With losses at Syracuse and at Miami, Duke’s season could be slipping away. Grayson Allen is not healthy. Amile Jefferson is not healthy. Harry Giles and Marques Bolden are not the players Duke fans dreamed of in October. Is there time to save the season? Fortunately, Coach K is at the helm and all is not lost. Here are three positives from the tough losses:
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1) Giles is Continuing to Improve.
It is clear that Giles is not the player recruiting experts projected him to be. However, the last two games, particularly against Miami, Giles has shown improvement. Against Miami, he played the second most minutes (19) he has all year. He grabbed 8 rebounds which was also his second most productive outing on the glass this year. While he may not be the All-American Duke hoped for, he will be able to provide significant and important minutes in relief of Jefferson in March.
2) Allen Missed the Miami Game.
While this may seem like a negative rather than a positive, Allen’s health going forward is incredibly important to Duke’s hopes of a National Title. Since rolling his ankle against Wake Forest, it is clear that Allen has not been his usual aggressive self. He has been settling for three pointers and has stopped attacking the rim. For Duke to make a deep run in the NCAA tourney, Duke needs a healthy Allen to help Luke Kennard and star freshman Jason Tatum shoulder the scoring load. A few days off will go a long way to restoring his health.
3) Frank Jackson is Asserting Himself.
Particularly in the loss to Miami, Jackson was aggressive and productive. As seen in the Syracuse game, Kennard and Allen are not immune to foul trouble. There will come a time when Duke needs a spark off the bench and the freshman Jackson looks primed to provide it.
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Overall, Duke lost two tough road games to two tournament-caliber teams. These games will only make Duke a tougher team. However, the road does not get any easier with games against Florida State and North Carolina remaining. Hopefully, Duke will provide two great performances and head into post-season play with momentum and confidence.