Rebounding, post play has No. 1 Duke among the nation’s most efficient offensive teams
Concerns about Duke’s lack of proven jump shooters led to plenty of talk -- near and far -- about the Blue Devils’ ability to play and win at a high level.
Six games into the basketball season, Duke remains unbeaten and is ranked No. 1 in the country.
That doesn’t mean those concerns were unfounded. Duke’s 3-point shooting percentage of 33.3 percent is No. 144 in the country while the Blue Devils have made 49.3 percent of their 2-point attempts -- No. 159 in the country.
According to statistics compiled by Synergy Sports, the Blue Devils are shooting 30.3 percent on jump shots closer than 17 feet.
That shooting could cost Duke as the season progresses. But, despite those pedestrian numbers, Duke finds itself not only the nation’s top-ranked team but No. 10 in the country in offensive efficiency, according to KenPom.com. The Blue Devils are scoring 1.1 points per possession to earn that ranking.
See, Duke’s coaching staff has a long, long -- long -- history of figuring things out offensively. The last time the Blue Devils failed to finish among the nation’s top 10 in offensive efficiency was the 2007-08 season, when they were No. 13.
Again, the season is young. But, according to the old-fashioned statistics and new-wave advanced statistics, the Blue Devils are combining their rock-solid defense with just enough offense to make them a tough team to beat.
Here’s a closer look at five categories of the team’s play:
Shooting
The overall numbers aren’t eye-popping but a closer look reveals areas where the Blue Devils are strong.
Vernon Carey’s rapid development inside has been the highlight of the season’s first three weeks. The 6-10, 270-pound center came to Duke needing to develop better post moves and he’s done it under assistant coach Nate James’ tutelage, averaging 18.3 points per game while making 60.9 percent of his shots.
“He has finesse too,” Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski said. “He has good feet. He’s not just a big guy. He’s a good basketball player and I’ve got to figure out a little more how to use him. It’s not like he’s not getting the ball now. But we can use him better. I knew he’d be good. He’s better and he’s a really good competitor and he shows poise. He checks a lot of boxes.”
Carey is cleaning up on offensive rebounds. More on that in another category, but he has sank 7 of 11 shots (63.6 percent) on put-backs.
Another freshman, 6-6 forward Cassius Stanley, is averaging 14 points per game and has made 54.9 percent of his shots overall.
He’s excelled as a spot-up shooter -- running to a spot, catching a pass and shooting quickly. Stanley has taken 16 of those shots, making nine (56.3 percent). Sophomore Joey Baker is shooting 50 percent on spot-up shots (5 of 10).
Stanley also is effective in isolated situations where he can beat a solo defender off the dribble. He’s hit four of his five shots this season on drives and also hit his only jumper off those situations.
Controlling the boards
This area of the game is helping Duke excel offensively and defensively. The Blue Devils have averaged 45 rebounds per game while their foes have grabbed 31.5.
Duke doesn’t shoot at a high percentage, but it’s efficient offensively because it rebounds 41.7 percent of its missed shots. That offensive rebounding percentage is No. 3 in the country.
Conversely, Duke’s opponents only rebound 21.1 percent of their missed shots.
So Duke gets many more chances to score than its foes.
In addition, Duke’s earned 28.1 percent of its free throw attempts off put-back shots.
Carey leads the way with 9.2 rebounds per game, followed by Stanley (5.3), Javin DeLaurier (5.0) and Jack White (4.8).
Wendell Moore, a 6-6 freshman, is sneaky good at offensive rebounding so far. His 14 offensive rebounds are second on the team only to Carey’s 20.
Defense
This is the area where Duke figured to be strong and that’s proven to be true.
Teams have scored 82.7 points per 100 possessions against Duke, good for the nation’s No. 2 defensive efficiency.
Duke has allowed teams to make just 40.6 percent of their shots, including 32.5 percent of their 3-pointers.
Duke has also been successful in limiting the other team’s 3-point attempts. Only 25.7 percent of the shots against Duke have come from behind the 3-point line. That’s the seventh-best such percentage in the country.
It’s hard to catch up from a deficit, or build on a lead, quickly without open 3-point attempts.
The six teams Duke has played have committed turnovers on 26.9 percent of their possessions. That makes the Blue Devils No. 12 in the country in turnover percentage on defense.
Pick-and-roll ball handlers have made just 26.3 percent of their shots while turning the ball over 22 percent of the time. That means this Duke team is communicating well on defense.
Ball movement
This isn’t a particularly strong area for Duke, which has recorded assists on only 48.6 percent of its field goals. That’s No. 217 nationally.
Part of the reason for this goes back to all those offensive rebounds and put-back attempts Duke has converted into baskets and free-throw attempts. No one gets an assist on those plays.
As expected, Tre Jones leads the team with 37 assists (6.1 per game). But Moore is the only other Blue Devil in double figures and he has 11 (1.9 per game).
Carey has two assists, so there’s room for improvement with his passing. That’s something to watch as the season progresses. He’s likely to start drawing more double teams, so kick-out passes will become more important.
Ball protection
Duke has committed turnovers on 18.4 percent of its possessions, which is slightly better than the national average (19.7). The Blue Devils are No. 125 nationally in this category so that can get better.
Six Blue Devils who are part of the regular playing rotation have more turnovers than assists. Carey is the worst offender here with 14 turnovers while Stanley has 11. Those players have combined for only five assists.
Moore’s 18 turnovers are the most on the team. He turned over the ball seven times in Duke’s 81-73 win over Georgetown last Friday night.
Matthew Hurt had six turnovers over Duke’s first five games despite not playing any more than 24 minutes in a contest. That’s a big reason why he only played five minutes against Georgetown.
Jack White moved ahead of Hurt of late. White has just four turnovers through six games.
Stephen F. Austin at Duke
When: 9 p.m., Tuesday
Where: Cameron Indoor Stadium, Durham
Watch: ACC Network