Duke basketball 2014-15 player preview: Rasheed Sulaimon

Leading up to Duke basketball’s first game of the season Nov. 14 against Presbyterian, The Blue Zone will preview an expected contributor on this 2014-2015 squad each day, continuing today with junior Rasheed Sulaimon.

Rasheed Sulaimon

• Year: Junior
• Height: 6-foot-4
• Positon: Guard

Game Breakdown: Sulaimon has all of the tools to be an explosive college player—standing at a rangy 6-foot-4 and armed with a quick first step, deadly long-range jumper and superior defensive acumen. His biggest struggle during his first two collegiate seasons has been consistency. As a freshman, Sulaimon started 33 of 36 games and earned a spot on the ACC's all-freshman team, but had a knack for disappearing from games just like he did for taking them over.

As a sophomore, the wheels fell off for Sulaimon, as the Houston native failed to find a solidified role and averaged just 9.9 points per game. He struggled with his fitness and his mental toughness. Prepping for his junior year, Sulaimon's growth and maturity will be under the microscope—he is still Duke's best on-ball defender and shot 41.0 percent from 3-point range last year, but can he be relied on as a consistent option?

Role on the team: As of now, it appears that Sulaimon is poised to begin the 2014-15 season coming off the bench after playing with the second unit during Duke's Blue-White scrimmage and exhibition contests. After two years spent primarily as a starter, this move could actually maximize Sulaimon's potential. A season ago, the Houston native averaged 8.9 points in the 17 games he started and 10.9 in the 17 contests he came off the bench.

As the team's sixth man, Sulaimon can bring both energy and athleticism off the bench. He has always had a knack for scoring in bunches, which lends itself well to a reserve role, and will be able to take advantage of tired legs and wear opposing teams' best wings down with his hard-nosed defense. All in all, it's curious why Sulaimon hasn't fit into this role sooner.

NBA comparison: A streaky wing who plays excellent defense and just made the move to the bench after years as a starter? Sounds exactly like Golden State Warriors guard Andre Iguodala. Ultimately, Iguodala is a bit more physical and a better distributor, and Sulaimon is a better jump-shooter, but both players are in uncannily similar positions after each averaged about nine points per game last year.