A Duke basketball reserve’s consistent buckets and energy continue to lead to his consistent minutes.
It’s no secret Duke basketball wing Joey Baker is a crowd favorite when he checks in for the Blue Devils. However, his role seems to be limited until the team needs a spark off the bench. Despite “Joey Buckets” currently only averaging 4.8 points and one rebound, the sophomore seems to give 100 percent every time he hits the court.
Obviously no one questions the game plan of Mike Krzyzewski, but most Duke fans were skeptical when he decided to burn Baker’s redshirt last season and he only played in four games (total of 18 minutes). However, as we have seen time and time again, Coach K has a plan for Joey Baker, and I firmly believe he will work him into the rotation when needed.
Over the past three games, Baker has helped fill the need for reliable outside shooting. The 6-foot-7, 210-pound North Carolina native knocked down two of three 3-point attempts during No. 1 Duke’s 87-52 win over Cal on Thursday night, and he is now 5-for-12 from beyond the arc for the season (41.7 percent).
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After not playing at all in Duke’s opening win over Kansas, Baker has played between 14 and 16 minutes in each of the past four games. Per 40 minutes, he’s averaging 16.3 points, 3.4 3-pointers, 3.4 rebounds, and 2.0 steals. This shows he offers more than just energy and a positive attitude. He offers production.
Thinking back to the 2015 season, when Duke brought home a fifth NCAA championship, the Blue Devils were down by six in the second half of the title game against Wisconsin and Grayson Allen checked into the game. Allen also was a player to come off the bench that season and eventually stayed all four years and became the player and person all Duke basketball fans know and love.
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With all that being said, there’s a lot to look forward to this season and years to come with Joey Baker. The 19-year-old continues to embrace his role. He’s a dynamite shooter and the team seems to feed off of his energy.
If you remember when Duke played at Louisville last season and pulled off one of the greatest comebacks in the Coach K era, a timeout was called on the floor. We then saw Baker say “We are doing this, right now.”
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With such a young group, this Duke team needs his leadership. And he will continue to do whatever is needed to help this team succeed. Stay patient, Cameron Crazies, Baker will be cooking more often soon enough.
Baker and the Duke Blue Devils (5-0) face the Georgetown Hoyas (4-1) at 7:30 p.m. (ESPN2) from Madison Square Garden for the championship game of the 2K Empire Classic.
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