Duke basketball: Is Joey Baker an offensive utility or odd man out?

Duke basketball’s Joey Baker enters his sophomore campaign with giant question marks, and his answers out of the gate should decide the size of his role.

As has become the trend in the “one-and-done” era of college basketball, the Duke basketball program is once again primed to have a brand new look when the 2019-20 team takes the floor for the first time against Kansas on November 5th.

Sophomore point guard Tre Jones is the only returning Blue Devil to start in every contest last year, minus the two games he missed due to a separated shoulder. Senior center Javin DeLaurier, who made 16 starts a year ago, will run into an even tougher path to start with freshman newcomers and projected lottery picks Matthew Hurt and Vernon Carey Jr.

Senior forward Jack White (three starts) and junior guard Alex O’Connell (seven) filled in for the injury-riddled Blue Devils last winter during the absences of Jones, Zion Williamson, and Cam Reddish.

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Trying to get a sense of what Duke will look like come tip-off is tough. Sophomore small forward Joey Baker was primed to be a valuable weapon this upcoming season, before another #1 recruiting class was welcomed to campus.

Projected to redshirt the 2018-19 campaign, the 6-foot-7, 210-pound heralded sharpshooter was thrust into action late in the first half at Syracuse in February. Baker, who played only five minutes that night, gave Duke fans hope for the future right away after a block on Frank Howard, which appeared to be wrongly called a foul, late in the first half.

Although he played a total of only 18 minutes in four games, the Sports Illustrated cover athlete and 33rd overall recruit by the 247Sports 2018 Composite has given Duke fans hope for the future with his competitive play during the Canada Tour and his short time on the court in the regular season and NCAA Tournament.

Nonetheless, the former 4-star from Fayetteville, NC, who some have preemptively penciled-in as a starter for the upcoming season, may have run into a wall. With the addition of freshman wings Wendell Moore Jr. and Cassius Stanley, plus the return of O’Connell, it seems likely that Baker could be the odd man out when Coach K is shuffling his rotation. Of course, only those within the program know Krzyzewski’s plan for this year’s lineup.

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An Instagram story posted by Williamson on September 27th featured Jones, O’Connell, Moore, Hurt and Carey running set offensive plays, prompting speculation of the Blue Devils starting lineup. Matchups against bigger foes, such as Mamadi Diakite (UVA) or Garrison Brooks (UNC) will likely force Duke to play big as well, meaning less time for Baker, who is best utilized as a sharpshooter in a small-ball lineup.

Minutes against ACC powerhouse opponents like Virginia and North Carolina would be crucial to Baker’s development as a player. Even in a smaller lineup, expect to see O’Connell, Stanley, and Moore getting the bulk of those minutes at the wing.

Baker will play immediately this season, but the question remains: how much? Will spending significant time on the bench help or hurt his development? All of these answers remain to be determined.

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Next season, Duke will roll out another highly-touted recruiting class, highlighted by talents such as combo guard DJ Steward and forward Jalen Johnson. O’Connell will likely return to Durham as well for his senior season, barring an unpredictable breakout season.

Competition within the program isn’t going anywhere and hopefully neither is Baker. Duke hasn’t had a player transfer since Jordan Tucker in December of 2017. This scenario seems unlikely, but it would be a shame to the landscape of college hoops for such a talented player to spend most of another season on the bench.

Stay tuned to Ball Durham for more updates, analyses, opinions, and predictions regarding the 2019-20 Duke basketball squad.