Irving's injury forced Nolan Smith to move over to the point, a move that has resulted in Smith being a top candidate for National Player of the Year honors. Does Duke really want to take the ball out of his hands at the most critical time of the season? Coach K has said that if Irving does play, he won't start and would likely see limited action. But, you have to assume that he would at some point be on the floor with Smith and the Dukies could have an identity crises. Teams spend the entire season figuring out each player's role and getting accustomed to a certain rotation. The last thing you want come tournament time is your guys not knowing what is expected of them. Coach K is a great coach and I'm sure he has discussed this with his guys, but it still has to worry you as a Duke Fan.
The best example I can come up with to demonstrate this is the 2009 NBA Finals. The Orlando Magic won the Eastern Conference with all-star point guard Jameer Nelson watching from the sidelines with an injured shoulder. Nelson came attempted a comeback for the finals and the Magic got ran by the Lakers. Granted, the Lakers were a better team anyways and would have probably won anyways, but the Magic looked out of sync the entire series.
If I was a Duke fan, I think I would prefer to see Irving keeping the bench warm this March. Not only will the team fare better in the tournament, but Irving not playing this season all but guarantees he will be back for his sophomore year.
