Observations from Duke basketball practice: Okafor and Co. live up to the hype

The Blue Zone's Nick Martin and Ryan Hoerger attended Duke's practice Friday afternoon at Cameron Indoor Stadium. Here are their observations:

Two weeks into organized practices and newly-minted as the preseason No. 3 team in the country by the USA Today Coaches Poll, the Blue Devils are a talent-laden squad with freshmen expected to make immediate contributions. Getting rookies Jahlil Okafor, Tyus Jones, Justise Winslow and Grayson Allen acclimated to the speed of the college game will involve some growing pains, but the quartet has already integrated well with the returning members of last year's team.

Quinn Cook and Jones look comfortable playing alongside each other. The starting point guard spot has been characterized by many outside the team as a battle between the two floor generals, but Cook and Jones played on the same team during Duke's 12-minute scrimmage at the end of practice Friday and enjoyed great success. Each spent time directing the offense, but it seemed as though Jones did more of the ball-handling. If the duo does take the court together in the regular season, the Blue Devils would feature a very quick backcourt with great ability to penetrate and find open teammates, but would be severely undersized on the defensive end.

Speaking of defense, last year's Duke squad struggled throughout the season on that end of the court, and its inability to get crucial stops at the end of road games led to a bevy of late losses. Head coach Mike Krzyzewski blew his whistle frequently during practice, stopping drills to adjust players' defensive positioning, particularly guards off-the-ball. The Blue Devils devoted a substantial portion of the two-hour practice to work defending their offense, stressing communication and intensity, led by the always-vocal junior Amile Jefferson. Sophomore Matt Jones lived up to his reputation as a ball-hawk with a couple of strips, but both defenses allowed the offense to grab rebounds on missed shots, another fatal flaw in Duke's 2013-14 season.

Okafor displayed a full arsenal of footwork, including a face-up jumper off the glass that he knocked down multiple times during the scrimmage. The preseason player of the year also showcased good court vision, finding cutting teammates and kicking the ball out to open shooters. If he hopes to earn the same award at the end of the season, there are still some areas to be improved upon, as it goes with any freshman. For Okafor, it seemed like the main area will be his aggressiveness on the boards, as seven-footer Marshall Plumlee was able to come down with a couple offensive rebounds Friday. But overall, the Chicago native lived up to the hype. One of the things associate head coach Jeff Capel mentioned in a preseason media session was how dominant Okafor looked on the floor. Part of that dominance, at least what was displayed Friday, comes with the ability to draw the entire defense's attention at every moment. This allowed for several kick-out 3-pointers by Cook and Allen.

Allen put on an impressive display of his own, hitting several shots from behind the arc and converting several nifty finishes at the rim. After having his legs taken out from under him by a diving Semi Ojeleye early in the scrimmage, the Jacksonville, Fla., native—playing alongside Okafor, Jones, Cook and Jefferson—hit a tough game-winning floater with 1.5 seconds left over Plumlee.

Junior Rasheed Sulaimon also had a solid showing in the scrimmage, with several athletic finishes at and above the rim reminding the crowd why he was heavily recruited out of high school. As was the case last season, many games will hinge on whether or not Sulaimon can consistently contribute and avoid a midseason slump. With an added dimension of explosiveness and what looked to be a more confident shooting stroke, it seems as though the Houston native is making a push for a starting role this year.

The Blue Devils will host an open practice Nov. 1 at 10:30 a.m., preceded by an team autograph session.