Duke basketball: The supreme Blue Devil lineup this season

The supreme 2020-21 Duke basketball lineup: DJ Steward

Folks just assume Duke basketball head coach Mike Krzyzewski will give the starting gig at point guard to Jeremy Roach or Jordan Goldwire. That might well be the case. Either might be a better game manager than DJ Steward, a 6-foot-2, 165-pound combo guard whose high dribble and so-so defense in high school are a bit concerning when pondering his potential to run the show.

But in terms of firepower, athleticism, and liveliness, Steward has the edge. So the former five-star out of Chicago could be the man for the job, at least in certain critical spurts. He’s an underrated passer who can also score in waves on his own by sinking threes and slithering to the hole. And as he told media last week, there’s reason to think he’ll indeed see minutes at the one:

“Coach K has been using me on and off the ball, which is great because he can mix up lineups: [Jordan Goldwire] and me, Jeremy Roach and me, sometimes me and [Wendell Moore] out on the court at the same time. It’s actually interesting for me, knowing where I could play and fit.”

Speaking of Steward fitting well alongside Moore in the backcourt, let’s move on to the two-spot of this premier Blue Devil lineup…