Jon Scheyer, you can afford to switch it up from time to time! Duke is getting ready to storm the NCAA championship next month, with Cooper Flagg at the helm. They have had a phenomenal regular season, losing only one game in conference play thus far. And with only three games left on their schedule, it doesn’t look like the losses column will change.

However, injuries are beginning to scare the Blue Devils. Tyrese Proctor and Maliq Brown, crucial cogs in the well-oiled Blue Devils machinery, are out for the immediate future. With the roster in slight disarray, analysts believe it might be time for Duke to cause some chaos with their lineups moving forward.

On ESPN’s The Drive with Tim Donnelly, show host Donnelly discussed how Scheyer and his team have an opportunity to test things out. Maliq’s shoulder dislocation and Proctor’s bone contusion have the two ruled out for a few games at the very least. “With them being out of action for a little bit? Get weird. And if it doesn’t work? No harm, no foul! Go back to the old rotations when those guys get healthy.” 

Donnelly mentioned the endless possibilities that Scheyer has in the palm of his hands. “You want Cooper Flagg playing point guard?” He asked, trying to entice the head coach. The analyst mentioned how flexible the Blue Devils lineup actually is. Donnelly gave options aplenty–Kon Knueppel at the four, Cooper Flagg at the five, and Isaiah Evans playing post as a six-foot-six paint beast.

There is no downside to Duke trying new combinations out. Definitely not in the long term. As Donnelly said, they know what works and can always go back to it if their new strategy does not work out. The best case scenario far outweighs the worst. “Worst case, you go back to what you know works. Best case scenario, you develop some real off-speed pitches.” 

It might be time for Flagg to show an entirely new side of his game, as injuries open up the Blue Devils roster to exciting possibilities! Anything they try in the next 3 games can be the basis for a winning possession or quarter in March.

Cooper Flagg, point forward? Scottie Pippen comparisons shine among others

The Maine Event has been compared to a veritable number of NBA stars over the last couple of years, however one name has popped up again and again-Scottie Pippen. Flagg, standing at six-foot-nine is a fair bit taller than Jordan’s greatest teammate but it’s easy to see where the comparisons come from.

Even with his dominance around the rim, Flagg is gifted with a good handle and amazing IQ. That’s where the Pippen comparison comes in. Pip was as talented a scorer as anyone in his era, but played his secondary star role the best. He brought the ball down even as a small forward, retaining his guard skills after his growth spurt.

However, Flagg won’t have the luxury of becoming the secondary scoring option. All of the weird and wacky combinations suggested by Tim Donnelly in his podcast are contingent on a few key players performing well. Flagg, Knueppel, Evans, and Maluach are going to be under quite a bit of pressure as they take on the remainder of the conference games.

Luckily, Proctor and Brown won’t be out for long. Their injuries aren’t supposed to be season-ending, meaning we can expect them back soon! But Flagg, if he plays up to his potential, can cover the gap quite well! It will be interesting to see what kind of wacky strategies Scheyer comes up with and implements. Or if he decides to play it safe and let it run how it’s been running.