Duke Basketball: Potential impact if Dariq Whitehead’s injury is serious

2. More pressure on Jeremy Roach to run the backcourt

One of the reasons why Whitehead is going to be some important for Duke is that his scoring production would take pressure off of returning starting point guard Jeremy Roach. It would’ve been similar to how Wendell Moore became the all-around playmaker for the team while the PG had his inconsistencies and ended up being benched for a while.

Whitehead wouldn’t have provided the assist numbers that Moore did but he would’ve just as, if not better, a scorer for Duke. And that is what the team and Roach needed in order to guarantee stability on the perimeter.

Now, all eyes are on Roach, even more, to see how he produces. He was great for the Blue Devils in the NCAA Tournament, especially on offense and making shots. But without Moore, the junior playmaker now has to be both a leading passer and a double-digit scorer. If he’s not able to take that next step, Duke will have to rely on the freshmen, including Whitehead whenever he’s ready to go, to take the large share of the scoring production.

In a way, not having Whitehead for a few games forces Roach to step up and be more assertive. And with that confidence knowing he can run the offense, Duke can slowly bring the hurt freshman back into the fold and not have to panic at all.