need to stay on the floor. His actual game play will improve, but as I mentioned in the season preview, any plays run through Plumlee in the exhibition season should have been taken with a grain of salt.
Luke Kennard was hesitant to shoot after missing his first couple, especially inside of the three-point line. Coach K said Kennard was nervous in his first exhibition game, and this could have been the case during his first regular season game as well. He seemed to loosen up as the game progressed, which is a good sign.
Matt Jones missed his first couple of shots, but finished strong, and his importance to the team goes beyond any stats. Duke was a different team with Jones on the court. His constant talk was evident, and showcased a completely different Matt Jones from the previous year. The transformation has begun. (Krzyzewski mentioned that the team is being careful with Jones’ sore groin, and he isn’t practicing as much. With yesterday being day one of nine games in 23 days, it is smart to use caution.)
Derryck Thornton’s body language took a hit. He is too good at penetrating to consistently settle for jumpers, so driving in and creating for himself and others would be a positive sign. Thornton’s defense was up and down. He’ll learn a lot from his first game, and might actually help to have his second game the following day.
Chase Jeter was energetic, but seemed lost at times, and faded from contact. Physicality can be a mentality, and with Plumlee out of the game so soon, Jeter was thrown into the mix a bit early.
5. No Rim Protection
Despite some harping about Jahlil Okafor’s lack of blocked shots last season, he provided a huge impact, and his absence will be felt this season. Marshall Plumlee has improved his defense, but still isn’t anyone that opponents will fear at the rim, and Chase Jeter at this point doesn’t embrace contact, though has potential to make an eventual impact. Expect an increase of opponent free throws and successful trips to the line against Duke this season.
6. Is Eight Always Enough?
Though the Siena score was never close to the blowouts of last season’s first couple of games, Duke was ten deep before losing Semi Ojeleye and Rasheed Sulaimon. Chase Jeter played 11 minutes yesterday as the eighth man, and the only others receiving action were Sean Obi with three minutes and Antonio Vrankovic with one minute. If there are any injuries or other unforeseen incidents causing a player to be lost, Duke will be in major trouble.
7. The Point Guard Effect
With Tyus Jones, Duke was among the top teams in the nation for most of last season in assist to made field goal percentage, and assisted on 30 of 42 made field goals in the first game against Prebyterian last season. Last night, Duke assisted on 9 of 30 made field goals, and was at one point 5 of 20. Players are still figuring each other out, and ball movement is not fluid. Besides Grayson Allen, there weren’t many drives to the rim. Attacking and collapsing the defense will be important.
8. Freshmen Tend to Get Down on Themselves
Jahlil Okafor by himself hid a lot of the freshmen learning curve last season. He created wide open shots by demanding so much attention, and because Tyus Jones didn’t have to be consistently great the entire game, he saved his energy for crunch time. Winslow’s impact was enough early on in transition, so his struggles in the half court weren’t noticed as much.
This season’s team doesn’t have the luxury of Big Jah, and cannot get down on themselves and stop shooting when the going gets rough. The upperclassman will keep on them to stay confident, but there will be rough patches, and yesterday was evidence. In the half court, Ingram, Kennard, and Thornton all stopped shooting or settled for long jumpers. If this continues, the mantra of “live by the three, die by the three” will begin, which is never a good thing.
9. Transition/Press Was Extremely Impressive
Duke in transition was an animal last night. When running and gunning, passes were crisp, athleticism was evident, and instincts were allowed to take control rather than thinking. The press was occasionally used, and glimpses of a full-court press were exciting. This is Duke’s strength, and they need to get up-tempo. They caused 17 turnovers by Siena, not great, but there were many “almost” plays that with experience, will be taken advantage of.
10. "Five and Hope for More to Come Alive"
Grayson Allen, Matt Jones, Amile Jefferson, Luke Kennard, and Matt Jones will provide positive minutes each and every game. No matter what the box score shows, there is little doubt Kennard will improve from his first game. As for the other three, they have to find a way to provide a solid impact.
