Jordan Goldwire has done nothing but improve over this team at Duke. In both his Sophomore and Junior seasons, he has added elements to his game he did not have the season before. Expect to see the same from Goldwire as a Senior.
Goldwire is going to be incredibly important to the team this season. As a Senior, he is going to have to take on more of a leadership role than he ever has and be the leader this young team needs him to be. This team is very talented, but every team needs to have that Senior leader to turn to during tough times. Duke is very fortunate to have a guy like Goldwire on the roster to be that guy.
If there is going to be anyone on the team this year who is an extension of the coaching staff on the floor, its Goldwire. This is Goldwire’s 4th year under this coaching staff, the only player on the roster with that much experience playing under this coaching staff. He is on the exact same page as Coach K and the rest of the staff at all times and having a Senior on the team with this type of fimiliarity with the system will go a long way in leading the younger guys.
Whether or not Goldwire starts games, he is going to see a ton of playing time this season. Coach K can rest assured he can play Goldwire and know exactly what he is going to get all times. On a team that has so many young players it is very important for Coach K to have reliable options and Goldwire is exactly that. He will be a steadying force to any lineup he is in.
Goldwire will be featured in a lot of two point guard lineup along side Jeremy Roach. Coach K loves running with two point guards on the floor at once and he has the perfect opportunity to do exactly that with Jeremy Roach and Jordan Goldwire. Fortunately for Duke, Goldwire can be just as effective running the offense as he can playing off the ball.
As a Junior, Goldwire took his playmaking ability to another level and it can be expected he will improve in this department again as a Senior. This skillset will allow him to run the offense seamlessly. If Duke wants to go with a bigger back court as opposed to the two point guard look, Goldwire will be able to run the point guard position with a guy like like Wendell Moore playing the two. He is a pass first offensive player and will be a guy who is always looking to put his teammates in a position to score. When running the point guard position, Goldwire will consistently make the right play and limit turnovers.
In what is great news for Duke, Goldwire is just as comfortable playing off the ball. He played in more of an off ball role when he and Tre Jones shared the floor last season and was excellent in that role. He will able to do the same thing with Jeremy Roach this season. It is a testament to how hard of a worker Goldwire is that he has become a reliable outside shooter. If he is not handling the ball, he has become a guy who can spot up and be a reliable three point shooter. This added dimension to his game allows to him to be that much more effective off the ball.
As he has been since he first arrived at Duke, Jordan Goldwire will be the defensive linchpin. It Duke wants to go with a more offensive lineup without sacrificing too much defensively, Goldwire will be the perfect player to have on the floor. Goldwire is so strong defensively he will able to help mask the defensive struggles of teammates he is sharing the floor with. While there are many reasons Goldwire is going to play a lot of minutes this season, his defensive impact is arguably the biggest reason. His presence alone elevates the entire defense.
Goldwire is going to have highly impactful Senior year and will be one of the most invaluable members of the team.