“Everything has changed,” head coach Mike Krzyzewski said following his team’s 83-48 victory over Bradley. “When a great player gets hurt, it changes everything. There is a period of adjustment that our team has to go through.”
While hot shooting resulted in a second-half scoring outburst and an impressive victory, things on the court clearly weren’t the same with freshman sensation Kyrie Irving in street clothes. And, if the preliminary medical reports are any indication, Irving’s tremendous point guard talents could be on the shelf for an extended period of time.
The player that will experience the most significant change in his role will be senior guard Nolan Smith. Smith, who had grown quite accustomed to working in tandem with an exceptional point guard after a year alongside Jon Scheyer and eight games beside Irving, will move over and become the primary ballhandler. Smith seems poised to take on the challenge of being the team’s playmaker.
“We have guys that are ‘play-off’ types of guys,” Smith said, referring to the team’s secondary offensive options. “I want to do more to get them involved, get them shots. With Kyrie and I, we had two guys out there that could push the ball. Now, I’m really that guy.”
On this particular night, Smith thrived in the role of floor general, posting 10 assists to just two turnovers. However, he went 0-for-8 from the field and 2-for-4 from the line to finish with just two points. Duke fans can hope that this was nothing more than an off-night shooting the ball, because the team’s success going forward will depend on Smith balancing his responsibilities as initiator of the offense as well as scorer.
Another guy whose role on the team has changed drastically overnight is the one who replaced Irving in the starting lineup last night, sophomore Andre Dawkins. His immediate response was encouraging as he went 10-for-17 from the floor, including 8-for-14 from deep, on his way to a team-high 28 points.
“Andre has been shooting the ball well,” Krzyzewski said. “He got a lot of shots, and he hit over half of them. I hope he can keep doing that.”
However, Krzyzewski was quick to note that he has been doing so on limited attempts, and he will be relied upon as a more significant contributor going forward. While Dawkins is a capable young player, he also lacks experience, having just made his first collegiate start. Further, over 75 percent of Dawkins’s shots have been 3-pointers this season, and with greater minutes, his offensive repertoire will have to become more well-rounded.
Beyond Dawkins’s specific role, the coaching staff also hopes to see a greater emphasis put on pounding the ball into the post. Even though his brother was a non-factor against the Braves, Miles Plumlee’s 7-for-7 shooting performance showed that the frontcourt can help supplement the scoring production and also create shots for the Blue Devils’ array of knockdown shooters.
“There’s been an emphasis to get the ball inside,” Plumlee said. “Not just for us to score, but to get the ball moving between the bigs and the perimeter.”
Krzyzewski also made a point of indicating that Irving’s departure from the lineup has considerable implications not only for the offensive attack, but the defense will have to adapt as well.
“Basically, we played with two point guards—it was very difficult to defend,” Krzyzewski said. “On defense, it meant the other team had one point guard so you could always have a fresh guy on the ball.”
In addition to Dawkins, two first-year Blue Devils in Seth Curry and Tyler Thornton will be relied upon to provide some minutes in the backcourt. And, if Krzyzewski’s latest words on Irving’s future is any indicator, these guys might be expected to contribute for quite some time.
“Kyrie’s injury is a serious one,” Krzyzewski said. “He could be out for a long time.”
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