Duke checks in with a Top 5 offense in the country, but can the Blue Devils find more ways to involve stars AJ Griffin and Paolo Banchero?
If Duke’s half-court offense stagnates — in the pick-and-roll, especially — then it should look to dial up off-ball actions for Griffin with Banchero as the screener. This is identical to how Duke used this curl action with Zion Williamson (as the screener) and RJ Barrett in the 2018-19 season. Texas Tech switches on a ball screens, but the Red Raiders will also look to switch on off-ball exchanges, like pindowns. Banchero at the nail/elbow and kept a man defender on Griffin at all times. Duke has also taken advantage of having one of the best shooters in the country on its roster. 7-foot-2 Tanor Ngom switches out and Griffin lights him up from deep. On the year, Banchero has 115 total assists, which have gone to eight different players. Duke with the Triangle-2, flipping back to the 2-3, and moving the target on defense. This repertoire includes Duke’s wide pindown action, which the Blue Devils have run for years now. The freshman from Seattle can face-up and work from a triple-threat: shoot, pass (kick-outs for 3s or lobs for Mark Williams) and look to drive downhill with a bag full of stutter rips and spin moves. In fact, Williams is Banchero’s most assisted play this season, and it’s not particularly close. During the ACC Tournament, Syracuse had to reorient its entire defense to curtail the Banchero-Griffin connection.
Brandon Anderson analyzes the strengths and weaknesses of Duke Blue Devils forward and future NBA Draft pick Paolo Banchero.
The problem is that Banchero needs the ball in his hands to be at his most valuable, and that’s limiting when there’s only one ball on the court. Still, there are a whole lot of NBA teams that would very happily add a floor-raising multi-time All-Star at the top of the draft and never look back. Banchero is at 31% on 3s for the season, and he has some ugly misses at times. An NBA offense built around Banchero as the featured star could have similar limitations, meaning a high floor but ultimately a limited ceiling. Sometimes the shot volume and confidence is almost as important as the 3-point percentage. He plays with the ball in his hands and uses his size to locate shooters and cutters with the perfect pass. Banchero soaks up a heavy usage for Duke and usually tries to take over even more late in games. Banchero’s catch-and-shoot 3 looks smooth, and there’s little doubt he’ll hit that jump shot with regularity in the NBA. Think of him as something like a modernized LaMarcus Aldridge, pushing that go-to 18-footer out beyond the arc. Banchero is going to fill up the box score at the next level. He doesn’t need to wait for a teammate to dump the ball into the post. He has a smooth dribble with a crossover and easy handle, and he’s an outstanding passer for a guy his size. Banchero is smooth and talented with a deep bag.
MaxPreps News - See footage of the future NBA lottery pick slinging the rock for perennial power O'Dea.