Duke basketball 2013-14 player preview: Alex Murphy

Leading up to Duke basketball’s first game of the season Nov. 8 against Davidson, The Blue Zone will preview all the expected contributors on this 2013-2014 squad, beginning with the freshmen Monday and ending with the seniors and grad students Friday.

Alex Murphy

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• Year: Redshirt sophomore
• Height: 6-foot-9
• Position: Forward
• Last year's key statistics: 2.1 PPG, 1.0 RPG, 0.2 SPG, 0.1 BPG, 6.3 MPG

Game Breakdown: At the start of last season, many expected the Wakefield, R.I. native to be a key contributor for the Blue Devils, and maybe even a starter. This year, the expectations are a bit tempered for Murphy. Rodney Hood, Jabari Parker and Amile Jefferson have secured the starting frontcourt positions for Duke, leaving Murphy fighting for bench minutes.

We saw flashes of explosiveness from Murphy last season, but at just 6.3 minutes per game they were few and far between. In his best game of the year, the 90-63 blowout loss at Miami, he posted 11 points on 5-of-8 shooting, scoring from all over the court, and grabbed five rebounds. Murphy is fully capable of shooting the ball from downtown, but we didn't see that potential develop into results last season, when he shot just 5-of-24 from behind the arc.

Although it's been a limited sample size, Murphy's had the most success when on the move as opposed to catching and shooting. Whether that be battling for rebounds on the offensive glass or running the lane on the Duke fast break, Murphy can make plays in space for the Blue Devils. At 6-foot-9, Murphy has to use his athleticism to his advantage.

Role on the team: As mentioned earlier, Murphy will compete for bench minutes this season. Senior Josh Hairston will likely be the first forward off the bench for head coach Mike Krzyzewski, leaving Murphy in competition with Semi Ojeleye and Marshall Plumlee for the remaining minutes. Despite his athleticism, Murphy's rebounding ability doesn't stack up well with his teammates: Ojeleye has incredible jumping ability, and Plumlee's 7-foot frame gives him an inherent edge. On a Duke team with no center, rebounding will be critical, and Murphy's role could take a hit if Krzyzewski needs to get consistent rebounding production from his bench.

Where Murphy does have an advantage is his overall offensive game and athleticism He's strong enough to battle inside, and has shown the ability to hit long-range shots, giving him more versatility than Plumlee, who's still developing some solid post moves, and Ojeleye, who hasn't looked eager to shoot from the outside so far this year. Defensively Murphy's long frame could give opposing players fits on the perimeter, making him an interesting option in Duke's new fast-paced game-plan Murphy also got game experience last year, which could provide him a slight edge.

NBA comparison: If Murphy can continue to improve his outside shot, he could develop into a player in the Landry Fields mold. Fields' numbers improved every year at Stanford, and at 6-foot-7 he rotated between the shooting guard and small forward positions. While a threat from 3-point territory, Fields is better in space, creating and scoring on the move, and can be surprisingly explosive off the dribble. We won't see Murphy handle the ball as much as Fields did at Stanford, but their styles of play are very similar. Fields also evolved as a solid wing defender his rookie season with the New York Knicks, something Murphy has the potential to become for the Blue Devils this season. In a nutshell, Murphy can become the quintessential glue-guy just the way Fields was for the Knicks' playoff teams his first two seasons in the NBA.

Projected statline: 3.3 PPG, 2.3 RPG, 0.3 BPG

Check back later today for previews of Rodney Hood and Quinn Cook.

Players we've already previewed: Jabari Parker, Matt Jones, Semi Ojeleye, Rasheed Sulaimon, Amile Jefferson, Marshall Plumlee