Duke basketball: Best insta-offense lineup for 2020-21 Blue Devils

Instant-offense Duke basketball lineup: THE CENTERPIECE CONTROLLER

OK, now that we’ve named the two pure marksmen on the perimeter, it’s time to examine the chief facilitator of the bunch, the one who would direct and often operate traffic from the middle of the offense. Enter Jalen Johnson. The five-star out of Wisconsin, the highest-ranked piece to the Blue Devils’ six-deep 2020 class at No. 13 overall but who had climbed to No. 3 near the end of his junior year, figures to be one of the top scorers on the Duke basketball roster.

In fact, many Dukies see Johnson indeed pacing the team in points while also being among the leaders in rebounds, assists, steals, you name it — well, maybe not so much when it comes to 3-point percentage. With all that in mind, it’d be silly not to include the multifaceted talent in this proposed offensive-minded fivesome. After all, he appears equipped with the necessary alpha-mentality to guide monumental comebacks or to mash the gas when accelerating a blowout.

Furthermore, Johnson’s ample size, athleticism, and acumen to hold down any position would help mask many of the perceived weaknesses with this lineup (as pointed out earlier and to come). Finally, it’s worth pointing out that whatever the likely one-and-done lacks in terms of outside shooting he more than makes up for with NBA-level passes, especially of the outlet variety coming off defensive rebounds or opponents’ baskets — i.e., his style is conducive to an up-tempo offense.