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Duke Basketball: Projected rotation and minutes for 2022-23 season

By Tristan Freeman

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA - APRIL 02: Jeremy Roach #3 of the Duke Blue Devils reacts in the first half of the game against the North Carolina Tar Heels in the first half of the game during the 2022 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament Final Four semifinal at Caesars Superdome on April 02, 2022 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA - APRIL 02: Jeremy Roach #3 of the Duke Blue Devils reacts in the first half of the game against the North Carolina Tar Heels in the first half of the game during the 2022 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament Final Four semifinal at Caesars Superdome on April 02, 2022 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images) /
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Dereck Lively II, Mark Mitchell and Dariq Whitehead Duke Basketball (Photo by Lance King/Getty Images)
Dereck Lively II, Mark Mitchell and Dariq Whitehead Duke Basketball (Photo by Lance King/Getty Images) /

Center

Projected starter: Dereck Lively (28 mpg)

As good a prospect as Filipowski is, there’s no question that Lively has the center position on lock. The 7’1 big man is the No. 1 overall prospect according to 247sportsComposite and it makes sense, as he’s an elite defensive anchor on one hand and is a solid post-scorer on the other end.

Lively simply has few weaknesses and should continue the great run of big men inside for the Blue Devils. He’s a likely first-round pick in next year’s NBA Draft and singlehandedly can make Duke a top-tier defensive unit next season and strike fear into opposing players trying to score inside.

Reserve (Kyle Filipowski 12 mpg) – In case of emergency/injury: Christian Reeves

Of course, having Filipowski as a backup is the ultimate luxury for new head coach Scheyer. Opposing teams will have a top-5 prospect at the center position for Duke for all 40 minutes and the more offensive-minded backup could wreak havoc against other backup centers. He also can be the focal point of the second unit and if it doesn’t work out at the power forward position, still can put up numbers whenever Lively isn’t on the court.

Next. Updated Big Ten power rankings for 2022-23. dark

What’s interesting about this roster is that outside of Roach and Lively, the other three positions could have multiple starters throughout the next season. How the shooting guard and power forward positions play out will determine where Whitehead and Mitchell play and it could take all season before the Blue Devils figure out what its “death lineup” will be. But if they figure it out before March, another Final Four will certainly be within reach.

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