It was a criticism rarely levelled against Duk last season as Aberdeen’s most prominent performer netted 18 goals in a team that finished third in the Premiership.
The few chances that Aberdeen did conjure up in a fiercely contested at Livingston fell to the Cape Verde international but he lacked the ruthlessness he exhibited in his debut season in Scotland.
Dons manager Barry Robson went as far as pointing to Duk's profligacy as a major factor in his team only leaving with a point.
After heading a corner over in the first half, Duk dallied on a chance in the second half before slicing an effort wide near the end.
In truth, the visitors - who failed to land a single shot on target - probably did not do enough to collect all the spoils in the Premiership curtain raiser.
In fact it was the home team that finished the stronger of the two and at least asked questions of Aberdeen goalkeeper Kello Roos.
“We've got a clean sheet on the first day of the season at a place where it is always difficult to come and play,” said Robson, who handed a full debut to Sloboden Rubezic just days after joining.
"If Duk had his shooting boots we could have come away with a good result today.
“He would have put those chances away last year, and when you come down here you have to take them.
"We tried to play a bit longer and use our speed against their back three as when our technical players got on the ball they just got fouled.
"But when we tried to go in behind they just got deeper and deeper.
"You will never come down here and play free-flowing football but we tried to come and get the three points and could have done if Duk had been at it a bit more.
"But credit to Livi, they slowed it down, broke up the game with fouls and came away with a point.”
The fact there were more yellow cards than shots on target in this game told the story of the afternoon.
Seven cautions were dished out to the players by referee John Beaton, while Robson also attracted the attention of the official.
The tone for a fiercely contested clash was set early on. Nicky Devlin - the former Lions captain - for one was keen to make an impression and did not hold back in his first game against his former team-mates since leaving for Pittodrie in the summer.
There was also an intriguing head-to-head battle in the middle of the park involving the Shinnie brothers, Livingston's Andrew and Graeme of Aberdeen.
Aberdeen were backed by a travelling support in excess of 4,000 at the Tony Macaroni Arena.
The Lions arguably had an advantage after playing four competitive Viaplay Cup matches but after finishing third last season, the Dons were always going to put up a fight.
The away team fashioned the first chance after 14 minutes when Duk met Leighton Clarkson’s corner but the forward glanced an effort over.
At the other end, Mo Sangare flashed a right foot shot wide after Cristian Montano’s cross was only partially cleared.
Livingston got stronger in the second period. Roos kept out a Montano volley and then blocked a header from the free Ayo Obielye.
There was concern for Livingston substitute Bruce Anderson after he was stretched off late on after coming off second best in a challenge with Rubezic.
The striker was left with a nasty cut on his head and was taken to hospital to be checked over.
His team did not collect the win they craved but Livingston manager Davie Martindale was encouraged by what he saw.
“The game went how I thought it was going to go,” he said. “We set up in a way that I felt would match up well against them, they like to press really high and are aggressive in their press.
"Set plays, they are big and they have great delivery but I felt we nullified most of the threats they posed throughout the game.
“The most important thing was getting a clean sheet.
"I felt from February onwards we were very naive and weak, got bullied and that is not something that will happen this year.”
