Duke basketball’s biggest areas for improvement following second loss

The second area for Duke basketball to improve: SHOT SELECTION

This young Duke basketball squad is clearly still learning how to play and be effective at the highest level. There is no doubt that the team is talented and has potential. There is also no doubt that talent and potential are really all this team has right now. While it still just December, this is certainly not a Duke team that looks ready to make a real run at a sixth national championship.

We are used to seeing Duke as one of the highest-scoring and most efficient teams in the country. This year’s Blue Devils are a far cry from that. Through four games, the team is shooting 44.2 percent from the field, 32.7 percent from three, and 65.6 percent from the foul line. These numbers are simply not going to be good enough if Duke wants to truly contend this season.

What’s even more problematic is that the Blue Devils are averaging more turnovers than assists. It is not as much that Duke simply can’t shoot, but it’s more a matter of the type of shots they are getting. The Blue Devils are taking shots that are too early in the shot clock and with little ball movement prior to the shot.

It is much easier to get a good look after the ball has been moved across the court a few times. Duke clearly lacks confidence as a team in its shooting ability. It is almost like some of the players are shooting just to shoot instead of shooting to actually score.

The poor shot selection really hurt in the latest loss to Illinois. There was one play in particular where Matthew Hurt took a contested three that missed badly and led to an Illinois run-out for an alley-oop. The poor shot selection has not only hurt the offense but the defense as well.