Any team that hopes to be a National Championship contender must have at least one closer. It is imperative to have that guy that can create on his own in the final moments of close games when the defense is at its most intense level. Not only does Duke have this player, but there are multiple guys who can play the role of closer on the roster.
Jalen Johnson is very likely to be the best player on the team and will likely be the go to guy in crunch time. His versatility will be even more advantageous down the stretch in tight games. Johnson is a pass first player, but possesses the ability to score in one on one situations as well. When Duke is in desperate need of a score late, Johnson may be apt to stray from his pass first tendencies and be more aggressive in looking for his own shot. He is very adept at driving through the lane and using his size and athleticism to finish at the rim.
He will likely put himself in position to draw fouls at the end of games, but this is an area he will need to improve on significantly as he shot just 55% from the FT line as a Senior (31-56). His passing ability will also allow for the opportunity to drive and find teammates open beyond the arc for dagger threes. Johnson will be a valuable piece in closing games.
Pure scorers always have the potential to terrorize opponents in clutch situations, and no one fits that bill better than D.J Steward. Steward has the ability to be perfectly defended but still score on the possession and this is demoralizing for the defense, particularly in closing situations. Refs will occasionally “let them play” more in the final minutes of games and this sometimes hurts the offensive player as defenders can be a bit more physical. For gifted scorers such as D.J Steward, even this does not hamper their ability to score. He has demonstrated the ability to finish through contact as well as finishing at awkward release points while off balance. Steward will not be fazed by increased contact as he is simply too talented of a scorer. He is a guy Duke can comfortably give the ball to and get out of the way at the end of games.
Wendell Moore will be another extremely useful piece in end of game situations. He flashed very impressive offensive ability last season and I expect it to be more consistent next season. Similar to Johnson, his dual threat ability will be tough for opponents to handle. Beyond his skill set, his experience will be extremely beneficial down the stretch as well. He has been in tight end of game scenarios before. Moore is another guy who can create his own offense and having multiple guys like this in the closing lineup is very tough to defend.
The most likely candidate for back breaking threes late in games next season? A strong argument can be made for Matthew Hurt. Hurt repeatedly showed that he can but the ball on the floor and score in that way as well. Having a dead eye shooter on the floor in these late game situations is extremely advantageous for Duke’s offense. It adds another element to offensive attack. In situations where Duke needs a three late, a guy like Johnson or Moore driving and kicking to Hurt could be a scenario that happens frequently.
Jeremy Roach could be the guy that puts it all together for the guys mentioned above. A probing Jeremy Roach will keep the offense moving and prevent the offense from going stagnant as is the case in so many crunch time scenarios. A true floor general, Roach will be a guy Duke can count on to make the right decisions when the game is on the line. It is unlikely he will do as much scoring as the guys mentioned above, but every closing lineup needs a guy conducting the show.
The players mentioned above make for a closing lineup of Roach-Moore-Steward-Johnson-Hurt. It is impossible to predict at this point, but this a lineup I could see K going with to end games. While only five players were highlighted here, each player for Duke has traits that will be valuable in closing time. The abundance of closers Duke has will be invaluable.
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