Stat Chat: Don't Forget the Three

As I wrote last week, Duke will be defined by its pace of play this season. With a slew of versatile guards and small forwards, the Blue Devils will be a force to be reckoned with, especially in transition. Thus, one would expect players to slash and get to the basket more often; however, rather than shooting close to the basket during exhibition play, Duke opted to shoot from behind the arc.

Duke averaged 26 3-point field goals attempted per game during exhibition play, accounting for 40 percent of the team's field goal attempts overall. While shooting 3-pointers has become a Blue Devil staple over the years, it was interesting to see the team attempt so many shots from behind the arc. This was especially surprising considering both of the team's opponents, presumably, had weaker interior defenses than the average opponent Duke will play this season. Unfortunately for the Blue Devils, only 21 percent of the team's points total came via the three-ball. For reference, a season ago, Duke averaged 19 3-point FGA per game, with made baskets accounting for nearly 30 percent of the total points scored.

To clarify, shooting 3-pointers in transition isn't unusual; in fact, it's something that is taught during practice. As you can see in the video, former assistant coach Chris Collins instructs players to pass to the wing once they've reached the top of the key. From there, the guard who brought the ball down the floor jukes either left or right and the ball is passed right back to them. This is not the only transition play drawn up for 3-point shooters, but it does provide evidence that even teams that thrive in transition shoot 3-pointers regularly.

So, will this trend of attempting 3-pointers in transition continue? There certainly will be more opportunities than a year ago, when 11 percent of the Blue Devils' possessions were played in transition. Rodney Hood, Andre Dawkins, Rasheed Sulaimon and Matt Jones will all shoot 3-pointers regularly, but what may be the determining factor is how often plays oriented towards point guards, like the one I detailed above, are put in place. In the second exhibition game against Drury, Quinn Cook and Tyler Thornton, the two lone pure point guards on the team, shot a combined nine 3-pointers, converting four of those attempts.

Quickly, it should be duly noted that Duke used their size advantage a fair amount as well. In their two exhibition contests, the Blue Devils scored 40 and 38 points respectively in the paint, indicating that the slasher mentality was still present. However, with average heights of 6-feet-3.5-inches and 6-feet-3-inches respectively, neither Bowie State nor Drury posed much of a threat. Duke, with an average height of 6-feet-6.4-inches, will now take on an undersized Davidson team with an average height of 6-feet-4.7-inches. Look for the Blue Devils to have continued success in the paint, but don't forget, this team will shoot from downtown as well.