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Former Duke Blue Devils ready to take over NBA world on Christmas Day

By Kevin Connelly

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 25: Quinn Cook #2 of the Los Angeles Lakers during a 95-86 Lakers win over the Utah Jazz at Staples Center on October 25, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 25: Quinn Cook #2 of the Los Angeles Lakers during a 95-86 Lakers win over the Utah Jazz at Staples Center on October 25, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images) /
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Several former Duke Basketball players will be ready to take over the NBA world on the biggest day of the regular season, Christmas Day.

Christmas Day is to the NBA to what Thanksgiving Day is to the NFL.

The biggest day of the NBA regular season is here and one school will have several of its former players on display throughout the five games on the ESPN Networks, and that is Duke University.

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Mike Krzyzewski will have at least one former player in four of the five games with the one exception being the Philadelphia 76ers vs. the Milwaukee Bucks.

The day tips off with the Boston Celtics in Toronto to face the defending NBA Champion Raptors at 12:00pm EST on ESPN.

Former Blue Devil Jayson Tatum is coming off a career-high 39 points for the Boston Celtics and looking to continue his career season, averaging 21.6 points per game.

Duke fans can enjoy time with family and friends from 2:30pm to 5:00pm but then it’s time to watch Austin Rivers and the Houston Rockets facing the Golden State Warriors on ABC.

In what once was a heated Western Conference rivalry game, the Warriors and Rockets game has lost its significance due to the series of injuries Golden State has suffered this season.

With the firepower of James Harden and Russell Westbrook, Rivers hasn’t seen much time this season but is averaging 8.1 points per game in 23.6 minutes per game in his first full season with the Houston Rockets.

Following the conclusion of the Rockets-Warriors, the entire NBA world will be glued to the television for the game of the day between the Los Angeles Lakers and Los Angeles Clippers, as LeBron James and Anthony Davis are now expected to play for the Lakers.

However, Duke fans will be able to see the 2015 National Champion Quinn Cook take the floor with the Purple and Gold, but in his first season with the Lakers, Cook is only averaging 13.5 minutes per game and 4.9 points per game.

The Lakers and Clippers tipoff at 8:00pm EST on ABC.

After the game of the day, Blue Devil fans are getting into the main course in the nightcap between the Denver Nuggets and New Orleans Pelicans.

While Zion Williamson will not be on the floor, the potential to see five Blue Devils on the floor at once is still there.

The New Orleans Pelicans could run Brandon Ingram, Jahlil Okafor, JJ Redick, and Frank Jackson on the floor while the Denver Nuggets have 2010 National Champion Mason Plumlee.

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Brandon Ingram has been one of the best players in the NBA this season, averaging 25.0 points per game while JJ Redick is averaging 15.9 points per game. Jahlil Okafor is averaging 8.6 points and Frank Jackson is averaging 6.8 points per game.

As for Mason Plumlee, the former Blue Devil is averaging 6.7 points and 5.7 rebounds per game for the Denver Nuggets in 17.2 minutes per game.

Denver and New Orleans tipoff at 10:30pm EST on ESPN.

It will be a full day of basketball for Duke fans, watching eight former Blue Devils that graced the hallowed halls of Cameron Indoor Stadium make a major statement on the biggest day of the NBA season.

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