Entering his fourth season at Duke, Baker will look to have this best season yet.
After a Sophomore season that saw Joey Baker shoot 39.4% from beyond the arc, there was hope that Baker would continue to knock down threes at a high percentage last season. That never materialized, as Baker’s three point percentage dipped to just 31.4% as a Junior. One of the keys for Baker this season will be getting back to his Sophomore form as a shooter.
In Coach K’s preseason press conference, he mentioned two things about Baker that stood out. He stated that Baker has been shooting the ball really well over the offseason and that he’s become more athletic. If Baker can carry this hot shooting into the regular season. Below is Coach K’s quote from the press conference:
“Joey has been terrific. At times he has had injuries that have hurt him in developing a substantive role on the team…he’s had a really good summer. He’s really shooting the ball well…he is more athletic than he has been. Hopefully he will have a good one and stay healthy.”
Baker should have a firm role off the bench this season. Cracking the starting lineup at any point is unlikely, but he will likely play about 10-12 minutes per game off the bench. He projects to play the vast majority of his minutes at the small forward position, but his position could vary depending on the lineup Coach K wants to use.
Arguably the most important thing Baker brings to the team this season is leadership. As the longest tenured Blue Devil on the roster, he will be a player the team naturally looks to for leadership. Having that senior presence is going to be of the utmost importance for this young Duke team.
Another role Baker will play for the team this season is being a guy that injects energy into the lineup every time he steps on the floor. If the team is looking for signs of life and needs a guy to provide energy to the lineup, Baker is that guy. He is a fantastic hustle player and can flip the script of any game by diving on the floor for a loose ball, hustling back for a block in transition, or any other number of these types of plays that can give the team a boost.
There is no doubt Baker will be a be a player that brings the energy. If he can combine that with reliable three point shooting, it would help this Duke team tremendously. Baker has a chance to be a very valuable player this season.