Duke’s roster makeover has left plenty of questions, but one thing is already clear: John Blackwell is arriving in Durham with a specific offensive goal in mind.
Blackwell, who entered the transfer portal and then chose to honor his commitment to Duke, is expected to be one of the Blue Devils’ top options next season. He’s coming off a strong run in the Big Ten and even had a shot to hear his name called in the NBA Draft this past month. Instead, he’s set to join a Duke team that should again be among the best in the country.
The appeal is obvious. Blackwell has built a reputation as a high-level scorer, and ESPN’s Jeff Borzello pointed to both his production and his next step.
“Blackwell should be one of the most explosive scorers in the country next season. He averaged 19.1 points and 5.1 rebounds for the Badgers this season while improving his consistency on the perimeter to make nearly 39% of his 3-point attempts. After playing off the ball next to Nick Boyd at Wisconsin, Blackwell wants to be more of a playmaker at his next stop,” Jeff Borzello wrote.
Borzello also noted how Blackwell fits into Jon Scheyer’s plan for the Blue Devils.
“Jon Scheyer desperately needed a big-time scorer on the perimeter, and he landed the best one in the portal with Blackwell. He will have plenty of competition for the role he has said he wants -- more on-ball responsibility -- but completes arguably the deepest perimeter group in the country,” he added.
That competition is real, but the expectation right now is that Blackwell will still be one of Duke’s primary ball handlers. With so many new faces on the roster, his ability to score and create could end up being one of the biggest storylines for the Blue Devils next season.
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