Duke Basketball: Steals boost would revive assist-to-turnover ratio

This Duke basketball season may end as pretty as it started if the Blue Devils get back to what they did prettiest at the start: using in-your-face defense to generate takeaways that lead to spectacular passes and confidence-boosting finishes.

Not only do steals lead to instant transition opportunities, but they often lead to the type of fast breaks with the greatest numbers advantage — you know, the ones that often end with the world’s boldest exclamation point: a dunk by Duke basketball freshman Zion Williamson.

More times than not, after the steal but before the slam, whether by Williamson or another of the supremely athletic Blue Devils, there is an alley-oop pass or some other…