Is Jordan Goldwire Duke’s Forgotten Arm?

[cs_content][cs_section parallax=”false” separator_top_type=”none” separator_top_height=”50px” separator_top_angle_point=”50″ separator_bottom_type=”none” separator_bottom_height=”50px” separator_bottom_angle_point=”50″ style=”margin: 0px;padding: 45px 0px 5px;”][cs_row inner_container=”true” marginless_columns=”false” style=”margin: 0px auto;padding: 0px;”][cs_column fade=”true” fade_animation=”in-from-left” fade_animation_offset=”45px” fade_duration=”750″ type=”1/1″ style=”padding: 0px;”][x_image type=”circle” src=”http://www.dukeblogger.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/jg.png” alt=”” link=”false” href=”#” title=”” target=”” info=”none” info_place=”top” info_trigger=”hover” info_content=””][/cs_column][/cs_row][/cs_section][cs_section parallax=”false” separator_top_type=”none” separator_top_height=”50px” separator_top_angle_point=”50″ separator_bottom_type=”none” separator_bottom_height=”50px” separator_bottom_angle_point=”50″ style=”margin: 0px;padding: 0px 0px 45px;”][cs_row inner_container=”true” marginless_columns=”false” style=”margin: 0px auto;padding: 0px;”][cs_column fade=”false” fade_animation=”in” fade_animation_offset=”45px” fade_duration=”750″ type=”1/1″ style=”padding: 0px;”][cs_text]The forgotten arm refers to an old boxing tactic where a fighter in close quarters uses one arm to punch and lets the other arm hide, waiting to land a surprise blow. I may be alone in asking, “Could Jordan Goldwire be Duke’s forgotten arm?” What I mean by this is that everyone knows what Trevon Duval will bring to the table – a dynamic athlete and steady ball-handler, strong driver to the basket a hard guard for sure. A lesser known entity is what Goldwire can add to Duke’s roster. He could be the punch no one sees coming.

It’s very easy to gloss over what Goldwire’s seen, been through and done as a high schooler and focus on the easy – the rankings. I guess for me it’s a bit different, while rankings do play a part in what I think of a particular player in terms of how they might fare, I don’t for a minute think it tells the entire story.

Goldwire, with the amount of vetting the Duke staff actually did, is expected to be more than just a practice player and his decision to attend Duke, I believe, serves more than a singular purpose. Depth at the point guard position is a need, as is keeping Grayson Allen and Gary Trent Jr. in their respective roles as shooters and drivers. Keeping the integral cogs where they belong should aid in keeping Duke’s machine moving properly on offense. I do think having another point guard on the roster will help Duke have more meaningful practices (something that has been an issue for number of years now) but I also believe that Goldwire could earn minutes this year and it’s a major advantage for Duke if he does.

I believe there is a role to fill in terms of spelling Trevon Duval. The addition of Goldwire assures Duke of having 2 reliable ball-handlers if he can do what he’s done the entirety of his high school career – being a steadying influence. Duval and Goldwire have seen each other before and Goldwire more than held his own against the top point guard in the nation. I think if Duke is to be successful this season, the ball has to be in the hands of pure point guards. There are two on this team and as exciting as Duval is he cannot possibly play every meaningful minute of every game. It will serve Duke well to utilize Goldwire as much as possible.

Another facet to consider is that Duke, admittedly, has not been a team capable of keeping opposing point guards out of the paint. Defending quick and athletic guards has been an Achilles heel for Duke and not one that they have been able to address. Goldwire is a defensive minded guard who per Shun Williams (owner of On the Radar Hoops), “…was the glue kid for the (Norcross) Blue Devils. He showed his ability to get steals and deflections to be a real problem on the defensive end. His offensive skill set kept Norcross afloat when they lost rhythm”.

Corey Evans (National Basketball Analyst at Rivals | Roundball Rundown Report Director) added, “Jordan is a very solid, well-rounded lead guard that was brought in for his facilitating skills. He’s someone that competes and will not back down from his opposition. He can make shots when left open and has a good feel for the game in creating for others in the half-court setting”.

The Duke staff saw how Jordan played on the EYBL circuit, saw how he defended and his ability to play with good talent around him. He was the point man and catalyst on teams that included Division 1 talent. Goldwire averaged 12.3 points, 6.3 assists and 3.8 steals in high school while playing with two Division 1 commits (Rayshaun Hammonds – Georgia and Lance Thomas – Louisville).

Not only has Jordan Goldwire played with elite competition but he’s played against elite competition. In addition to current teammate Trevon Duval, Goldwire has gone against the likes of Tremont Waters, Collin Sexton (AL), Quade Green (UK), Alex Barcello (AZ) and more. Not only did Goldwire compete, but in some cases outplayed those higher ranked prospects. He belonged on the same stage and proved that. At Duke, with fan expectations being low, the future freshman has nothing to lose and everything to prove.[/cs_text][/cs_column][/cs_row][/cs_section][/cs_content]