Beyond the arc: Duke's offensive struggles are cause for concern

Allen went cold from deep to close the game.
Allen went cold from deep to close the game.

After jumping out to a 15-point lead just past the midway point of the first half against Virginia Tech, Duke went scoreless for about six minutes to enter the break up six. Although the lead ballooned to nine with just five minutes to ago, another scoring spell was in place as the Blue Devils failed to make a field goal from the 7:08 mark, and the Hokies came away victorious

The Blue Zone gives three takeaways and stats from the upset and looks forward for Duke: 

Three key takeaways

1. Offensive droughts troubling

The second-most efficient offense in the country has not looked the part at times in the past few games. The Blue Devils often find themselves in the midst of extended scoring droughts with stagnant ball movement, careless turnovers and poor shot selection—digging large deficits for themselves or allowing opponents to creep back into the game. 

Duke failed to hit a field goal for 13 minutes over two stretches, ultimately costing them the game. That leaves the question—would it rather have an offense that pairs ineptitude with occasional periods where it is unstoppable, or one that consistently scores throughout the game, à la Villanova?

2. Turnovers an issue

For a team with so many freshmen, the last thing the Blue Devils need is for their lone senior to lead the team in turnovers. Grayson Allen had two of his game-high six turnovers in the final 93 seconds of the game, allowing Virginia Tech to close a 63-58 deficit and win the game. 

Duke had 18 turnovers in the game—its second highest total this season. As you might expect, three of the Blue Devils' losses have come when they turned the ball over more than 16 times.

3. Shooting woes in two straight games

With Grayson Allen’s reemergence as a shooting threat with Marvin Bagley III out, many people thought Duke's shooting woes were over. But two straight poor team performances have raised those concerns once again. 

The Blue Devils followed up a 2-of-18 showing against Syracuse Saturday with an 8-of-28 clip from deep against the Hokies. After starting the game hot, making three of his first five threes, Allen missed nine of his last 10, including a last-ditch attempt as time expired. Meanwhile, Trent, who has struggled as of late, took all of his shots from downtown, connecting on just one of seven.

Three key stats

1. Duke shoots 73.3 percent from the line

Although the stat could certainly be improved upon, Duke did a respectable job of converting its free throw opportunities. But when it mattered the most, Duval, a 60.8 percent free-throw shooter, missed the front end of a critical one-and-one with the Blue Devils leading 63-62 with 25 seconds left. Although some may question why the ball was inbounded to Duval instead of Allen or Trent, the team will need to come up clutch, especially as the calendar turning to March very soon.

2. 24 Hokie points off turnovers

With Duke turning the ball over 18 times, Virginia Tech had ample opportunities to make the Blue Devils pay. And pay they did. The Hokies had 24 points off turnovers, including nine fast-break points, which ultimately turned the contest to their favor in a game decided by just one point.

3. Duke manages just 26 points in the paint  

Despite pulling down 13 offensive boards and out-rebounding Virginia Tech 37-23, the Blue Devils had just 26 points in the paint to lose the battle to the Hokies. 

Looking forward:

Things were looking bright for Duke and its surging defense in a five-game winning streak. Now, with some offensive concerns, the future looks cloudy as the Blue Devils head into a primetime showdown against rival North Carolina Saturday, hoping to even the ledger for the season. 

Their play on Saturday and the ACC Tournament will be a much better indicator in deciding how far this team could go in the Big Dance —as one road loss in a tough environment is nothing to sound the alarm for.

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